liminally angelic

CHAPTER I - HOW DO I TIE MY SHOES?

     A brisk wind blew a herd of leaves through the air. One could not pinpoint their place of origin. Perhaps they were from a recently raked yard far away. Or perhaps they were picked up by the breeze from their former home on the trees. They swirled, their reds and oranges dappled in yellow sunlight from the shadows of the trees alongside them. One leaf floated to a gradual halt on the grass beside a worn asphalt road. Another soon fell a short few feet after it. In uniform, the vivid autumn leaves created a gentle trail along the side of the road, as though they were the prints of an animal.

     A distinct crunch suddenly rung through the then still air. A small shoe had stepped on one of the leaves. Delighted, the face of the culprit beamed.

     A pale little boy, not much older than the age of seven, jumped with both of his feet onto each of the leaves in front of him, almost as though he were playing a game of hopscotch in that thin stretch of grass between the forest treeline and the old road. His hair bounced on his shoulders, its almond brown glowing with yellow patches of sunlight. Atop his head sat two thin, pointed ears, which flicked and swiveled as he skipped around. Matching them swung a catlike tail; it was about his height and then another half of him, swerving behind him in the air like a snake. His schoolbag, which appeared much too loose and heavy for a boy his size, thundered on his back as the items inside bumped together. Its dark blue contrasted the warm and worn red of his large sweater, and the gray of his jeans. He made an elated squeal with each leaf he crumbled, his ears perked cheerily.

     "Harlow!"

     The cat spun around at his name, his grin unfaltering. A short distance behind him trailed another boy his age. He was lacking a few inches on the other, ducking under low-hanging branches far easier. Harlow waited for him to catch up to his side before carrying on with his leaf-crunching duty.

     "Say, you need to walk slower. I can barely keep up to you."

     "Oh, I'm sorry," Harlow chirped to his friend, "It's just so fun! Do you hear this?" He let out a delighted cheer as he stepped on yet another leaf. Harlow silently recalled that the leaves were crunchy because the trees had to shed in the winter to stay alive, like the opposite of a big bear.

     The other covered his ears with the palms of his hands, his face scrunched in distaste as though the noise were painful despite it not creating a loud sound, "I do, and it sounds weird. I don't like it."

     "Oh, I'm sorry," Harlow repeated, though his voice did not sound traditionally apologetic. His friend seemed to know that he was genuine, however, as he uncovered his feathered little ears and readjusted the position of his side satchel before matching Harlow's stride as they walked.

     Harlow, now very cautious of the colorful shapes beneath his feet that carried a joyous sound for him, turned to his friend, "You know, my birthday is soon! In two whole weeks!"

     "Oh yeah, I remember."

     "That means you'll be at my house. Right, Gabriel? Right, right?"

     The other tilted his head in thought, "Sure, if my parents say I can."

     "Why wouldn't they?"

     "Because I might have church that day?"

     Harlow scoffed, "Church, who cares! I want you to come to my house on my birthday! Not with that mean old reverend!"

     The brown wings under the shawl Gabriel wore over them began to ruffle in defense, "I can't help it. My parents make me go."

     Harlow, even though Gabriel's tone stayed at a steady deadpan, sighed in reassurance, "I know. That's why, one day, I'm gonna help you run away from your folks! So you don't gotta see that weird old man anymore." Harlow stretched out his arms and ran in a circle, chanting 'run away, run away' in a silly tune.