WORDS TO USE: tuba – fig – fish – baseball – squishy

PROMPT: Write about finding an odd-looking egg in the park.

Petey was feeling kind of frustrated. He kicked at a stone in his way as he crossed the park. His bestest buddy, Toby, had gotten in trouble at home and couldn’t go with him to baseball practice today. But that was nothing new. Toby “pushed his limits” with his mom a lot. Or so Petey’s mom told him. Usually, she reminded him not to do the same with her.

Stupid limits! Why were there so many dumb rules? “Make your bed before you leave your bedroom in the morning.” Why? He’d just be unmaking it later to crawl between the covers. “Eat, or at least try, whatever is put on your plate.” He honestly tried to do that. But figs? Really? They even looked gross. What about fish sticks? They didn’t look anything like the fish he and his dad caught. He could barely gag them down.

He spotted some of his teammates already on the baseball field. They were okay, but none of them was as good at throwing a ball as Toby.

His shoulders slumped. The practice was going to be pitiful. He’d have to “tough it up,” as his dad told him whenever Petey didn’t want to do something. Whatever. He supposed he’d get through it, but it wouldn’t be fun.

He stepped in something weird, something that seemed squishy. It was the first exciting thing that had happened today. A small mud puddle that he hadn’t noticed. ‘Course he hadn’t been paying attention to where he walked. His new sneaker was dotted with brown goo. Mom was going to love that, not. But then they’d probably look almost this bad after he finished ball practice.

Shrugging, he headed toward the field where more team members had gathered.

Then he spotted something else odd at the base of a tree he was passing by. An egg? It sure didn’t look like any other bird egg he’d seen before. It was square, about the size of a baseball. Oh, man, he wished Toby were here with him. He was super smart, and he’d know what it was.

“Come on, Petey!” his coach yelled, waving at him. “We’re ready to start practice!”

Sighing in annoyance, he marked the special find in his mind. After practice, he’d come and look at it closer. Maybe take the odd egg home with him, and his dad could figure out what it was.

But when Petey returned to the tree an hour later, the “egg” was gone. It didn’t matter. He’d tell Toby all about what he’d found, about the square egg as big as a bowling ball. Yeah, that big … and it glowed bright green.