The Confabulator Cafe

Author: ayoung

  • Alexandra’s Awakening

    The minute Alexandra Underwood walked through the front door she was confronted with the sight of her mother sitting at the dining room table with folded arms. Alex couldn’t help but wonder just how long she had been sitting there, waiting to pounce. She slowly lowered her books to the floor as if by some miracle she could avoid drawing her mother’s fiery attention.

    I just need to make it to my room, she thought as she tried to move out of her mother’s line of sight.

    “Welcome home, Alexandra.”

    “Hi mom,” she tried on an overly cheerful voice. “I was just headed to my room to study.”

    “Not before we have a conversation, you aren’t.”

    “Look, I know I shouldn’t have messed with that kid, but he’s such a jerk!”

    “Alexandra.”

    Alex lowered her head and bit her tongue.

    “You know that we can’t use our powers among the humans.”

    “I know.”

    “And you know we definitely can’t use them on humans.”

    “Yeah, I know. But-”

    “There is no but, Alexandra.”

    “So I’m just supposed to put up with the teasing?”

    “You are smart, Alex. You don’t have to resort to your powers to deal with a bully like him.”

    “Whatever.”

    Her mother took a sharp breath in and let it out slowly. “The school called me because the young boy you assaulted is telling everyone who will listen that you made him hear and hit himself repeatedly in the head.” (more…)

  • Alexandra’s Halloween

    “Alexandra, wait. Where’s your hat?” Jean caught her arm as she tried to barrel out the door.

    The hat was big and floppy and it made her feel foolish, but her grandmother was so proud of it. Grudgingly she reached behind the sofa where it had “accidentally” fallen behind and plopped the thing on her head.

    Jean clasped her hands together with a great jingling of her jewelry. “You look perfect! Do you have your candy bag?”

    “Grandma, it’s a senior dance. I think we’re a bit old for trick or treating.”

    “Oh, yes, well, be safe then my young witch.” Grandma Jean stood back to admire her handiwork on the costume. She thought it was the grandest joke in the world for a Firestarter to be a witch on Halloween. Not too long ago most humans would have considered them witches, and if they had been especially unfortunate they would have met the hot end of a bonfire.

    “I’m always safe.” Alex gathered her long black skirt around her and shuffled to the door before Jean could give her any further warnings. But she wasn’t quick enough.

    “Not always.” (more…)

  • Skinwalker

    Joyce crept forward while Ian, her Creation, lay in wait. They were too close to the human settlement, but she didn’t have a choice; the prey will go where it wants and they must follow. Though their heightened sense of hearing, smell, and sound made the hunt easier, they had to bring the beast down with a knife alone.

    She kept her eyes on the deer as she moved silently through the undergrowth. A slight brush of wind stirred her pelt and Joyce froze as the elegant beast’s nostrils flared. She held her breath and waited until the deer lowered her head again.

    That was far too close, Joyce thought as she slowly let out her held breath. After several dozen heartbeats Joyce continued on her path until she was directly across from Ian.

    This hunt would determine his future. If he could fell this deer, the honour and privileges of becoming a Clan Protector would be bestowed upon him. In his human life, Ian had been a police officer, and all he had wanted since his turning was to inhabit a similar role as an Architect of Lore. (more…)

  • The Glowstone Quest

    “I finally found the exit.” Emaline could barely hear Kenan’s exclamation over the roar of the spell.

    “What did you do?!” Her straining vocal cords said she was yelling, but it barely registered to her ringing ears. She tried to find him in the ever-present darkness, but her night vision had been completely ruined by the fireball too.

    “I cleared a path.”

    “Damn it, Kenan. Casting a fireball in the middle of a dead forest?” The smell of smoke reached her nostrils and she knew that the bright red spots dotting the path in front of her weren’t just from the afterimage of Kenan’s fire burned into her retinas.

    She drew upon the core of her power, which felt a little like a bizarre combination of vomiting and scratching an impossible itch. She released the energy and cooled the humid air to cause condense it into a thick fog and a light drizzle. Soft hisses of extinguishing embers reached her ears, as she leaned heavily against a tree.

    “Sorry.” Her eyes finally adjusted enough to locate the shine off his brown hair reflected in the glow from a nearly bioluminescent mushroom. Kenan bowed his head low and kicked the ground. (more…)

  • Death of Underwood

    “Grandma? I thought you weren’t going to come down for his birthday.” Alexandra Underwood placed her school books down tentatively on the table. Grandma Jean’s generous curves were always dressed in pale pastels and heavily sprinkled with jewelry. There was once a time that Alex had thought her grandmother was the living embodiment of a cupcake.

    “Sit down, Alexandra.” Jean’s rings tinkled softly as she patted the table next to her. Her tone wasn’t especially grave, nor were her words overly alarming, but Alexandra recognised those pinched eyes and thinned lips.

    No, not today. This day is cursed enough without more bad news. She sat heavily in the decorative chair in the beautiful dining room her mother had decorated with fanciful china, lace curtains, and a delicate curlicue border.

    “Is it dad?” Alex swallowed against the cotton lining her throat. (more…)