FireFlare Chapter 1: Thiadora and Moonlight

Chapter 1

THIADORA: Today I woke up with a weird feeling. Augh, I feel all cooped up in this stupid restaurant. My sister and I live and work at a joint called Rest n’ Rant. It’s a restaurant for Anthros (part human part animal people). Since we’re only twelve it should be illegal for us to work but we’re here because we’re homeless and orphans. A few years back our house burnt down with our parents inside. Mr. Berry, our employer, lets us live in the attic which has two rooms but also holds bags of extra grain.

I roll off my mattress and do my morning push-ups. When I was young my mother trained me in many different ways of physical combat but now that I live here I don’t fight anyone so I keep fit by doing push-ups and sit-ups in the morning and at night. It’s not enough. I suppose that’s one of the reasons why I feel so cooped up. I miss using my fire.

Anthros are sort of a new thing but humans are getting used to them and are starting to accept them. However new breeds of Anthros are coming up that have special powers. These new Anthros are descendent from mythological creatures which up until now rarely bred with humans. They do now because the Anthros are compatible with both animals and people. My sister and I are part of this new type of Anthro. Some people are starting to call them Myth Anthros. There are some places where Myth Anthros can live and use their powers but we’re not living there.

I finish my sit-ups and stretch. I look at my clock. 6:30. I get dressed in my undershirt and shorts and head downstairs.

 “Ow!!” I stub my foot on one of Moonlight’s thick medical books. Moonlight wants to be a doctor so she’s been checking out medical books from the library down the street. Unlike me she’s a night owl and she reads all night.

Once I’m downstairs I wipe off all the tables and start on breakfast. I make a stir-fry with rice, corn, peas, chopped carrots, onions and a sweet and salty sauce. I’m just about finished when Mr. Berry comes downstairs dragging a half sleeping Moonlight.

“Morning” Mr. Berry says as I put a plate of food in front of him. He takes a bite and raises his eyebrows.

“You’re getting better, Thiadora.” He mumbles through the food, “Maybe one day I’ll let you cook for the customers.” I smile. I started cooking when I was nine because my Mom got sick. I’ve only gotten better since I started working here.

“Did you know that …” Moonlight starts as she stares at one of her many books. I cut her off.

“Can you save it until after breakfast? What you say always ruins my appetite.” Moonlight scowls and her ears droop but she stops talking. Moonlight has a habit of sprouting the most unusual and disgusting information while we’re eating. Mr. Berry chuckles and shakes his head. No doubt he’s glad that Moonlight has stopped talking about medicine too.

It’s almost 8:00 so we clean up and I put the coffee on. Mr. Berry cooks, I wait on tables and Moonlight works the cash register. We’re ready and open by 7:58.

 Our regular comes at 8:05 like clockwork. Laurie is a fox Anthro and she is addicted to coffee and we supply a bottomless cup for only $1.00. She goes up to Moonlight and elegantly places her one dollar bill in front of her. I go and fill a cup while Moonlight puts the bill in the register. When I come to give her the coffee she’s sitting at her usual table with today’s newspaper.

“Thank you sweetie” She says. We sort of know each other from when I was really young. Like her I am part fox but I look more like my father who was a bear Anthro. Laurie and my mother were fox buddies until my mother disappeared. If you’re confused because I said earlier that both my parents died in a house fire then let me explain. When I was seven years old my mother divorced my father and ran away with another man. My father later married Moonlight’s Mom; she’s the one who died in the house fire. My biological mother is out there somewhere dating other men.