A Piece of Cake

“….Happy birthday to you!!” The room erupted in cheers, and I smiled, happy that everyone had been able to come. Looking around the darkened room, I saw all my friends and family and couldn’t help but feel giddy that this was all happening today.

“Thank you everyone for coming to my sixteenth birthday! Lucky I was born early and not after midnight like John was” We all laughed, and I winked at my older brother. He snorted and threw a small gust of wind to muck up my hair, that was his power, to which I was the victim of constantly.

My mother came forward, dressed colorfully as usual and her hair swept up neatly; and clapped her hands, turning the lights back up to their usual brightness. That was her power.

“Alright everyone, today my darling Emersyn is finally sixteen and ready to choose her power. Now, the Event should begin shortly so if anyone would like, we have just enough time to cut the cake. Who’s up for a slice?”

I twisted to whisper in her ear,

“Hey mum, what about we cut the cake after I come back? You never know, I might end up with a power that can help me cut the cake myself.” I giggled at the image of cutting the cake with my hand.

“Hmmmm” she thought about it for a second before clapping her hands again, flickering the lights, “Alright everyone, Emersyn has decided she wants to cut the cake afterwards, and so we can begin opening presents.” This was my favorite part of my birthday, opening presents and getting to see what’s inside, though there were more than usual.

I’d been scared for the last two weeks imaging what would happen when I was taken to the Room. I had spent hours online, looking at all the different powers and any hints on how to pick good ones, because you could get stuck with super crappy powers. One boy at school had gotten a power that let him turn his spit into explosions, which as cool as I thought it sounded, everyone else had shunned as gross. And my cousin had taken weeks to find out that her power was that she floats in water and could never go swimming again.

They could be amazing though, you could fly or breath fire, but no one knew how to get specific powers. Everyone remembered the room you got teleported to, the piles of delicious food on the table, but no one ever remembered what they ate.

I came back out my own world to a hand shaking my shoulder, my autopiloted pile of unwrapped gifts scattered around me,

“Emersyn you can’t be off with the fairies tonight, you’re going in like 5 minutes!” My mum smiled as she rolled her eyes, she always said I got my absentmindedness from her.

“Sorry mum, I was just thinking about what power I might get.” She rubbed my arm and opened her mouth before one of my uncles laughed,

“Don’t worry kiddo, whatever it is you’ll be great at it. It took most of us ages to actually find our powers and use them, but I get the feeling for you, it’ll be a piece of cake.”

I felt comforted as I looked around. He was right, everyone else here had done it so I knew no matter what happened I’d be okay, though hopefully I wouldn’t burn the house down or something.

“Thanks, every….”

For a second it felt like weightless, then felt myself sitting again in my own body, eyes screwed shut.

What the hell was that? Weird, must be the portal physics.

Before I opened my eyes the smell hit me; every flavor from herbs and spices to smoky meats and cheesy goodness floated to my nostrils and I couldn’t help but look at it. It was so beautiful, and I wanted a bite of everything. Every kind of delicious food from anywhere was lined up on what seemed to be the biggest table ever. My eyes instantly strayed to the desert section, where trifles and cakes and pastries were stacked in impossible piles. The sweet sticky flavors of cooked fruits and sugar wafted to my nose and a though came to me.

Crap. I can’t decide.

I’d always had a sweet tooth and now it was coming back to bite me. I looked up from the tarts to the piping hot donuts and felt the impossible choice weighing on me. I had to choose something! I would be stuck here till I did but I wanted to make it a cool power so I had to choose wisely too. I folded to my knees dramatically and put my chin on the table, looking up at the decadence above me and frowning.

This is harder than I thought it would be. Ugh.

I bit down on the edge of the table in frustration and suddenly found myself kneeling in my living room with no memory of what had happened.

“Congratulations!” Looking around I noticed everyone had donned a party hat, including my brother, and were clapping. Mum helped me to my feet and asked,

“Well sweetie, how do you feel? Any idea what you picked?” I shook my head and she nodded, smiling.

“Well, everyone, my little girls all powered up now and we’ll be able to see soon enough what she’s got!”

I smiled and put my hand up, kind of disappointed nothing cool had happened, “Well everyone much as it sounds funny, I’m starving. Now, who wants a piece of cake?” I suddenly felt my ears pop and felt a weight in my hand. Lowering my hand slowly I saw what I now held.

On a plain white plate was a massive piece of chocolate cake, the pale blue icing identical to the whole cake sitting on the coffee table in front of me, still in one piece. My whole party looked shocked, myself included, and my brother was the only one to say anything,

“Holy SHIT Emmy! What the hell did you eat?”