Tom and his green worm

Tom wasn't your average ten-year-old. While other kids collected baseball cards or Pokémon, Tom collected worms. Not just any worms, mind you. He collected interesting worms. And the most interesting worm of all was wriggling in a tiny, custom-built terrarium on his bedside table: Wiggles.

Wiggles wasn't your average earthworm. Wiggles was emerald green, impossibly iridescent, and possessed an almost unnervingly intelligent gaze. Tom had found him while digging in his grandfather's prize-winning rose garden – a tiny speck of vibrant green against the rich brown earth.

Tom, initially fascinated by Wiggles' unusual color, quickly discovered that this wasn't just any worm. Wiggles seemed to understand Tom. He'd wriggle excitedly when Tom approached, and he’d even seem to follow Tom's finger with his tiny, knowing eyes. He'd also apparently developed a taste for organic, free-range strawberries.

One afternoon, Tom discovered that Wiggles had managed to escape his terrarium. Panic seized him. Wiggles, with his unique iridescent sheen, was far too special to simply vanish into the garden soil. Tom launched a frantic search, calling out Wiggles' name (a surprisingly endearing habit).

He looked under rocks, behind flowerpots, even inside his grandfather’s prized rose bushes. No Wiggles. Just as despair began to set in, Tom spotted a tiny, emerald glimmer near the base of the old oak tree in the backyard. There he was, Wiggles, perched precariously on a half-eaten strawberry.

Tom gently scooped up Wiggles, placing him back in his terrarium. He then spent the next hour improving the terrarium's security, adding a tiny, custom-made lid and reinforcing the sides. He knew, despite the oddity of his situation, that his friendship with Wiggles was something special.

That night, as Tom drifted off to sleep, he glanced at Wiggles’ terrarium. Wiggles, his emerald body gleaming in the moonlight filtering through the window, seemed to be watching him. Tom smiled. He knew, with a certainty that defied logic, that he and Wiggles understood each other perfectly. They were an unusual pair, a boy and his green worm, but their friendship was as real and as valuable as any other.