Chapter 2
Rosie stood pouting at the top of the stairs, watching her mum jump over Dragon, who was lying in wait on the bottom step, ready to attack.
“Okay, not a pony,” Rosie called after her mum. She followed her downstairs, carefully avoiding Dragon. The cat hissed at her, green eyes flashing as it aimed for her ankles with spear-like claws. Luckily, it missed.
Rosie took this as a lucky sign. She followed Mum to the kitchen, determined to win the fight. “What about a pig? That could live in the garden.”
“A PIG?” Mum screeched. “That’s the last time I let you watch Babe! No, Rosie.”
“What about another dog? Just a little one.”
“No, Rosie. Poor old Bernie couldn’t cope with another dog.”
“A rat?”
Mum just screamed. It was a horrible noise that sounded like this: “AAAAARRRGGGHHHHH!”
Rosie kept trying, even though her ears were ringing. “A hamster? A mouse? A lizard? A tarantula?”
Mum laughed, shaking her head. “Definitely not a tarantula! Anyway, Dragon would eat it for dinner!”
“But…”
“I said ‘NO,’ Rosie,” Mum repeated, her smile disappearing and her face freezing to a stare. “That’s enough.”
When Mum’s face took on that iceberg look, Rosie knew she had to accept defeat…for now.
Rosie stomped away, muttering, “It’s just not fair!” She said it just loud enough so that her mum would hear. Hopefully, Mum would feel very, very guilty and come running after Rosie, offering a whole ark, full of animals.
Mum did not run after her, but started banging and clanging saucepans instead. That meant I’M ANNOYED, LEAVE ME ALONE.
Rosie entered the front room, intending to throw herself on the comfortable sofa. It had the best cushions for crying into when she was sad, or punching when she was angry. Right now, she felt sad and angry, and wanted to cry and punch. Tears pooled in her eyes, and a small, frustrated sob escaped her lips.
Bernie, the old Labrador, raised his head briefly, regarding her with his glazed, tired eyes. His thick tail wagged slowly. Then, he attempted to scratch his neck, with a wobbly back leg. The effort wore him out, and he curled up again, snoring gently.
Rosie placed her wet cheek on his stomach, sighing. It was comforting the way his breathing lifted her up and down. She stroked the soft fur on the top of his head, and ruffled his neck, gently.
“You understand, don’t you?” Rosie asked.
“Of course I do,” came the sharp reply. “But stop crying, please. You’re SOAKING ME TO DEATH!”
Rosie sat up quickly, looking around the room, wondering if her brother Charlie was hiding behind the sofa, ready to tease her, as usual. There was no-one there. Rosie shook her head. She must have imagined it. She lay back down, her head on Bernie’s chest, letting her tears fall one by one onto his chocolate-coloured fur.
“HEY! I SAID, STOP THAT!”
Rosie shot upright, staring at Bernie’s closed eyes in confusion. “Bernie?” she murmured quietly, her hand trembling as she touched his floppy ear. “Was – was that you?”
Bernie only snored in reply.
“Of course it wasn’t him!” The sharp voice continued. “Look down here!”
“Where?” Rosie asked, staring around the empty room again.
She felt a sudden, sharp nip on her hand.
“OW!” Rosie cried, bringing her hand up to her mouth to suck it.
Then she froze, gazing at the back of her hand.
Balanced just in front of her knuckles, was a tiny creature, with six legs: four short ones and two long back ones. It had a scaly, brown abdomen, covered in short bristles. Two furious, black eyes stared back at Rosie.
“Can you see me now?” the tiny creature demanded.
“Yes! I can!” Rosie said. Then she remembered her manners. “Hello! I’m Rosie, by the way.”
“Well, hello back at you, Rosie-by-the-way,” replied the creature.
“Who - who are you?” Rosie stuttered.
The little creature hopped onto Rosie’s thumb and stood upright on his two back feet.
“Freddy, the flea, that’s me!” he said, his tiny abdomen swelling with pride.
Rosie’s mouth dropped open, but, for once, no words came out.
Rosie stood pouting at the top of the stairs, watching her mum jump over Dragon, who was lying in wait on the bottom step, ready to attack.
“Okay, not a pony,” Rosie called after her mum. She followed her downstairs, carefully avoiding Dragon. The cat hissed at her, green eyes flashing as it aimed for her ankles with spear-like claws. Luckily, it missed.
Rosie took this as a lucky sign. She followed Mum to the kitchen, determined to win the fight. “What about a pig? That could live in the garden.”
“A PIG?” Mum screeched. “That’s the last time I let you watch Babe! No, Rosie.”
“What about another dog? Just a little one.”
“No, Rosie. Poor old Bernie couldn’t cope with another dog.”
“A rat?”
Mum just screamed. It was a horrible noise that sounded like this: “AAAAARRRGGGHHHHH!”
Rosie kept trying, even though her ears were ringing. “A hamster? A mouse? A lizard? A tarantula?”
Mum laughed, shaking her head. “Definitely not a tarantula! Anyway, Dragon would eat it for dinner!”
“But…”
“I said ‘NO,’ Rosie,” Mum repeated, her smile disappearing and her face freezing to a stare. “That’s enough.”
When Mum’s face took on that iceberg look, Rosie knew she had to accept defeat…for now.
Rosie stomped away, muttering, “It’s just not fair!” She said it just loud enough so that her mum would hear. Hopefully, Mum would feel very, very guilty and come running after Rosie, offering a whole ark, full of animals.
Mum did not run after her, but started banging and clanging saucepans instead. That meant I’M ANNOYED, LEAVE ME ALONE.
Rosie entered the front room, intending to throw herself on the comfortable sofa. It had the best cushions for crying into when she was sad, or punching when she was angry. Right now, she felt sad and angry, and wanted to cry and punch. Tears pooled in her eyes, and a small, frustrated sob escaped her lips.
Bernie, the old Labrador, raised his head briefly, regarding her with his glazed, tired eyes. His thick tail wagged slowly. Then, he attempted to scratch his neck, with a wobbly back leg. The effort wore him out, and he curled up again, snoring gently.
Rosie placed her wet cheek on his stomach, sighing. It was comforting the way his breathing lifted her up and down. She stroked the soft fur on the top of his head, and ruffled his neck, gently.
“You understand, don’t you?” Rosie asked.
“Of course I do,” came the sharp reply. “But stop crying, please. You’re SOAKING ME TO DEATH!”
Rosie sat up quickly, looking around the room, wondering if her brother Charlie was hiding behind the sofa, ready to tease her, as usual. There was no-one there. Rosie shook her head. She must have imagined it. She lay back down, her head on Bernie’s chest, letting her tears fall one by one onto his chocolate-coloured fur.
“HEY! I SAID, STOP THAT!”
Rosie shot upright, staring at Bernie’s closed eyes in confusion. “Bernie?” she murmured quietly, her hand trembling as she touched his floppy ear. “Was – was that you?”
Bernie only snored in reply.
“Of course it wasn’t him!” The sharp voice continued. “Look down here!”
“Where?” Rosie asked, staring around the empty room again.
She felt a sudden, sharp nip on her hand.
“OW!” Rosie cried, bringing her hand up to her mouth to suck it.
Then she froze, gazing at the back of her hand.
Balanced just in front of her knuckles, was a tiny creature, with six legs: four short ones and two long back ones. It had a scaly, brown abdomen, covered in short bristles. Two furious, black eyes stared back at Rosie.
“Can you see me now?” the tiny creature demanded.
“Yes! I can!” Rosie said. Then she remembered her manners. “Hello! I’m Rosie, by the way.”
“Well, hello back at you, Rosie-by-the-way,” replied the creature.
“Who - who are you?” Rosie stuttered.
The little creature hopped onto Rosie’s thumb and stood upright on his two back feet.
“Freddy, the flea, that’s me!” he said, his tiny abdomen swelling with pride.
Rosie’s mouth dropped open, but, for once, no words came out.
4/2/2026
The Words That Got to Me
I loved how Rosie tried an entire menagerie of animals that she'd be willing to have as a pet. (Her mom's reaction to the rat was perfect!) I totally LOVED the way Rosie cuddled up with her dog for comfort and then had it interrupted by the flea. GREAT description of that creature, btw. You've done a great job of setting the scene and giving us something to anticipate! Super work, Rachel!! xoxox
Suggestions / Possible Tweaks
I would make it clear immediately that Dragon is a cat, and maybe you could even describe it a bit: watching her mum jump over Dragon, their hulking, spikey-haired cat... When Mum’s face took on that iceberg look, *I'm not sure that would create a clear picture in this young a reader's mind. But if it read: "When Mum's face took on that icy cold look," that, I think, would make evoke the exact vision you're going for.