Lumien-The_Crescent_Fluff

  Chapter 1: The Kite with a Secret

  Liam’s birthday morning smelled like pancakes and possibility. He bounced at the kitchen table, syrup dripping onto his dinosaur pajamas, while Dad leaned against the doorway with a grin wider than a slice of watermelon.

  “Close your eyes, Captain,” Dad said, tossing Liam a bandana as a makeshift blindfold. Liam heard rustling, then a thump as something light and crackly nded in his arms.

  “Is it… a sword?” Liam guessed, squeezing the package.

  “Better.” Dad whipped off the blindfold. “Ta-da! Your very own sky dragon.”

  Liam gasped. The kite was a riot of red and gold, with scales cut from old comic books and googly eyes that wobbled like jelly. Its mouth, stitched into a lopsided grin, had one tooth–a popsicle stick painted silver.

  “Let’s test-drive it!” Dad ruffled Liam’s hair.

  ***

  The park buzzed with spring–dandelions punching through cracks, kids shrieking by the swings. Liam gripped the wooden handle, the kite dragging behind him like a sleepy puppy.

  “Run, Captain!” Dad called.

  Liam sprinted, the string unraveling as the kite flopped sideways. Flop. Flop. FLOP. Then–

  WHOOSH.

  A gust grabbed the kite, yanking it upward. Liam stumbled, staring as it zigzagged–left, right, SWOOP–before steadying itself with a proud SNAP of its tail.

  “ABOUT TIME!” a voice rasped above him, loud as a popcorn kernel popping.

  Liam froze. The kite’s googly eyes spun wildly.

  “HIGHER, CAPTAIN! LET’S TOUCH THAT CLOUD’S BELLY!”

  “D-Dad?” Liam craned his neck. Dad was halfway across the field, chatting with Ms. Patel from the flower shop.

  “DAD’S BUSY! EYES ON THE SKY, KID!” The kite dive-bombed a sparrow, making it squawk. “HA! SCAREDY-BIRD!”

  Liam giggled, tightening his grip. “You’re real?”

  “REALER THAN YOUR SOCKS!” The kite looped around an oak. “I’M STARVING. DOES THE WIND HAVE A TACO TRUCK UP HERE?”

  “You eat tacos?”

  “DUH. WIND TACOS. EXTRA GUSTY SAUCE.” The kite spiraled upward, its voice fading into a whisper. “HEY… WANNA KNOW A SECRET?”

  Liam held his breath. The kite’s string hummed.

  “THE WIND HIDES ITS CANDY IN RAINBOWS. BUT YOU GOTTA FLY FAST TO FIND IT…”

  A sudden tug–the string slipped! Liam fumbled, catching it just as the kite swooped low, brushing his nose with its tail.

  “PSYCH!” it cackled. “CANDY’S IN THE CLOUDS. RAINBOWS ARE JUST SPRINKLES!”

  Dad jogged over, cheeks pink. “Having fun, buddy?”

  “The kite talks!” Liam blurted.

  Dad smirked. “Sure does. Told you it’s magic.” He winked. “Lunchtime?”

  As they walked home, Liam gnced back. The kite, slumped over Dad’s shoulder, tilted its googly eyes at him and mouthed:

  “SECRETS TOMORROW, CAPTAIN. BRING TACOS.”