“I want this one.” Brooklynn my 11 year old sister said pointing at a brown gerbil. It was the plainest gerbil I have ever seen.

“But I want this one.” Samantha stated pointing her pointy thin finger at a white gerbil.

“What about this one?” I said in a small squeaky voice. I was pointing at the runt of the liter, a small gray with white spotted gerbil. To my surprise it was only twenty-three dollars.
My mom looked at me with confused eyes and said “Okay… we’ll get that one.”

On the way home I held him close his soft fur felt like a plush pillow against my warm skin.”What do you want to name him?”I asked hoping for a smart reply. I only got names like Mark, James, Clark, Brooklynn, Samantha, and J-lo.

When we finally got home I sat down and started to watch some television, cartoons to be exact. I was watching PBS kids and there was a show on about Lewis and Clark’s famous adventure. Lewis was wearing a fur coat that was gray with white spots. “Mommy, mommy I know what to name him, I know want to name him!” my small voice was as loud as it got.

“What are you going to name him then?” my mother questioned me

“Lewis mom, Lewis” I shouted Samantha looked at me with surprised eyes. I thought she was about to say something smart like always but instead she said “That’s a really good name for him.”

After having Lewis for a few days I had to clean out his cage. I found a big box and put Lewis inside it. I cleaned out the cage like I was suppose to and then I turned around to put him back in the cage. I looked into the box and saw nothing.

For days I cried, and cried thinking that Lewis was out in the cold somewhere and it was my fault. Until one day I heard a squeaking on the front porch. I look out my window to see a small gray and white object watching me. Screaming as I ran out =side to finally put him back into his cage. As I picked him up I yelled “Ouch my finger.” He bit me. As I sat him in his cage my mom came out saying “I can’t believe he came back!”
“I know right” I said with the smiling from ear to ear.

Months pasted by and Lewis was acting weird. My mom’s new boyfriend was over and asked if we had a pet rat.


“Of course not he is a gerbil and he is cute.”I said offended
“Uhm…sweetie that is a rat not a gerbil, Gerbils are much smaller and don’t have red eyes.”

Now I had tears in my eyes because I knew he was right I turned to my mom as she said “All animals a hard to take care well find him.”

Screaming with tears streaming down my cheeks “Lewis is out there in the cold running, climbing and squeaking trying to get away from danger and I’m in here.”
“Don’t worry we’ll find him.”

As years went by Lewis was nowhere to be found. Until one day I dropped my cheese sandwich and a small gray and white spotted rodent was beside my porch.