The Perfect Color

      "I almost didn't see it at all," she announced, holding something up. Quarrye had to look twice just to see the thing she was holding.

      "What do you think?" she asked, but Quarrye already had an answer. Ever since he had seen the news, he'd been thinking about being transparent.

      "Oh, it is just the perfect color for a Skeith! I can think of so many reasons!" he said.

      First, he was always being blamed for eating something, just because he happened to be a Skeith. Yes, Skeiths are notorious for eating things that they shouldn't, and even things that most pets couldn't eat. Sometimes he was very tempted to, but his owner always made sure that he was well fed. So far he hadn't had to stoop to eating someone's socks, although at times he wondered how they would taste. There were times when his owner brought home yummy looking Christmas ornaments or chess pieces, and then, well, he was very curious. He never actually ate any of them, but he was a Skeith. While most pets experienced only a few things such as sour, spicy, sweet, salty, and bitter, there were many more flavors a Skeith could taste. Only a Skeith could appreciate tastes such as paper, glass, leather, metal, or wood. So sometimes he did sneak a taste when others were not looking, but he was careful not to eat the objects his owner treasured so much. No, he never ate them, but he might have misplaced a few of them. Sooner or later the object would be found, but it didn't feel nice to be blamed.

      "Well, no more of that," he thought. "If anyone asks, I'll just show them my stomach. They can see it for themselves." This was true. The reason that Skeiths could eat anything was not because they have very sharp teeth. Even if a Skeith had no teeth at all, one could eat anything because many Skeiths simply swallowed their food whole anyway. Now if Quarrye did eat something, everyone would see.

      Second, Quarrye could think of so many funny things to say to others once he was painted transparent. No one could say that he was, brainless, spineless, lily livered, or heartless. Well, he hadn't actually ever been accused of being so, but still, if the situation ever came up, he was ready. He had thought of so many puns to make others laugh.

      Third, he could be scary! With a bit of makeup, he could look like a zombie. All he needed was a bit of makeup here and there. He could let some of his parts stay visible, and use green makeup on other parts. It would be really neat. Then he thought of what it might look like if he just used black makeup or black clothing. He could cover some parts and just let his bones show. With a zombie pet, or a skeletal halloween pet, they could only have one look, but he could have three! Then he thought he could try eating some really colorful food, and see what that would look like. It would probably look revolting, but it would be so fun to experiment. So with any luck, he could really have fun with this look.

      Fourth, he would be able to tell if he was starting to get sick a lot faster than other pets. It would be really easy for a doctor to just take a look and see what was wrong with him. He would never have to get an X-ray either, although those were pretty cool. His dentist would be able to see all of his teeth too, even down to the root.

      As he approached his owner, he wondered if being painted transparent would make her sick. She was delighted, however.

      "You can help me study for my Anatomy and Physiology test. That reminds me; we're having liver for dinner."

      "Liver for dinner? Oh, hahaha!" He laughed, although he didn't really think it was that funny; he knew his owner was trying to think of something funny about the situation. He wondered what else she might think of to say.

      So off they went to the Rainbow Pool. As she dipped the paintbrush in, the water did not seem to change at all. There were only a few bubbles and the water remained crystal clear. What more could anyone expect out of a transparent paintbrush?

      "Aw too bad," said a Gnorbu, who was third in line. "That paint brush was a dud."

      "Have you ever heard of a dud paint brush?" Quarrye heard from the back of the line.

      "Can that really happen?" someone else asked.

      "Hey guys, watch this," he said, and did a cannon ball into the water.

      He stepped out of the water, and didn't feel anything at first, then he noticed something strange. If they had not been at the Rainbow Pool, but instead he had fallen into a puddle in the Haunted Woods, he would have thought he had a poisonous substance on him. It looked as though his skin were fading away. It didn't hurt at all, and he grinned, wondering if it would be worth it to pretend it did, and get a shock out of the onlookers. He decided that wouldn't be very nice, as several pets already looked nauseous.

      "Oops, was that supposed to happen?" he asked with a mischievous grin at the onlookers, several of which looked horrified.

      "You go next," he heard someone say.

      "No, I insist, after you."

      "How do I look?" He asked a Lupe.

      "I don't know. I feel sick and yet hungry at the same time looking at all your bones. If there is ever a transparent Chia, they'll have to really watch out, though."

      On the way home, they stopped and got some food from the shops. Quarrye ate his hot dog and grape drink right on the sidewalk while several pets actually gathered to watch. It was kind of interesting, in a way, to see the digestive system at work. He thought he saw someone creating a picture for the caption contest, and wondered what kinds of captions it would get.

      "You are wrong, you know," he told his owner. "My stomach is not a bottomless pit."

      "Yes, I can see that. Still, you look pretty full now. How do you feel?"

      "Normally I'd say I wanted more, but seeing how full I look, I don't don't think I'll have seconds."

      Now Quarrye had another reason why being painted transparent was a good idea. It was the perfect weight loss solution! When one can see how full one is, it really helps.

      Quarrye couldn't wait to show the rest of his family his new look. It would be fun to gross out his sister, but his brothers would think he looked cool. He wondered what kinds of practical jokes he could pull and the fun he would have. He knew he'd have to keep a sense of humor if he wanted to be transparent, but he owner did say something about him having a humerus bone. As he arrived home, everyone could tell that Quarrye was excited; his heart beat quite visibly behind his ribcage.

The End