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.