Tuesday Tales - Baking

Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week's word prompt is “baking". We are back with Dani in my new Sci-Fi story. 

Be sure to check out the other Tuesday Tales by clicking here!

Dani didn’t notice that she had scooted closer to Bobo until her knee touched his leg. She was that wrapped up in his tale. “What did she do?”

Bobo rubbed his thin, bony hands together. “Her home planet was near ours. She crash landed in the lake near our home. She lacked consciousness for two full days after the soldiers pulled her from the wreckage. When she woke, she warned us of what was coming. Her employment with their armed services involved baking decadent treats for their higher ranking officers. However, in her spare time, she dabbled in engineering, specifically in space flight. She was an apprentice with one of the most renowned builders on the planet.”

“I don’t understand how a baker was able to save your planet.”

“I haven’t finished my story. She finished a few repairs on the space craft she had built by herself with the tutelage of her mentor. She excitedly reported to him that she was finished. He backhanded her for her message. It was unlike him to be violent. He was the most peaceful, gentle soul on their world. It was then she suspected something. She followed him closely to see if there was something troubling him. It was then that she noticed the four dots on the back of his neck.”

Dani gasped. “Like Ezra’s.”

Bobo nodded. “Exactly. She noticed him speak of my home world and how they would attack there next. We had an agreement with them to remain allies. We would send valuable minerals to them in exchange for their main export. She had heard rumors of what had happened to the other worlds that the Vigvuth destroyed. She wasted no time. Without telling anyone, she fired up her machine and took off. Fortunately, it made it to its final destination, even if it ended up in the lake.”

“She saved you all.”

Bobo nodded. “She did.”

“But that doesn’t explain why you are here with me.”

 

Tuesday Tales - Snowy

 

Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week's word prompt is “snowy”. We are back with Dani in my new Sci-Fi story. 

Be sure to check out the other Tuesday Tales by clicking here!

“Infiltrated worlds? What do you mean?” Dani questioned.

Bobo let out what Dani guessed was a sigh. “You see what Grarkiel is doing to…” He motioned with his hand as if he were trying to come up with a word.

“Ezra.”

“Yes, Him. They would do the same with each world they would conquer. Refugees would arrive on a planet seeking sanctuary. I am not entirely sure how, but these individuals would pass close enough to the rich and powerful for the transfer of the Vigvuth to occur. The Vigvuth are sly, manipulative creatures. They promise power and wealth if their victim agrees to take part in the invasion. When this occurs, a blue stone forms over the heart of the one being taken over.”

“Ezra isn’t wealthy or powerful. Why did Grarkiel choose him?”

Bobo shrugged. “I do not know. What I do know is that, when Grarkiel arrived on this planet, there was some sort of urgency to find a host. To continue, when the joining was finished, the Vigvuth would lead their host to take power. They would urge them to lie, cheat, make promises that they had no intentions of keeping. Their hosts would take control of the throne or government by persuading the people to believe their falsehoods. Citizens of the planet were led to believe that they could do whatever they wanted, detest others not like them, discriminate against the less fortunate. When the hate reached a fever pitch, the feeding would begin. It was only a matter of time before that world was a desolate wasteland and the only ones left were the host beings. The Vigvuth would force them onto their vessels and move onto the next planet. They were now the next set of false refugees.”

Dani lost her words. She could only blink at him as horror filled her. Finally she spoke. “Did they do this to your world?”

He gave her a small smile. “They did not. Our salvation came at the hands of a true refugee, a snowy haired young woman.”

Tuesday Tales - Angry

 

Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week's word prompt is “angry”. We are back with Dani in my new Sci-Fi story. 

Be sure to check out the other Tuesday Tales by clicking here!

“What are you doing? You’re still not angry with me, are you?”

Bobo stayed silent. His rubber figure melted into a beam of iridescent light. He wove through and around the metal pipe in her hand, wrapping himself around her fingers before disappearing into the handle over and over again. 

The mechanism for the laser light settled into place, the switch nestling into its new home like it was professionally die cut to be there. She flipped it up and watched the yellow beam of light shine with a pinpoint focus from the top. 

“Wow,” she murmured to herself. 

The tiny Bobo hopped from her thumb to the floor. A moment later, he grew to his full cat-like appearance. “Wield it.”

She stared at him for a moment, then swung her arm like she was in a sword fight. It was a fourth of the weight it had been. Granted, she was still going to have to work on her arm muscles before she met up with Grarkiel and his phantom minions again. 

She nudged to switch off and smiled at him. “Thank you.”

“You are welcome.”

She plopped down on the sofa as she admired the work Bobo had done. The extraterrestrial smoothed his robes and then shuffled across the rug to join her. He was a little more delicate as he descended onto the cushion. 

They sat in silence for a few moments. Dani glanced beside her at Bobo. A question appeared in her mind. She knew she shouldn’t ask him about it. Maybe if he answered it, it could help her in the long run. “What happened when the Vigvuth attacked your home?”

He lowered his head. He did not answer her. 

“I’m sorry. Nevermind. I shouldn’t have asked.”

“No, it is alright,” he assured her. “It is difficult to explain because they didn’t lead with a violent attack. They infiltrated worlds.”

Tuesday Tales - Fussy

 

Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week's word prompt is “fussy”. We are back with Dani in my new Sci-Fi story. 

Be sure to check out the other Tuesday Tales by clicking here!

“Do you have to be so fussy…hi, Dad.” The familiar beep caught her attention. She turned towards the screen as she plastered a smile on her face. 

“Hey, kiddo,” her father replied. She could hear the hesitation in his voice. “Did you get the part exchanged?”

She pulled the piece out of the bag she carried it home in. “This is it?”

“It is. Do you have the mechanism from the laser machine?”

She picked it up with her other hand. “I do.”

“Okay. Slip the mechanism onto the pipe. It should wedge itself inside. You will want to screw the cap on the other end just in case.”

Dani dropped the laser inside the pipe. It caught just inside the pipe. She tapped it a couple of times to make sure it was stuck. She scowled. “The switch is now inside the tube. How can I get it outside so I can flip it off and on?”

Her dad sighed so heavily it came clearly through the laptop speakers. “I don’t know what to tell you, Dani. If you were home, I would use my tools to cut the metal so it popped out. Do you know anyone there who could help you with that?”

Her heart fell. Instead of worrying her father, she told him a little white lie. “I’m sure I can find someone.”

“Okay then, bug. Let me know if you need more help. Or just call to chat. We miss you a lot, Dani.”

“I miss you too. Give Mom my love. I love you, Dad.”

“Love you too, Squirt.”

Dani ended the call and then huffed on her own. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

Bobo shuffled from behind the plant he was hiding behind. He stared at her with blank, imitation eyes. Then, his short, balloon frame shrank to the size of a quarter. 

Tuesday Tales - Grumpy

 

Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week's word prompt is “grumpy”. We are back with Dani in my new Sci-Fi story. 

Be sure to check out the other Tuesday Tales by clicking here!

The trip to the hardware store was thankfully eventful. It wasn’t like Dani expected Ezra to be around every corner, even though to Dani he seemed to be. She was waiting for him to pop out at every corner, for the ghosty souls that sprung out from Grarkiel to attack her while she was defenseless. 

Her head was on a swivel at the bus transfer spot downtown near the library. She searched the crowds that rushed past her for that familiar face that she cared for and that terrified her all at the same time. 

She almost forgot how effortless the exchange of the parts was. The associate that helped her was super friendly and escorted her to what her dad told her to buy. As she handled the galvanized metal, concern struck her heart like a brick. How was she going to wield this thing?

She never saw Ezra on either trips both to the hardware store and back to the apartment. She unlocked the door, shoved it open then closed and locked it behind her. She set down the bag, taking the parts out and setting them on the coffee table. Picking up her laptop, she opened the top to video chat her father again. She pointed at the plant that Bobo hid behind before. “Please?”

There was a rustle in her head than that familiar pressure. The little alien popped out of her ear. Bobos’s legs wobbled as he stomped to where she directed. 

“Oh, don’t be so grumpy,” she teased.

The balloon figure spun at her. “I don’t want to spend my whole night behind a bunch of leaves.”

Dani scrolled across the screen until she found the icon for her browser. She clicked on it then entered the address for the video chat platform. “You won’t. Once I finish this, my call will be over and you can come out.”

“Fine.”

Tuesday Tales - Discover

 

Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week's word prompt is “discover”. We are back with Dani in my new Sci-Fi story. 

Be sure to check out the other Tuesday Tales by clicking here!

Dani shuffled to her room and shut the door. Pulling open the bottom drawer of her dresser, she rummaged for clothes she never wore. She even considered leaving them back at her parents' house, but decided to bring them in case she ever ran out of laundry. 

The first thing she pulled free was an oversized hoodie. Beneath it was a pair of jeans. She tried to get into this style, to match the rest of the kids she went to high school with. That was until she was bullied. The popular girls made fun of her for trying to fit in. The athletic guys laughed at her. From then on, she wore her long skirts and frumpy cardigans. Did she still get teased? Of course. However, since she spent most of her time in her sacred space, the library, she melted into the scenery. After a while, she was simply ignored. She liked it that way.

She shimmied out of her work clothes, leaving only her shirt on, then tossed them into the laundry hamper. She let go of a sigh, then sat down on her mattress. She threaded one leg after the other into her jeans. Standing, she yanked them up to her waist and fastened them. She pulled the sweatshirt over her head. The hood remained stuck to her hair and hung haphazardly off her scalp.

Dani tugged the door open and made her way to the living room. Bobo was pacing on the top of the coffee table, his little legs squeaking with each step. He seemed to step back a bit, startled, when he saw her.

“You look…different,” he commented.

“Yeah,” she responded. “I have yet to discover how to wear something like this so I don’t look like an idiot.”

His little head cocked to the side. “I think you look beautiful. Like an exotic flower that blooms on my planet.”

Dani bit back a laugh. He knew of a bloom that looked like a book obsessed girl in a hoodie and jeans? She gave him a smile. “Thank you. Should we go?”

Tuesday Tales - Fall

Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week's word prompt is “fall”. We are back with Dani in my new Sci-Fi story. 

Be sure to check out the other Tuesday Tales by clicking here!

It took a minute for Dani to find the right tool in the box that she got from Dad moments before she hopped into her car and drove off to Boston. Her first challenge was to find the kit in the first place. She hadn’t had to use it since she moved in. Of course it was in the far back corner of her closet. 

She grasped the screwdriver and nudged the box back where it came from. Hurrying down the hallway, she stumbled over the carpet runner that ran the length of the corridor. She gathered her footing and finished the distance to the laptop. She held the tool up to the screen.

“That’s it,” he praised her. “Go ahead and open it.”

It took a minute or two for her to loosen the screws. Once she did, she held up the open mechanism to her dad.

“Well, I will give you credit. That is the right diameter. You will need the metal ones, though. And while you are at it, you should get some carpet tape for that rug you bought at the second hand store before you trip and fall and need an ambulance.”

She glance towards the hallway. “You heard that, huh?”

“Sweetheart, I think all of Boston heard that.”

“Yeah, yeah. I will get some.”

“Give me a call when you get back and I can help you finish it.”

“It might be late.”

“It’s alright. I’ll be up watching the news. I’ll be awake.”

“Okay. Thanks, Dad. I love you”

“Anytime, kiddo. I love you, too. Talk to you in a bit.”

Dani closed the top of her laptop with a huff. She turned back to her room but stopped when she heard a voice. 

“Can I come out now?” Bobo asked.

She nodded. “Of course. Dad’s gone for now.”

The little balloon figure scuttled out from between the plants. It cocked its head up to her. “What are you going to do?”

She shrugged. “I’m going to try to find something that doesn’t make me look like me, I guess.”

 

Tuesday Tales - Stubborn

 

Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week's word prompt is “stubborn”. We are back with Dani in my new Sci-Fi story. 

Be sure to check out the other Tuesday Tales by clicking here!

Through her computer screen, her Dad did not look convinced with the bird excuse. “Okay. What’s up?”

Dani sucked in a breath. “I was hoping that you could help me with a project for work. We are having an outer space/Science Fiction day and I wanted to make one of those laser swords to show the kids.”

“That sounds dangerous, hon.”

“I’m going to be the only one using it. Everything will be safe. And I am using one of those party lasers.” She angled the camera of her laptop towards the mess on the coffee table. “Those should be pretty safe, right?”

“For the most part. As long as you don’t point it in someone’s eyes. Do you have the tool box I sent with you to Boston?”

“In my bedroom.”

“Do you have something for a handle?”

Dani reached into the paper bag at her feet and pulled free a piece of a PVC pipe. “I do.”

Her dad shook his head. “Dani, that won’t work. It could overheat and melt when you use it. You are going to need a metal pipe and you will need to wrap it in electrical tape to keep from burning yourself. Go get a screwdriver and unscrew this metal contraption. I want to see what diameter you need to go get. Be prepared to use some elbow grease. It looks like it could be stubborn.”

“Or well put together you mean.”

“Don’t give it that much credit.”

Dani bit back a sigh but stood up and did what her father asked. It wasn’t that she was going to have to go through the hassle of returning the plastic pipes and buy the heavier, more expensive option, even though it was going to be a pain in the hiney. 

She was going to have to go out at twilight. In the dark, she could run into him. Ezra. He was perfectly harmless during the day sitting on the floor of the library reading archeology books. But at night, his body was taken over by Grarkiel who only wanted to feed on human blood.

For some reason, she was at the top of his meal list.

Tuesday Tales - Leafy

 

Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week's word prompt is “leafy”. We are back with Dani in my new Sci-Fi story. 

Be sure to check out the other Tuesday Tales by clicking here!

Bobo tapped a little knotted foot on the cover of one of Dani’s borrowed archeology books. At his size, it was probably more like stomping. “Why not?”

“Because it will be a challenge for my Dad to understand why there is an male alien living with me in my apartment. That’s way too many questions for me to answer right now. So please, just hide or something?” She set the computer down then lifted the lid. The machine powered on. Once she entered the password on the home screen, she clicked on the browser then found the website she typically video chatted to her parents from. 

“I still cannot understand why I cannot be part of this conversation,” Bobo muttered loud enough for her to hear.

Dani watched him as she huffed. Without thinking, she clenched her fists to her hips. “There are way too many shows and movies about humans and extraterrestrials…” her words faded for a moment as she pondered the right phrase to use. “Hooking up.”

“Hooking up?”

“Having relations.”

“Being friends?”

Dani huffed. “Having sex.”

If the balloon shape had eyes, they were now wide as the planet he came from. “We are not doing that.”

“Yeah, but human dads jump to conclusions. I live in the big city now. My parents worry about me. I’m not very experienced and they would automatically assume…plus, you’re a walking, talking toy for the most part…” She shook her head. “I don’t know why I am explaining this.” Her fingers flew across the keyboard, ending with a stroke of emphasis on the return key. She forced a smile on her face. “Hey, Dad.”

“Hey, Pumpkin Pie. How’s my girl?”

Dani glanced over at Bobo. He found shelter beneath one of her plants, a leafy stem draped over his head like a hat. “I’m good, Dad. But I need help.”

Her father’s countenance grew stern. “Do you have a friend there?”

She shook her head maybe a little too hard. There was a tiny hiss of dissent from the direction of the plant. “No. Why do you ask?”

“I saw to look away like someone was there with you.”

“It was just a bird on the window sill.”

Tuesday Tales - Golden

 

Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week's word prompt is “golden”. We are back with Dani in my new Sci-Fi story. 

Be sure to check out the other Tuesday Tales by clicking here!

This was beyond Dani’s expertise. She was way over her head. 

The closest she ever got to becoming an engineer was the class she had to take in the Engineering building at her college when there was a leak in the roof of the library. Even then, reading the group projects and bulletin boards in the hallways proved she was out of her element. 

She sighed as she studied the disassembled party light laying on her coffee table. All this confused her. However, it was the only way to keep her, Bobo, maybe even Ezra, safe from Grarkiel and the Vigvuth. She had to try.

She stared at the knotted nest of wires. A golden iridescent lens sat wedged beneath the pile and the metal box that contained the laser apparatus. She left the red, green and blue ones in the crinkled cardboard she tossed underneath the table.

Bobo wandered through the mess in his balloon man form. He rubbed the bottom of his round rubber head with the knotted end of one arm as if he were analyzing the components. 

“I have no idea what I’m doing,” Dani murmured.

All she got out of Bobo was a “hmmm”.

She cocked her head as she watched him. “You’re from another planet. You probably understand technology like this.”

The extraterrestrial stared at her. “Oh, no. This machine is too primitive. I am unable to determine how it operates. It would be like how you would comprehend the wheel. Or fire.”

“Sure thing, smarty pants.” Dani stood then crossed the room to her laptop. 

“What are you going to do?” Bobo queried. 

Dani grinned at him. “I’m going to consult the expert. I’m going to video chat with my Dad. You’re going to want to keep out of sight. He won’t get a little balloon guy wandering around my apartment.”

“Maybe I should return to my natural form.”

“Definitely not that.”