{"id":2688,"date":"2024-07-06T13:48:03","date_gmt":"2024-07-06T20:48:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/?p=2688"},"modified":"2024-07-06T13:48:03","modified_gmt":"2024-07-06T20:48:03","slug":"spritely","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/2024\/07\/06\/spritely\/","title":{"rendered":"Spritely"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em>prompt: A photographer captures an image of something unexplainable. What happens next?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">available at <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.reedsy.com\/short-story\/j2q5wn\/\">Reedsy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When she saw the glow of fire, Scarlett stopped, called 9-1-1, and pulled out her camera. The corner of the warehouse was wrapped in flames, not yet huge, perhaps caught early enough to save most of it. Given the rash of arson in the industrial district, Scarlett set about capturing as much of the fire as she could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The news vans would be trailing the fire trucks. If there was a chance for an exclusive, now was it. She put on her telephoto lens and began scanning the edges of the flames, snapping as she went. Something caught her attention. It was as though bits of flame were breaking off from the base of the fire and skipping across the ground until they found something flammable to land on and ignite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She pulled her self-locking monopod out of her pocket and extended it with a practiced flick of the wrist. Continuing to snap pictures of the bits of flame that seemed intent on spreading the fire, she screwed the monopod in with her left hand, letting the weight of the camera and lens rest on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scarlett followed the skittering bits of flame, certain that some strange material from the warehouse was causing their action. There was a part of her mind, however, that was just as certain that they were bits of flame moving under their own volition, skipping gleefully from one piece of flammable material to the next. She could\u2019ve sworn that some of them had little <em>legs<\/em> made of flame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The increasing sound of sirens announced the arrival of the fire trucks. She moved farther away from the warehouse to stay out of the way of the firefighters. She kept snapping as hoses were extended and connected, and the firefighters began pouring water on the growing fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The news vans rolled in, including one that made a point of stopping between Scarlett and the fire. She had plenty of photos, and none of the news cameras would capture the skipping flames like she had. She was about to call the local paper to see if they wanted any of the photos for their breaking news webpage, when her phone rang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cScarlett Mu\u00f1oz.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAre you the person that reported the warehouse fire on East Cleven?\u201d the voice on the other end asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis is Fire Marshal Alice Dewitt. Are you still at the warehouse?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah, I was just about to pack it in and get these photos to Tribune.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDon\u2019t leave just yet, and don\u2019t send any photos without my okay. Until I make further determination, they\u2019re evidence. I\u2019m pulling up now.\u201d The Marshal\u2019s siren drowned out the words as she pulled in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alice stepped out of her SUV and stood looking at the fire and the news crews. \u201cWhere are you?\u201d she asked, still on the phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m behind the News 9 van. Next to the grey Camry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alice turned around, nodded, and walked to Scarlett, cutting the call as she did. \u201cMiss Mu\u00f1oz,\u201d she extended a hand, \u201cAlice Dewitt, Fire Marshal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scarlett shook her hand. \u201cJust call me Scarlett, Marshal, unless you think I did this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNothing like that, Scarlett. Could you just tell me what you saw when you first got here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen I first got here, the fire was small, just at the corner of the building.\u201d She turned the camera around and began showing the photos. \u201cI switched to the telephoto to get some detail shots and saw these little embers or flames or something skipping across the gravel to set little bits of weeds or wood scraps on fire.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMm-hmm.\u201d Alice seemed to be trying not to react, but Scarlett had seen the momentary flicker of recognition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She stopped on one of the close-up photos of the dancing flames and zoomed in as much as possible on the camera\u2019s screen to show what looked like legs. \u201cIt\u2019s like these little flames or whatever had legs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alice\u2019s expression turned dark. \u201cI need to confiscate your SD card, and I need you to come with me to the police station.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat? Why?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThose photos can\u2019t go public, and I don\u2019t have a large screen or anywhere private to talk at my office.\u201d Alice\u2019s expression softened. \u201cI would like to get more information from you about how the fire was \u2014 <em>behaving<\/em>. You\u2019re not detained. If you want to just hand over the card, you can go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnd if I <em>don\u2019t<\/em> give it to you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThen I arrest you and turn you over to the police for obstructing a fire investigation.\u201d Alice held out a hand. \u201cI really don\u2019t want to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll go with you,\u201d Scarlett said. \u201cIf nothing else, I want to see these things on a large enough screen to figure out what I\u2019m looking at.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The police station gave them the use of a conference room with a big screen, and they were joined by a Lieutenant Detective from the Major Crimes Unit. Alice welcomed him far too warmly for the occasion. \u201cMark, it\u2019s good to see you back at work!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThanks, Alice.\u201d He looked at Scarlett. \u201cHas she been read in?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo, but I think we might need to.\u201d Alice held up the SD card and the detective took it from her. He looked at Scarlett. \u201cAny sort of virus or malware on here that you\u2019re aware of?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo. Just a bunch of images in raw format.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He stepped to the podium, inserted the card and tapped on the keyboard. The screen faded to life. Her images were laid out in a grid, and the point where she changed lenses was obvious. The images taken with the telephoto needed some serious level adjustment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scarlett cleared her throat. \u201cYou might want to apply\u2014\u201d she began, ending in an annoyed groan as he clicked on the \u201cAuto-Adjust\u201d button. It made the images better, but not as good as she could in thirty seconds of manual adjustment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mark clicked on the first of the images of the \u201cdancing\u201d flames. As he clicked, from frame to frame, Scarlett was more certain that there were no embers, just flame, and it seemed to move like it had a purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alice put a hand on Scarlett\u2019s arm. \u201cI\u2019m sure you understand, you can\u2019t speak about this with anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAbout what?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mark sighed. \u201cWhat do you know about the fey?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLike fairytales? That\u2019s it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFairytales, yes, but also no.\u201d He pointed at one of the little flames. She swore she could make out a face. \u201cFire sprites.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m sure you\u2019ve heard about the recent arson fires,\u201d Alice said. \u201cFast spreading, jumping from one structure to the next, even with no wind, incredibly difficult to put out. What hasn\u2019t been in the news, though, is that no trace of accelerant has been found at any one of them,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThese pictures,\u201d Mark said, \u201cprove our theory. Our arsonist is calling the fire sprites to a location and letting them go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re not making any sense,\u201d Scarlett said. \u201cIt\u2019s fire, not magic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alice walked over to the screen and pointed. \u201cWhat\u2019s that? A face. And those? Feet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPareidolia,\u201d Scarlett countered. \u201cWe see patterns where there are none.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alice sighed and gave Mark a questioning look. When he nodded, she held out her hand and chanted for a few seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The air around her hand began to swirl, turning first into a small cloud, and finally into a golf-ball-sized sphere of water, as one would expect in zero gravity. The sphere then dropped into her hand and formed into a sort of water column. It moved up Alice\u2019s arm in the same way the flames had moved, and Scarlett was certain it had a face when it stopped to stare at her. She felt compelled to it, as if she <em>had<\/em> to see it. She reached for her camera, except it wasn\u2019t there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis is a water sprite. I can summon it to me. Once it\u2019s here, though, it has a mind of its own. If I summoned it near a pool or a lake or a river, it would spawn thousands. Generally harmless, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFire sprites need fuel to burn, and spawn that way. Our arsonist is doing what I just did, only with a much more dangerous creature.\u201d She uttered a single syllable and the sprite turned into plain water that dripped off her arm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scarlett stood slack-jawed for a moment. \u201cUh, couldn\u2019t you just, make that sound and make the fire sprites go away, too?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDoesn\u2019t work that way,\u201d Mark said. \u201cSummoned fey can only be released by the summoner, killed or, rarely, decide to leave on its own when it feels it has exacted payment for its summons.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBut how does a Fire Marshal\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re both members of the National Paranormal Protection Agency.\u201d Mark produced a business card that had nothing to do with his position as a police lieutenant. \u201cWe think you\u2019d be a good fit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI saw how you reacted to the water sprite,\u201d Alice said. \u201cWhat took you to the warehouse tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scarlett thought for a moment. \u201cI was on my way to the docks to take some pictures of the Navy ship that\u2019s about to be decommissioned, but for some reason, I felt like I <em>had<\/em> to take a left onto Clevin. That feeling has gotten me some good photos in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnd when Alice summoned the water sprite? What did you feel then?\u201d Mark asked. \u201cI saw you leaning in and reaching for a camera.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI just felt, <em>drawn<\/em> to it, as if I had to see it,\u201d she answered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alice looked at Mark. \u201cFinder?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He nodded. \u201cYou\u2019re a finder, Scarlett. The paranormal pulls you to it. We could use someone like you to keep us informed of what\u2019s happening and where.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWould I have to stop selling my photos?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo. In fact, it\u2019s better that you keep working your regular job. It helps that it\u2019s one that gets you into places the average random schmuck can\u2019t go,\u201d Alice said. \u201cYou <em>do<\/em> have a state press pass, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe other reason to keep your job,\u201d Mark added, \u201cis that the NPPA is a government position. Good healthcare and other benefits, but terrible pay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scarlett thought about it. She knew that if she declined, she wouldn\u2019t say anything about it to anyone anyway. Who would believe her? But a steady paycheck\u2026she nodded. \u201cI\u2019m in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mark patted her on the shoulder. \u201cCall the number on that card tomorrow morning, and we\u2019ll get you sworn in and get your employment packet set up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alice shook her hand. \u201cIt\u2019ll be nice to have you on board. You\u2019re free to go, but remember\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNot a word to anyone,\u201d Scarlett said. \u201cLike they would believe me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMark, who should we bring in on the fire sprite summoner?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He looked at Scarlett and made a \u201cshoo\u201d motion. She closed the door behind her, and their conversation continued on muffled as she walked out of the station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She got into her car, loaded a new SD card into her camera and pulled out to the street. Something made her turn <em>away<\/em> from home, though.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>prompt: A photographer captures an image of something unexplainable. What happens next? available at Reedsy When she saw the glow of fire, Scarlett stopped, called 9-1-1, and pulled out her camera. The corner of the &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[208],"tags":[210,209,220],"class_list":["post-2688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-trunk-stories","tag-fiction","tag-short-story","tag-urban-fantasy"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/sxT7i-spritely","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2688"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2688\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2689,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2688\/revisions\/2689"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}