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Through thin and lacey white curtains the morning sunlight shone, the window was open by an inch and on its handle hung a clear crystal, which decorated the room with tiny spots of rainbow as it swayed gently in the breeze. Loodvigg looked down into what had once been its bowl of cereal, not much crossing their mind besides the fact that they did not want to eat any more of it, only the milk was left. The roundness of the milk in the bowl reminded it of the moon, which then reminded it that last night before bedtime they had been told that today would be a “Going Out” day. Oh no. It was pretty here on Plant Island, but the thought of going outside was clouded with hesitation in the young Celestial’s mind. Other monsters who they didn’t know would stare at them as they walked by, and Loodvigg feared what would happen if they got too close…
Before they could think on the issue any more, their mother Wicker entered the kitchen.
“I have something to show you.”
Wicker whispered, smiling in a jolly way.
This peaked its attention and so it watched curiously, as if studying a wild animal in its natural environment. They took away the bowl and placed it by the sink before fishing around in a brown paper bag that Loodvigg hadn’t noticed until now. From inside she lifted out a dark, fluffy something that looked quite light judging by how she held it.
“Look!”
Said mum, setting the new thing down in front of Loodvigg.
The spider monster couldn’t stop themself from gasping; It was an animal! A little toy animal! A fluffy black creature with white bits, shiny green eyes, short pointy ears and a long tail. On the edge of its pale muzzle was a pink, plastic nose and around its neck was a red ribbon with a golden coin-like thing hanging from it, the word ‘Shadow’ was engraved across in fancy letters. Amazed, Loodvigg reached out for it, the fur enveloping their cold hands when they picked it up and brought it closer. They looked up at Wicker, who gave an approving smile.
“Do you like it?”
They asked eagerly, brows raised.
“Yes, I like it very much!”
The monsterling replied in a quiet yet chipper way, squeezing the plushie to subtly check if it had any bones inside like a real animal would.
She bent down to Loodvigg’s level, admiring the toy alongside it. The cat’s fur had a shimmer to it, matching the glossy glass eyes and velvet collar.
“Shadow will protect you if you get nervous when we go outside today, okay? If you feel scared and don’t know what to do, then just hold its paw, count its whiskers or give it a stroke and you’ll feel much better.”
Wicker explained, giving them a soft pat on the shoulder.
“Okay!”
The young Celestial’s eyes fluttered happily at its mother.
“May I show everyone else?”
“You can show us grown-ups and the others around your age, but maybe don’t show it off to the little ones, they might get jealous.”
“Hm…”
Loodvigg accepted with a nod, a little disappointed.
“Don’t worry, you can still play with it around them, just try not to make any fuss and they will not notice. Oh, actually, Hornacle has a toy just like your one, I think they came in a pair, you could show them!”