Whitney Writes…

Cirrus giggled as she stroked the sticky skin of the creature. It blinked one eye, and then the other. Cirrus giggled again. She thrust the tiny creature towards her sister. “Look at it, CiCi!” she exclaimed.

Cumulus sat back in revolt. “It doesn’t look right,” she said with disdain.

“Seen your share of new demons, have you?” goaded their brother, Phantom.

“Probably more than you,” Cumulus retorted. Phantom scoffed. “I was there when Papa summoned you,” she snipped. “We all were. You didn’t look much different.” She gestured to the slimy, slightly-stinking creature clutched in Cirrus’ out-stretched hands.

“I don’t know,” said Rain quietly from over Cirrus’ shoulder, “I don’t remember Phantom being this small.”

“Or this green,” quipped Dewdrop.

Cumulus shot her brothers a look over Phantom’s head.

“He actually was smaller,” mumbled Rain.

“And definitely green,” agreed Dewdrop from behind Rain.

“And had warts,” said Mountain for the first time.

“But he was still the cutest little Ghoul in all the land,” chimed in Sunshine.

“Do you think Papa will let us keep him?” Cirrus cooed, stroking the little creature behind it’s beady little eyes. It made a croaking sound and she squealed.

“What on earth are you seven up to?” said a voice suddenly behind them. They all turned in unison to see their eldest brother, Aether, framed in the gothic-arched door frame.

“I found a freshly-summoned demon!” Cirrus cried, holding out her hands to Aether.

“Did you now?” Aether started to bend to see what his little sister was showing him, but stopped short. His eyes flickered to Cumulus who was making strange faces with large eyes at him. “Why.. yes… so you did,” he said slowly.

“We’re going to go show Papa and see if we’re adopting him!”

“Are you now?” Aether’s eyes went wide, and he looked to the second eldest, Dewdrop. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Aether hissed under his breath to Dewdrop as their younger siblings rushed out of the room and down the corridor.

Dewdrop shrugged. “No idea, but it will be fun!” He trotted off after his younger siblings, following the trail of their laughter and giggles as they wound their way through the maze of corridors of the Ministry. He finally found them all in Papa’s office, gathered around his big wooden desk. Papa was leaning forward, his elbows on his knees, his hands steadying the bouncing-with-excitement Cirrus.

“Slow down, little one,” he was saying. “Tell me again what you found.”

“A BABY GHOUL!!!” Cirrus shrieked. She unfurled her arms from behind her back and thrust her hands, still clutching the green, slimy, warty creature, upwards toward Papa.

Behind him, Dewdrop could feel Aether tense. He knew, like him, Aether was expecting Papa to jump back in revulsion. But Papa didn’t. The only indication of his disdain, was the raising of his brows; he did not wrinkle his nose, he did not push himself away from her.

“Can we keep him, Papa?” Cirrus was asking.

“My darling girl…” Papa said slowly, his gaze shifting to her siblings, “who told you this was a baby Ghoul?”

“ME!” she cried.

“This, dearest one, is not a baby Ghoul,” said Papa gently. Cirrus’ face fell. “I regret to inform you that this is simply a toad.”

“A toad?” her little nose wrinkled.

“Yes, a toad.” Papa rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “But I do not see any reason why you cannot still keep him, if you would like? Perhaps Aether can help you find things for a terrarium, and we can put it together once I’m through with this paperwork?”

Cirrus’ face lit up and she nodded fervently.

Inktober 2023, Prompt #8: TOAD