Toppo the octopus was born at the aquarium. Every day she performed for the amusement of the humans. She did little tricks for the staff, and they fed her and kept her healthy. She had a comfortable existence. But every night, she dreamed.
She dreamed of The Ocean, and storms with towering waves. She dreamt of towering over wooden ships, splintering them with mighty arms. In Toppo’s dreams, she was a kraken.
She heard the guides say all water flowed back to the sea. She wondered.
One day, she spotted a loose grate outside her tank, and took her chance.

“Octopus” by NOAA Ocean Exploration & Research is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

My very short story collection, The Mountain’s Shadow is available now from Amazon and Smashwords!

Everyday Drabbles © 2025 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0