caffeinewitchcraft:

writing-prompt-s:

Lonely and bored, you developed a secret language, that you consistently use to talk to yourself. One day, when you mutter something under your breath, a stranger replies with ease.

The important thing here, you think, is to stay calm. You smile at this stranger who’s looking at you with anticipation. It’s clear that they’re a figment of your imagination. Just a figment.

A figment that your friend, standing next to you, can see, but a figment nonetheless.

“Take a right,” you reply in your secret language, gesturing ahead. “Straight down Sunset Blvd. The theater will be on your left, you can’t miss it.”

“Thank you,” the stranger says in YOUR secret language. They smile, showing off perfect, white teeth. Are their canines too sharp? You can’t tell. “May your enemies bleed freely and your friends drink with plenty.”

You don’t know what to say to that so you nod. This seems sufficient and they stroll away from your date like they haven’t just obliterated your world.

“I thought you were speaking gibberish,” your friend says. He sounds impressed. “You should have told me you were bilingual!”

You are actually a polyglot, you realize. Able to speak more than three languages. The problem is that, before today, you were pretty sure that that fourth language didn’t actually exist.

“I have to go,” you tell your friend. His brow furrows with hurt and you wince. You might have worried about upsetting him in the past, but time has shown that he gets upset often and easily. It’s starting to get tiresome, if you’re honest. “I’ll call you later.”

You leave your friend standing on the corner of Lankershim and Sixth to hurry after the stranger. What does this mean? Have you somehow intuited an entire language? That’s not possible.

Is it?

You find the stranger standing outside the theater you directed them too. They are speaking quietly into a box. When they catch sight of you, their mouth splits into a big grin.

Those canines are definitely too sharp.

“It’s so rare to see one as young as you familiar with the old ways of speaking,” they say to you, sounding pleased. “English is an infestation, wouldn’t you agree?”

You stare at them. You’ve heard that phrase before. Your grandmother used to say it just to make your grandfather laugh.Cautiously, you offer your grandfather’s response. “There are bigger insects to be concerned with, I think.”

The stranger actually nods as if this makes sense. “ You’ve sensed them too. The return of the Valkanas.”

You don’t think that sounds at all good. You nod and say nothing.

The stranger looks grim. “Of course, that’s not anything for you to be concerned with, young as you are. I would like to speak to your cluster, however. It’s been so long that I’ve lost touch with everyone and we have much to discuss.”

Your mind races. You are suddenly afraid of your ruse being discovered. You say, “Is there a number they can reach you at? An address? They have, um, disconnected. For a while.”

The stranger smiles another flash of teeth. “Ah, your language is slipping. It is not disconnected but hibernated, yes?”

You pretend to be sheepish. “It’s been a while speaking for so long in this language.”

The stranger laughs. “It is good to practice then! And I do have a number though it was a journey trying to figure out what a cell phone is. Humans! So inventive.” They pull a business card from their wallet and hand it to you. “Sooner rather than later, please.”

“Of course,” you say, taking the card. You lick your lips. “May your enemies bleed freely and your friends drink with plenty.”

“And good fortune to you as well!” they say with delight. “I look forward to speaking with the head of your cluster.” They stride away before you must lie anymore, into the alley beside the theatre. As you watch, they grasp the brick wall firmly and pull themselves up by their fingertips alone, scuttling out of sight.

I need to call my grandparents, you think faintly. You have recently taken up parkour. You realize that your “special” skill may be more genetic than anticipated.

You go home and call your grandparents.