Tuesday Tales - Push

 

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

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

Ezra motioned to the right as he smiled at her. She returned the grin and started in the direction he indicated. It took a few steps for him to catch up with her. 

Although the sounds of the city blared around them, their walk was quiet. Dani glanced up at Ezra from the corner of her eye. His plain white t-shirt and jeans were a little rumpled from sitting on the floor all afternoon. His shoulder length black hair was tied back with a ponytail band and his beard was neatly combed and trimmed. His dark eyes were focused ahead of them and looked determined, like he was on a mission. 

Admittedly, Dani always fell for the standardly handsome, popular guy. She had a huge crush on the quarterback in high school. She asked the theater president in college to go to the movies. 

They both laughed at her. She kept her feelings, and her lovesick heart to herself. Her pent up desire was focused on rock musicians and movie stars. 

Until now. He wasn’t the type of guy she normally found attractive. Truthfully, he was kind of cute. 

The elegant storefront of the sports bar appeared as they rounded the corner. The deep caramel wood and gold lettering blended in with the neighborhood. As they approached the glass door leading inside, Ezra pushed it open and held it for her to pass through. The cool of the air conditioning and the melody of voices greeted them. 

A girl dressed in a polo embroidered with the image of the business and a pair of tight fitting slacks greeted them. “Table for two.”

Dani stumbled over her words. She did this when she was confronted by a stranger. The only place it didn’t occur was behind the desk at the library. 

Ezra covered for her. “Yes, a table for two.”

“Bar height okay for you?”

“That will be fine.”

Dani didn’t know why but she scowled. Was the woman flirting with Ezra? She had no idea but it seemed like it. She was so out of her league. 

Tuesday Tales - Greasy

 

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

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

Ezra stood stone still for a long moment. The only things moving were his eyelids, which did a full blink a couple of times. Finally he answered. “Sure. Sounds great.”

“Let me grab my things and we can go if you’re ready.”

“I left a couple books on the floor. I will go get them and bring them back here to be reshelved.”

“Thanks. Give me more to do,” Elise teased from across the desk. Dani didn’t know why, but she fought back the urge to roll her eyes. 

“I can put them back,” Ezra offered. 

“I was kidding. I have a better idea. I will put them aside so they are ready for you tomorrow. Does that sound good?”

Ezra let go a small smile. “Sounds amazing.”

Dani scurried off to her cubbie to gather her things while Ezra disappeared between the bookcases. She shrugged her purse up her shoulder then wove her way outside the desk to wait for him. What felt like eternity was only a minute or two. Ezra returned with a couple hefty tomes and laid them on the top of the desk. 

“Ready to go?” Dani questioned. 

“Sure,” he replied. 

They strode side by side through the library to the doors then outside to the city street. Dani glanced each way then stopped. 

“Is something wrong?” Ezra inquired.

Dani shook her head with a smile. “I was so forward to ask you to dinner, but I have no idea where to go. I’m not from Boston. The only places I’ve eaten out at have been the cafe in the library and the pizza place near where I live. That’s miles from here. I’d love to find a greasy spoon type place.”

Ezra cocked his head to the left. “Will an upscale bar and grill do? There are several around here.”

“Lead the way.”

Tuesday Tales - Flush

 

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

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

Dani felt her cheeks flush hot. Elise’s words were a huge compliment Dani didn’t feel she deserved in such a short time. Had she been doing that great of a job in only a couple of days? Or was Kristy that big of a pain in the butt? In the short time Dani knew her, she did seem to be a bit short tempered and abrasive. 

Dani didn’t have enough time to debate the question with herself in her head before a line of patrons appeared before her at the desk. 

As the shadows stretched long across the tile floor, Dani’s feet began to ache. She had no idea how long she had been answering questions and looking up volumes for all those who asked. She was so engrossed in it all she never had the chance to look at a clock. She knew the magic show was done. The arrival of a grumbling, snippy Kristy indicated that it was finished.  

She flexed her toes in her leather Mary Janes then picked up a stack. She carried them to the cart to resolve. 

“Hey, it’s about time to clock out,” Elise reminded her as she tapped her on the shoulder. 

Before Dani could say anything, a voice broke their conversation. “Can I ask you ladies a question first?”

Dani watched Elise’s head turn towards the sound as hers did as well. She already knew who it was. She had been thinking about him since she met him. 

Ezra smiled at both of them as he leaned against the circulation desk. “Has my Egyptian Mythology book arrived yet?”

“Not yet,” Elise answered. “It’ll be here by next week.”

“Okay. I’ll check back.” He gave them one last grin then turned to leave. 

“Wait.” Dani called out to him. 

Ezra turned back to him. Elise walked away, leaving them alone. She could have sworn Elise winked at her before the librarian disappeared. 

“How can I help you?” Ezra inquired.

The image of him huddled between the bookshelves the day before popped into Elise’s mind. There was a pang in her heart. “Can I take you to dinner? It was so busy today I missed lunch. I’m starving.”

Tueday Tales - Busy

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

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

The tall, tanky gentleman in a star emblazoned tuxedo and top hat took her by surprise. She was even more startled when he suggested that she help him as his assistant. 

She knew nothing about magic. She certainly wasn’t qualified for an acting job like this. She offered the position to all of her helpers. Of course, none of them volunteered to be her replacement. 

With a dejected sigh, she followed the magician to the stage to learn what she needed to do. 

One person she failed to notice yet in the library was Ezra. Maybe he only stopped by once in a while. She tried to push him from her thoughts. Instead, her brain turned him into a puzzle. Her imagination pictured his warm eyes and playful smile. What was his deal? Did he have a family to take care of him? Was there anything she could do for him? 

The applause from tying hands shook her from her thoughts. The magician standing beside her gave the crowd an exaggerated bow. He gave a slight snarl to Dani to do the same. 

Flustered, she squatted into a brief curtsey. The lights of the auditorium were powered back on as the children stood and made their way to their chaperones. Dani gave the magician a quick smile then hopped off the stage. Weaving through the children, she hurried from the room. 

The library was nearly as busy as the auditorium had been. Elise’s eyes widened as Dani slipped behind the circulation desk and picked up a stack of books.

“Thank goodness,” Elsie told her. “We’ve barely been able to keep our heads above water.”

“I’ll do anything not to be a magician’s assistant this afternoon,” Dani replied.

Elise winked at her. “I think that can be arranged. Kristy comes in at noon. She can help our entertainer keep the kids happy.”

“Hasn’t she been here longer than me?”

“I like you better.”

Tuesday Tales - School

 

Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week's word prompt is “school”. We are back with my new story. I’m still not sure where it is going.

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

**Note to my readers - while this story will have a romantic element, it is first and foremost a sci-fi tale. And it's a pretty creepy one at that.**

School clearly did not prepare Dani for things like this. It spent a great deal making sure she knew the Dewey Decimal System and how to manage a library of her own. 

She glanced at the audience of children as the swept her hands in a “tada” motion. Being an assistant to a magician? This was a new one for her. 

Elise was head over heels apologetic that she forgot to tell Dani about the program being held at the library that day. Providing child-friendly entertainment brought new readers into the building. Typically, by the end of the day, parents who brought their kids signed up for a library card and checked out books to take home to read to their little one. 

However, the programming department rarely scheduled back to back events. This was a rare blue moon situation with two entertainers in two days. They were more short staffed than the day before. 

Elise gave her a full shoulder shrug of defeat before she sent Dani into the auditorium and returned to the circulation desk. Dani had to admit she really liked her new co-worker. However, this felt like a newbie initiation. 

Luck was kind to Dani at first. There was a half a dozen library volunteers waiting for her to help. Although it was only her second day, it left Dani in charge. She sucked in a deep breath the room the reins left for her. She gave each person a task to tidy up the space. One gave the carpet a quick vacuum while the others went to search for the floor squares for the children to sit on. Dani gathered the paperwork that the presenter needed to sign then prepared the stage area for their new guest. 

The tall, tanky gentleman in a star emblazoned tuxedo and top hat took her by surprise. 

Tuesday Tales - Funny

 

Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week's word prompt is “funny”. We are back with my new story. I’m still not sure where it is going.

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

**Note to my readers - while this story will have a romantic element, it is first and foremost a sci-fi tale. And it's a pretty creepy one at that. If you are uncomfortable with that type of excerpt, you may want to move on for this week.**

He scooted towards the wall of the building next to him, allowing the shadows to swallow him whole. There weren’t many people out and about at this time of night. Those that were out of the streets either worked the graveyard shift someplace, were heading home from the bars, or were up to no good. He shoved his hands in his pockets and lowered his head as he passed the few folks hanging out on the sidewalk on his way to his apartment. 

Guilt ate him alive. He may not have killed that young man back in the alleyway, but he led him to his death. If he weren’t such a coward, if he could get rid of this thing inside him, it never would have happened. 

He could hear static in his head then a deep chuckle. It sucked that it could hear his thoughts. Some poor dude dying far before his time wasn’t a funny subject. This parasite had a psychotic sense of humor. 

Ezra stumbled to the door that led to his building. His fingers quaked as he tapped the security code into the keypad. He heard the door latch click open through the pounding in his ears. It took all the strength in his legs to trudge up the stairs to his place. He struggled gripping the key and slipping it into the lock. 

People thought Ezra was quirky to have a mess of keychains with one key each on them. If they only knew the truth. When he got like this, he was lucky to handle anything at all. Some nights, he just collapsed in the hallway and passed out. 

Every one of his neighbors thought he was a drunk. Nope. He was the human vessel for a killer alien. Or aliens. Again, he wasn’t sure who all was living inside him other than himself.

Tuesday Tales - Quick

Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week's word prompt is “quick”. We are back with my new story. I’m still not sure where it is going.

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

**Note to my readers - while this story will have a romantic element, it is first and foremost a sci-fi tale. And it's a pretty creepy one at that. If you are uncomfortable with that type of excerpt, you may want to move on for this week.**

The blare of a car horn pierced through Ezra’s brain. It felt like a sledgehammer was pounding his skull over and over. His stomach lurched and heaved in response. 

He hated this with everything in him. He tried everything possible to make it stop. He even tried ending his own existence. 

They wouldn’t let him. They wouldn’t go away. They wouldn’t leave him alone. He was stuck like this until they were finally done with him and left him to die. 

That blessed moment wasn’t happening any time soon.

He heard the familiar cracking and popping that always accompanied this pulverizing migraine. It sounded like white noise, like when a television or radio lost its programming and plunged its listener into a void of nothingness. It would haunt Ezra’s nightmares for eternity. That was if he could even dream. His life was one walking horror show. 

The voice that accompanied the noise followed as usual. “Get up, dirty piece of trash slave. Your human police will be here any minute now. Do you want to get caught?”

“Will you go away if I do?” Ezra muttered out loud even though he knew the sound was in his head.

There was an inhuman laugh followed by a chorus of chuckles like a thousand tiny beings were watching the performance. “No. I’m far from done with you. Get up. Be quick about it.”

Ezra slowly lifted his throbbing head. Through his hazy vision, he could see a set of lifeless eyes staring back at him. The young man they belonged to lay motionless in the alleyway. His rigid, pale frame indicated that there was very little blood left inside him. For all Ezra knew, he was missing an organ or two as well. Like the rest, it didn’t seem like a peaceful death.

Tuesday Tales - Sweat

 

Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week's word prompt is “sweat”. We are back with my new story. I’m still not sure where it is going.

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

“Did you meet anyone interesting?”

Dani shrugged the sweater off and hung it over the back of her favorite reading chair. Okay, it was the only chair in the living area. The space was cramped and she just worked her first day ever. Her parents had helped with the first month’s rent on the place, however that was all they could afford. Someday she could get more furniture other than this chair and her bed. Today wasn’t that day. “Yes, I met Elise. She is my new co-worker, kind of like my boss. She showed me where everything is and what to do.”

“Anyone else? The Boston Public Library is a big place.”

“There was Jack. He’s a conservationist who brought animals for the kids to see. I also met a patron named Ezra.”

“Ezra, huh?”

“Yes. He came up and introduced himself to me.”

“Is he cute?”

“Mom.” Dani could hear the whine in her voice as she plopped into the so-soft-she-sank-into-it-chair.

“What? It’s just a question.”

“I know what you’re asking.”

“Danielle, I love you. I’m just worried that you’re missing out in life.”

“Because I don’t have a man?”

“Because you don’t have a partner to share your life with. How are you going to experience what the world has to offer?”

Dani let go a disbelieving laugh. “I already have those opportunities on my own. I have companions provided for me and multiple planets to explore. It’s called books, Mom. And now I work somewhere that is filled to the roof with them.”

“I know, sweetheart. It’s just…”

It was best to cut her mom off now before she was on the phone for hours about marriage and babies and why Dani had neither. “How are you and Dad doing? Did he ever figure out the mower?”

Tuesday Tales - Hot

 

Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week's word prompt is “hot”. We are back with my new story. I’m still not sure where it is going.

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

Once she said goodbye to Elise, Dani gathered her things and made her way to the front door. The March afternoon was unseasonably warm. The hot sun above burned her face and hands. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky to provide any shade. Despite the temperature, she tugged her chocolate knitted cardigan closer to her. Her ankle length skirt whipped around her hose covered ankles. There was enough humidity in the air to frizz her long, brown, curly hair.

Yes, she was starting to sweat and it made her very uncomfortable. It was far from her intention to look like a stereotypical librarian. However, the clothes she wore helped her blend into the background. For most of her childhood she had been a glowing target for bullies. She figured out quickly that if she didn’t attract attention to herself, they would leave her alone. 

She shuffled into the crowd waiting for the bus. It meant that she led a pretty lonely life. It started in high school, plagued her in college and followed her to Boston. 

Maybe it was time to get a pet. It was too bad she was allergic to cats. Her apartment was too small for a dog. 

Dani stared out the window, watching the buildings go by as she rode home. After two transfers and 45 minutes, she finally reached her front door. As she slipped her key in the lock, a ringing filled the hallway. She popped open the door then scooped her cell from her sweater pocket. 

“Hey, mom,” she greeted. 

“Hi, sweetheart. How was your first day of work?”

Dani’s thoughts immediately went to Ezra - the way he looked at her when he smiled, his figure hunched in a ball as he read. She shook her head and continued. “It went great. I can’t wait to go back.”

Tuesday Tales - Quick

 

Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week's word prompt is “quick”. We are back with my new story. I’m still not sure where it is going.

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

*note*: Dana is now Elise. I didn’t want anyone getting confused.

The two librarians were able to sneak a quick lunch between the three shows scheduled that day. Dani’s feet hurt and her muscles ached in exhaustion. She always daydreamed that being a librarian meant that she would be the ultimate caretaker of thousands of stories and factual information that would shape history for thousands of years. She wanted more than anything to help others find their next great novel, one that could inspire them to compose their own book. 

Never once did she think the job would include being a babysitter or preschool teacher. Yet, here she was. 

“It’s not always like this.” Elsie’s voice broke through her thoughts. “Jack usually comes once a month with this menagerie. On average, we can fill about half of the auditorium. This is one of the best attended days I’ve seen in a long time. Schools like to bring their classes so they can learn about animals. It’s great for us, because children will typically bring their parents back to get a library card and check out a few books.”

“What’s the big draw today?” The sound from Dani sound more like a moan than words.

“Daisy is here.”

“And who is Daisy?”

“Jack’s eight legged friend.”

The realization of what Elsie said sent shivers down Dani’s spine. She clipped her lid back on her container then slipped it into her lunch bag. 

As the last busload scurried from the building, Dani looked up at the clock. In one more minute, her first day at the library would be over. She should find Elsie and find out how to check out so she could go home and put up her feet. Instead, she hurried back to the shelves. It felt like instinct. She just had to know.

Just like that morning, Ezra was curled up on the floor in the same spot where she left him before they were overrun with kids and animals. He had the same book in his hands except there were more pages finished at the beginning than the end.. She never noticed if he got up for lunch or to use the restroom. 

She sighed as she watched him. He never noticed her. Maybe if he came back during her next shift, she would take him to lunch. Whether it was the goodness in her heart or the fact he was kind of cute, she didn’t want to see him go hungry.

“Dani, where are you? I need to get going and I have to show you how to clock out.”

Dani huffed once more as she stared at Ezra, then rushed off to find Elise and the time clock.