Fable

Momma let me light one of the sparklers at our party for the first time in my life. Normally the older kids in our troupe get to play with fire, but tonight I was allowed to be special.

I clutched the sparking stick in my fist and ran around the campfire, chasing a small group of kids. No one seemed to mind and we continued running around the campsite with our mouths wide open in laughter and our eyes full of glee.

“Fable, come get something to eat!” Momma called to me.

I ran over to the food area and Momma shoved a plate full of wild rice and chopped vegetables into my hands. I was given a fork and the directed to one of the tables where a few other kids were eating.

“Hey, Fable. Excited for tomorrow?” Eymon, an eleven year old boy, asked me.
I nodded while shovelling food into my mouth. “Yep.”

He laughed and pointed to his chin.
“You have rice on your face,” he chuckled.

I wiped the food off of me and joined him in laughter. It always amused me when food was found in places it shouldn’t be.

“I was standing on the street today, asking for money, when a snooty family came over to me and the kids started laughing.” Catarina, a seven year old girl who was often in the trailer next to mine, wiped her eyes.
“Don’t mind them,” I told her. “They don’t understand us. We’re not of their kind.”
“Maybe. But they had really nice clothes and were eating ice cream. And maybe sometimes it’s better not to be in our troupe… I mean, what if the rest of the world is having more fun than we are and we just don’t know?” Catarina sniffled.
“No.” I shook my head. “No, we are living the best we can.”

I stared at the food on my plate and stabbed a stray piece of carrot. After examining the rough orange skin, I shoved it into my mouth and chewed violently.

“Rawr,” I muttered.

Eymon looked at me, clearly amused.
“Are you a lion now?” he asked.

I laughed.
He gave me another look, this one a little more hard to figure out.

“What?” I prodded.
He shook his head slowly. “Nothing. It’s just...”
“Just what?” I said impatiently.
“You really look like your mom,” he smiled. “But you’re different, in a way.”
“Maybe it’s my powers,” I grinned.
“Maybe it is. Do you think they changed you?” he asked.
“I don’t know. They make me special, that’s for sure. But I’ve had most of them since birth.” I ate another carrot.

“And the mind-reading thing?” He looked into my eyes.
“That’s new. But I’m getting used to it.” I prowled his thoughts. “Don’t prank Farah. She’s busy with the fair. If you want, go after Deziree. She’s lazy.”

He scoffed then broke into untainted laughter.
“You’re good, Fable. Very good. I’ll have to keep that in mind,” he snorted.

“You do that. But tonight, we party.”