Short Snippet - Borrowed Laughter
A short story from Angelika's fantastical world of Erudus
I sighed as I dropped my body into the soft cushions Serai had lovingly placed on my chair. This was the last stop in my long journey back from the Charming Waters where I had faced the demon Attriuve. I sent her back to the demon den, burning the back of my shoulders, falling into a slimy stinking pond, and losing another pair of my sunnies.
All I wanted to do was return to my comfy caverns high up on the mountain, put my feet up on my sleeping stones, and drift asleep to the sound of dripping water and Jynx’s feet padding on the cold stone. But, if I didn’t stop at Serai and Keefee’s, they would be disappointed, so here I was, fighting slumber, waiting for Serai to bring the fragrant tidbits she always baked especially for me.
“Little Star, I made gully berry pastries. I know they’re your favorite.” Serai placed them in front of me, picked up a rusty piece of cloth and moved it off the table to the floor. As she dropped it, a knife fell onto her foot opening a small cut. Blood trickled onto the floor.
“Tsss, mountains! Junib needs to start picking things up!” Serai sighed and put pressure on the cut using a cloth. She looked at me and then immediately leaned towards my body, as her eyebrows flowed tightly together. “You are doing too much! Your smile has flowed away! Here, eat! At least I can feed.”
Serai passed me a crumbling pastry. It had brown, flaky crust, that was covered in sweet, crunchy sugar. Clover honey and thick, chunky cobalt jam oozed onto my hands as I took a big bite. My body awoke as the sweet, floral odor drifted into my nose. The smell made my stomach rumble loudly.
How many days since I’d eaten?
I forgot anyone else was there and grabbed another pastry. I tore into it, chomping it down, feeling the sticky jam dropping onto my cheeks and the honey awakening my mouth.
Keefee glanced at Serai. Serai gently placed another pastry on a plate in front of me.
Keefee cleared his throat. “Now Firelight, you know I don’t like black threaded tea.” He investigated his cup and then turned the liquid out into the roots of a plant.
“Hush, Keefee. Drink it! It will keep your hurts in check, besides it will warm Lika.” Serai took a moment to pour me a steaming cup.
“Go outside and bring back more gully berries. Lika loves them. I’ll make you some of your Gullo Tea while you’re gone.”
“Yes, dear.” Keefee reached down. He began brushing the rock floor with his hands, shuffling around, working his way under his battered chair. “Now, where did I put my hat?”
I stopped eating the pastry mid bite to search with him. The room was dark this time of day, the sun was setting and this deep in his mountain mogul home, it got dark quickly. The navy draperies, hand carved chairs and metal tables were lost in shadows. I focused my energy, trying to feel where the hat was while I was searching, but before my magic flowed, my eyes saw where the hat had gone.
Oh, my stars!
Jynx was lying on his side, on a dragon and star embossed rug, his mouth lifted to the clouds. He wore Keefee’s fuzzy alabaster hat jauntily over one ear. Jynx’s eyes and mouth were twitching as he rotated the hat on his head.
“Jynx!” I felt like sinking into the mountain as he began to yammer.
“Prrrt!”
“Jynx began rotating the hat so quickly around his ear, that he looked like an acrobat dancing with a sleek ribbon. It trailed its tail in the air.
When I cried out, Keefee and Serai looked towards him. Serai stared for a moment, and her mouth slowly lifted. She tried to hide her smile from Keefee, but she couldn’t contain herself. A soft snort escaped from her, followed by warm, clanging laughter. The sound echoed off the walls and reverberated around us.
Serai tried to talk between laughs. “Well, white one. I …. think you knew exactly …. what you’re doing.” Serai reached up to her face and wiped tears from the corner of her amber eyes.
“Keefee, I think we’ve just made a new friend!”
Jynx shoulders began to bob as he twirled the hat even faster. “Chrrr! Prrt-rrr! Chuff!”
Keefee winked at me and stood tall. His footsteps were exaggerated as he stomped towards Jynx. When he reached Jynx, Keefee stared down at my friend with hands across his chest.
“Hmmpf!”
Keefee reached down to Jynx’s head, tore his hat off, and furiously brushed off a few errant strands of white hair from its brim. He reshaped its form while tapping his foot.
“If you’re going to wear my hat white one, then you need to wear it properly.” Keefee placed the hat squarely on the middle of Jynx’s head. He adjusted it so that the brim was sitting level and on his forehead. Keefee stood back with his hand on his chin as he examined Jynx.
“Prrrt!”
“Hmm… Wait! I think it needs adjusting!” As quickly as a meteor flash across the sky, Keefee reached over Jynx’s head and firmly pulled the brim down over Jynx’s eyes.
Keefee threw his head back and began to laugh with deep warm and resonant tones. His voice sounded rough like the mountain air that surrounded us, while being slow like the weathering of a stone on a cliff.
A small, breathy chuckle welled up in me. But I stopped it before it could be heard. I covered my mouth and glanced at Serai and Keefee to see if they were upset. Keefee stood over Jynx with a bright smile while Serai shook her finger at Jynx. She slipped a pastry to him.
Jynx bowed, sending the hat rolling across the room. He quickly leapt towards it, cartwheeled, and caught the hat on his head. He sat up, his mouth twisting upwards.
My eyes brightened and I chortled quietly. My laugh was soft and gentle, and I didn’t dare allow myself to be fully immersed by it. Keefee and Serai were kind, but I had not laughed for a long time, and something in me said that it was forbidden, and that a mountain-shattering event would happen if I let myself feel joy. Maybe someday I would feel free enough to express my delight, but not today. Still, I felt the tension ease from my body. After all, I had eaten excellent food, was with kind people, and my friend Jynx had a happy purr. Who could ask the stars for more?
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