Of Carrot Cake and Day Predictions

Image of Set Stories Free - 2018
Image of Short Story
Courage didn’t come easily to Cordelia nor did it come when she wanted it usually she was small and meek with big brown eyes covered by thick glasses with a wild head of hair often tucked into a red beanie today she is bounding
Down the pavement envelope in hand her messenger bag flying against her side
“Congratulations young seer you have been chosen for the Tenenbough academy of magical arts and studies report to orientation at 4521 Atkins street on November fifteenth at four pm promptly”
She’d done it taken after her great-grandmother Ethel and become a seer not after the more common path in her family of a warrior or marksman her fingers could never quite hold the bow right and swords...well they scare her to large far too sharp her visions however easy as breathing

Arriving at the academy was daunting to say the least she ran into a half orc she recognized from elementary school he was obviously there to be on the football team Vladimir Krause was in love with the sport she quietly wished him luck and sped towards the assembly hall for magic students
As she hesitantly placed her hand on the golden door knob she paused what if it was a mistake perhaps there was another Cordelia in her building? No she told herself surely she was the only one and with a last breath in she entered the large and cascading room

Big too big the room held at least sixty other people some she’d seen before most she hadn’t pushing up her glasses and adjusting her bag on her shoulder she announced herself
“I’m Cordelia I-I suppose I’m in this group I’m a seer”
She held her letter to the elf at the front of the
Room the lithe woman scurried over and pulled the letter from her hands skimming over the contents
“Cordelia Walsh?”
Cordelia swallowed
“Yes ma’am”
The woman smiled and took a look at her sizing her up
“Ah I see..tell me Ms.Walsh do you take me as a fool?”
She expected a greeting or maybe just for the woman to send her to a seat but this..this was something entirely wholly different
“Excuse me?”
She barely managed to force the words out of her mouth it’s like she had just eaten graham crackers with no water to clear her mouth
The woman sighed and showed her the letter
“You expect me to believe a relative of Ethel would be so-so what’s the word? Oh yes! So entirely unsure of herself as a seer? Dear girl you must have lost your mind”
Petrified where she stood Cordelia frantically shook her head trying to find words to make sense of it all
“No you see I really-“
The woman cut her off promptly as she had begun to speak
“No I’m entirely sure you are-“
She did something she’d never done before intentionally in her life she interrupted someone Cordelia Walsh interrupted a teacher oh what would her brother say when he’d heard about this rare occurrence
“I-can prove it I can read cards send a-a a student or anybody I can tell them what their day yesterday was or will be tomorrow”
The elven woman turned to the class and pointed to a red-haired dwarf
“Sigurd will you entertain her wish?”
The dwarf smiled and stood in front of Cordelia
“Yeah why not”

Shaking ever so slightly Cordelia spread her cards on the desk moved to the front of the class
“I’m going to tell you your day yesterday and read your day tomorrow”
The ginger boy nodded and rested his head against palm she took a deep breath closed her eyes and began
“Yesterday you went to the movies with your sister....Lucy she’s got blonde hair and was wearing a blue dress she was sad because she couldn’t finish her ice cream then you went to the store down on third street you bought.....you bought..oh! You bought a comic and a soda and when you got home your mother made stew and bread rolls for dinner to celebrate your acceptance your sisters a mage she’s down the hall with the younger children she was accepted as well and tomorrow...tomorrow you...you’ll be sitting with me at lunch tomorrow we have runes and sigils together I know because I sense a paper cut from your textbook coming on your index finger and tomorrow is your fathers birthday he will be fifty-two it’s why you got the paper cut you weren’t paying attention you were thinking about your mothers carrot cake”
She opened her eyes and the group all fifty-eight children were standing around her and Sigurd
“My my my....”
A wide kind smile replaced the frown and slow applause filled the classroom
“We knew you could do it Cordelia welcome to the advanced placement witchcraft program!”

Courage didn’t come easily to Cordelia but maybe courage is not a sword and bow but the power to do what some say you cannot maybe it’s meek proclamations of a red-haired boys day or opening a door perhaps courage is within all of us somehow tucked into somewhere shining through everyday
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