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.”

Tuesday Tales - Cool

 

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

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

That was all Ezra knew about the Prince’s origins. The monarch himself was almost always quiet, tucked away in a part of his skull, more fluid than the smoky existence of Grarkiel and his posse. He never said much. He just stayed to himself. 

That was until he escaped Grarkiel’s grasp the night Dani found them all in the library. Prince Boboneth was now safe with her, away from the hellscape he endured with Grarkiel. 

A cool breeze crept across the back of Ezra’s neck. It set off a full body shiver within him and dragged him from his thoughts. It was then that he noticed a tiny pair of feet wrapped in white tights and cradled in black leather Mary Janes standing next to him. He didn’t have to look up to know who they belonged to. He swallowed hard. What was he supposed to say? 

“Are you okay?” Dani asked, her voice barely a whisper.

“Are you?” Ezra countered, his gaze fixed to the floor.

“I’m okay.”

He let go a shaky sigh. “Me too, I guess. About last night…”

“It’s okay,” she interrupted.

He snapped his head up to look her in the eyes. “It was far from okay. How do I even apologize for it?”

She glanced away from him. He could see her hand tremble beneath the other one that clasped it tight. His heart sank to the pit of his stomach. He hated Grarkiel for terrifying her. He hated himself even more for not fighting back harder for her. 

She would never trust him. He couldn’t live with himself for that. 

“I suppose I should get back to work,” she began. “There’s a big event today for the children’s reading program.”

“I noticed it was busy over there,” Ezra replied.

“I wanted to make sure you were alright.”

“I am. Thank you.”

“Okay. Well, bye.”

“Bye.”