Page 10 of Daddy's Little Chaos Gremlin

“And different.”

“Uh-huh, I’ve never seen another movie like it.”

“Then it seems like we have the rest of our day all planned out,” Mr. Rowan declared as he joined us in the living room with a platter of food that smelled delicious, though the thing I truly craved wasn’t on any of the plates. Two damp patches marred the front of his tank top and I licked my lips before I could stop myself and tried to look away.

“Though perhaps a drink would be in order first,” Mr. Rowan said, and just like that, he stripped his t-shirt off and patted hislap. Tray of food forgotten, I slid into it happy to latch on. As far as I was concerned, there was no better place I could possibly be.

6

TRISTAN

It was usually a struggle to sit still and watch a movie, even one I enjoyed, without having something in my hands to occupy me, but with Zephyr pressed against my side on the cushions Daddy had removed from the couches and chairs to spread on the floor for us, and a bowl of nacho-jalapeño cheese popcorn where we could both reach it, I was completely at ease. Daddy always allowed me a notebook and pen, in case my imagination started running wild, but so far it was blank, and I was surprisingly happy about that.

After he’d fed from Daddy, Zephyr had only nibbled on the food, but by then he was no longer pale or trembling. The series of burps he’d let out afterward had brought a little pink blush to his face, and a smile to Daddy’s. He hadn’t needed to miss time with me to go use his pump, either. For the first time in a long time I didn’t feel bad about not being enough. I loved drinking from him, but it was more like dessert for me, or a little snack. Zephyr had nursed from both sides, snuffling and growling on occasion as he’d sprawled across Daddy’s lap, as content as a kitten.

A new name for him popped into my head, alongside little brother.Kitten.I could already tell that he was the sweetest little thing, softhearted with a gentle disposition. I ached to see what he thought of our playroom and all the toys Daddy had stocked it with. Would he enjoy building things with the huge assortment of block kits on the shelves, or would he prefer the puzzles, mazes and games that sat neatly arranged in their cubbies?

I hoped for both and then some, because there were several games I’d been dying to try but hadn’t had anyone besides Daddy to share them with. He was an awesome player, but it was different when there was someone else in the same little headspace.

“Whoa,” Zephyr breathed, squirming for the first time since we’d lain down.

He was up on his elbows with his eyes affixed to the screen, so I looked where he was pointing and saw the moon perfectly positioned over the chimney of a creepy looking house, just as a masked man winked and slid down the chimney, axe in hand.

“Oh yeah, someone’s gonna die,” I giggled, excitedly kicking my feet.

“That, too, but look, look at the moon.”

He wagged his hand, insistently pointing, but I didn’t see anything unusual about it before the scene changed.

“That was a nice shot, you could even see the craters,” I said, figuring that was what he’d been focused on.

“Have you ever done anything with the moon like that?”

“How do you mean?” I asked, finally turning my attention away from the television and the slow stalking movements of the man with the ax as he crept down the hall.

“Like, timing it so it looks like someone is kicking the moon, maybe even while doing a flip, like it was a soccer ball in a pro soccer game,” Zephyr said, the enthusiasm in his voice immediately igniting my own.

I could picture it and snatched up my notebook, making a rough sketch as well as written notes to help guide me along. I thought of Zephyr’s earlier performances and wondered if it would be possible to capture him doing a backflip over the moon, or to catch him mid-summersault frozen in the center of the moon.

“It would be so cool to cartwheel over it just as it was breaking the horizon,” Zephyr murmured, still thinking about the moon, the same as I was, despite the chaos and comedy unfolding on the screen.

I told you not to eat bon-bons in the bed! Now we’ve got rats!

I’d seen this movie at least a half dozen times and knew what was happening without needing to see it unfold. Sounds of destruction poured forth as the man attempted to chop up the rats, the box of bon-bons and the huge woman in the bed who had a bon-bon in one hand and a half-eaten rat in the other. It was gross and ridiculous, but also funny as hell.

I loved the spoof movies as much as I liked the real horror stuff, but Daddy always made me limit my intake of gore and break it up with something funny, even if it was still a little on the darker side. I lovedTheAddams FamilyandTheMunsters, so they were always awesome choices, and the best part was that Daddyloved them, too. I couldn’t wait to learn what Zephyr thought of this one.

While another character joined the scene with a lighter and a can of hairspray, I scribbled away, trying not to forget a single thought that popped into my head before I could get it down on paper.

“I wish there was a way I could sit on it in a yoga pose,” Zephyr muttered and I froze, trying to remember a tutorial I’d tucked away but never had the chance to use.

It was a levitation effect, and it had all the steps needed to accomplish it. I’d have to find it, and practice, but if I could nail the techniques we could have a ton of fun.

“There might be,” I said.

Giggling, he wiggled a bit, clapping his hands. “Ohh, really? That would be so cool.”

“Yup, but we wouldn’t be able to do it here,” I blurted, almost flubbing completely by explaining that I needed my workshop.

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