"There there . . ." Riley murmured, stroking the tip of the little creature's nose. It was small and soft, and for a little while she could feel safe and happy, here with this creature. "I've never had a pet, but for practice, you'll do alright. I think I'll call you Nina." 

That thought was quickly pushed out when large snakes caught her by her midsection, each larger and slimier than the last. Riley shrieked, and the little critter seemed to pick up on that, for it bounded after her with a surprising vigor, leapt onto the towering source of the snake-like fingers, and dashed up to the hand holding her. With a growl, it bit down on one of the scaly digits, and an ear-splitting shriek reverberated around the room. Riley felt the familiar sense of falling, stopped this time by two splats in quick succession. She sat up, and found herself covered in a thick yellow goop. She looked up, to meet the face of a tableful of angry faces by a very generous definition of face. Some literally had steam coming out of their ears, or other similar orifices. Nina hissed at them, which didn't make things better. "Must go now. Bye!" Riley shouted, grabbing Nina and leaping out of the bowl. She ran to the edge of the table, but stopped there. It was a long and hazardous way down, but the alternative was quickly creeping up on them. She looked back, back at the twisted faces, the grasping fingers, and worst of all, the endless layers of sharp teeth. She breathed in, closed her eyes tight, and jumped.