Chatterbox: Pudding's Place

You walk home from school, feeling utterly exhausted. Slumping on your bed, you close your eyes, trying to wish away the mountain of homework on your desk. It’s a warm day, even though it’s October and the leaves should be turning red and falling. The sun is shining, the sky is blue. The weather makes it hard to be grumpy, but you’re trying your hardest.

Suddenly, the room gets much hotter. You open your eyes, feeling grumpier than ever. Why can’t the weather be pleasant, for once, you wonder, forgetting that it was pleasant just one minute ago. When you sit up, you nearly fall over, thinking you’re dreaming.

Because standing on the outside of the window, looking very cross, is a phoenix. “Open your window, grumpypants,” it seems to say. You’re too shocked to do anything but obey. The phoenix hops inside, making the room even hotter. You open all your windows trying to cool the room down.

The phoenix unfurls its tail, making it look like a peacock on fire, and making you wish even harder that it was gone as the room becomes almost too hot to bear. A piece of smoldering paper tied with a piece of singed ribbon falls to the ground. “Goodbye, for now,” the phoenix’s voice in your head says, and it jumps through the window and disappears in a flash of gold feathers.

The room has now cooled down significantly. You pick up the smoking paper gingerly, hoping it doesn’t fall apart in your hands. It doesn’t. You gently tug on the singed green ribbon and it disintegrates, bits of ash floating down to your carpet. You wince, and uncurl the note even more carefully. In the top right, it says the date. Under that, it says Pheonixe Place.

Are they aware they spelled phoenix wrong? You wonder, but read the note anyways. In immaculate handwriting, it says:

Dear CBer,

My sister and I would like to invite you to spend a fortnight of vacationing at our house, Phoenixe Place. It’s located on the Edge of the World. If you accept, fill out the form below. You may bring up to one companion. Please no CAPTCHAs. Last time no one could understand them and they got rather upset. My sister doesn’t want to hurt their feelings again. Ten spots only, not including companions. Reply as soon as possible. Teleport to Phoenixe Place using the device attached at three o’clock on October Fifteenth. Forms must be filled for alter egos as well.

Name:

Pronouns:

Appearance:

Personality:

Luggage:

Age:

Favorite Color:

Companion:

Allergies:

Other:

We hope to see you there.

Sincerely,

Fae (and my sister, Yasmine)

Underneath the note, a wooden phoenix is taped to the paper. You slide it out and put it on your bed. Then you reread the note. Wait. The Edge of the World? Earth is a sphere. Don’t they know that? Your frown and wonder whether to go.

You debate with yourself. A vacation sounds great, but do you really want to be murdered? After a few minutes, you catch sight of the pile of homework sitting on your desk. That does it. If it isn’t fun, at least you’ll be able to figure out what Fae and Yasmine mean by the Edge of the World. You fill out the form. It disappears, and you wait for October Fifteenth…