A Friend Named Ferran

Chapter 1: Ferran's POV

One day, as I was playing with a fish, it moved. I squeaked, and dropped it on a tree root.

I whimpered, and waited for my friend to wake up so we could get back to playing.

But then, I heard the unmistakable sound of a hooman girl laughing-wait. A hooman.

My mama warned me about hoomans.

I snarled. She yelped, and fell into the river, splashing me. I paused, then splashed her back, and her laugh returned.

The girl started coming around more-Caroline, that was her name. Eventually, my siblings began to join our playing. I blinked up at her, silently asking her to please ignore them.

I wanted my friend all to myself.

But she didn't, so I had to chuck chewed-up wood at their heads. So annoying.

She would yap a lot. I learned that hoomans like to do that.

"Mama always rants about things called Greece and Ice-land. And Rome, they have good cheese, she says. But I like it here. I don't want to leave."

I placed a paw on hers; I didn't want her to go, either.

Caroline pecked a kiss on my cheek, narrowly missing my wood-weathered teeth.

"You're a good friend, Farren."