It was a dark and stormy night outside. I was watching TV alone in the living room when I heard a knock at the door. I didn't want to get up and yelled out for my Mom but she was busy giving my sister a bath. I opened up the front door and didn't see anyone. But, before I could close the door I noticed something on the front porch.

It was a wicker basket with a big blue egg inside. Underneath the egg was a neatly folded note. Confused, I looked around to see if I could find the person who had left this at my door. Perhaps this basket was meant for the next door neighbour. I was getting wet from the rain so I decided to take the basket up to my room.

I carried the basket upstairs and locked my bedroom door. As I went to pick up the egg, I could feel something moving inside. There was something inside that egg and I'm pretty sure it wasn't a baby chick. I put the egg back in the basket and read the note that had been left inside.

To Whom It May Concern,

I have left this egg on your doorstep because I am getting too old to look after monsters. I hope you will do your best to give Dave The Monster a happy family life.

Sincerely,

Francesca Fresca

Dave? Who's Dave? And what was this talk about monsters? Suddenly the egg started to shake and crack. Something was going to pop out of that egg any time now. But what?

From the blue egg emerged the strangest looking creature I've ever seen. He was green and brown with big eyes and a mouth.  "Dave?" I nervously asked the monster. "Who were you expecting, Shrek?" he laughed. Suddenly my sister started to bang on the door. "Let me in Lenny!" "Not now Bailey!" "I'll start crying." "Oh alright" I reluctantly agreed.

"What's going on in here....Ahhhh! What's that?" "Um, it's Dave. You know....from school." "He's a monster!" "Shh, keep it down. I don't want Mom and Dad to find out." "What are you going to do Lenny?" "I'll hide him in my room tonight and decide what to do in the morning." "He seems friendly" Bailey mused.

"PIZZA!"

While everyone was asleep, Dave snuck out of my room and made his way to the kitchen. He was really hungry but I didn't know what to feed a monster. At the same time, my Dad was looking to enjoy a midnight snack of leftover pizza from tonight's dinner. Let's just say it didn't go very well. "Lenny! Get down here right now!!!"

"Would you happen to know anything about the monster in our kitchen?" "That's just Dave. Well, goodnight." "Get back here buster. Monster?" I ran upstairs to get the note that was left in Dave's basket to show my Dad.

"Okay, I'll let him stay the night but tomorrow, he's gone." "But Dad" "I'm sorry Lenny but we can't keep a monster in the house." While Lenny and his Dad were talking, poor Dave heard everything

and it made him

sad.

The next morning I woke up but Dave was nowhere to be found. I felt so bad. He was a nice monster and Francesca had asked me to give him a good home. Now he was gone and I felt so terrible. I didn't say a word during the entire ride to school as I was worrying about Dave. How could a big green monster just disappear?