Blood and Iron

Averting Birthday Disaster

Allegra had a chubby, pear shaped build. She had light brown skin and medium brown hair with teal tips. She wore an AC/DC shirt underneath her sky-blue musical note hoodie and seafoam green shorts.

"Me and Roxanne knew each other in 4th and 5th grade. I'm Madelina." She offered a handshake, but neither girl took it.

"She was a lot different then." Roxanne added.

Allegra said, "I think I remember you from back then. Were you the girl who insulted a teacher for wearing an Adidas tracksuit with a flat cap?"

"It was not my proudest moment. My dad said that people who dressed like that were poor."

Miku, the girl in the Pikachu shirt, said, "Did he use the term 'gopnik'?"

Madelina blinked, shocked. Yes...Where'd you hear that?"

"The Internet is a bottomless fountain of knowledge." Miku said that as if it were an ancient proverb.

Allegra, the girl in teal, snickered.

Inky was taking a  short nap at this moment. These guests were doing his job already making fun of Madelina.

Madelina asked Roxanne when the cake was coming. She didn't want to linger there for much longer than she needed to, not exactly welcome.

"It'll be a while, but how about we have a... private conversation? I get the feeling you're not gonna make any new friends today."

"Private conversation? I guess that would be nice."

Roxanne and Madelina went to the front porch. Roxanne's mother served them both homemade lemonade.

Roxanne asked her "What have you been up to in these past years?"

"I've been going to school and writing poems."

"Oh, me too! What books have you been reading?"

"I stole a copy of Roadside Picnic from my brother."

"Is that a romance novel?"

Madelina looked disgusted at the mention of the possibility. "No. Not at all."

"You seem less relaxed these days." Roxanne touched Madelina's shoulder, clearly concerned. "Are you OK? Is there something you're hiding from me?"

Madelina was hiding something. Inky awoke, knowing what Madelina was thinking.

"You can't fucking tell her! I don't want to be known." Inky telepathically said to Madelina.

Why don't you?

"I have many, many, many enemies."

That's no shock. You should consider being nice sometime.

"Did you forget who're talkin' to? Inky, King of Wrath and Greatest Warrior who ever lived?"

Madelina held back a smile. That's a stretch.

"What do you know?"

Madelina said to Roxanne that she was just a little stressed by the upcoming school year.

"Don't think about that now, it's a month away. By the way, where'd you get that necklace?"

Inky yelled, "Madelina, you'd better be a good fucking liar!"

Madelina lied to Roxanne. "Well, I found this in a thrift shop—it's one of a kind."

Roxanne was fooled.

"It's very pretty. It matches your socks."

The rest of the party was pleasant enough, save for Inky's attitude.

"Madelina, you'd better save some of that strawberry ice cream cake, OR ELSE!"

Madelina replied sarcastically. Or else what, O great one?

"Or, you'll have more than a couple of tooth marks on your hand. In fact, you won't even have fucking hands when I'm done with you."

Inky got his strawberry ice cream cake, and Madelina got to keep her hands.

That day, after much experimentation with a napping Inky, Madelina understood how the amulet worked. (His tantrums wear him out.) In the interior of the amulet is bare—this is no genie bottle!

The top one gives Inky a very painful electrical shock (it woke Inky up, but Madelina put a sleeping spell on him).

The bottom one allows Madelina to release Inky from the Amulet with one press, and put him back there within the two presses.

When Inky is three feet away from the amulet, it gives them an electric shock. Madelina learned this the hard way. She make sure to remember that.