Clockwork

27

"The cookies are ready!" Sally's voice said. Percy heard her before he saw her and the blue cookies piled high on the plate.

He, Estelle, and Kai had sat in silence as she went to get them from the oven.

Kai looked to be 7 years old, with raven black hair and sea-green eyes. She was tiny and she didn't make eye contact with anyone, but she didn't seem scared. Rather laid back, other than the fact that she was bouncing her leg. She didn't make eye contact because she was looking around at everything, so Percy chalked it down to her having ADHD.

"Okay, so, have you exchanged names and everything?" Sally asked after sitting the cookies down in the round oak table that they sat around. Estelle wasted no time in helping herself to the cookies.

"No, actually. But whatever, Kai meets Clockwork, Clockwork meet Kai. They know my name is Estelle." Estelle said before shoving a cookie in her mouth. Kai reached for the cookies before Estelle could eat all of them.

"Thank you Mrs. Blofish," Kai said, quietly but happily. "Sweety, it's Blofi-- nevermind, you're welcome," Sally said, a sad smile on her aged face as she got lost in thought for a moment. When she snapped out of it, she seemed bewildered and surprised.

This made Estelle stop eating. "Mom?" Estelle said worriedly. "It's alright honey, I'm alright. She just reminded me of someone, that's all." Sally responded. Estelle frowned slightly. Kai had finished one of her cookies and she noticed that Estelle had finished off the plate. Kai looked at Percy, who hadn't gotten any cookies, to her cookie.

She tapped Percy's arm lightly, and when he turned to him, she offered him her cookie. Percy shook his head slightly, declining. "Thank you Kai, but I don't eat," Percy told the child. "You don't eat cookies?" Kai said in astonishment. "I don't eat anything, and that includes cookies," Percy said.

Kai misunderstood entirely, thinking him saying he didn't eat anything meant he didn't like anything. "Have you ever tried cookies? Mrs. Blofish's cookies are really good." Kai promised hopefully. Percy commended the little girl for her determination to share, but if Percy was alive and her age, the second the person had said 'no' to Percy's offer, Percy knew he would have eaten the cookie with no hesitation.

"Yes, I have tried cookies. You know what, how about this: you eat your cookie, and I'll help you with your powers." Percy said. "You can help her with her powers?" Estelle said suspiciously. What exactly she was suspicious of, Percy didn't know. "If she eats her cookie everyone will find out."

Kai thought long and hard on it, taking a little under five seconds to think about it, before eating her cookie. When she was done, she looked at Percy expectantly. Instead of saying anything to her, Percy turned to his mother.

"Mrs. Blofis, may I have a glass of water?" Percy asked, to which Sally nodded. But before she could get up, the sound of water spraying from a faucet. There was the sound of glass clinking together and a glass cup, surrounded by water rather than actually being in the cup, floated into the dining room. Percy's gears began to turn slower the longer Percy used it the more they seemed to lock up. Luckily there wasn't too much of a distance between the dining room and the kitchen sink, which could be seen from where Percy was sitting.

Percy slowly lowered the glass onto the table, and finally released the water back into the cup.

"Cool!" Kai said, looking at the cup in wonder. Estelle and Sally were speechless too, but Percy had a feeling that it wasn't because what they saw amazed them.

"Okay, Kai. I want you to make the water float." Percy said, leaning back. Kai nodded before staring at the cup.

After a while of simply staring at it, she got frustrated. "It's not working!" She said sadly, even though she kept staring at the cup.