BB & Button

A Speculative Children’s Story for Grown-Ups

Art by c0dexverdigris

Beautiful Boy (BB to you and me) lives in a confusing space. Oftentimes, from the next door apartments, sad sudden sounds pierce the metal walls and infect BB with a chill. Mother says, “BB, remember. We’re safe here.”

BB nods, snugs into mother’s hip, and settles into mother’s hug. He looks at the dented white fridge where mother hung the picture he drew of the wide and gray ocean where he, Mother, and Father visited one windy day. He smiles.

 <^>

When school lets out (which BB’s always thankful for) Auntie Jenni greets him at the bent schoolyard fence, grins with a sparkle in her eyes, pats BB’s head, puts her gloved hand on his shoulder, and guides him past bumpy, growling, barking, screeching streets.

Escorts him down cracked, gray sidewalks,

chaotic with roaming shadows,

and grunting, grumbling voices,

and hard, stomping boots,

and staring, blank eyes,

and bulky, masked men.

At last, they enter the decaying apartment fortress. Auntie checks the dingy hallway, echoing with moans and wails. With quick, shuffling steps, Auntie leads him to the elevator, summons the elevator, watches the hallway.

After a long long time, the gray scratched doors squeak open.

Auntie checks the elevator.

They enter, and let out a whoosh of breath. Made it.

BB presses the faded floor number.

Up UP they go. Rhoom-Rhoom. Eleven times, Rhoom-Rhoom. BB always counts.

<^>

When he’s safe inside home, he hugs Auntie Jenni goodbye, hugs mother hello, throws off his pack, grabs a handful of tiny cookies, runs to his tiny room, plops down near the window that can’t open, looks out over the burbling city and wonders,

What’s beyond—

the jaggy buildings, bumpy gray streets, cracked gray sidewalks?

the icky orange sky?

the wide and gray ocean?

Now and then, a bird passes.

<^>

One day, through the window that can’t open—dappled in rain drops, BB scanned the gray clouds sliding over the jaggy buildings when clickity-clack his father unlocked their steel door, scuffled through, locked their steel door, and called, “Come see. Come see.”

BB and Mother gathered round. A lump squirmed in Father’s coat.

What is it? thought BB.

Father reached in his tan workman’s coat and with a rough, dry hand pulled out a cat black as night, short haired, and copper eyed.

“Oh!” smiled BB.

“Ernie!” grimaced mother.

Father shrugged. “He’s a rescue. Just came up to me and the crew when we was assembling. Followed me home. I figured, why not?”

Mother shook her head. “Another mouth to feed.”

Father smiled. “He can eat the mice and rats.”

Mother sighed and pecked father’s cheek with a kiss.

Mother and Father wrapped an arm around each other’s waist and studied BB.

Father said, “He’s going to need someone to look after him.”

BB hugged his father, backed a step, and opened his arms.

The black as night cat leapt into BB’s arms, purred, and snugged against BB’s chest.

Mother said, “He’ll want a name.”

BB looked into the black-as-night cat’s copper eyes and said, “Button.”

Father raised his eyebrows and said, “A fine name, and entertaining.”

<^>

BB loves Button and Button loves BB. Button sleeps in BB’s room, often in BB’s arms. But not always.

Sometimes BB falls asleep wondering at Button looking out the window that can’t open.

<^>

One night and in the darkest part of night, BB woke from his thin, worn bed to a pat pat pat. He rubbed an eye and under half-lids looked to the window. Lit by the yellow haze of the city, Button pat pat patted against the window and looked at BB.

BB, sleep in his voice, said, “What you see?”

“Meow,” said Button and blinked his copper colored eyes.

BB flipped back his thin, worn blanket and padded over to the window. He looked left but only saw the roaming yellow haze of the city, still and quiet. He looked right and cocked his head. What is that? BB squinted. A shadow? BB pressed his nose against the cold window that doesn’t open. Oh! BB jumped back.

There, on the rusty and rickety fire escape, a creature stood, far taller than Father, wearing a heavy dark cloak. A thick cowl covered their face. Out of the cowl arced a long, thin nose, mottled gray like a boulder by the wide and gray ocean. Inside the cowl, two red eyes glowed.

BB’s heart pittered fast and his chest rose and fell like the wide and gray ocean’s waves. BB looked at Button.

“Meow,” said Button and pat pat patted the window.

And then, the window that can’t open did open. Scrrrrunnnnch. Cool air fluttered in. BB’s eyes went wide and he held his breath like when he swam in the wide and gray ocean and dipped under the cold and rough waves.

Creature extended an arm and from the long sleeve of their cloak, a boned white hand emerged.

BB gasped. Button leapt onto Creature’s arm and blinked his copper eyes at BB. “Meow,” said Button.

“Thank you for naming—uh?” Creature looked at Button.

“Meow,” said Button.

“Thank you for naming—Button,” said Creature and cocked their head. “A curious and entertaining name.”

Creature’s voice was gargley like when Father had a very bad cold and Mother put the rub on Father’s chest.

BB gaped and wondered. He felt a little scared but mostly safe like when Auntie Jenni walked him down the moaning hall to the scratched elevator.

Creature said, “Time for … Button to come back.”

“Meow,” said Button.

“A fine idear,” said creature, and held out their boned white hand to BB. “Would you like to come visit?”

BB took a step back, looked over his shoulder at his closed bedroom door, and wondered,

Is it safe to go?

Will Mother and Father be disappointed? or scared?

Creature smiled like Father smiled when BB wondered about taking his first steps into the wide and gray ocean.

Creature knelt and said, “We’ll have you back and just as you are before anyone wakes. I promise.”

“Meow,” said Button.

BB looked at Button and then at the floor of worn thin carpet. “But I don’t know you.”

“Oh! Yes.” Creature pressed their boned white hand to their dark cloak. “I’m Gus.”

“Meow,” said Button.

“Hm. And you are BB. Nice to meet you, BB.” And again, Gus, held out his boned white hand to BB.

BB shook it. BB’s hand was hot with nervous sweat. Gus’ hand was firm and dry.

But a handshake isn’t enough to know someone, thought BB.

BB watched Button curl on Gus’ cowled head. Hm. Button trusts Gus.

Gus said, “It’s ok if you don’t want to come. We understand.”

“Where do you live?”

“Oh, very far away but it’s a short trip.”

BB searched the dark, thought very hard, and looked at Button who blinked his copper colored eyes and said, “Meow.”

BB took a big breath, let it out and said, “Yes, I’ll come for a visit.”

“Yes. Just a visit. I’m glad,” said Gus, a smile in his voice. He turned to offer his back.

BB scampered through the window and wrapped his arms around Gus’ neck, like when Father takes him for a horsey ride.

Gus said, “Hold on tight.”

Two great black wings spread from beneath Gus’ cloak and they lifted into the dark sky.

ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.

<^>

Higher and higher and higher still, they flew. So fast, BB’s stomach had to catch up. As they sailed beyond the city’s orange haze, the air smelled fresh, and their soaring seemed to assemble the wind. So high they journeyed, BB wondered at little pins of fluttering lights higher even than they flew, pecked in the sky like the silver sequins of mother’s going-to-church dress. What are they? BB looked at Button whose copper eyes blinked at the dark.

Past the sleeping city, past the beach and over the dark whooshing wide and gray ocean tipped in white. BB looked over his shoulder and wondered how far he was from home. Further than I’ve ever been. Maybe further than Mother, Father, or Auntie’s ever been.

They swooped down. A faint spray of ocean water tickled BB’s face and beaded his hands, still clutched tight around Gus.

A new beach—long, wide, and white as paper. Beyond, a thick forest, green and lush. There, a single ginormous tree towered and sprawled over its siblings. In an opening of the ginormous tree, a single orange light flickered.

They landed on a thick branch. BB slid off Gus’ back. Button leapt and squirreled along the branch and into the tree’s opening lit by the flickering orange light.

A soft wind whispered through long, thick leaves. BB glanced his fingers across a leaf. Rubbery. Nearby, a hoot. BB scanned but saw only the tangled strokes of tree branches. A screech, distant. BB started. A growl, from below. BB tensed, eyes roaming over the endless dark beneath the tree.

Gus flung back his cowl, uncovering his boned white head. His red eyes shone bright. His arcing, mottled, gray nose wiggled, thin blue lips pressed into a smile. He waved his boned white hand. “Come along.” BB hurried after Gus and they entered the ginormous tree.

<^>

The room was big and round. On the wall hung a sconce where a thin candle beat out an orange light. Shadows played over knotty walls. On a large sprawling rug an intricate design spiraled blue, silver, and purple. On the rug sat a black haired boy with copper eyes and a slim nose and chin.

Like me and just as old. But where’s Button?

Gus removed his cloak, hung it, and sang, “Mae! We’re home and we have a guest!”

Beyond the edge of the orange light, a set of spiraling wooden stairs, streaming with winding grains and edged in bark. From above, the stairs creaked with heavy steps and a rusty voice exclaimed, “Oh! A guest!”

Heavy steps plomp plomp plomped down the stairs.

A figure emerged, taller than Gus, wearing a silver dress with winding loops of purple. Eyes big, sparkling, and green. Poofs of black hair circled their head—boned white as were their arms, hands, and fingers. A broad, stubby nose, mottled gray, twitched in a sniff over thick blue lips.

“Mae!” exclaimed the black haired boy.

As Mae landed on the final step, the black haired boy jumped up, raced over and hugged Mae at her hip.

“Hello,” said Mae to the boy. “Are you named?”

The black haired boy nodded. “Button.”

“Mm,” said Mae. “What an … entertaining name.”

BB’s eyebrows rose. “You’re Button? My cat?”

“Sort of. But I’m not a cat,” said Button. “Wanna see my room?” And held out his hand.

“Sure,” said BB and took Button’s hand. BB’s hand was dry and soft. Button’s hand was cold and soft. The two boys scampered up the steps into the dark beyond the stairs.

<^>

“This is my room,” said Button, tossing out his arms.

BB scanned the round and spare room. A bed like his own but plush with a soft plump blanket threaded with blue and silver loops. A window, opened to the night air. The swishing sea of tree tops beyond. BB smiled.

Button said, “Here’s my stones. There’s twelve. I picked them from the ocean where we dive for what is lost. And here’s a memory catcher, Mae made me. And here’s my bow, quiver, and arrows. Gus takes me to practice.”

“You shoot arrows?”

“Sure, I do. Would you like to learn how to shoot arrows?”

“Yeah.”

“We’ll ask Gus when we go back down.” Button rubbed his nose and sniffed.

BB said, “What were those twinkling lights way up high when we flew?”

“Above our sky?”

“Mmhm.”

“Some are suns like our sun and some are planets but not like ours. Our planet is special.”

BB walked to the window and peeked at the sky and said, “Planets?”

“Yeah. Whole big ones and little ones and all in between. Would you like to visit one?”

“Visit for real?”

“Mmhm.”

BB considered very hard. “Would I still be able to get back home before mother and father wake up?”

“Oh sure. Time doesn’t play here. Have you ever lifted above the sky?”

BB shook his head.

“I can show you. Wanna learn?”

BB nodded, not sure.

“Come on.” Button took BB’s hand, led him through the window and onto a wooden balcony. “You lay here and I’ll lay right next to you.”

BB did. The air was fresh and warm. A slow wind tickled the trees’ leaves. Above was only sky, beaded with the flickering lights.

Button nestled beside BB. “Ok. Do you want to pick a planet or do you want me to?”

“I don’t know which are planets and which are suns.”

“That’s ok. I know the best planets anyway. Ooo! How about I give you some choices?”

“Ok.”

“We can go to the purple planet where everything’s shades of purple and there’s a beach where the sun’s always setting and there’s fish people.”

“Fish people?”

“Yeah. They live in one big ocean. I haven’t learned what they call themselves because I haven’t learned fish yet but Mae said she’ll teach me.”

“Would she teach me, too?”

“I’ll ask her when we go back down. I’m sure she will. She’s a really good teacher. The fish people are fun because they like to play ball. I can grab my ball and we can bring it and play with the fish people, if you want to visit the purple planet.”

“Sure.”

“Good. I was hoping you’d pick the purple planet. It’s one of my favorites. Ready to lift?”

“I guess.”

<^>

“Ok. Look up at the sky and keep your nose pointed to that star right there. Oh, wait. We should take off our socks, so we don’t track sand in the house. Ok, back to pointing your nose at the star. See it? Good. It’s best if we hold hands so we don’t get lost from each other. Ok if I hold your hand? Cool. Ok, now, put your other hand on your belly, flat like this and just let your breath come in and out on its own and let it go into your belly. Yeah, like that. Keep your nose pointed. And see only that star. Good. You feel the lift? Good. Just let the lift happen.”

<^>

BB and Button lifted above the trees into the very dark sky beaded with the flickering lights. BB tried to count the lights as they lifted further and further but there were too many and the further they lifted still more flickering lights appeared.

At first, their destination, the shades of purple planet, was very small. Then it grew medium and large and finally, very very large and then BB and Button, one hand holding the other’s, and opposite arms flung out like wings, passed through purple shaded clouds, into a purple shaded sky, and lit on a purple shaded beach before a purple shaded ocean broader even than the wide and gray ocean of home. A purple shaded sunset hung on an arcing purple shaded horizon. Purple shaded sand squished between BB’s toes.

“Wow,” said BB as he looked over the purple shaded waves and then, “Oh!” said BB as a fish people peeped a long thin snout above the waves and sprayed BB and Button with sea water. “Ha!” laughed BB.

The water smelled of salt and fish just like the wide and gray ocean of home.

“They’re telling us they want to play,” smiled Button. “But oh! I forgot my ball.”

“Aw. Well. That’s ok,” said BB. “Maybe we can roll up our pajama bottoms and wade out into the waves?”

“Ooo! Good idear.”

And so they rolled up their pajama bottoms and with slow steps they squished out into the soft waves of the purple shaded ocean. The water was warm and soft. Soon, many long thin snouts joined the first and the fish people played around BB and Button, spraying them with fine mists. BB and Button laughed and splashed the fish people’s long thin snouts.

After a time, Button said, “Whoo! I’m tuckered. Let’s lay on the beach and look at the moons.”

“Moons?” BB looked up. He hadn’t noticed. Five moons hung in the shades of purple sky. One ginormous and the littlest spinning fast as a blur. “Wow.”

<^>

They laid long on the quiet purple shaded sand.

Button tapped his toes.

BB threaded his fingers behind his head and wondered at the five moons of the purple planet.

Quiet came to them. Their breaths slow and soft.

After a time, Button said, “Do you get sad sometimes?”

“Yeah,” said BB.

“I do too.”

“Mother says to think of all the good things.”

“That’s what Mae says. And Gus.”

“What are your good things?”

“My twelve stones. Mae and Gus. Rain on leaves. What are your good things?”

“Mother. Father. Auntie Jenni. The ocean. When birds fly past my window. And you.”

“You’re one of my good things, too.”

“I’m wondering,” said BB. “Were you lost?”

“Lost? No. I needed a name and you gave me one.”

BB smiled.

<^>

“Boys!” Gus’ gargley voice sang from above.

BB searched the purple shaded sky but couldn’t see Gus.

“Yes?!” cried Button.

“Time to come in!”

“Ok!” said Button. “Shucks. Well, guess we got to go back now.”

“Ok,” sighed BB. “But which light is home?”

“That teeny blue one right there. See it?”

“Yeah. Wow. It’s so small.”

“It is.”

<^>

up uP UP. They lifted and back to the wooden balcony outside Button’s room. They rubbed the purple shaded sand from their feet, donned their socks, and climbed inside through the open window.

<^>

“I don’t want to leave.” BB said. “When I’m here, I feel safe outside.”

“I understand. I wish you could stay. I’ll miss you. Ooo! But you know what?”

“What?”

“You can visit me anytime you have time.”

“I can?”

“Yeah, you can lay down on your floor in your room where I used to curl up in the afternoons to feel the sun and you can look out through your window and do the belly breathing and look for the purple planet and come visit me there. I’m nearly always there and if I’m not you can call for me and I’ll lift up. We could even go to other planets from the purple planet. Like the curvy planet where everything is curved—mountains, forest creatures. Actually, now that I think of it, we could come here, to my room, from the purple planet but here’s not as exciting as the other planets. But I guess, you could learn to shoot arrows if we came here because here is where Gus most always is.”

“And learn the fish people language from Mae?”

“You bet.”

And they hugged each other very tight.

<^>

From Gus’ back, BB waved goodbye to Button and Mae. Gus’ wings spread and zooooooom BB was back in his room and back in his bed and soon snoring.

<^>

The next morning before he ate, before he kissed Mother and Father good morning, BB grabbed his spiraled notebook and No. 2 yellow pencil, sat on his thin worn bed and wrote this story down so he could remember it and so you and I could too.