Tuesday Tales - Berries

 

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

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

Dani blinked at him for a few moments. “Hey, Ezra. What’s up?”

“Not much,” he answered. He nodded to the box on the counter. “You got doughnuts? I like the ones with berries in them. You know, the jam filled ones?”

Elise nudged the container to him. “There might be one in there. Help yourself.”

“Thanks.” He pulled his hand from his neck then nudged the lid open. He plucked a purple and pink frosted bismarck from the others. The two women watched as he took a bite and chewed. 

Once he swallowed, he spoke again. “So who is leaving for a few weeks?”

Dani glanced at Elise then back to Ezra. He wasn’t the only one who could hear what she had to say. Grarkiel could also. “I’ve been invited to go on an archeology dig with a friend of one of my college professors.”

He cocked his head to the side. “Where to?”

Dani paused. “Egypt.”

“Why Egypt?”

“I’ve always had an interest in it.”

“Always? Or just recently?”

She stared into his eyes. She didn’t see the icy cold that normally accompanied them when Grarkiel took Ezra over. She saw him. Did she note an expression of concern there?

“I’m looking for answers,” she told him.

“I’d rather you not.”

Dani planted her fists on her hips. “And why not?”

“It’s dangerous,” Ezra insisted. “Why would you put yourself in danger like this?”

Dani bit back the answer she wanted to give him. She was going to Egypt to get answers for him. She was doing all of this for him. She cleared her throat as she took a second to think. “It’s important to me to get as much information as I can. It could be useful.”

He let out a huge sigh. “I hope so. I got to go. Thanks for the doughnut.”

“You’re welcome.”

Tuesday Tales - Sugar

 

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

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

Dani hoped she wasn’t late to work. After everything that happened the night before, she felt she owed her friend something sweet. She tried to leave early to stop at the bakery down the street from the library to get a box of doughnuts.

However, the bus system wasn’t privy of her plan. Each transit she rode was late, giving her only minutes to pick up the sugar filled breakfast treats. 

The clock clicked eight as she skidded to a stop at the information desk. She quickly logged in and clocked into work. With a smile she set the box of breakfast treats in front of Elise before she tucked her purse beneath the counter. 

“What is this?” Elise questioned before giving a confused glance to Dani.

“An apology. Or maybe something to cheer you up.” Dani shrugged. “I’m going to guess it was a long night.”

“Do you mean “I didn’t get any sleep? You are right.” Elise gave her a little smile. “But this wasn’t necessary. I do appreciate it but you didn’t need to.”

“Well, maybe not. I dragged you into something you didn’t want to be part of. I opened up a terrifying world to you.”

“True.” Elise nudged her a little. “You know I can’t eat a dozen of them, right?”

“I was hoping I could sneak one from you.”

“You could give one to Nancy. That might grease the wheels a little when you have to tell her you will be gone for a few weeks.”

“Who will be gone for a few weeks?”

Both women glanced up to find Ezra standing there, watching them. His hand was cupped behind his neck. He had a strange smile on his lips. It wasn’t evil by any means. It was more like he discovered his first taste of freedom, a sensation that he must have thought he could never have. 

Tuesday Tales - Birth

 

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

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

“I suppose you’re right,” Dani agreed. She left Elise to look at the laser sword as she took her mug to the kitchen. She brushed the wayward dust from the tea bags into her hands then rubbed her palms over the sink. She picked up a sponge and dripped dish soap onto it. Wiping out the mug, she rinsed it and set it in the dish rack. She put the boxes of tea back into the cupboard. Taking one last look at the kitchen, she gave herself a nod and returned to the living room. 

Elise was still studying Dani’s invention. Bobo was entertaining himself by bopping the tag from Elise’s tea bag as it dangled from her cup. He let out an alien giggle as it swung back and forth. 

“Are you ready to go home?” Dani asked him. “I’m tired and you know it’s going to take a couple buses to get home.”

The little balloon figure nodded to her. Bobo hopped to his balloon knot feet then bounced to her. He climbed to her shoulder like she was a rock climbing wall. She felt the all too familiar pressure in her ear canal as he made himself comfortable in her skull once again. 

“That was sort of disturbing to watch,” Elise admitted. “It was like witnessing a birth in reverse but in your…” She gestured to Dani’s head. 

Dani shook her head a bit. “It’s still hard to experience. I hate to leave you like this.”

Elise waved her off then stood. She gave Dani an awkward hug. “It’s okay. I’m not sure I’m going to sleep but I will be alright.”

“If you need me, please call,” Dani offered.

“I will.”

Dani picked up her laser weapon and dropped it back into her bag. She waved goodbye to Elise as she opened the door of the apartment and slipped outside.

Tuesday Tales - Flowery

 

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

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

Dani stared at Elise without saying anything. Could Julian know about the aliens? Did he realize that the Vigvuth symbols were not hieroglyphics?

She forced a small smile on her face. Of course he didn’t. She and Elise didn’t know anything about them until they came upon Grarkiel coming out of Ezra. It wasn’t common knowledge. Was it? “I doubt it. I’m sure it was just me reading the situation wrong.”

Elise didn’t seem convinced by what she said. “Yeah. I bet you are right.”

The two women sat in silence sipping their tea. Dani took a deep inhale of the steam rising from her cup, losing herself in the flowery scent. For one second, she felt peace. It was sort of nice to have another human know the secret she was holding. Granted, she always had Boboneth on her side to confide in. He just didn’t understand like another person would. He knew there was life outside the Earth’s atmosphere. She and Elisa hadn’t until just recently and it was still hard to believe it was true.

Dani glanced at her watch, noticing the late hour. She set her mug on the coffee table then looked at Elise. “How are you doing?”

Elise shrugged. “Best as I can be considering the circumstances.”

Dani stood and picked up her mind. “I am going to clean up from the tea then I should probably head home. If I don’t, I may end up having to use my weapon again.”

“What is that thing anyway?”

Dani bent over her bag and pulled out her laser device. She handed it to Elise. “I made it out of metal PVC pipe and one of those laser light machines you find in clubs. I hid in a bar one time when Grarkiel, well and Ezra against his will, were after me. I watched a beam slice a few of his mercenaries in half. My Dad and Bobo helped me put it together. Tonight was its first test run.”

Elise cradled it in her hands, lifting it up to eye level to study it. “It did the job from what I saw.”

Tuesday Tales - Sauce

 

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

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

Dani hoisted her mug into her hands and cradled it, absorbing the warmth of the ceramic against her palms. “I know why Ezra is checking the books out. In some of the photos of the hieroglyphics, there are symbols.” She nodded to the little balloon alien. “Bobo can translate them. They are from the Vigvuth language. He can’t tell me what it says exactly. I got in contact with a friend of one of my old college professors.” She took a deep breath. “He is going to take me to Egypt so I can see them for myself. Which means I am going to have to take some time off.”

Elise cocked an eyebrow at her. “Like how much?’

“A few weeks?”

She thought she saw Elise roll her eyes. “Awesome sauce. I guess that will be okay if you can free Ezra from that thing.”

“That’s my goal.”

Elise took another drink. She seemed to me a little calmer at least. “Have you met the professor? You aren’t letting some random guy take you halfway around the world, are you?”

“I did. He seems like he knows his stuff. He has one of those stuffy offices full of artifacts.”

Elise gave Dani a small grin. “Is he cute?”

Dani laughed as she felt her cheeks grow warm. She had to be as red as a tomato. “He is. He is a bit older than me, though.”

“There is nothing wrong with an older man.”

Dani shrugged. “True, but he’s not quite my type. And at the end of the conversation, I felt a little uncomfortable.”

Elise sat up straight. The librarian who was terrified only a few moments ago, was ready to throw down for her now. “What did he try to pull?”

“Nothing. He acted like a very educated man. He just gave off a frigid feeling. Not like he was unwelcoming. He was physically ice cold, like something made him that way.”

Tuesday Tales - Smug

 

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

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

“Are you sure you can trust him?” Elise edged herself back down onto the seat of the sofa.

“I have up to this point. He’s skittish and rightfully so. I think Grarkiel has hurt him.” Dani gave her head one last, hard shake. She was giving herself a headache. She could feel something tumble inside her skull towards her eardrum. 

The little balloon man fell onto the coffee table between the two mugs. His landing made a soft thud.

“That’s the alien?” Elise questioned. She leaned towards him, staring at him with her mouth gaped open. 

“Elise, meet Boboneth. I call him Bobo for short. Bobo, meet my friend Elise.”

Bobo spun towards Dani on the little knot on the bottom of his leg. He curved his arms to land them on his hips. “Don’t look so smug,” he chided.

“I do not look smug,” Dani defended. 

She heard Elise laugh. “You do look a little smug, like you outsmarted the little guy.”

Dani chuckled with her. “That’s fair.” She turned her attention to Bobo. “Do you want to change to your real form? Wouldn’t you be more comfortable?”

Bobo’s arms squeaked as he crossed them. If a balloon figure could pout, he was doing it. 

“This is so unreal,” Elise breathed.

“I know it’s hard to believe. Believe me, I am still struggling with it.”

The room fell silent for a few moments. Elise cleared her throat then spoke. “Is there any way to stop this…Grarkiel?”

“Well, my laser sword stops them from the time being. However, Bobo and I are still trying to find answers to get rid of him permanently.”

Elise picked up her mug and took a sip. “I think you did something to him. When the beam went between them, there was a howl. Ezra was rubbing his neck.” She paused. “What have you found out so far to stop Grarkiel?”

Tuesday Tales - Rainy

 

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

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

Elise blinked at her like she was in disbelief. “I’m sorry?”

“The tentacled thing behind him. That is Grarkiel. The cloudy things you saw me swinging at are his mercenaries. Grarkiel took over Ezra when he was a boy.”

“Are these…aliens here to learn about us?”

“Not exactly. Grarkiel likes to feast on human blood. He uses Ezra to lure victims to him.”

Dani thought she saw Elise shudder. “You’ve talked to Ezra about this? He was open with you about it?”

Dani shrugged. “He confided in me a little. I got most of my information from another source.”

Elise scowled at her as she picked up her tea. She gripped the mug unusually tight. “What source are you talking about?”

Dani sighed. She shook her head rather aggressively. “Come on out.”

She thought she felt Bobo grip tight inside her skull. There was a brief sharp pain from his hands. His voice echoed. “No.”

“Bobo, she’s nice. She loaned us her umbrella on that one rainy afternoon when we got the Chinese food you like so much. Remember?”

“I don’t care,” the little extraterrestrial muttered.

“Who are you talking to?” Elise queried. She must have thought Dani was totally off her rocker. 

Dani huffed again. “The first night I found Ezra and Grarkiel, there was something that slipped inside my ear and created a pressure in my head. When I got home, I found out that Ezra isn’t the only one housing an alien inside them. I’m trying to get mine to come out. 

Elise barely got her mug on the tabletop before she scrambled up the back of her couch. “You brought one of those things into my home?”

Dani shook her head again. Did it dislodge her little friend? Of course not. “Boboneth is different. He was a prince that Grarkiel took captive. He took the moment I disrupted things to escape and the only refuge he could find was with me.”

Tuesday Tales - Victor

 

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

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

The whistle of the kettle filled the minute apartment. She scooped it up with a nearby hot pad then poured the steaming water into two mugs. One was cobalt blue and the other mint green. They were both emblazoned with the logo of the library. 

The tea bags bobbed on each vessel as Dani carefully carried them to the living area. She gently sat the green one on the coffee table before Elisa. She cradled the blue one in her hands. Despite it being summer, the warmth was comforting. “Just curious. How did you end up in the alley to witness all of…that?”

Elise lifted her face to stare at her. “Victor was walking me out after the meeting…”

“Really? Victor?” Dani wrinkled up her nose in disgust.

“What’s wrong with him?”

“He just seems, I don’t know, creepy.”

“And a tentacled alien isn’t?”

Dani settled on the sofa next to her. She held up a hand in defeat. “You are right. I apologize. Please continue.”

“Anyway, we stopped to talk for a minute or two when I saw a flash of light. I told Victor good night then waited for him to leave before I headed towards the alley to investigate. I mean, you aren’t wrong about him and the last place I want to be with him is in an alley. Anyway, I figured it was a bunch of kids messing around. Instead I found…well, what I found.” She picked up her mug to take a sip, her hand trembling the whole way up to her lips and back to the table. 

Elise’s voice was weak as she continued to speak. “So, what did I see?”

Dani took a deep breath. This whole thing was still crazy to her. What was Elise going to think when she heard it? “There is an alien living in Ezra. Actually, there are a lot of aliens.”

Tuesday Tales - Spring

 

Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week's word prompt is “spring”. We are back with Dani in my new Sci-Fi story. It is a little longer than normal. It’s worth it, I promise.

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

She was sort of surprised that Elise got them both through the unusually busy crowds to her apartment. They took a left at the sports bar where Dani had gone with Ezra before her life became too bizarre for words, before she was afraid that an alien would spring out from behind every corner. Elise stopped for a moment at the front doors of a high rise apartment complex, one of those that housed a coffee shop and a fitness facility surrounded by steel and glass on the ground floor. With a huff, she tugged on the handle to open it and stormed inside. Dani followed on her heels to the bank of elevators at the end of the corridor. 

They rode up to the ninth floor in silence. Elise trained her eyes to the numbers as they ascended, refusing to look at Dani. When the doors opened, she motioned for Dani to follow her down to the last door on the right. She reached into her pocket for a keychain with a little pink glittery poof on it. She then slipped the key into the lock and twisted it, popping the door open.

Dani closed it behind her. She laid a gentle hand on Elise’s lower back to guide her to the sofa. She could feel her friend trembling beneath her touch. Once Elise was settled on the sofa, she scuttled to the kitchen. She yanked one cabinet door after the other open until she found the tea.

“Camomille, Earl Grey or Raspberry Orange?” Dani called out. 

“Camomille, please.” Elise’s voice was shaky and weak. Dani completely understood. She may not have lived the extraterrestrial life long. There were still nights she woke up in a cold sweat after being plagued by a nightmare starring Grarkiel and Ezra. She plucked up the tea kettle and spun towards the sink with it. She set the filled kettle on the stove, turned on the heat then began the hunt for some mugs.

Tuesday Tales - Silly

 

Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week's word prompt is “silly”. We are back with Dani in my new Sci-Fi story. It is a little longer than normal. It’s worth it, I promise.

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

Dani’s eyes widened as she recognized the sound. She was just hauled down a crowded sidewalk by an extraterrestrial and no one batted an eye. Why now did someone finally notice all this?

Her gaze met Ezra’s for a brief moment before he darted down the alleyway and around a corner until he was out of sight. She sucked in a breath and turned around. 

Elise’s eyes were the size of basketballs as she stared at Dani. “What did I just see?”

Dani waved her off as she forced a laugh. It was probably the fakest, weakest chuckle she had in her life. “What? That? Don’t be silly. It was nothing.”

“Nothing?” Elise nearly shrieked as she clutched her purse tighter to her. “What I saw was you wielding that laser light thing in your hand at a ghostly thing coming out of Ezra.”

Dani’s gaze went from her to her own hand. Oh crap. She was still gripping her weapon. She flicked the switch off and opened her bag to drop it in. That was when she noticed that it was still too warm. She just couldn’t win could she? “Yeah, I guess that did happen.”

“Tell me what is going on.”

“There’s a bar down the street. Why don’t we go get a drink and I will try to explain it.”

“I don’t drink,” Elise nearly spat out.

Dani took another gulp of air then crossed the alley to her work friend. She laid a gentle hand on Elise’s bicep. “Let’s find a place to get a cup of tea.”

Elise pointed at the outside wall of the library. “My apartment is two blocks that way.”

“Do you have some tea?”

“Yes.”

Dani gently took her arm and nudged her in that direction. “Then let’s go. Lead the way.”

Tuesday Tales - Confidence

 

Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week's word prompt is “confident”. We are back with Dani in my new Sci-Fi story. It is a little longer than normal. It’s worth it, I promise.

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

Grarkiel’s smoky tentacles lifted. From what would have been the sucker on an octopus, a small cloud formed. Dani rummaged in her bag for the device she constructed with her dad. It took a little longer than she hoped. Bobo was pingponging in her skull like a squirrel on crack. 

She had so little confidence this was going to work. She pulled free her weapon then flicked the switch to turn it on. A pure blue beam of light pierced the sky as Grarkiel’s first minion took flight towards her. 

The laser sliced it in two. It poofed out of existence. There was a growl from the human/alien hybrid across from the alley from her. She didn’t know if it came from Ezra or Grarkiel. Maybe it was both. 

The alien henchmen popped free from their master at a rapid pace. Dani was no athlete yet she kept up with their attack. She wielded her laser show weapon like a true swordswoman. She could feel her heart race in her breast. She wasn’t sure if it was fear or adrenaline. Either way, it was keeping her alive. 

Her feet shuffled around the bound pair as she fought off Grarkiel’s goons. The light from her device flashed across the sky and off the brick of the buildings on either side of them. From the corner of her eye, she watched a beam bounce off a window and fire back between Grarkiel and Ezra. 

The howl that came from the ghostly alien was terrifying. It sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Ezra’s eyes widened as he stared at Dani. He slipped a hand behind his neck then smiled. 

The strike was enough to send Grarkiel into retreat. The smoky blobs he sent to fight with Dani scrambled back to him and disappeared into the suckers. Ezra cried out as Grarkiel rejoined him in his body. 

Dani could have sworn that, between convulsion on the two becoming one, Ezra mouthed to her “thank you”.

Dani gave him a small smile once Grarkiel was gone. Before she could take a step a voice echoed off the brick. “What…what is happening here?”