Florg and his Slorg

      Florg didn't like to sleep. When he slept, he always dreamed of a strange Yellow Chia. This Chia worked in the Space Station and lived with his Petpet Slimy, a usually large Slorg. Florg couldn't understand why he felt sad when he saw these dreams. He always woke up feeling like he had lost something, and he did not like that. So, he tried not to sleep as much as possible.

      This had disastrous consequences. He was always in a bad mood, he couldn't express himself or think clearly, and his body ached. He tried to soothe his pains with his favourite foods: delicious and juicy little Petpets. Hasee and Kadoatie were his favourites, and Slorgs were his absolute least! How strange that he would dream about owning a Slorg! He didn't even like being in the same room as Slorgs! Every time a Slorg was on his dinner menu, he made sure to throw at least one of his Grundo caretakers across the room.

      After another sleepless night it was time for his food; though his mood quickly soured even further after over 20 Petpets dropped to the floor during mealtime. He screamed at his caretakers and threw one poor Grundo out into space. He became even angrier after he saw the Grundo being promptly saved by his friends. He also couldn't stand the incessant beeping! There was always a beeping sound around the station, and silly little Grundos kept passing by at all hours. He hated how big their toes were! Just looking at the toes of the Orange Grundo by the door sent him into another rage. This time he grabbed the Grundo and tossed him up and down like a ball.

      Watching the Grundo ball go up and down made him feel better. He was so engrossed in this little game that he didn't even notice the doctors behind him. They injected him with medicine that quickly knocked him out cold.

      He knew he was dreaming, but he could not wake himself up. He was the happy Yellow Chia again, sorting boxes alongside Grundos at the warehouse. It was such a strange feeling living as this Chia, being him but also watching all the events unfold without any power to make decisions. It was like he was on a ride, sitting back while looking out of these strange eyes.

      “Hey Finn, want to go to the cafe after work?” The Orange Grundo he had used as a ball appeared before his eyes. The strange Florg, now called Finn, answered, “Yeah X1a! I need to go home first to feed Slimy, and then I will meet you there, okay?” Finn packed up his work clothes, signed out at promptly 4:30, and walked across the warehouse to the small house where he lived. He smiled before opening his door.

      The first thing he did was call out happily, “Slimy, I'm home!!” Within a second a large Slorg came crawling down the hallway, leaving a long trail of slime on the floor. Slimy crawled up Finn and onto this head. The two danced and sang around the room happily, before Finn remembered he was supposed to meet his friend. “Sorry Slimy! I forgot I have plans... wait, why don't you come with me?” He ran to his closet and took out a large black bag that the Slorg swiftly jumped into.

      The two skipped and danced along the streets toward Grundos Cafe. When he opened the doors, he saw his friend was already sitting at a table filled with plates of food. “I'm sorry I'm late!! Forgive me!!”

      “No worries, Finn. Let me guess, you were playing with Slimy, right? And Slimy is in that big bag right now, right?” X1a laughed at his predictable friend. He knew that Finn and Slimy were the best of friends, only apart during working hours. Finn talked nonstop about Slimy when they worked together, but X1a didn't mind. He thought their bond was sweet and enjoyed listening to stories of their adventures together.

      “So, Finn, you're from Neopia Central, right? What made you move to the Space Station?” Finn laughed at the question he had been asked hundreds of times by station residents. “I visited here a few years ago with Slimy, after those troubles with Dr. Sloth. Slimy really loved it here and we were looking for a change of scenery, so we decided to move!” Slimy nodded along as he chewed on his favourite Nova Fruit.

      Finn, X1a, and Slimy sat together happily, laughing and munching on their favourite foods until a blast nearby shattered all the windows. After the smoke cleared and their ears stopped ringing, they heard the screams. “Dr. Sloth! Dr. Sloth is back! Run for your lives!!”

      There was no time to waste. Finn put Slimy back into his bag and ran out the back door with X1a. The two looked around at the complete chaos before them, unsure of what to do or where to go. Finn took a few deep breaths while patting Slimy and tried not to panic. He felt keys jingle in his pocket and suddenly had an idea. “X1a, we need to get down to the hangar. I forgot to return my keys after my deliveries today. We can escape on that ship!”

      The two made their way down, sticking to the shadows and near the walls. Soon they were within sight of the small delivery ship. Finn looked down into his bag and assured Slimy they would be alright. They were just a few steps away from the ship when a blast sent them flying backwards. Slimy flew out of the bag and landed right at the foot of Dr. Sloth himself. X1a tried to pull Finn toward the ship, but he wouldn't budge. He would not leave without his best friend.

      Dr. Sloth picked up Slimy and laughed. “What a disgusting creature. Oh, is this yours?” He laughed at the terrified look on Finn's face as he pinched the Slorg. Finn cried out, brandishing a ray gun that had fallen near him, “Give me back my Petpet or else!”

      Dr. Sloth laughed and quickly overpowered Finn, knocking him swiftly to the ground. He held up Slimy again, “You insubordinate fool. I could crush this little Slorg right now.” Finn cried out and begged, “No, no, please! I will do anything. Please don't hurt him! Please give him back!

      Dr. Sloth's eyes widened after hearing Finn's words. “Anything? Hmmm, it's rare to see a Chia in these parts. I wonder what would happen if... Come back with me to my ship for some tiny little tests. Then I will give you your Petpet. Deal?” Finn did not hesitate to accept the deal. He followed behind Dr. Sloth, taking one last glance at his friend X1a. He tossed the keys to him and mouthed, “I will see you soon!” X1a wiped away his tears and picked up the keys, hoping that he really would see his friend again.

      Finn followed Dr. Sloth onto his ship and into a small room behind the engines. Inside he saw various machines, liquids, and weapons scattered all around. “Okay. Some tiny little tests, right? Then you will give Slimy back to me?” Finn had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He wasn't a strong fighter, but maybe he could use some of the weapons in this room if Dr. Sloth didn't keep his promise.

      Unfortunately, he never got the chance to use the weapons. He was quickly knocked out from behind by one of Dr. Sloth's followers and tied tightly to an operating table. He felt the pain of electricity surge throughout his body before...

      Florg woke up covered in sweat and tears. His heart pounded as everything became clear. He was a normal Neopian once, until Dr. Sloth changed him. Day in and day out he had been locked in a room, zapped and prodded with a multitude of strange instruments. He suffered all alone for what felt like an eternity until he became the creature that he was now. Dr. Sloth had laughed at him - laughed and laughed when he begged for Petpets to eat; laughed at him for being simple and slow; and laughed at him for being a monster. He was even given the name Florg in a cruel jest, as a way to taunt him and make him miss his Slorg even more.

      Florg clenched his head and screamed into the empty room, but no one came to help him. He did not want to be able to think clearly, and he did not want these memories in his mind. It was too much to bear, knowing that he had a normal life before. He mourned for the Chia he used to be, and he mourned for his lost Petpet. Was this why he hated eating Slorgs so much now? Because deep down it reminded him of his old Petpet Slimy? Where was Slimy now, he wondered. He hoped that Slimy was living happily with a new owner. He imagined what life would be like if he had never been experimented on. He would still be dancing and singing cheerfully around with Slimy each night before bed. The memories brought more tears to his eyes, and an ache deep in his heart more painful than a thousand cuts. He collapsed down onto the floor, clenching his chest and hoping the sadness would go away quickly.

     He closed his eyes, and in his mind he hugged Slimy one last time. He patted his precious Slorg's head and smiled, “You will always be my best friend. The time we spent together was magical. Thank you for everything.”

     The End.