A Patchwork Fantasy Snippet full of family fun.
In which an aunt is summoned to lunch.
- Follow this podcast on Tumblr or Twitter!
- Check out the music used in this episode at purple-planet.com.
- Penny for a tale? You can tip your storyteller on Ko-fi!
- Read the full transcript below:
Transcript
[Soft, mysterious music]
Laura: Hi, you can call me Laura. This is Patchwork Fairy Tales and you’ve just stumbled upon a Patchwork Fantasy Snippet. If you want to read as well as listen, check out the transcript linked in the description.
[Music fades]
Summoning circles were easy. It was just going round and round with the right kind of drawings.
The children are very careful not to smudge any of the chalk while they place the channelling objects in the points of the pentagram. To an outside observer they are only playing and that’s what their mother, busy with a phone call downstairs, thinks they are doing. Just playing.
Which is why, at this very moment, the enterprising Kiki (age nine and a half) and Ib (age seven and one quarter) are chanting Latin as fast as they can.
Smoke is beginning to waft from the candles, as if they are burning up more than their wax. The lines of chalk, pristine and white only a moment ago, have started to smoulder, blackening at the edges and glowing hot and red at their core. Somewhere, in some unseen place that is suddenly frightfully close, nails scratch against a surface of stone and glass.
The children’s eyes squeeze shut reflexively against the burst of fiery light that for a second fills their entire bedroom.
In the middle of the circle a figure slowly draws itself up to its full height, leathery wings unfolding and curved horns reaching for the ceiling.
“WHO DARES TO CALL UPON THE DEPTHS OF– Kiki?” the demon cuts herself off in confusion.
Kiki and Ib cheer in unison, the crackle of magic still hanging in the air warping their voices into an echoing cry: “Aunt Nessa!!”
Another voice joins from halfway up the stairs. “Those had better not be summoning noises I just heard!”
The kids have the decency to put on their guilty faces before their mother appears in the doorway. Her face flushes with exasperation when she looks straight into the fondly grinning face of her sister-in-law.
“Sweethearts, you can’t just go summoning Aunt Nirestra like that, she has work to do!”
“Nah, don’t worry,” Aunt Nessa grins. “It was kind of a slow day down there anyway.”
“And it’s lunchtime,” Kiki helpfully points out, pouncing on the opportunity to get away with her deliberate disobedience as soon as she sees it. Her brother nods along helpfully. After all, if they didn’t summon their aunt every now and again, who knows when they’d get to see her again. Not soon enough, that’s for sure.
Their mother gives them an unimpressed look before glancing up at the ceiling in exasperation. Then she glances at Nessa.
“I have time to stay for lunch,” their aunt says, with a wink at the kids.
“Oh alright,” their mother tuts. “But you two better get your hands washed and the table set in record time.”
Triumph flashes on their faces in perfect unison. “Yes, Mom!”
Nessa watches them bound down the stairs with unapologetic auntly fondness, before turning her attention to the pentagram she just stepped out of.
“Their circles are getting much neater,” she hums approvingly. “That’s some very good sygil work.”
There’s nothing like pride to wash the exasperation off a mother’s face. “I know, right?” she beams. “Seems like yesterday they placed their first curse. They learn so fast.”
[Soft, mysterious music returns]
Laura: Thank you for listening, I hope you liked this snippet of patchwork fantasy. Transcripts, easy streaming, and all the information about this podcast and all my other creations can be found on laurasimons.com.
There’s another tale to tell some other day, but until then: remember to guard your name, and be safe.
[Music fades]
Copyright Laura Simons, please do not copy my stories without my permission, lest you insult the fae.