The sign read: “Empty buckets are to be left with Sundry Officer. Failure to comply will result in swift retribution. Doors closed at 10 PM.”
Cliff sighed and looked sadly at his half-full bucket. The contents squirmed in a way that seemed to sigh back at him…
This wasn’t why he’d joined up. He wanted to travel through space, exploring strange new worlds, seeking out new life and new civilisations, boldly going where no man had gone before.
He looked in the bucket again. It glooped at him mournfully, depositing a slimy tendril of mucus on his freshly laundered red shirt. His watch read 21:56.
He considered his options. He could, he supposed, attempt to hand in a not-quite empty bucket. He didn’t like the sound of the word ‘retribution’ though. He could tip the bucket out in the nearest garbage disposal, but as a vegetarian and animal lover, it would go against pretty much all of his beliefs. He squinted at the contents of the bucket. He was pretty sure that it was alive. It was certainly moving.
He looked at his watch again, then opened his backpack and tipped the gelatinous mass inside, before opening the door to the Office.
He’d always wanted a pet.
espresso coco 
Oh, that’s not going to end well.
I love the fourth paragraph. I love “glooped mournfully”, and that simple, economical paragraph is just loaded with possibilities for the imagination to play with.
Nice piece of whimsy here. Hope his pet works out for him, but I have my doubts.
Welcome to #FridayFlash.
~jon
thanks Jon. Looking forward to more #FridayFlash, it’s fun!
He has a red shirt? He wanted to go where no man had gone before? Man, that guy’s in trouble! :p
heh, he’s doomed!
My imagination is running amok wondering exactly what is in that bucket, I am getting visions of slimy squiddy-type things, and for some reason I am feeling slightly nauseous.
Gelatinously-written.
Welcome to #FridayFlash.
thanks Steve, looking forward to more #FridayFlash, it’s fun. đ
I’m not one who enjoyed fishing because I didn’t like sticking worms on the hook so my initial reaction was ewe when he dumped the creature in the backpack. Nice compact flash.
Thanks Aidan
Lots of story behind this one. Nice work putting it into a few hundred words.
Welcome to #FridayFlash!
Thanks Katherine, it was fun to write!
Yikes! I hope they’ll both be very happy together… but, like Bobbi, I can’t see that happening. I’m not sure, given the options, if I wouldn’t have done the same in his place, though!
Interesting piece. I’d like to know more about Cliff, his pet Gloop and his world.
maybe another friday… đ