Excerpt: Inklings, A story of Friendship

Sybil watched as the machine started to heat up and turned the popcorn. Sarah went over to cupboard and grabbed the salt. The moment her back was turned the machine started to make a low growling noise and black smoke started to snake its way out. Sybil cocked her head to one side, was it supposed to do that?
Maddock and Jake wandered into the kitchen when little flames started to leap out of the machine. Sybil jumped back with a gasp as both young men ran forward yelling, “Fire!”
Sarah spun and dropped the salt shaker, which thankfully was not glass, when she saw a man dressed in an army get up and a man dressed like Aragorn, sword included, run up to the machine.
“How do we stop it?” Maddock asked as Sybil jumped away from the counter and stared in wild eyed amazement at the burning machine.
“Unplug it!” Jake yelled as he yanked the pug-in out of the wall. Sarah grabbed to the counter to keep from falling over.
The moment the machine was unplugged it sparked again and more flames leaped out of it. “That made it worse!” Maddock yelled.
“I don’t see you helping!” Jake yelled back. Then his eyes landed on Maddock’s cloak. “Hand me that!”
Maddock yanked off his cloak and tossed it to Jake who flung it over the burning machine, swept it up, and ran for the door. Maddock and the girls followed. They stumbled out into the night air in time to see Jake slamming the cloak onto the ground, breaking the machine, and putting out the flames.
Once the fire was out Jake shook the cloak out and all the pieces fell to the ground. “That was too close,” he said as he looked at the ruined machine.
“You burned my cloak,” Maddock grumbled.
“Yeah but I saved the house!” Jake snapped. “Sybil can write you a new cloak!”
Maddock looked down at Sybil who smiled and said, “Of course I shall!”
Jake grinned and leaned against a tree saying, “Sarah should be banished from making popcorn.”
“Jake?” Sarah finally found her voice.
Jake pushed himself up and stared in wonder at Sarah. “Me?” he asked.
“Your, your Jake?” Sarah stammered. She then looked at Maddock. “Who are you?”
“I am Maddock,” he said as he looked down at the girl who had never seemed to notice him before. “You can see me?”
Sarah backed up against the door. “I can see you both, what is happening.”
Maddock broke into a wide grin. “Who knows, but this is great!”
Sybil grinned as well and said, “I think it mean Jake wants to start helping with his book!”