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Bounding around the room with the energy of a beagle, the young boy avoided his father with a loud, boisterous laugh. The star patterned pajama shirt had been wrestled onto the small boy backwards, splotches darkening the navy blue of the fabric from the water dripping down the back of the boy’s neck. Sighing in faux exasperation the German man put his hands on his hips.
“Kai come’ere, if we don’t dry that hair of yours you’ll get your plushies - and yourself - sick.”
This stopped the boy in his tracks. Turning to face his father with a small frown, Huening Kai carefully clambered off the red bean bag.
“Will they actually get sick…?”
Kai questioned with a small voice, his concerned gaze trained on the small army of plush animals stationed around his bedroom. The older man couldn’t help but let a soft, endeared smile paint his features at his son’s care for the fluffy dolls.
“They will if you don’t let me take care of you,”
Huening Kai had made his way across the room and was standing expectantly in front of his father before he’d finished his sentence. Smiling with his eyes, the older man swept the boy’s wet bangs back and placed a soft Kiss on his head.
Huening Kai sat kneeled in front of his father humming for several minutes as careful fingers combed and dried his hair. Once the boy was sure that his hair was no longer dripping, and only slightly damp he shifted suddenly and pointed at the bookshelf to the left of his bed.
“Once we’re done drying my hair can you please read me a bedtime story? I’m not tired yet,”
The light whine in Huening Kai’s voice made his father chuckle. Satisfied that the boy’s hair was now dry enough to not cause him any discomfort- Huening Kai’s father ruffled his dark hair.
Standing with a groan, and click of the back the man grabbed the small wooden chair from the desk beside the door; he moved it beside the bed as Huening Kai hurried over to the book shelf, picked out his favourite picture book and jumped into his bed throwing the space themed covers over himself. Popping his head above the blanket with an excited grin, Huening Kai handed the man his choice book. Quirking a knowing brow at his son, the man studied the worn book in his hands with a practised familiarity.
“This book again? I’m sure you’ve got every line and picture memorised by now, I know I sure do.”
“Of course I want this book again! I need to make sure I know all about the star for tomorrow! I want to impress my older friends!”
Huening Kai balled his fists in determination and looked at his father, firmly set on hearing the story once again.
“Alright, Alright,”
The man raised his hands in defeat and opened the book to the first page.
“Wait, stop! You’ve got to read me the title and show me the picture on the front,”
The young boy whined, shaking his father’s knee weakly. Rolling his eyes fondly, the man turned back to the front cover and cleared his throat.
“Nap of a star,”
turning the book around he showed the image of five special boys surrounded by red and blue trees staring up at a mechanical star.
“This story is about five boys and a star,”
The man began as Huening Kai shifted in the bed to stare at the image of five children dressed in monster hats gazing through a telescope.
“The boys and the star made a promise,”
the next drawing was a closeup of the red, green, yellow, blue and orange monster hats.
“That one’s mine!”
Huening Kai gestured excitedly at the page as his father hummed in acknowledgment. His son had spent weeks re-making his favourite mask from the story book in his art classes, and would wear it everywhere around the house. He matched his friends, who had all picked a respective colour and mask to recreate.
“Let’s promise to meet again here if we separate.”
The five children stood at a crossroads, a forest of white standing around them.
“As the boys separated over time, the star fell asleep - then the night sky lost it’s starlight and people lost their dreams.”
Huening Kai shifted beside his father, frowning and muttering at how this was his least favourite part of the story. The image of the clear sky, turning dark with clouds greeted them on the next page; the star partially covered in order to convey the sense of being forgotten.
“And years have passed. Now laying in his bed, on a stormy night, one of the boys feels uncomfortable. Unable to sleep, and with a heavy heart he stumbles from his bed. Dizzy headaches distract him from the flash of his bedside lamp, there is something growing from his hair. ‘Oh my god. I have horns on my head.’”
“Daniel!”
Huening Kai interrupts helpfully, placing his finger on the page. It was a new name every time they read the story, naming the characters was one of Huening Kai’s favourite things to do - and when he was in a really good mood he would give his father the pleasure of naming the boys himself.
“Frightened of himself and what he could become, the boy hid beneath his covers - but his horns only grew bigger. The boy decided to run into the deep forest in fear of becoming a monster-“
Pausing the man titled his head questioningly at Huening Kai who had placed his hand over the writing, he had a question.
“Being different doesn’t make you a monster, does it?”
Shaking his head, the man placed a comforting hand on his son’s head.
“Not at all, being different is something that can make you strong Kai.”
The boy was still for a moment as he absorbed his fathers words. Huening Kai glanced down at the page that displayed ‘Daniel’ holding a torch and covering his head with what looked like pajama bottoms.
“I think he looks cool with his horns, don’t you?”
Huening Kai’s father nodded in agreement, saying that he too would like horns before he flipped the page to continue.
“The boy felt alone, and alienated. Like he was the only person in pain in a world where people were happy. Little did he know that there were others like him. Others that could understand and help him.”
Images of four strange boys filled the next few pages. Kneeling on one page was a boy with elvish ears, staring through a mechanical looking glass was a boy on another, on one page was a boy clutching his shoulder where spikes were emerging and on the final page was an angel-like boy perched on a golden pedestal.
“He’s my favourite,”
Huening Kai explained as they examined the image of the boy with mechanical feathered wings. His father thought it fitting that the angel was his son’s favourite, as he himself was a gift from the heavens above.
“Lurking in the deep woods was a large creature, more powerful and malicious than anything the boy had ever seen. The vengeful creature attacked the boy for intruding on its land - cutting his throat and scaring him away.”
The creature in the book had the silhouette of a cat, and two piercing eyes - one green and the other blue. Huening Kai drew it often, it was a character that he had always wanted to understand.
“How do we know that the cat is evil?”
Kai inquired, pouting in thought and furrowing his brow.
“I know the story says that the cat is mal-mal-“ Kai stumbled over the difficult word.
“Mailicicious?” His father supplied.
“Yeah, malicous - but how can we call it that when Daniel is the person who scared the creature first by coming into his home without asking?”
Huening Kai made a good point. Pursing his lips the man struggled to find an answer that his son wouldn’t argue against.
“Perhaps we can’t, perhaps the creature is just misunderstood and needs a friend.” He supplied, satisfied when his son nodded in approval.
“Anyway, where was I…” The man trailed off as he scanned the page, muttering beneath his breath. “Ah- The boy ran into a snowy clearing. Alone, cold and scared the boy decided that he didn’t want to be different. He pulled and pulled at his horns, using all of his might to snap the horn in two. Dizzy with his pain, the boy sat in the snow, crying for help.”
The silhouette of the horned boy on the page was painted red and the picture of anguish on the character’s features was as clear as day. The man was certain that if this weren’t a children's book the sight and accompanying description would’ve been miles more disturbing; but the mental thought alone of tearing something from his body was enough to stir dis-ease in his stomach.
“Something emerged from the forest - a boy with wings had heard his cries for help, and offered the boy with horns a hand. Pulling him to his feet, the boy with wings comforted the boy with horns with a smile.”
Recognizing that the story was almost at its end, Huening Kai collected the molang teddies scattered on his bed into his arms, and settled more comfortably beneath his covers.
“The boys met again and the star woke up,”
The five special boys had all come together and were hugging one another beneath the star that was no longer dark.
“The boys felt, now something magical will happen… The end.”
Huening Kai’s father finished with a sigh of relief as he showed the final page with an image that mirrored that of what was on the front cover. Closing the book, the older man stretched and rose from the uncomfortable seat. Moving to put the book back on its shelf and the chair back by its little desk, Huening Kai’ father stopped before his son’s bed.
“You need to sleep now, ok? You’ll be able to enjoy that story even more tomorrow when you and your friends play at the star festival.”
“Ok, goodnight daddy.”
Huening Kai grinned as his father gave him one last kiss on the head.
“Goodnight baby, sleep well.” Smiling lovingly once more to his son, the man turned off the lights and left the door to the room slightly ajar; leaving his son to fall into a restless sleep.