Little Jimmy remembered the day he first heard of Europa, one of Jupiter’s wayward moons. His teacher tried to explain how far away it was, in her casual and condescending tone. She described how scientists had discovered water on Europa and how the giant planet’s gravitational pull disrupted that water.

Little Jimmy hadn’t stopped thinking about Europa for weeks. He read articles, watched short clips from supposed experts, and started his own journal on interesting findings. In class, he peppered his teacher with questions, all while absent mindedly drawing circles on his notepad. At mass he whispered a silent prayer, pleading to Europa. During Sunday dinner he arranged his peas in a ring and filled it with mashed potatoes. He was dreaming of Europa.

He closed his eyes and saw it. Massive tidal waves pulled by invisible tendrils raging aimlessly. The waves crashed silently around the lifeless void. All the chaos in the universe echoed with nothingness. He woke to a damp warmth spreading around him. Terrified, Little Jimmy wept with an adult’s frustration.
That morning, Little Jimmy’s older brother caught him shoving his bedsheets to the bottom of the laundry basket. From that day on, he became known as Little Jimmy, Uncontrollable Willy.