The Monster Named Felix

Laying in bed Anna knew she should say something. The creature living under her bed has been there for months. She could hear it moving, making strange sounds, it even popped out once.
She should probably be scared since it’s eye’s where red, it’s teeth sharp looking, but when it came out that one time it didn’t look mean, it look sad and afraid.
Anna didn’t like the idea of the monster being sad with no one to talk to so she leaned over her bed and lifted the blanket that hung over, “Psst.. I know you’re under there. My name is Anna, what’s your?” The two bright red eye’s slowly opened and just stared at her. Anna slipped off the bed and layed on her belly, using her arms to pillow her chin, “You don’t have to stay under there you know. I won’t hurt you.” The monster just looked at her, refusing to leave. It couldn’t understand why this human child was talking to it. All the children before her would scream and cry, calling to their parents. Not once in his life had one done what this six year old child is doing now. What is he to do?
“Hey I have an idea, why don’t I crawl under there with you? If you feel safer under there, I will be more than happy to go under there too.” Anna was smiling at the monster, a kind and patient smile. “I--I-- I think that would be ok Anna. I won’t hurt you either.” Anna let out a quick excited screech before she crawled under her bed and layed next to the monster with a smile a mile wide. “What’s your name?”
“My name?”
“Yes your name silly,” she giggled, “what does your mommy call you?”
“Uh, well my name is….. I actually don’t remember. I have been around for centuries and people have only ever called me monster.” Anna’s face looked sad for a moment, then it brightened, “Well I think your name should be Felix! It’s better than monster. What do you think of that name?” The monster started laughing, such a strange sound and feeling. This was a new experience for him and he found that he liked the feeling, the sound, even the child and the name she gave him. What is this feeling? “I really like the name Felix, thank you Anna. Can I ask you a question? Why aren’t you scared of me? Why are you under here talking to me instead of calling for your parents and crying?” Anna’s small face never once lost it’s smile, “Well at first I was scared. I could hear you under there but I thought if I screamed, you would gobble me and my parents up. Then that one time you came out, you didn’t look mean, you looked sad. So I thought I should see why you were sad and maybe give you a hug and invite you to a tea party.”
Felix was once again confused, “What’s a tea party Anna?”
Little Anna’s mouth fell open, her face in disbelief, “You never had a tea party?” Felix just shook his head. Oh no this would not do, Anna crawled from under her bed then put her hand out to help Felix, “Come with me and we will have a tea party. I have cookies hiding in my sock drawer that we can share. But shhh, don’t tell my mommy, kay?”
Felix just looked at her small hand, he wanted to come out and have this thing called a tea party with Anna but he was afraid that if he did the child would most definitely run to her parents crying and screaming. “Anna I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to come out from under here. I don’t want to frighten you.”
“It’s ok Felix, you’re my friend right? You look different and that’s ok. Looking different isn’t bad or scary. Please come out.” He was so conflicted, does he go and risk frightening the only friend he has ever made or does he stay hidden in the dark and risk hurting the sweet girls feelings?
Deciding to trust the child he crawls out from under the bed.
As he stood, Anna just looked at him in awe. He was the same height as she was, he looked like a beat up alley cat standing on it’s back legs to her. Patches of fur missing, sharp looking claws and teeth, his eyes looked like red Christmas lights, he had scars, lots and lots of scars, his tail didn’t have any fur on it but feathers. Anna started to circle him and saw he had wings! His wings did not have feathers but looked like they belonged to a bat. Felix was waiting for the screaming and the crying, he just stood there bracing for it--- but instead of screams of terror he heard giggling. Confused he asked, “What is so funny Anna?”
“Nothing is funny Felix, I’m just so happy to finally be able to see you! I think you’re pretty, is it ok if I hug you?”
“You’re not afraid?”
“Nope, just super dooper happy.” A wave of relief went through him, she truly wasn’t scared, Felix wrapped his arms around Anna and held her close for a long moment. Anna pulled away and grabbed his paw and took him to a small table that held a plastic pink tea set. “Now Felix before we have our tea we need to dress up.”
Anna had put a floppy pink hat on his head, a purple boa on his shoulders and even painted his claws with sparkly red nail polish, he was having the time of his life.
As they sat down to drink their tea and eat the hidden cookies they talked about unicorns, Anna’s favorite animal, she told him of her friends at school and how she can spell her whole name. After a little while, Anna’s eyes began to get heavy, so Felix picked her up and carried her to bed as he placed her down and got ready to crawl back under, she grabs his hand and asks him to stay with her, so he laid beside her and slowly started to fall asleep himself….