Tuesday Tales - New

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

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

Dani slowed her steps as she studied the numbered plaques next to each door. 2122. 2124. 2126.

“May I help you?”

The voice was male, deep and rich. Dani spun on her toe to face the person who some. She bit back a gasp. The photo of Julian didn’t do him justice. He had wavy, sandy brown hair like her favorite movie star. His strong, angular face way sun kissed like he spent his time at the beach. Or, she supposed, an archeological dig. His deep blue eyes shimmered like diamonds. He was dressed in an off-white linen dress shirt unbuttoned enough to show a hint of chest. His chocolate brown slacks hung from his hips like he was a fashion model. 

Dani struggled to find her words. “I am looking for Doctor Julian Miles.”

He grinned at her. Of course his teeth were utterly perfect. “You found him. And you are?”

“Dani Scherr. I emailed you. I got your email from Professor Connors.”

“Ah, Bob. What a good man. So you want to know more about archeology.”

“I do. I’m new to all this. I found some books at the Boston Library where I work and I was just fascinated.” It was a little white lie. It wasn’t like Dani could tell him that she and the alien residing in her head needed to know more of the story so they could maybe free the cute guy at her library from the murderous alien camping out inside him. 

Dani forced herself to gaze into the eyes of Julian Miles. Her heart picked up its pace and twisted in guilt all at the same time. She didn’t know she could feel attraction and guilt all at once. Ezra was the polar opposite of this man. Julian was refined. Ezra wore a sweatshirt and jeans all the time. Julian traveled the world. Dani wasn’t sure Ezra went further than the library and the sports bar they occasionally ate at. Julian held a doctorate. She wasn’t sure if Ezra even finished high school. 

Why did it feel like she was cheating on Ezra by being here with Julian?

Tuesday Tales - Disappointment

 

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

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

Dani checked her phone once more then searched the plates mounted next to the rows of clouded glass and walnut colored wood doors. She was looking for Julian Miles’s office, which started with a two. These all started with a three. Where were the twos?

She sighed. On the second floor. She must have been on the third. The entrance to this building was so confusing. 

She shook her head a bit. The all too familiar pressure was there and it was quaking. She shooshed Bobo. “Hush. We are just meeting him. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

“How do you know?” Bobo hissed against her eardrum.

“What was that?” A gray haired, matronly woman appeared out of nowhere. She glared at Dani as crossed her arms over she cardigan covered chest.

“Nothing.” Dani’s voice pitched higher than she meant it to. “Where can I find Professor Miles’s office?”

The look on the lady’s face made Dani uneasy as she pointed towards the stairs. It made her feel like an oddball. It was like her own college days all over again. “Down those steps and back this way on the second floor. Fifth door on the right.”

Dani forced a smile on her face. “Thank you.” She hurried away from the encounter. 

As she jogged down the staircase, she sighed. She had to admit that she was filled with disappointment at first. It took a full week after she sent her initial email to receive a reply from Julian Miles. She was just about to hit the send button on her follow-up message when it finally arrived.

Now? She was about as anxious as the alien calling her head home at the moment. She did enough research on the internet to know he was one of the top archeologists in the world. And if he looked as good as his photo…

She fanned herself with her hand at the thought.

Tuesday Tales - Gift

 

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

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

Bobo lowered his catlike head. “It was apparent that my people were aware of the Vigvuth when they arrived. The hosts that they possessed were taken into custody the moment they stepped onto our planet. The Vigvuth did not take kindly to this treatment. It took all their power to escape. They killed six guards in the process. As they retreated to their vessels, they crossed paths with me. My royal garments dictated who I was.”

“They kidnapped you.” Dani’s voice was barely a breath.

“They gave me a gift I did not want. Grarkiel injected me with a whisp of his essence. He needed to do that so I would shape shift into his form, much like his mercenaries. My mother’s screams were the last thing I heard before we boarded and departed.”

“I am so sorry you had to go through all that.”

He gave her a small smile. “You do not have to apologize. Much like that white-haired woman, you are my salvation. You helped me escape Grarkiel.” He nodded to the laser contraption. “You developed a way to keep me safe. Now that I am free, maybe I can find my way home.”

“If I can help, I will.”

“I know. Thank you.”

They sat in silence for a few moments. The quiet was the most comfortable Dani felt in a long time. Bobo trusted her enough to share his past with her. To be taken from his family and home world was devastating. At least for now, she was his new home. 

A ping from her email interrupted the peace. She leaned over and read the screen. 

“What is it?” Bobo questioned.

“It’s an email from my professor.” Dani clicked on the screen and took a minute to read it. “He has been in touch with the archeologist that he knows. The guy’s name is Julian Miles. I have his email, phone number and everything.”

“Are you going to contact him?”

A grin spread across Dani’s lips. “If we can see more of those hieroglyphics and figure out what the Vigvuth want, you bet I’m going to get a hold of him.” 

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.