Guff: The Quest For a Friend
By: Jaden and Zev
On a frosty mid-December morning, Guff reclined on his couch, swathed in a cozy blanket, watching TV. A deep sense of loneliness gripped him. His unique appearance, with a body covered in light blue fur that resembled a fluffy cloud, plump feet, and circular hands, overgrown claws that curved, a nose as red as Rudolf's, and eyes as piercing as an owl's, had alienated him from others. His scent, reminiscent of a well-worn rug from a retirement home, only added to his loneliness.
He thought to himself, how could I make friends? Sprawled across his couch he jotted down all his ideas. His best idea to find friends was to get a job at the mall. He auditioned to be the mall Santa, and got it!
During his first day as Santa, Guff gave warm hugs to children, promising them all their Christmas wishes.
"I want a bicycle, Santa!" one child exclaimed, their eyes sparkling like holiday lights.
"My wish is a giant teddy bear!" another child chimed in. This caused a huge line of kids wanting to meet him. His plan was working, but it was not enough. He wanted friends at home, too. He told himself that he would take some kids home the next day.
The next day when no one was watching, he grabbed a little kid and put him into his fur. Luckily for Guff, the kid could not scream for help in time as his fur canceled out the noise from the kid. The kid, unable to move and talk because of Guff’s thick fur, was now trapped and terrified. Guff started his walk to the bathroom to avoid attention. However, instead, he ended his shift and left. Fortunately, he got away, but the missing child was on the news that night. The parents confronted him the next day at work, and Guff was sweating and scared that he would be sent to prison for life like a kid in trouble. Luckily, the parents were asking him for help to find the child. Guff made an excuse not to help because he was on the job.
Later that day, Guff was excited to talk to his new friend. He got home and unlocked the room he was keeping Chase in. Chase was eager to see him because he was starving and hadn’t eaten all day.
“Hi, Chase,” said Guff.
“Hi, Santa,” said Chase.
“Do you want any food?” Guff asked.
“I would love some. My tummy has been rumbling all day!” exclaimed Chase.
“What food would you like to eat?” asked Guff.
Chase replied, “I like hamburgers!”
Twenty minutes later, Guff came home, and Chase was gone. Guff forgot to lock the door behind him! Oh no. Guff checked his phone and tracked Chase down as he had thought that Chase would try to escape and slipped a tracker into Chase’s pocket. Guff brought Chase home and shared the burgers. Chase thanked him and promised not to leave again.
While Guff was at work the next day, Chase spent all his time trying to escape. Even though Guff had good intentions since he just wanted a friend, Chase feels sad without his parents. He broke the window like a thief and left a voice recording of him talking on the back of the door to trick Guff into thinking he was still in the room.
Back at the mall, Guff stole another kid named Jack using the same tactics as before.
"Come with me, kid. You're going to have a fun time with your new friend," Guff said. When Guff returned home, he tried to introduce Jack to Chase but realized something was wrong when Chase didn't respond.
"Chase, meet Jack," Guff said. When Chase didn't reply, Guff knew something was amiss. Hearing the recorded voice, Guff felt a profound sense of loss. Guff turns to Jack and starts to talk with him. While chatting with Jack, Guff revealed his motive for the kidnappings. Jack, while initially bribed with candy, had already contacted the authorities. Police arrived at Guff's doorstep, and his life took a downturn. He was arrested, sitting in his prison cell, friendless and gloomy.
Two months passed, and Guff's depression deepened. Luckily, he gets a prison mate in a few days. Guff has been looking forward to this moment for so long. However, the prison mate despises Guff and switches to another cell. Guff is disappointed and stops hoping that he will one day have friends. The workers at the prison see that Guff is starting to fall apart. They all plan to have a surprise party for Guff. Guff, being unaware, goes to his prison cell as usual after dinner in the cafeteria.
“Surprise!” the workers exclaims.
“Ahhhh!” screams Guff as he jumps back in terror.
“We saw you looking sad and lonely, so we have decided to be your friends,” said the workers.
"I cannot believe it. I have been waiting for this moment my entire life," responded Guff, his heart swelling with joy like a balloon filled with happiness.
Guff embraced his role as a prison worker and forged lasting connections with his friends, his quest for companionship was finally fulfilled, like a flower blooming in the warmth of spring.
