Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Creepy Hollow Fae: Canttilee


Year of study: fifth
Assignment type: solo





I will not screw up my first solo assignment.

I stand in the corner of a classroom. The twenty plus desks are filled with children. Chattering, writing, laughing. Drawing diagrams of hanging men on the corners of their pages. The teacher has disappeared into a back room.

I locate the object of my assignment perched on top of the globe on the teacher’s desk. It squats on its hind legs, its barbed tail draped across Africa. Fangs protrude from its mouth. Heat rises in a shimmer from its boiling hot skin.

The canttilee. One of the few fae creatures humans don’t have their own stories about. It rubs its hands together. I smell smoke. Crap. I do NOT need to have a burned down classroom on my assignment record.

The canttilee jumps off the globe and scuttles toward the nearest desk, its tiny arms raised above its head. I abandon the idea of using one of my guardian weapons. Dropping into a crouch, I thrust my hands forward and send a mini blizzard of snow toward the fire-creature. It shrieks, covering its head with its hands. A few seconds later all that remains is a sizzling, two-foot-high mound of snow.

I jump to my feet and hurry past the desks, thankful, as always, that I’m invisible to humans. I conjure up a net and fling it over the wriggling mound of snow. Now I just need something to put this little guy in so I don’t burn my hands on the way back to the Guild. I look around the classroom, and my eyes fall on the rubbish bin. I shrug. It’ll do.

~  ~  ~

Like this flash fiction? Find out more about the Creepy Hollow series.
If you'd like to know more about my A to Z flash fiction pieces, read my A to Z Challenge Theme for 2012 post.



P.S. Don't forget the giveaway happening here till the end of Friday (EST)!

13 comments:

J.C. Martin said...

What an interesting creature! And congratulations on your book release, even if it's got the same title as my WiP! Great minds think alike, eh? ;)

J.C. Martin
A to Z Blogger

Amy said...

Oh I LOVED that! :)

Dani said...

Great Piece!

Mina Burrows said...

Loved it. I definitely want to read on...:)

Anonymous said...

Some sort of fire imp? Better move fast because that trash can is either metal which will conduct the heat or plastic which will eventually melt. RUN!!

Cherie Reich said...

Ooo, the canttilee. What a neat creature. I'm completely enjoying reading Vi's assignments. :)

Golden Eagle said...

"One of the few fae creatures humans don’t have their own stories about."

I predict more canttilee stories in the future. ;)

Great piece!

Fairview said...

Another great little piece. Loving them all. Great imagination, great world!

Cynthia said...

What a fascinating creature...and the narrator is interesting too, being invisible to humans and all...Thanks for sharing!

Krista McLaughlin said...

Ooo, this definitely has captured my attention!

Susan Oloier said...

I really like this creature. I have a nice picture in my mind, too. Excellent, Rachel.

Kittie Howard said...

You're a five-star writer, Rachel. Buying your latest as soon as my Kindle charges.

Sarah Tokeley said...

Yep, love this one :-)