Kai Suzuki

Homework had always been Kai’s least favourite part of his daily routine. English was boring and arduous to get through, math took forever and felt absolutely useless outside of the classroom, but science, science was everything. The work was almost too easy and he could see examples of it as he walked to school every morning.

Tall papers piled around him as Kai lowered his head and answered every question on his science homework with the same amount of work it took to take a single breath. Though, tonight he was giving a bit of extra attention to making his writing more legible. Last week when he’d helped Aaradhya out, they’d said that they could read real chicken scratch better than his own writing. He’d find out quickly that Aaradhya liked everything to be neat, orderly.

“Kai!” His mothers scratchy voice penetrated even past his headphones and blaring music.

He took off his headphones and yelled back, “What?”. Waiting a moment in silence he yelled again even louder, “What?!”

No one responded, so with a huff he took steps over the piles of clothes on his floor and clomped down the iron spiral staircase downstairs. But not before putting on his fluff lined grey slippers.

“I called you fifteen times. It’s dinner.” His mother placed a vase of glass on the mahogany dinner table before disappearing back in the kitchen.

Not so subtly rolling his eyes, Kai got some spoons for the table after he spied soup on the stovetop.

The door creaked loudly as it closed. “Hi! I’m home!” Sara peeled off her yellow rain jacket. It vaguely smelled of fish. “Sorry, I’m late. The boat was full with all the catches today. So it took me and Kamin forever to unload them all.” She sat down at the table, sweat slightly matting her forehead.

Kai’s father walked into the dining room from the kitchen. He turned to Sara, “Go wash your hands. And it's Kamin and I.”

Sara ignored her father and walked to the kitchen. Her black hair was pulled into a tight ponytail.

His father, like usual, said Grace. They joined hands as his father’s deep voice spoke, “For food in a world where many walk in hunger; For faith in a world where many walk in fear; We give you thanks, O Lord. Amen. God is great, God is good. Let us thank Him for our food. Amen.”

“Amen.” He said. They broke and began to slurp down some warm soup. Kai could taste warm whitefish that made his cold fingers warm up.

“I’m going to box up some of this soup for Aaradhya and Reverend Udayar. It must be so difficult to adjust to losing their fingers. Let’s pray again for them this Sunday.”

No one disagreed.

Kai stared down at his bowl, “They’re doing well from what I can tell. Still drawing and all that.” Memories of the dream played out in the swirling soup. Aaradhya’s ivory armour, deep eyes and his own black drapes.

“Kai?” He threw up his head.

“What? Sorry.”

Michelle asked again, “I keep seeing you with Aaradhya. What’s the deal with that? I didn’t know you guys were friends.” He knew exactly what she was asking and he definitely wouldn’t be copping to that at the dinner table next to his parents.

He shrugged, trying hard not to betray his own feelings on his face. “Nothing really, I’m just trying to be helpful.”

Sure that was a part of it. But there was something about Aaradhya. Something that made his skin crackle alive and his heart beat a little faster.

“That’s nice of you.” Kai smiled as he took another slurp of his dinner. The conversation pivoted to Michelle.

His father asked, “Did you finish your homework yet?”

“No,” Michelle drank a gulp of ice cold water and wiped her face, “I need help from Kai on my stupid science homework but he’s too busy with his own homework right now.”

“I’m pretty much done.” He corrected.

A pounding seized his frame, he dropped his metal spoon into the soup. Barely hearing as it clacked against the glass bowl. The voices of his family swirled around him as they banged on the invisible glass box around him.

“I-I need air.” The chair scratched loudly against the floor. He made no eye contact with anyone as he moved towards the door.

All eyes turned on him. Sara had concern written on his words, “Are you okay?”

“Yep! Yep, yeah! Just need some fresh air.” He slammed the door behind him, it reverberated on the red brick walls. He stepped out onto the small orange tinted porch and took a deep breath out.

He could hear the muffled continued conversation from the other side of the door. It wasn’t unusual for him to grab air, after a long day of socialising at school it was just routine for Kai to feel drained and quiet.

Curling from his fingertips was a black smoke that filled the open air above him and curdled the grey sky to a lightless onyx. The bright porch light screwed into the bricks began to dim before being swallowed up by shadows. Like the light of the moon was blotted out with inky clouds. The darker the world beyond him became, the better he felt.

It had been happening on and off for the past few weeks. Beginning soon after Aaradhya and him had touched hands. It was like something had awoken in him. Its long dormancy now wreaking havoc on him.

He almost liked the feeling, it made him feel alive. Even if questions hadn’t stopped swirling around his head since that day.

Kai silently reminded himself to update the journal later tonight. Since the first day, his continued scientific mind had taken over and he’d documented everything in agonising detail. From what he could tell it was like shadows and every darkness of the world could be manipulated with a couple thoughts.

The pounding in his head stopped as more shadows sputtered from his momentarily black fingertips.

A creak from across from him brought his gaze down to the bannister. Walking along like a trapeze artist was a small shadow built black cat.

“You’re back.” Childlike wonder seized him, wide eyed and astounded. He didn’t know if all of this was a product of science or God. And to be honest, he didn’t care. Kai had always straddled between those conflicting worlds anyway.

It hopped off the bannister and in a moment the cat grew.

Breathing heavily in front of him was an almost wolf-like creature. Smoke spilled from between its ivory teeth. “Shit.” And despite his words Kai couldn’t keep from smiling at the creature before him that defied every scientific law.