The first batch of bugs that Jenny collected had died. She had already collected another batch, making sure there was variety in her bug collecting bin for whatever Swirly was hungry for. She even brought some leaves and berries just in case Swirly wanted a salad. She had worked hard for this one bug.

All of that work was worth it.

Jenny couldn’t believe it, but Swirly had obeyed her. She had told him to go down off the net and she would give him a beetle and Swirly obeyed.

Jenny was open mouthed and wide eyed staring at the floor. She couldn’t watch while Swirly ate the Beatle, it was way too gross. Hearing the crunching sounds was bad enough. Even so, she was so happy to have her first real pet. The butterflies were pretty, but they didn’t listen. She was still a little shocked that it worked. Bugs didn’t obey like that ever, so Swirly was extra special.

What if she was wrong though? Maybe he just coincidentally got off the net and wasn’t actually a genius. If it wasn’t just an accident, then Jenny finally had her first pet, so she had to test it out. Everyone knew you could teach pets to listen to you and that’s what made them pets, so she needed to prove Swirly could listen.

When Swirly was done with the beetle, Jenny grabbed a grasshopper from her food collection and waited for Swirly to climb the net again.

She had to know for sure.

Swirly climbed the net and stared at the grasshopper.

He really didn’t look like a swirly now that he was out of his pretty chrysalis. He looked like a mix of bugs with both dragonfly and butterfly wings. His body looked partly like a caterpillar, but had some kind of shiny scales. He also had six legs that were thin and flat, almost like fish fins, but more buggish with little grasping hands like a caterpillar. He wasn’t a Swirly at all, he was more like a Frankenstein monster.

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Jenny nodded decisively, “Your name is Frankenbug.”

Frankenbug clung to the net and followed the grasshopper that Jenny held. The name would grow on him, she was sure of it.

“Down, Frankenbug,” Jenny said, pointing down.

Frankenbug twitched.

“No food for you until you obey,” Jenny kept motioning down, “Down.”

Frankenbug stared.

“Down,” Jenny repeated.

To Jenny’s delight, Frankenbug climbed down the net and onto the floor then looked back at her expectantly.

Jenny clapped her hands and squealed with glee. Now she knew for sure that she had a pet now! Frankenbug was smart and he obeyed her. She rewarded him by opening the net flap and dropping the grasshopper inside the cage.

After finishing the grasshopper, Frankenbug climbed the net again so maybe he was still hungry. Jenny Grabbed another grasshopper and looked back at Frankenbug.

“Down, Frankenbug.” She said while pointing down.

This time, Frankenbug immediately moved down from the net and onto the ground. That was the fastest so far. Jenny hadn’t even needed to repeat herself.

“Good Frankenbug,” She said, “Since you’re a good boy and listen to your new momma, I’ll give you some extra treats, so you can grow big and strong.”

The routine continued 5 more times. Frankenbug would climb the net to say he was hungry and she would grab a bug and tell him to get down. By the time he stopped climbing the net, he had eaten 5 grasshoppers and 2 beetles. Jenny was glad Frankenbug stopped when he did, because she was out of bugs to feed him. He had eaten so much that he looked ready to explode.

Jenny watched as Frankenbug started to bubble all over like an egg cooking in a really hot pan. All of a sudden, he shrank into a little greenish, silver blobby ball and then a chrysalis grew out of him until it surrounded every part of him.

Jenny stared in amazement. Usually she got bored by how long it took caterpillars to make their chrysalis, but this happened so fast. She couldn’t have taken her eyes away even if she wanted to. When Frankenbug was done, he looked pretty and swirly again with the mix of green and silver colors. He might be swirly again, but Jenny knew he would always be Frankenbug. Her new pet.