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narrans · 7 months

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A Tall and Small Collection | S2.44 | & Everyone Needs A Little Hero :: Crossover :: True Colors Revealed pt. 3

It was such a strange sensation. Usually, a human’s room felt immense. The furniture towered above and the wall on the opposite end of the room felt like an impossible distance to cross without being seen. Rooms were usually quiet and rarely were two or three Borrowers in a room at once.

Not now.

Everyone was here. Everyone was out in the open because there wasn’t enough furniture to hide under. The vastness of the room felt lost to how many Borrowers were there. The silence that would usually mask their movements was filled with their worried whispers.

So much had happened all at once, and every mind was reeling with possibilities.

When would the mist dissipate?

Should they leave? Migrate to somewhere new?

Should they all stay together? Or was it time to say good-bye to long term friends and family?

What were they going to do next?

The Rafters family went from family to family to make sure everyone was recovering well. Though some were still coughing and wheezing, the whole community was relieved to hear that everyone had managed to make it out of the walls.

Still, it was Hero who led the charge in reassuring everyone – especially when it came to their questions about the human of the house. Hero made sure that everyone knew that Ashlynn was not going to bother them and that she was honest and kind. He said if they asked, she wouldn’t come into the room.

Knowing a human was just on the other side of the door was a terror everyone was uncomfortable with, but there was no alternative. Many of them had no previsions or supplies, not even a weapon on their hip.

Truly, this was their worst nightmare.

Every few minutes, they would hear Ashlynn walking around or a creak of the floorboards in the apartment above, which would instantly silence the community. They would stay quiet before resuming their hushed whispers, discussing what they should do next.

Then, after a few tense hours, Rey, Soren, Dorian, and even little Mayzie slipped under the door with blankets and a few limited supplies. Mostly, they came to take stock to see what everyone needed.

At first, some of the Borrowers shied away from the family of four who had made their home with Ashlynn. They knew about Hero Rafters interaction with Ashlynn, but the concept of these Borrowers living peacefully with a human seemed unthinkable.

It wasn’t until Soren and his brothers had told their story about meeting Ashlynn and how long they had known her that it began to sink into the Borrower community.

Ashlynn was a friend, and she had been a friend for many years.

The young girl about Rey’s age who was trapped in Austin’s fan stared at Rey, eyes wide, as he told the story to them. The children were thankfully asleep, but Emile, his wife, Kit, Lian, and the teenage Borrower were all fixated on Rey’s story. None of them were able to tear their eyes away from the young teen as he finished explaining his past for the umpteenth time.

“So,” said Kit. “She pulled you out of the trash and brought you back? All without hurting you?” Rey nodded and tugged a grin onto his face. He didn’t mind explaining his past, but holy smokes it was taking a long time. He wanted a way to do it all at once, but that would involve Ashlynn’s assistance, and these Borrowers were obviously not ready for it.

“That’s right,” Rey stated. “Ashlynn has always been very careful around us. It’s one of the reasons Soren trusted her to save me and why he felt comfortable letting us stay there with her while we all recovered. Remember, we could have left at any point. Ashlynn made sure we knew that. She even kept our beds on the ground under her bedframe, that one right over there, so we could be hidden.

“Ashlynn is our friend, and I swear she won’t do anything to hurt us. She’s doing everything she can right now to make sure we’re okay and that you’ll all have what you need before the end of the night,” said Rey.

“H-h-how c-can you t-trust her? Af-after w-w-what you’ve seen h-hu-mans are capable of?” asked Emile, which earned a nod from Lian. “H-how do you know she… she w-won’t turn on you?”

“It’s because I’ve known her for so long. If she was going to keep us as pets or try to hurt us in any capacity, she wouldn’t have waited eight years to do so. She would’ve done it when we were all helpless,” said Rey firmly. “Look, I get where you’re coming from and I’m not asking for you to blindly trust her. I’m asking for you to take a second and give Ashlynn a chance. I know it feels like an impossible ask, especially after what you all went through, but I promise she’ll protect you.”

The group, and the nearby groups who were nearby pretending to not listen, all quieted and looked to one another before looking back to Rey.

“It’s a big ask, Rey,” said Lian, his eyes shadowed with memories and torment. “If we all pull out of this okay and Austin pays for what he’s done to us, she’ll be okay to me.”

Rey nodded, features hardening.

“Oh, he’ll pay. I don’t know how yet, but he will,” stated the teenage Borrower. “Until then, is there anything I can get you to make you comfortable?”

Rey finished taking notes on what the others needed and wanted before standing and promising he would be back with everything they asked for. Just before he turned to leave, the young teenage girl reached up and caught Rey’s hand, clasping it tightly and looking up into his pale blue eyes.

“Larkspur,” she said softly. Rey felt his head tilt to the side in confusion.

“What now? Is that something you need?” he asked. The girl glanced away as she held onto Rey’s hand while her other hand reached up and clasped the neckline of her frayed shirt.

“My… name. You said that you wanted it if we made it out,” stated the girl. That was right! Rey did want to know her name after hearing her say something about leaving her behind because she would be a burden. Rey felt a pang in his heart as he crouched, still clutching Larkspur’s hand, and reached over and tenderly coaxed her to look at him again.

“I did want to know it, and it’s very pretty. Thank you, Larkspur,” smiled Rey. The girl’s eyes widened, and her cheeks were suddenly flushed as she locked eyes with Rey. Something made the young teens insides flip, but he couldn’t think about that now.

He smiled again, stood, and headed back toward the main door, promising he would be back soon.

~~~^*^*^~~~

This was insane. This whole thing was crazy. Ashlynn tried to work in the kitchen as quickly and as quietly as she could, but the slightest sound made her wince. The clatter of a spoon against the counter. The floor squeaking right where the tile met the wood. The fridge door sealing shut.

Every minute sound felt amplified beyond the norm, all because of Ashlynn’s house guests.

She wasn’t sure what it looked like in the other room, but her imagination filled her bedroom with Borrowers lined from wall to wall, huddled under furniture and trying to keep quiet.

The fear, even from here, was tangible. It was a terrible set of circumstances, and Ashlynn had taken the plunge right in the middle of it. From what Rey had described, Austin had spread some kind of knock out gas in the main elevator shaft and the walls. She was immensely grateful she had closed the vents to her room before everything started happening.

Now, everyone was exposed – out in the open – in her room, obviously hanging onto a single threat of trust that they gave her.

Ashlynn needed to make the most of it.

She needed to find some way to help calm them all down, and she knew just the Borrowers to talk to.

When Rey, Dorian, and Soren came back with their list of various supplies, she sprung into action. A lot of these things were simple enough to obtain, and most were meant to provide protection. Thumb tacks. Safety pins. Thread. Paper clips. Cloth fragments. Cotton balls.

Most importantly – food and water.

So, that’s what Ashlynn worked on.

With the supplies she had, she started making some very simple vegetable and noodle soup with little fragments of chicken. She took the time to make sure everything was mulched up into bite-sized pieces. She also broke up cracker fragments and put them into a bowl to accompany the nutrient rich broth.

While she worked, the boys brought back fragments of aluminum foil for everyone to make their own bowls and utensils. There were no complaints from the families as they accepted generous portions of the foil from Soren and his brothers.

When it came time to distribute the food, Ashlynn placed portions into a few larger bowls and cups and, with permission and plenty of warning, opened the door with the tiniest of cracks and retreated back to the kitchen so Soren, his brothers, and the Rafters could distribute the supplies.

Like an assembly line, everyone tiptoed toward the door and accepted the food and supplies without issue.

As everyone went through the line, the Rafters took note of who was and was not there.

By some miracle, everyone had managed to make it out of the walls. From old to young and those living near and far in the building, everyone had managed to make it out safely. Still, it didn’t stop the fact that evidence of their entire community was still in the walls.

“What matters is that we all managed to make it out alive,” said Soren as he walked back with Casper after dragging some soft washcloths under the bed to serve as bedrolls for a few of the younger families. Casper nodded heavily, but it was apparent to Soren that the middle-aged father did not quite believe him.

Soren understood the feeling. He knew the other families’ terror of having their whole world exposed because he had gone through it once before when he met Ashlynn. He remembered clear as day how terrifying it was to surrender his security and the safety of his family to someone he barely knew or trusted. That feeling of helplessness in the room now was tangible, and he wished he could do something to help.

What was different now was that he knew Ashlynn was on his side.

Soren’s thoughts came to a screeching halt when Casper laid a hand on his shoulder, clasping it firmly. Soren felt the weight of the world in Casper’s hand as he tightened his grip ever so slightly. The middle-aged Borrower’s tired eyes latched onto Soren’s gaze before he spoke.

“Soren, do… you think Ashlynn would do us one last favor?” asked Casper. Soren, taken a back, simply nodded.

“I’m sure she would. What is it?” Soren asked, trying to smile reassuringly to help the father of five.

“No, I… I’ll…” Casper swallowed dryly as he obviously attempted to summon the words. Thankfully, they weren’t needed. Soren knew that Casper wanted to do this, and so he merely nodded and gestured for Casper to follow him out of the room.

Soren could feel everyone’s eyes on him and Casper as they walked out of the room and into the living area toward the kitchen where Soren immediately noticed Ashlynn, who was sitting on the ground with her head resting against the lower cabinets.

Casper’s step faltered momentarily as he spotted her. Though this wasn’t the first time he would have been seen by her, it was still an unnerving experience. Soren waited for Casper to compose himself before both of them walked up toward her.

Ashlynn, deciding that sitting on the floor in the kitchen would possibly be the best at keeping the Borrower community at ease, was resting her eyes for a few minutes and trying to anticipate what the room full of five-inch-tall refugees would need when she heard Soren calling her name.

She opened her eyes slowly and glanced down, expecting only him, and held stock still when she saw Casper Rafters. He looked just as nervous as she felt, but she still decided to break the ice first to help make things easier for him.

“Mr. Rafters,” she said quietly. “Everything okay?” The Borrower cleared his throat before nodding.

“Yes and no,” he stated stiffly. “The good news is that everyone is present and accounted for, and I cannot begin to think you enough.” Casper shuffled his feet as he puffed out his chest a little in hopes to portray confidence. “Unfortunately, there is the other issue of what we left behind. If anyone goes into that elevator shaft, they’ll see the hub and all of our supply tables. They’ll see some of our homes, doors and furniture, which is enough evidence for some.”

Ashlynn nodded as she took in the information. Soren, as he listened, folded his arms and glanced from Casper to Ashlynn, eyes widening as he realized what Casper wanted Ashlynn to do.

“You want her to go into the elevator shaft and hide the evidence?” asked Soren. Casper winced, Soren having guessed his favor, and looked up into Ashlynn’s blue-gray eyes. Soren’s insides squirmed as he listened to Casper clear his throat nervously once again and began speaking.

“Ashlynn, would… no – could I ask this favor of you? I may not have earned it, but this isn’t just me asking. I’m asking on behalf of everyone here. All of Borrower kind is risking exposure, and the only thing that stands in between the safety of our community and the destruction of our kind is what is left,” said Casper. “Whatever you want from me, you may have it. Just… please….”

Soren had heard enough. If that gas was as dangerous as they thought, Ashlynn had no business going in there.

“Casper, Ashlynn isn’t allowed in the elevator shaft, and that gas is st-”

“I’ll do it,” said Ashlynn, interrupting Soren. Soren whipped around to look up at Ashlynn, catching her blue-gray eyes as she looked determinedly at Casper. “I’ll do it. I’ll grab what I can and make sure there’s nothing too obvious.”

“Ashlynn,” said Soren firmly. Was he hearing her correctly? His arms slackened at his sides in disbelief. “It’s dangerous.”

“I know, but I’ll be careful,” said Ashlynn as she looked down into Soren’s hazel eyes. “We don’t have time to debate it either. If Austin is waiting for the gas to dissipate or is getting ready to go into the walls, we need to beat him to the punch. Casper is right. We have to act now if we want to protect everyone from him.”

Soren placed his hands on his hips and took a few steps away, turning his back to her. He didn’t know exactly what the gas did, and there was no time to get anyone else to spot Ashlynn in case she ran into trouble.

His mind was made up.

“Then I’m coming with you,” stated Soren as he turned and faced both Ashlynn and Casper. Ashlynn opened her mouth to protest, but Soren beat her to the punch. “If you run into danger, you need someone watching your back. Plus, I can get further into the walls to get rid of any signs we were there.”

Ashlynn looked at Soren, smiling as she realized there would be no talking him out of his decision.

“Alright. Let’s get some rags to wrap over our faces and get in there,” stated Ashlynn.

“Thank you, Ashlynn,” said Casper. “Truly. I… I can’t say it enough.”

“Just make sure everyone is alright, and don’t let them do anything rash. Leaving now is dangerous, and it will be playing into Austin’s hands,” reminded Ashlynn.

“I can do this much. Do you… I mean… what is the plan for taking care of him?” asked Casper. Ashlynn sighed heavily, biting her lower lip as she thought.

“I have a few ideas but let me worry about him later. Now, we have bigger issues. May I stand?” stated Ashlynn. With a nod from Casper, she pulled her legs in and carefully stood at her full height. Her full height was vertigo inducing, and Casper staggered back out of pure instinct before stepping to the side of the wall and letting Ashlynn pick up Soren.

Together, they slipped into the bathroom and began constructing makeshift facial covers to help filter out whatever the gas was.

Would it be enough?

They were about to find out.

~~~^*^*^~~~

With a backpack affixed to her shoulders and Soren secure in her pocket, Ashlynn left the apartment and made a bee line to the elevator shaft. Her hand instinctually rested on her pocket as she stepped inside the elevator and click the bottom floor button. She knew there was an access shaft on the top floor, and that was her ticket in.

She stepped out of the elevator and walked across the roof and up to the maintenance door. She knew it would be locked, but she had just the trick for that. She glanced around quickly and saw no one on the roof by the green house either.

Perfect.

“Soren, need a lock undone. Ready?” she asked under her breath as she crouched and pretended to tie her shoe. Her pocket shifted and, with a quick slide of hand, Soren was on the ground sliding under the door.

The room was completely dark, but that didn’t deter Soren. He spun his hook and let it fly into the air toward the spot where he knew the handle was. It was precarious work, but after he climbed the line, Soren strained against the lock and finally managed to get it undone, nearly falling off of the edge of the handle as he balanced.

He slid down the line and back under the door, giving Ashlynn access to the maintenance room.

Just like that, Ashlynn and Soren were inside the maintenance room repeating the same process to get into the elevator maintenance shaft.

It took some finagling, but the two of them made it into the shaft and loosened one of the panels so Soren could slip down on his line and press the button to take them up. The gears roared as they rode the elevator down.

Ashlynn as trembling hard, and Soren knew it. Being so close to all of these gears without the appropriate gear was dangerous, even deadly. Still, there she was.

How did he get so lucky to have someone like her?

“Get your mask ready,” said Ashlynn as the elevator came to a halt. She thankfully braced herself and was ready for the full stop. As Ashlynn pulled the mask over her nose and mouth, she took one last clean breath before holding it as long as she could.

Soren did the same.

Sure enough, as they glanced around, there was a faint bit of what looked like dust or powder on the interior of the shaft. The two of them waisted no time in reaching over into one of the small gaps and pulling out what looked like a few matchbook ladders and storage containers.

Ashlynn was careful to not leave fingerprints as she reached into the narrow passage and pulled out a string of Christmas lights. Once done, she lowered Soren once again into the elevator and had him press the next button.

As they descended level to level, Ashlynn felt her hands starting to shake. Was this because of nerves? Or was it from what still lingered in the air?

They needed to finish – quickly.

The next few levels were clear, but it was when they made it to the central hub that the two of them kicked their efforts into high gear. Soren stepped off of Ashlynn’s hand and darted down the different hallways, tearing doors off of their fragile rubber band hinges and dragging out what he could as Ashlynn shoveled everything into her backpack.

The tremor in Ashlynn’s hands remained, but did not increase, which was a good sign for her. Despite her heart pounding and her nervous breaths, she was feeling alright for the most part. Her nerves were trying, and failing, to get the better of her.

Taking a breath and pulling the last of the Christmas lights into her bag, Ashlynn glanced around and felt pleased enough with her work that no one would question some of the random odds and ends that were further back in the walls. She glanced down and saw the faint glow of Soren’s hip lamp just out of reach.

He’s probably finishing up getting some odds and ends thought Ashlynn.

“Soren?” called Ashlynn through her muffling face cover. “Soren? We need to get out of here.”

No response.

Ashlynn glanced down and saw the vast darkness beneath her. It was a miracle no one was using the elevators at the moment. They were all probably at work.

“Soren?” Ashlynn called again.

Still no response.

Ashlynn’s stomach dropped as her heart flipped in place.

Why wasn’t he responding?

What Ashlynn didn’t know, what she couldn’t have known, was that Soren’s heart was pounding faster and faster in his chest. It had become increasingly hard to breathe even though he was being careful with his facial covering.

It started as a small tremor, which Soren attributed to nerves. What they were doing was extremely dangerous, especially for Ashlynn considering that she didn’t have any security lines like he did, and it made him nervous. Then, his chest started to feel tight. He thought it might have been the anxiety inducing situation, but he was wrong.

Now, with his body shaking violently, he realized with horror that the effects of the gas were influencing him. It was a compounding effect; and now that he realized it, his muscles were stiffening and moving was becoming incredibly painful. He tried jogging back quickly, but his muscles seized suddenly and brought him to his knees.

How?

Why?

Was Ashlynn experiencing the same thing?

He needed to get back to her.

“Soren?” Ashlynn called again. Soren, crawling on all fours, forced himself closer to the entrance. The pain was increasing. Like a rising tide, it was dragging him under with every second that passed. His vision swirled while his heart palpitated.

The edge of the wall was right there.

He needed to make it.

“A-ash…” Soren choked out as the edges of his vision grew dark. He collapsed, body curling in on itself involuntarily. He couldn’t even will himself to move.

Then, he heard it.

Ashlynn.

“Soren!” Soren suddenly felt weightless as he felt a pressure all around his body. It had to be Ashlynn saying his name. Trembling violently, Soren forced his eyes open as he looked into her panicking blue-gray eyes.

Confusion washed over him.

She seemed fine. Shaken, but fine.

“Soren, I’m getting us out of here. Hang on,” said Ashlynn as she held him close to her chest, slipped through one of the panels on top of the elevator, and landed harshly in the main car.

Ashlynn pressed the elevator button repeatedly, her whole body shaking.

Surely the gas was gone, right? She didn’t feel any different.

Ashlynn pulled her mask off of her face and carefully pulled down Soren’s facial covering.

Maybe it’s trapping the stuff in? Maybe he touched something and got a higher dose?

When she reached her floor, Ashlynn hurriedly cupped Soren to her chest, not daring to let him go, and rushed into her apartment and headed straight for the bathroom after locking the door behind her.

She spotted the clock nearby and saw she had been gone for an hour.

Crazy how much time had passed.

Ashlynn hurriedly pealed off Soren’s facial cover completely off of him and clasped him in her hands. He was shaking from head to toe and his color was pale.

“Soren? Can you hear me? What happened? Did you see something or touch something else in there?” asked Ashlynn. She saw her hands had a faint coating of that dust like powder on them. It was probably a bad idea, but she had to know. Setting Soren down on the sink counter, she kneeled, pressed her hand to her face, and breathed as deeply as she could.

Nothing.

There was a bit of a sweet smell to the powder, but nothing changed.

She did it again and again, but nothing happened.

Then, a thought occurred.

Was this stuff specifically created to target Borrowers?

Would Ashlynn need to huff a massive amount of this stuff for it to have an affect on her?

She didn’t want to know. What she did want to know was if Soren was going to be okay.

Doing the only thing she knew to do, she turned on the hot water and gingerly held Soren under the current, hopefully washing away the powder from his clothes and keeping him warm.

“Ashlynn? What happened?” Ashlynn heard Rey by the bathroom door.

“Casper said you and Soren went into the walls. Is everything okay?” Dorian’s voice was not far behind. Ashlynn glanced around to see Dorian and Rey jogging toward her.

“Be careful,” she warned, which halted the boys in their tracks. “There’s something wrong. I think the powder from the gas is toxic; at least, it’s affecting Soren.” Ashlynn felt her throat constrict as she brushed her finger gently over Soren’s body.

He was still trembling, but his breathing was slowly becoming more regularly.

“What? Is he okay?” demanded Dorian as he and Rey sprinted forward. Carefully, Ashlynn transferred Soren to one hand as she reached down and offered a wet hand to Dorian and Rey, who waisted no time in clambering on so they could see their brother.

“I think he’s going to be okay. He might’ve inhaled a lot of this stuff, which is weird since I don’t feel anything. It either affects humans and Borrowers differently or he ran into a chamber of that gas and got a big dose of it that I didn’t get.”

They spotted Soren under the water, taking in his pale features and trembling limbs.

“That sicko,” growled Rey. “Ashlynn, do you still have any of that powder?”

“What on earth are you thinking?” Dorian demanded.

“Only one way to test it,” stated Rey. The teen spotted the edge of Ashlynn’s clothing and the remanence of powder on her sleeves. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and pressed his face to the cloth, taking in a big whiff.

“Rey!”

Ashlynn couldn’t move away fast enough. She barely had enough time to move her hand under Rey before he collapsed to his knees and began hacking and gagging, clutching his hand to his chest. Thankfully, his hacking fit only lasted ten or so seconds, but it was enough to confirm Ashlynn’s theory.

“I’m okay. I’m okay,” wheezed Rey. “Yeah, that was rough. Do you not smell that?”

“No, not really. It almost smells sweet. But, for Heaven’s sake! Rey! What were you thinking?” demanded Ashlynn as she held onto the reckless teen. Rey wheezed again and cleared his throat.

“Fastest way to test the theory,” muttered Rey. “And it seems like you were right. You said you’re not feeling this stuff? I felt it immediately. It’s got to be Borrower specific. I’ll bet that psycho made this stuff.” Dorian folded his arms across his chest and nodded solemnly.

“Makes sense. Austin had Borrowers in captivity, so he would have had the perfect test subjects. Also, with this whole gas thing, no one in the apartments would feel the effects. It would only get the Borrowers. That’s twisted stuff,” mumbled Dorian as he stared at his brother. “Ashlynn, I need a lift down. I’m going to get Soren a change of clothes. You should do the same. Rey, get him out of that wet outfit when Ashlynn’s done.”

Ashlynn lowered Dorian to the ground as Rey helped get Soren out of his wet clothes. Ashlynn peeled off some of her clothes, leaving her in her sports bra and her spandex, while Rey worked. When Dorian returned, Casper came with him.

“Ashlynn? I just heard. Is Soren alright?” Casper called, a fatherly concern audible in his voice.

“I think so,” she muttered, instinctually lowering her hand and letting Dorian on to bring him up onto the counter. She was about to move when she felt a second set of feet press against the pads of her fingers. Ashlynn glanced down and, to her surprise, saw Casper standing firmly beside Dorian.

Electing not to question him, Ashlynn raised her hand back to the sink counter, but before the boys could begin redressing Soren, he stirred.

“Soren!” breathed Ashlynn in pure relief. She pressed her hand against his back as Soren tried to sit upright. “How do you feel?”

“Rough, but getting better,” Soren groaned. He looked up into Ashlynn’s face, mustering a concerned smile. “Are you alright?” Tears in her eyes, Ashlynn nodded and, losing control, leaned forward and pressed her lips to his bare chest. Casper and Soren’s brothers all looked away bashfully as Ashlynn pulled away, tears glistening in her eyes.

“I’m fine,” she muttered. “Sorry. I just got so scared when you collapsed like that.”

“Yeah,” Soren breathed, pulling a half of a grin onto his face. “Me too. Casper, we did what we could. We can only hope it’s enough.”

“Thank goodness,” stated Casper as he knelt down and held out his hand to Soren. “You have my eternal thanks, Soren. You’ve saved us – both of you have saved us.”

Ashlynn was about to respond when she heard something that made a shiver run through all of their spines.

A knock at the door.

All eyes turned to the front door where the knock came from. It was a bone chilling sound, especially given recent events. Ashlynn was about to dismiss the noise when she and the Borrowers on the bathroom counter heard someone call out.

“Hello? Pest Control and Extermination. I’m here to ask a couple questions. Is the occupant Ashlynn Maeson home?”

Ashlynn looked around wildly to the Borrowers, who had all subtly shifted themselves to hide slightly behind her. Ashlynn wanted to just ignore the door, but Rey suddenly spoke up.

“Ashlynn, you need to answer the door,” instructed the inventive Borrower teen. All eyes were on him suddenly.

“What? Rey, what are you…”

“Ashlynn, maybe you can get some information. Maybe you can tell him to leave us alone. He also knows your name,” said Rey. There was another knock at the door.

“Hello? Pest Control and Extermination. Is anyone home? We might have a serious infestation here. I just need to ask a few questions.”

“Rey, he could’ve just gotten that from the main office. He might not remember me,” Ashlynn hissed.

“Please, Ashlynn. Just… try? He might just wait out there. You can get him to go away! At the very least, you can get some information out of him. Hit record on your phone and we can edit out anything proving what a psycho he is!” pleaded Rey. Ashlynn glanced to Soren and Dorian before looing back into Rey’s pale blue eyes.

She couldn’t say no – not to him.

“Okay. Get into the bedroom and tell everyone to be quiet,” instructed Ashlynn as she held out her hands. Everyone, including Casper, stepped on and let Ashlynn carry them to the entrance of the bedroom door. Once they were safely inside, Ashlynn braced herself and waited another few seconds before pulling out her phone, hitting record, and slipping it into her pocket as she pulled a jacket over her body.

The moment she opened the door, she recognized the boy immediately. Sure, years had passed, but he had that same devious look in his eyes and that gleam in his smile that was undeniable.

Austin.

He was wearing some kind of gray and white uniform with a ball cap and everything. It was some kind of jumpsuit that, oddly enough, made him look like some kind of escapee from an old-fashioned prison. Austin couldn’t have been more than eighteen or nineteen years old, which made this whole thing so much worse. He was old enough when he was a child to know not to hurt another living being, and he was certainly old enough now to know that what he was doing was wrong.

His eyes gleamed as he looked into Ashlynn’s blue-gray eyes, which sent a shiver down her spine. Though the rest of the world might not have known it, Ashlynn suspected she was looking into the eyes of a true psychopath.

“Hello Miss Maeson. My name is Austin, with Pest Control and Extermination. I got a call about a potential infestation and was wondering if I could ask you some questions about whether or not you’ve seen anything out of the ord… Huh… Do I…” Austin’s glossy eyes narrowed as he looked into Ashlynn’s face. “Do I know you?”

Ashlynn, taking a breath in hopes to calm herself down, forced a smile and played into her part. She could only hope she could be convincing.

“Actually, I think so. You used to live in Region’s Park, right?” asked Ashlynn. Suddenly, Austin’s eyes lit up with recognition and a knowing smile curled his lips upwards. The look was chilling.

“That’s right. Ashlynn. You… you watched me a few times when I was much younger, right?” asked Austin. Ashlynn forced a nod and smiled.

“Yes, that’s right, and I see you’ve taken up a profession and everything. The time certainly has flown by,” said Ashlynn.

“It really has. Um… well… I don’t want to take up too much of your time. Do you think I could come in for a few minutes and ask you some questions. I got a call about a potential infestation, and I just need to have a quick look around,” stated Austin.

Ashlynn was afraid of this. She didn’t want to let Austin in. She knew he would see the closed bedroom door and fling it wide open to reveal the whole Borrower community she worked so hard to save.

Instead, she raised her voice a little louder than normal and hoped with every fiber of her being the others would hear.

“Come in? Why? Why do you want to come into my apartment? And did you say infestation? And infestation of what?” said Ashlynn. There was just a moment when Austin’s eyes flared, making Ashlynn’s insides churn uneasily. Did Austin already guess what she was doing?

“Oh, just a mixture of things,” said Austin quietly. “People have noticed different things and signs. Really, it is just a precaution. So? May I enter?”

“That… didn’t really answer the question,” Ashlynn stated, trying to laugh it off. “What? Is it mice? Termites? Cockroaches?”

Then, she saw it. A devious smile curled onto Austin’s face and an undeniable, greedy glow filled his dead, shark-like eyes.

“I think you and I both know the answer to that question,” grinned Austin. Ashlynn’s heart flipped and she was sure her nerves were visible. She hoped to play it off; but she suspected it was already too late.

“I… really don’t know what you’re talking about, and if you can’t give me any more information, I’m afraid I’ll have to decline without a formal request from the apartment and sufficient time to secure my personal belongings and vacate the premises. It’s part of the rules here in the Starlight Apartments that residents must be notified and given 24-hours to prepare,” stated Ashlynn.

Thank goodness she had to get all of that Home Owners Association reading training for work. It gave her all of the skills she needed to comb through her own contract.

Sadly, it seemed to be the nail in the coffin for her keeping a low profile.

“So… you did have something to do with it,” muttered Austin. “What? Are you in cahoots with them?”

Ashlynn swallowed dryly.

“Them? The supposed mice infestation?” she asked, trying to sound joking and lighten the tone of her voice.

“No… them.” The word was a haunting one, and not something she was eager to expand on. Sadly, Austin continued. “You know what I’m talking about. The little people. You took one of them from me when I was a child. The first one I encountered actually. You shuffled it away before I really realized what it was.”

It was now a staring contest, an ultimate game of chicken where neither party could swerve or reveal their hand to the other. Ashlynn clenched her fist from behind the door, her features hardening involuntarily.

The fact that he could be so cavalier about injuring someone the way he did and ultimately killing him made her sick to her stomach. She prayed Rey and Dorian were not here to listen to any of this.

How could she play this now? He addressed it. He talked about Borrowers, but not by name. This was the evidence she needed to get that Rey was talking about.

It was now or never.

“Austin, think about what you’re doing,” said Ashlynn softly.

“No, think about what you’re doing, Ashlynn. No offence, but this is a golden opportunity. I have investors who are interested in samples and subjects. Photos and videos alone aren’t going to be enough to convince them… no… the world about them,” stated Austin.

So… he only had photos and videos?

Good…

She could work with this.

Ashlynn needed to discredit him. She needed it on audio. She needed to make it sound like Austin was out of his mind.

“Austin, you’re better than this. Little people? Come on. There’s no such thing,” said Ashlynn.

“No!” growled Austin, daring to take a step forward toward the slightly ajar apartment door. “There is – and you know it. Work with me here, Ashlynn. This is the investment opportunity of a lifetime. Think about the money you could get from selling one of these miniature twerps as toys and pets. They’re parasites. They live and feed off of us. Why not make a buck in the process? It’s a better life than scrounging for scraps. They’re better off as pets.”

Ashlynn could have punched him straight in the nose, slapping him silly until her hands fell off, but she instead took a breath and kept her features hardened.

“And how do you plan on catching these imaginary ‘little people’?” asked Ashlynn, making sure to set him up for the next line of questioning.

“They’re not imaginary! And you know it,” growled Austin. “And I have my ways. My investors let me experiment with some… chemicals. I am confident my concoction will do the trick. Totally painless. It just… immobilizes them. It’s so they don’t hurt themselves.”

“And it works on these… things? Anything else? Like mice or other pests?” asked Ashlynn.

“Yeah, but they’re not the target,” stated Austin.

“And you have pictures and videos?” asked Ashlynn. Austin nodded.

“Cloud storage and hard copies. Those little critters are crafty,” said Austin, his voice low and persuasive.

Thankfully, it would never be enough for her to betray her friends. She had heard enough. Ashlynn was done. She needed to get him away and go back to the others to regroup.

“Austin, what you’re doing isn’t right,” said Ashlynn. “Please, reconsider.” Austin’s face hardened as his fist clenched.

“Well then… sorry I can’t bring you in as an investor. Too bad. You could’ve been famous for outing these little freaks,” sneered Austin. “Consider this your 24-hour notice. I’ll need to evaluate your apartment for potential contamination.”

Austin grinned and, just like that, he plastered a smile back onto his face, hiding the sinister flare Ashlynn witnessed moments earlier, and moved onto the next apartment.

Ashlynn hurriedly closed the door and locked it, leaning against the wood and sliding to the ground to take a fresh breath of air.

How much did the community hear? Had they fled into the walls? They were quiet, but was it because they were trying to leave or because they were hunkered down in place?

Ashlynn didn’t know, but she needed to figure it out.

Not feeling strong enough to stand, she scooted across the floor and tapped on her bedroom door ever so softly in hopes to get Soren’s attention.

It was mere seconds later when Casper, Dorian, Rey, and Soren all hurried outside, and Hero wasn’t far behind.

“Ashlynn,” breathed Soren as he stumbled over to Ashlynn’s now extended hand and leaned against it.

“You heard?” asked Ashlynn. They all nodded solemnly.

“Everyone did,” stated Hero. Ashlynn’s stomach flipped nervously, but Dorian continued. “And… they heard what you said. They know what you did. You… could’ve turned us all over to him – but you didn’t.” Hero’s smile was spread from ear to ear.

“So, what do we do now is the real question,” stated Dorian. “He’s going to be back tomorrow, and we can’t get into the walls because that stuff is still in there.”

“No, we need to do more than that,” stated Rey, his voice measured and calm. “We need to get rid of that evidence. We need to report him. Ashlynn, you have your recorder on? Give it to Dorian. You need to edit out a little bit here and there so we can turn it over to someone – anyone – who can take Austin away.”

“You’re saying call the police on him?” asked Ashlynn.

“Yes, if that’s who can get him away from us,” retorted Rey. “We need to tell them about those dangerous chemicals and say something – anything – to get him in trouble.”

Ashlynn thought hard about the situation, biting her lip and nodding as a plan started to formulate in her mind.

“Okay. Let’s go over what we know,” she stated, reaching her thumb over to brush against Soren’s shoulder. “Austin doesn’t know about everyone being safe here. He suspects it, but he also thinks he has Borrowers back in his van and that his gas probably got a few Borrowers. If I call the authorities to investigate the van, we can separate him from that at the very least.”

“Then let’s do it!” said Rey eagerly.

“There’s something else to all of this too,” said Ashlynn, now looking over to Casper and making sure to catch his gaze before continuing. “Even if we manage to stop Austin here, it doesn’t stop him from targeting this building. I… know this is your home, but you all are not going to be safe here anymore.”

Casper took a deep breath and nodded regretfully.

“I suspected as much. This is going to be a blow to the community. I don’t even know how to tell them,” stated the middle-aged father.

There was a long pause, and the silence was one Soren was familiar with. Ashlynn usually fell silent like this when she knew what she wanted to say but wasn’t sure how to go about it.

And he suspected he knew what she wanted to say.

“Ashlynn?” prompted Soren. His tone of voice was enough to gain a nervous smile from his chosen partner.

“Casper, there… is another solution. Instead of having everyone migrate and everything. I know it’s dangerous, and this is something all of you would have to choose to do,” stated Ashlynn. Casper looked up into Ashlynn’s eyes with a hopeful gleam.

“Oh? And what is that?”

“I bought a house. I’ve taken them to see it, and we think Borrowers used to live there. Instead of migrating on your own, pulling apart the community that’s grown so close, why not… well… why not come with us?” asked Ashlynn. “You don’t have to answer now, and you have to talk it over with everyone, but I want you all to think it over. I’ll get you out of here safe and sound. You can live freely and in a neighborhood where you all could technically move to once you’re out of here.”

“C-come with you?” stammered Casper, obviously short-circuiting at the suggestion. “Have you pack us up in boxes and take us somewhere we’ve never been? Put every one of our lives in your hands?”

“Dad, think about it,” pleaded Hero. “Ashlynn has a point. We’ll be safe. We know her, and the others just heard her get rid of Austin. She can protect us if we need it, and we won’t have to stay with her forever if we don’t want to. It’s the best way to get everyone out of here safely.”

“Just, think it over… Quickly, but think it over,” stated Ashlynn. “In the meantime, we have some work to do. Right?”

Soren and his brothers nodded as they took Ashlynn’s phone and began trimming the audio.

They were fighting the clock, and they didn’t even know if their plan was going to work.

But it had to. For all of their sakes… it had to.

~~~~~^*^*^*^*^~~~~~

::_____::

A Tall and Small Collection

Continue

A Tall and Small Collection | Soren

ASK ME ANYTHING

::_____::

Everyone Needs a Little Hero

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Beginning

Prompt

ASK ME ANYTHING

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narrans · 2 years

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Follower Challenge!

Okay... here it goes...

Who wants to see one of these titles in print?

I am currently holding a follower challenge through the month of July to see if you are interested in putting one or all of these books in print.

I am personally publishing one of the following titles (based on your comments/votes). If you want to see one of these titles in a physical book form, please comment down below which book you want to see published and @narrans (that's me!) in your comment.

This is a follower challenge across all of my platforms.

Can I get Tumblr up to 250 followers?

As an added bonus, if we can get two out of three goals across my platforms, I will randomly select five participants who will receive a copy of the printed book.

Interested?

I will say I am absolutely terrified and nervous about the response/backlash this may receive. I hope you all enjoy the series as much as I have. Don't worry! They will not be taken down from any of my sites. I have just always wanted to print a physical copy of my writing and this community has been such a love and support for me. I hope you enjoy this challenge as much as I do.

Cheers and, as always, stay awesome! ~Narrans

If you would like to contribute, check out my ko-fi link on here on tumblr. Absolutely no obligation.

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narrans · 5 months

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Hey there tall, small, and in the walls!

I have been working on this latest project for quite some time, and now I'm finally ready to reveal the new cover for The Orion's Factotum! I'm so excited for the projects to come and I hope you all enjoy them as well.

Cheers and, as always, stay awesome! ~Narrans

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narrans · 5 months

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The Orion's Daughter : To Lands Beyond | Chapter Three : A Needed Helping Hand

**~~~~~**

Chapter Three | A Needed Helping Hand

**~~~~~**

“Where are you going Illy!?” shouted Jul. I heard him and the others’ voices getting fainter and fainter the longer I ran. With the taste of iron in my mouth, I didn’t let myself stop running. It was disgusting, like sucking on a coin.

My lungs burned. Every muscle screamed at me to stop, pleading for just one moment, while my toes throbbed and stung. I knew immediately the moment it happened that I smashed one of my toes and probably ripped off the nail from another when I tripped back in the town.

Still, I didn’t let myself stop running until I made it to the fields and familiar dirt roads.

The moment I was out of their ranges, I let myself collapse. They wouldn’t go further than the border of the town. Those thugs didn’t like going out so far into the fields.

City scum – the whole lot of them.

I hunkered down against one of the posts that held up the two-board fence and let my frustration well up inside me until it spilled out into tears.

The whole scene played out from behind my eyes. It was there, like a relentless nightmare, and every blink reminded me of what just transpired. I tried telling them to go away, but that first boy shoved me from behind. The moment I turned around, the next one shoved me too. It was that shove that pushed me to the ground.

As I scrambled to get up, heart pounding out of my chest, I felt them grab at my ankles. I kicked out. It was the first good blow I managed to get in, whacking one of Jul’s goons in the nose with my heel. I was on my feet in an instant, but then Jul snagged my collar and shoved me against the wall. That must’ve been when I bit my tongue because that was the instant I tasted iron.

Gross.

I got in a few punches, but not before they pushed me around some more. I smashed into a barrel, which I knew was going to leave a bruise, and managed to land okay on the ground. I spotted a patch of grit and gravel on the road and knew I had my chance.

I snatched a handful of dirt and grit off of the ground and threw it into my attackers’ eyes. They howled in pain and confusion, which gave me a chance to get up and start the sprint of my life.

The whole way, I heard them calling out to me, shouting at me – the Illy – asking why I wouldn’t stay and that they could teach me so many things.

Cowards.

They wouldn’t have ganged up on me if they were alone. I could have taken them one on one.

Well…

Maybe…

I thought I could take them. I wanted to be able to take them. I curled further in on myself and continued to let the tears spill from the corners of my eyes.

Why?

Why did they have to be so horrible to me?

The word – that name – rang over and over in my head.

Illy.

It was slang, a derogative term used for children born to unwed mothers – mothers like my mom.

Illy.

Illegitimate.

A child who is an “Illy” is a silent mark on the family. It says that someone or both parties couldn’t control themselves, and that they did it often enough to produce a child. It’s not a crime to be in love. It’s not a crime to show your love. Still… a tradition is a tradition. There’s a reason it has endured.

It’s not fair.

I didn’t ask for this. I wished I knew my father and that my mother could be happily married. I wanted to learn things from my father and spend time with him. I wished I had a father who could teach me about the world. I wished I had him around to tell me stories and love me unconditionally. Didn’t they know that? Didn’t they know how much it hurt me to not have that in my life? If things were different, he would be in my life and then, maybe, I could attend school, but that wasn’t the case.

Tears continued to slide down my cheeks. Frustration consumed my mind, making me shake. I was so distracted that, in that moment, I didn’t even notice the sound of pounding or the looming figure until I heard his voice.

“Terrilyn?” A shiver shot down my spine as I suddenly realized the sky was eclipsed by none other than the Orion, Steele Veyne. I looked up into his violet eyes, seeing the crow’s feet by his eyes and the quizzical look on his brow, and instantly felt cotton mouthed.

Steele spoke so softly, and yet I felt like I just jumped out of my skin at hearing his voice.

Curses.

I wondered if he could see the red rims around my eyes or the bruises forming on my face. I turned my face away, shying from his gaze, and tried wiping away my glossy tears from my cheeks.

When I mostly composed myself, I dared to look back at Steele and nodded a few times. Finding my voice was a challenge, but I managed to spit out a few words.

“Yes, it’s me. Hello Steele,” I said. The emotion in my voice must have peaked his interest, because the elderly, giant man moved slowly from crouching to kneeling to sitting. His head turned curiously from side to side.

“Terrilyn? You… are upset? What happened?” asked Steele. He has always been direct – reserved, but direct. If he has a question, he asks it without hesitation, but somehow managing to do so tactfully. His question prompted my eyes to start watering again. I tried uselessly to wipe away the new onslaught of tears onto my sleeve, but it didn’t work.

Then, I heard a quick, ripping sound and, moments later, I saw Steele’s index finger descend and inch toward me, a fragment of fabric on the tip of his finger.

A handkerchief made from part of his shirt.

I smiled to myself at the thoughtfulness of the gesture, but my hands still shook when I reached out to take the piece of cloth.

I managed to mop up my face against the coarse cloth before I looked back up at him. Steele, sitting and waiting patiently, smiled gently and waited for some kind of explanation. I swallowed dryly and spoke as loudly and clearly as I could, which still wasn’t very loud.

“I’m alright. I just… fell…” I said, ashamed to admit I had been pushed to the ground and teased as well. Steele, with his intuitive gaze, seemingly saw right through my omissive truth.

“You are not… eh… koonyardo vi… cloom-see,” stated Steele. I couldn’t stop my slight chuckle of Steele’s mispronunciation or my embarrassment. At least I could help with one of those.

“Clumsy,” I mumbled. “It’s clumsy.”

“Ah! Yes. Clumsy. You are not clumsy,” said Steele as he mouthed the word a few times to remember it before continuing his light interrogation. “Well, you will tell me what happened?” Steele still had trouble with our language and got the word order wrong or weird from time to time. Still, he never let that stop him from trying.

I wished I could be like that, but I wasn’t. Seeing Steele wouldn’t be satisfied with anything less than the truth, I decided he would find out sooner or later when I talked to my momma about the incident in town.

I took a breath and decided to yield.

“I… well…” This was going to be harder than I thought. I collected my thoughts while Steele sat patiently before continuing my explanation. “There are… these boys in town. They don’t like it when I listen to story time and… well…”

“They… hurt you?” I flinched as Steele’s voice stiffened into a growl. I couldn’t lie to him.

“I… well… they usually just call me names, but that didn’t happen today,” I said, trying in some weird way to ease the situation and prevent Steele from taking out whatever anger he was capable of.

Hearing about the name calling, however, only seemed to make Steele bristle even more.

“What names?” he asked. I wasn’t sure, but I could have sworn in that moment that his violet eyes got darker and more menacing.

“P-p-please don’t be angry,” I stammered, shrinking away from his gaze. Seeing my reaction instantly changed Steele’s demeanor. The shadow that seemed to loom over his head as I confessed what happened in the town dissipated. His eyes softened. Even he took a breath and nodded.

“Apologies,” he said softly. “I did not mean to startle you. I just want to know.” I nodded, feeling my pounding heart skip a beat or two before I replied.

“N-no. It’s okay,” I muttered. I saw Steele nod, which amazed me. Perhaps it was years of time with our people or his own keen senses, but Steele’s hearing was impeccable. “Um… they…. They were calling me ‘Illy’.”

“Illy?” asked Steele, head turning to the side in another curious, quizzical moment. “What does it mean?” I felt a pang in my chest.

“It… means illegitimate. It means I have no father and that my momma is unwed,” I muttered.

Curses!

The tears started coming back. I noticed Steele stiffen as he absorbed the information. Then, seeing that it was clearly upsetting me, he changed the subject.

“You… go to the school for stories?” asked Steele. “You like learning?”

I wiped my eyes again and nodded, pulling my legs down so they were crossed in front of me instead of pressed against my chest.

“Yes, I love learning, but I can’t read and am not allowed to go to school,” I said.

“You… cannot read? They will not let you? Why?” asked Steele. There were so many questions from the giant man that I felt a bit flustered, but I collected my thoughts and replied.

“No… I can’t read. I mean, I can read a little, but not a lot. And I am not allowed because it’s not ‘proper.’ The main school is for boys only and we have enough, momma and me, but not enough for a tutor to teach me,” I said. The words poured out of me, and I couldn’t stop myself. Somehow, now, being alone with Steele while I was feeling down let me talk to the Orion freely and openly.

Steele’s finger approached again and pointed to the blood on my foot that poked out from the hem of my skirt.

“Do you need help? You are hurt,” said Steele. I snapped out of my momentary daze as I suddenly remembered the wood sorrel and yarrow in my pack.

“Um… no. I have some herbs,” I said as I pulled out the beautiful, dried flowers from my pack. I realized immediately that I had no idea how to actually use these plants. Were they just supposed to be pressed into the cut? Were they supposed to be mixed? Drank? Eaten?

“Chew,” said Steele, his deep thunderous voice sounding like distant rolling thunder that completely engulfed me. I looked up into his face and watched as he pointed to the cluster of flowers in my hand and then pointed to his mouth. “You need to make a… koonyardo vi… pool-tice? No, poultice. Like a paste or glue.”

I stared at Steele for a few more moments before nodding, showing him I understood. I was in awe of him. I didn’t know he knew about plants and herbs like Kendel.

What else did Steele know?

I did as Steele instructed and shoved the prickly, dried plants into my mouth. It took a minute, but I managed to chew them up into an odd tasting paste and followed Steele’s instructions on wiping away the blood with the clean portion of the shirt fragment he gave me and then applying the poultice onto my toes and foot, using the remainder of the cloth to secure the pulp in place.

I was right. I had split my heel and one of my toenails was barely hanging on. I bit into the little piece of cloth that was left and cut the nail free using my knife. It stung, but somehow Steele’s proud smile at how brave I was being comforted me.

“You did so well,” he encouraged, carefully tapping the ground in front of me to encourage and reassure me.

It made me smile.

“Terrilyn?” asked Steele. “Do you… want to learn? Go to school? Read?” My heart soared just thinking about going to learn every day, listening to stories of adventures and far off lands and heroes.

“More than anything,” I said eagerly; but then my heart clenched and began to sink into the ground once again. “But… I can’t….”

Steele shook his head and, carefully, extended an open palm to me.

“No. Not can’t. Will. Come,” he said. There was something in his voice that was reassuring and coaxed me forward. I had seen my momma do it a hundred times, and I had done it a few times as well, but the whole concept of stepping onto a giant’s hand, literally putting your life with them, unnerved me a little.

Still, I did it. I pushed myself up off of the ground and into his hand, wondering the whole time what Steele’s plan was. As I crouched and hoisted myself onto his palm, I could make out the grit and dirt in every line and swirl of his finger and felt the warm pulse of his heart beneath me. My entire body shuddered as Steele stood, the height alone making my head spin.

I stared out into the vast horizon and, all at once, my mind forgot everything else. I saw endless fields all around me, speckled with clusters of trees that led into a forest and houses all across the land. The ocean stretched out far beyond where I could see, a misty haze safeguarding the secrets beyond the edge of the world.

I was completely mesmerized at this breathtaking view.

“Beautiful,” I muttered, more to myself than to Steele. Still, he responded.

“Ken. Sylstaryn,” Steele replied in his strange dialect When he realized what he said, he shook his head quickly as if to shake something away and muttered, “Apologies. My tongue slips from time to time.”

“Don’t be sorry,” I said, turning to face him. “I… think your language is pretty.” At this, Steele beamed ever so slightly, but gestured that he was about to walk and took a few steps, letting me brace myself before he continued to walk.

I didn’t know where he was taking me, but I spent time enjoying the sights and the air as it blew through my hair. It was faster than I had ever run before, and the sensation was thrilling. I felt like the wind. Free.

Soon after, Steele approached a small house on the edge of the road that was a bit far from the town and crouched down, laying his hand on the ground and gesturing for me to get off.

“Steele? What are we doing here?” I asked. I felt completely confused. This was the home of Mehlein Hohru, an older man who was a bit of a hermit. He did not like to be bothered and was not one to suffer fools.

“Trust me,” was Steele’s only reply.

With that, he leaned forward to the stone cottage and gently tapped on the door. The house was only two rooms, and so Mehlein came quickly to the door.

The older man’s upturned nose, which had a slight crook in it where it might’ve been broken at one point or another in his life, was the first thing to poke through the door. His eyes, narrow and beady, were black like glossy coal. His long, thin fingers hooked around the edge of the dark wooden door as he peered out.

Seeing me, he gave a scowl, but then his eyes ventured up to Steele, and he merely stared curiously at him. Then, Mehlein spoke.

“Well, what can I do for you?” he asked, directing his question not at me, but Steele. Calm and collected, Steele kneeled and bowed his head low before making eye-contact with the elderly hermit.

“Sir, your name is known to me, and I would request an exchange – a favor for a kindness,” stated Steele. I have never heard Steele speak so properly and with such a formal tone. And what did he mean that Mehlein’s name was known to him?

“Kindness and favor? I knew you wanted something, but at least you have manners,” called Mehlein. “Your name is known to me as well, Steele Veyne. Now, tell me about these favors and kindnesses you speak of.” Mehlein’s voice was cold and calculated, but I sword I heard interest too.

“You desire a well, a fence, a roof, and other work on your land,” stated Steele. “In exchange, your kindness will be to teach this girl to read.”

My insides dropped into my toes. What was he doing? What was going on? I couldn’t even object because Mehlein is already pacing around me in a circle like a vulture. The cane in his hand tapped and thudded into the ground menacingly as he limped around me.

“Her? Not you? What makes you think she can?” demanded Mehlein.

“Because I know it. She is driven and wants to know. She has a good mind and will learn. She can then teach me. While I work, she learns. Agreed?” asked Steele.

I am so stunned that I don’t get in a single word. Instead, Mehlein nodded and said, “Fine. We begin tomorrow. Dawn. Be ready and do not disappoint me.”

With that, the man hobbled back inside. Steele offered his hand to me, and I climbed on without hesitation, numb from the exchange. It is when we are almost home that I managed to find my voice again.

“Steele… why did you… do that?” I asked. Steele stopped walking and turned those violet eyes onto me, smiling tenderly.

“Because I want to help you. Because no life should be deprived of an opportunity, especially if someone can make a wish come true,” said Steele. “Knowledge is priceless. Do not waist your mind. You have a good one, Terrilyn, just like your mother.” I couldn’t begin to describe my emotions, but I knew in an instant that I glimpsed the man Steele was – who my momma saw – and it was right then, right there, that I decided there was no way I was going to let him down.

~~~~~^*^*^*^*^~~~~~

Continue

Beginning

~~~~~^*^*^*^*^~~~~~

Book One: The Orion’s Factotum

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narrans · 1 year

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A Tall and Small Collection | S2.33 | A Jarring Night

For the past few years, Ashlyn prided herself in resolving issues and conflict amicably. She learned how to take a step back from situations and choose her words carefully to not escalate an issue.

There was a time when she was angry and fueled by a sharp tongue and will to inflict wounds on the soul of the one who wronged her. She wasn’t always like that though. She was kind and believed in second chances; however, she had dealt with so much from her last long-term relationship that it changed her.

Ashlynn, for the past few years, had found her way back to her kinder self while being ready to defend her loved ones at a moment’s notice. That part of her was brought to life when Soren came into her life – both times.

Now, however, was not the time for words. In a flash and acting on pure impulse, Ashlynn snatched the Borrower who had Rey’s leg moments ago off of the counter and held him tightly away from the counter.

All she saw was red, the rage radiating off of her like a furnace.

In this moment, it didn’t matter that the person fit in her clenched fist.

It didn’t matter that his face was contorted in sheer panic and terror, tears threatening to spill over the edge of his eyes.

He was trying to hurt her family – that was what mattered.

Soren, on the other hand, had a million other things running rampant in his mind. First and foremost, his brothers and his daughter.

He rushed over and helped Rey up, hugging him instinctively as he did when Rey was little, before stepping back and evaluating his youngest brother.

Rey’s lip was split and there was a bruise on his cheek. The blood on his knuckles was obviously from his assailant.

“I’m okay,” he muttered bitterly as he wiped his nose on the back of his sleeve.

“Good,” said Soren, though the tension was failing to dissipate. “And…”

“Dorian and Mayzie are by the couch. I went over here to grab an extra paperclip for my project when he…” Rey stared at the other Borrower loathingly as he wriggled in Ashlynn’s hand. Rey didn’t finish. His eyes were fixated on the Borrower’s flailing legs. Despite his injuries and the look of seething anger he gave the captured assailant, there was still a flicker of fear as he saw the murderous glare Ashlynn had in her eyes.

“Soren, you and Rey should go back to the couch,” muttered Ashlynn as she took a half step away from the counter toward one of the cabinets that Soren knew held jars and writing supplies like pens, paper, and tape. Her voice was dangerously low and threatening.

Rey swallowed dryly, but began to obey Ashlynn’s words, nervously glancing over his shoulder at her as she continued to restrain his assailant.

Soren, on the other hand, remained unmoving on the counter, eyes flicking back and forth from Ashlynn to the assailant. His heart was pounding a million miles a minute. He was feeling panic beyond words as well as a seething loathing deep in his gut.

The loathing came from this scum trying to hurt his brothers. Soren felt his entire body trembling out of fury. Wasn’t it enough that he helped attack Soren, leaving him for dead in the freezer? Wasn’t it enough that Soren and his family had removed themselves from the Borrower community to not only keep the community safe but also to keep themselves safe?

How dare he come back and try to hurt Rey! Were there others hiding in the shadows?

This is when Soren’s stomach dropped into his gut.

Was this part of some scheme? Were there other Borrowers here witnessing Ashlynn’s fury? Was this going to spread back to the community? More importantly, what was Ashlynn going to do?

Soren stared at Ashlynn’s hands, his insides twisting. Those were the same hands that had carefully bandaged him numerous times when his leg was busted. Those were the same hands that comforted him when he was reunited with his brothers, and he admitted he was at a loss for what to do. Those were the same hands that held him tenderly, protecting and loving him with fierce and controlled passion.

For a moment, he imaged what the other Borrower was going through – and it terrified him.

In one moment, he was face-to-face with the horror that so many Borrower stories held of being captured and rendered helpless by a human. Soren saw the other Borrower’s legs kicking as he struggled fruitlessly in Ashlynn’s grip.

He couldn’t tare his eyes away from the sight even though he wanted to do so. He wanted to look away and pretend he was not about to see something horrific.

On the other hand, something – everything – felt wrong about it.

He hated the Borrower who came to his home. He loathed him with every fiber of his being. The fact that his family had once again been put in danger by some self-righteous vigilante infuriated him. He was so livid he could inflict any sort of harm on the Borrower in Ashlynn’s grasp.

He also, more than anything, hated seeing this side of Ashlynn.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.

This wasn’t right.

Soren, trembling from anger and fear, took a bold step forward and shouted as loud as he could.

“Ashlynn! Don’t!”

Ashlynn stopped momentarily to glance over at Soren before returning her gaze to the Borrower in her grip. She stared at him as a cat would its prey.

“Not now, Soren,” she growled, her voice louder than normal. “Leave him to me.”

Soren’s insides twisted harder. It was evident that she was not going to give up easily.

“It’s not your fight! Ashlynn, don’t do this,” pleaded Soren. His eyes glanced up to the trim momentarily as if he expected to see a dozen peering eyes watching the encounter. He looked back to Ashlynn and breathed deeply. “Please, let him go.” Ashlynn whipped around and glared at Soren with a venomous glare. Soren, for a fraction of a moment, stepped back, startled by the look in her eye.

“Let him go?!” she demanded, turning her body to face Soren, though she didn’t lower herself to eye-level, so she towered over him. “Did you really just say that to me?”

“Yes, I did,” said Soren firmly, feeling his body trembling ever so slightly with the sight of Ashlynn looming over him, blue-grey eyes illuminated by the kitchen light on the ceiling. She eyed him suspiciously before glancing between the Borrower and Soren.

As if in defiance, she splayed just a few fingers so the Borrower was held by only two fingers, keeping the Borrower pressed to her palm, and took stock of his supplies. Her eyes fell immediately onto the Borrower’s hip and the murderous look in her eyes returned. She reached out and plucked something off of the Borrower’s side.

“This isn’t my fight, huh?”

Soren spotted something clutched in her fingers, but didn’t recognize it until she lowered it to the counter just in front of Soren. His jaw dropped.

It was his hook. It was his father’s hook that he had given him before…

Soren knelt and grasped the hook and line. It was unmistakable. Soren recognized the partially bent curve and the scrape and notch marks on the spikes. It had been stolen when Soren was thrown into the freezer and his family attacked.

“Say that it isn’t my fight again,” spat Ashlynn. “This is your hook, right? This isn’t something you would loan out. So, this means this pilfering rat took it from you. All I have to do is ask Rey if he recognizes this unwanted houseguest and…”

“Don’t! Ashlynn, please!” pleaded Soren, shaking his head free and attaching his hook back to his hip. “You’re right, this is one of the Borrowers who attacked us. Still, this isn’t right. I’ll take care of him.”

“Sorry, but I’m not letting this one go just so he can go grab his goonies and come back with a vengeance against us,” growled Ashlynn. She turned around and, before Soren could stop her, fished out an empty mason jar, unscrewed the top, and dropped the Borrower in carelessly, fastening the top before the Borrower could get to his feet.

He huddled in the corner, obviously terrified, and looked like he was trying to mouth, ‘please don’t hurt me’ or something of the kind.

Soren watched in horror as Ashlynn brought the glass jar over and set it onto the counter inches from the electrical cover which led to the Borrower’s freedom. It was obvious he was scrambling to find something to help get him out of the jar, but it wasn’t until he caught Soren’s eyes that he stopped moving and drew himself in tight.

Soren felt acid burning at the back of his throat. He wanted to upchuck everything and excuse himself to bed, ignoring the issue and letting Ashlynn deal with it.

Still…

He knew this was wrong.

Despite what the Borrower deserved, it should be dealt with by him.

He swallowed dryly and looked back at Ashlynn, who was still glowering at the Borrower in the jar.

“Ashlynn, this isn’t right. Please, let him out,” said Soren.

“No.”

“Ashlynn, this isn’t good. Think about this for a second,” implored Soren.

“Think? You’re saying I’m being rash?” demanded Ashlynn, turning that still seething gaze onto Soren momentarily. “He and some of his goons tried to kill you. Do you get that? Kill you. They put you in the freezer and I don’t even want to think about what might have happened if they managed to get a hold of Dorian or Rey or Mayzie.”

“Yes – me. He and his goons went after me, not you,” argued Soren. “Ashlynn, we can take care of ourselves. You don’t have to step in and protect us. We’re in this together.” He knew this was an uphill battle and that he could only spill everything on his mind in an effort to persuade Ashlynn.

“Exactly – together. We are family, Soren – that means if he went after one of us, he went after all of us,” Ashlynn argued back. This time, she knelt and rested at eye-level with Soren.

“And I love you for that,” said Soren firmly, taking a few shaky but daring steps forward toward Ashlynn. “Family also means we trust one another, and I’m telling you to trust me to handle this.”

“You think I’m going to leave you alone with this guy? You think I’m just going to let him go so he can go and spread the word that his plan was foiled?” demanded Ashlynn.

“Ashlynn, we are shattering what little trust we’ve earned with the Borrower community by trapping him like this,” said Soren fiercely as he pointed to the mason jar. “He’s going to go back and tell everyone that you’re just like all of the other humans out there – confirming their stories and suspicions. They might be watching right now!”

Ashlynn’s features hardened. Her jaw clenched and, for a moment, it looked like she considered Soren’s words. Her eyes quickly darted to the electrical cover and then above to the trim.

“Ashlynn,” said Soren, stepping forward again. “Please. Let him go. Let me handle this. Yes, this is our fight as a family, but I need to be the one to throw the punches. Please,” pleaded Soren.

Ashlynn thought about Soren’s words for several long minutes. She could see the fear in his hazel eyes as well as the determined look in his features. He did not want to see this Borrower come to harm, but he obviously didn’t want him to go unpunished either.

With a clenched jaw, she reached past Soren and seized the jar, standing up as she did. For a moment, Soren’s mouth opened in protest, as though he lost his uphill battle with her. Before he could say anything, Ashlynn unscrewed the lid and forcefully tapped it against her palm, forcing the Borrower out into her hand once more.

Ashlynn kept her fist light, but also kept her grip firm around the Borrower as he whimpered in her grasp. She brought him up to eye-level and made sure his eyes locked onto hers before she spoke.

“You listen up, and you listen well. The only reason you are walking away from this little encounter is because he is allowing it,” Ashlynn pointed to Soren and made sure the Borrower saw Soren as well. “I am not so gracious and forgiving as him and, if it were solely up to me, you would live in that jar for the rest of your days. Get it? Soren – the one you and your lunatic friends tried to kill – is the one letting you go. Think about that really hard for a minute.”

Ashlynn let an entire minute pass before giving the Borrower one more squeeze.

“If I ever see you or any of your friends here again or if any of them turn up hurt again, I will do whatever it takes to find you and make sure you regret your actions against my family,” growled Ashlynn.

With that, she quickly dropped her hand and carelessly dropped the Borrower onto the counter. He landed on his hands and knees mere inches from Soren. He stayed there completely stock still like a statue before Soren stepped forward.

“Get up,” Soren spat. “You chose to pick a fight with me, and now you have it. It wasn’t a fair fight before with three of you, but I’m ready now. To be honest, a fight between just the two of us is hardly fair. You’d need some more guys on your side to make it even. Still, you’ll do.”

The other Borrower merely whimpered and cowered, still not willing to move with Ashlynn less than eight inches away.

“What?” demanded Soren. “Not willing to get into a fair fight?”

The Borrower pushed himself up, obviously shaking, and glared up at Soren.

“Big words for a human pet,” he snarled, keeping his voice low so Ashlynn couldn’t quite make out what he was saying. “That human will snatch me the moment I make a move.”

“No she won’t, and I told you it’s not like that,” snapped Soren as he stepped back into a defensive position. “I can’t change your mind, but I can change that grimace on your face.”

“Traitor! You’re no Borrower!” roared the perpetrator as he lunged forward, fists clenched. Soren dodged easily to the side and spun on his heel, grabbing the Borrower’s arm, spinning around, and throwing him onto the ground.

Soren managed to leap out of the way before the perpetrator snagged his legs. He scrambled to his feet and threw punch after punch wildly, trying to land any hit he could on Soren. Soren, on the other hand, was too quick. He dodged blow after blow until he spotted an opening and landed three harsh punches to his assailant’s gut, jaw, and chin.

The Borrower landed harshly on the ground, obviously out cold, before coming back to consciousness a minute later. Soren hovered over him, fists still clenched. The Borrower scrambled away several inches as Soren watched him.

Then, as Soren stood with Ashlynn to his back, growled, “Get out and do not come back. I can’t guarantee your safety or the safety of your goons next time.”

Bloodied and bruised, the Borrower hastened to his feet and stumbled toward the electrical cover, vanishing from sight moments later.

Ashlynn said nothing for several minutes, but it was Soren who broke the silence first.

“Thank you, Ashlynn,” he muttered as Ashlynn laid her hand palm up on the counter.

“Did we do the right thing?” she asked quietly as Soren stepped onto her palm. “Letting him go so he could go and tell everyone?”

“No point in worrying now,” stated Soren as he glanced down at his knuckles. “We’ve pretty much removed ourselves from the community, so it could go one of two ways. One being he spreads the story and everyone is terrified, but will leave us alone. Two being he keeps his embarrassing story of attacking a teen and getting jarred to himself and everyone is still terrified, if only a little less.”

“I’m… Soren, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to lose my temper like that. I just…” Ashlynn leaned her back against the counter and kept Soren cupped in her palm. He gazed up at her stormy blue-grey eyes and saw moisture gathering in them.

“It’s okay. You listened and took a step back, which is what’s important. You let me handle this,” said Soren. Taking a daring move, he got a partial running start and ran up part of Ashlynn’s arm, scurrying up the rest of the way using the fabric of her jacket, and rested once he made it to the top of her shoulder.

Instinctively, Ashlynn turned her head just as Soren approached and kissed her cheek, which was twice the width of his own body. Ashlynn closed her eyes and let herself feel the gentle kiss Soren gave her.

After a moment, she reached up and grasped Soren delicately. She thought she felt him shudder in her grasp, but it was only natural seeing that she held him in the same hand she had seized the perpetrator with minutes earlier. She held him aloft and pressed her lips to his chest, which seemed to relax the tension in his body.

It was that kiss, for Ashlynn, that helped save their wonderful date night; that and the fact that the boys and Mayzie were completely safe after their little encounter.

Ashlynn bit her lip in frustration as she stared at the ceiling that night after they had all turned in for bed.

Had she just ruined something great with the Borrower community? Had something been damaged with her and Soren’s relationship by the way she acted? She didn’t think so.

Still, she hoped that Borrower would keep his mouth shut about what happened tonight. Could she be so lucky? And, if not, would there be any way to redeem her actions in the eyes of the community?

~~~~~^*^*^*^*^~~~~~

Continue

A Tall and Small Collection | Soren

ASK ME ANYTHING

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narrans · 1 month

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narrans · 2 years

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A Tall and Small Collection | S2.27 | Confessions to the (Un)Conscious

Content Advisory: This chapter discusses sensitive messages ahead mentioning intense emotion, past experiences, and personal injury to physical and emotional self.

~~~^*^*^~~~

Quiet.

Peace.

Finally, there was a moment of calm in the home. Even though everyone was still recovering, they knew they were safe and had drifted off to sleep.

Well…

Everyone except Ashlynn…

She couldn’t sleep.

She dared not sleep.

There was a compounding, spiraling fear that they would be gone when she opened her eyes. It would’ve been so easy for the other Borrowers to gang up on the family she knew and loved. The emergency flashlight across the room was aglow dimly like a flickering candle.

It wasn’t enough to ease the human’s unease.

Were they being watched? Would they, whoever “they” were, make another attempt? Was this a message for her? Or for other Borrowers? Were they saying this would happen to others if they befriended humans?

Even after helping them, there was such mistrust. It made Ashlynn frustrated and angry. She imagined this was how Soren and his family felt, being watched and small knowing there was nothing she could do to stop it.

So, with her churning mind, Ashlynn stayed awake with the light on her bedside table on as well as the emergency flashlight in the hallway on.

The tenseness in her body wouldn’t relent, even as she looked at all of the Borrowers sleeping.

Rey, brace firmly in place, was asleep on his side. Dorian tried to stay up with Ashlynn, but his own ordeal left him exhausted too. They were curled up together with Mayzie in the middle.

All three slept in the makeshift tent Ashlynn made on the bedside table to shield them from the light that was still on, and it evidently was enough. Ashlynn could see the tops of their heads from under the blankets, Mayzie’s wavy brown and auburn kissed hair tousled in between Rey and Dorian’s sandy blonde heads of hair.

It wasn’t them, however, who she was really worried about.

It was Soren.

Thankfully, Borrowers were hearty and more resilient than humans, but not by much. He was stiff and lethargic all afternoon and into the evening. He drank the hot liquids Ashlynn offered him, but it was obvious he needed a good night’s sleep nestled in blankets way too big for him to recover fully by the next day. Ashlynn couldn’t help but think over and over that if she were just one more minute late…

No…

He was still here.

He was alive.

He was going to be fine.

That was what she had to remind herself of over and over as she stared at Soren’s sleeping form. Unlike his brothers or daughter, Ashlynn insisted on having him sleep next to her on the bed next to her pillow so she could monitor his condition. Even after hours of time on the heating pad and sleep, he was still having a hard time moving and couldn’t quite get warm, not that it was unexpected.

Some of the articles Ashlynn read said that an uncomplicated recovery could take as long as 48 hours to recover from. If Soren didn’t feel better by tomorrow afternoon, Ashlynn would have real reason to worry. It was one of the reasons why she wanted him to be close… among other reasons.

The blanket which was hundreds of times his size was pulled up over his left shoulder, but his left arm and head were exposed. Ashlynn could see the bruises on his face and arms clearer now which only enraged her. If she ever found out who was responsible, it would be a bad day for those Borrowers. Screw the consequences.

This was personal.

This was family – her family.

Weren’t there enough dangers out there for Borrowers? People. Pets. Heights. The elements. Now, their own?

Ashlynn’s heart swelled and she let out a puff of frustrated air which ruffled Soren’s hair. He stirred slightly, which made her pause and wait to see if he would wake. Instead, he nestled further under the blankets around him.

He looked so peaceful. Ashlynn dared to think to herself that he was still rather handsome and a tad rugged looking with the bruises on his cheek and by his eye.

It was completely involuntary, but she didn’t care. She reached out and carefully laid her hand just barely on top of him, palm to his back. His face and arm were exposed, and Ashlynn took a fraction of a second and delicately brushed the side of her thumb along Soren’s exposed arm before setting her thumb down on the bed beside him.

It hit her earlier that day but seeing him there made her really think.

She could have lost him. He could be gone right now.

His brothers would be alone and hurt without him. Mayzie would never know the fantastic man her father was except through second-hand stories.

He would be gone and never know what she had felt in her heart for so long.

He would never know how giddy she felt when he walked out of the walls. HE wouldn’t know that his warmth and his touch made her the happiest woman in the world. Soren wouldn’t know how much their talks meant to her. How his laugh and his smile were the last things she thought of for so many nights.

Soren would never know this if things were worse.

Ashlynn couldn’t keep it in any longer. She at least had to say it out loud. Even if he didn’t hear, keeping it locked in her mind created an echo chamber of agony and regret.

“Soren?” asked Ashlynn in the softest, tenderest tone she could muster. The sound of her voice sounded oddly muted in the silent apartment. Several seconds passed and then Soren inhaled deeply, stretching slightly into her touch, but he did not nod or respond. His eyes didn’t even flicker open for a second.

She wanted to be sure.

“Soren? Are you awake?”

Nothing.

Everything in her heart and her head felt like it was about to explode out of her. Heart pounding in her chest, she took a breath and let the words she had kept at bay slip from her lips, whispering the precious secret that it was.

“I… I’m so glad you’re okay. You had me so scared there for a while, Soren,” whispered Ashlynn. “I haven’t been that scared in a long time.”

Soren didn’t make a move to show he was aware or conscious.

“Soren… I want to tell you something – something I’ve never told you before. You told me once that you were indebted to me. You told me once that you owed me for saving your life, and your brothers’ life all those years ago. You said you could never pay me back, but you need to know I am the one who can’t pay you back, not that I’m keeping tally,” said Ashlynn. Her voice was shaking as was her hand that was still around Soren’s body.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted those all-too-familiar lines that had long since healed on her wrists. They were a harsh reminder of one of those dark times in her life that she tried to keep buried in her memory, but always resurfaced when she noticed them.

“The truth is that you saved me first.”

Ashlynn closed her eyes and remembered the first day found him. She could still feel everything she experienced that day just before she met Soren, found him snapped beneath that mouse trap.

The agony.

The rage.

No one to turn to.

The hopeless, sinking sensation when something inevitable ends up happening despite everything you did to stop it.

She remembered the frustration and apprehension of what was to come and the confusion and curiosity from seeing this small humanoid under the mousetrap that fateful day.

“You saved me,” she echoed as she opened her eyes to look at him. Her fingers curled slightly against Soren. “You see… I had just come home from the courthouse. I had to testify against my boyfriend – my fiancé. He was… unkind… to me… and I thought I could fix him. I was wrong. We were toxic and I knew it, but I was in love with him. I didn’t know what to do. My world felt like it was crumbling.”

Ashlynn gazed at Soren’s features. The way his hair fell into his eyes as he slept and the curve of his spine fitting perfectly against Ashlynn’s hand made her adore him all the more. She couldn’t stop confessing everything if she tried – not now.

“I didn’t know what to do. No one was going to miss me anymore. It felt like what happened when I was… younger… I figured I would just slip into the bathtub, put on a show, drink a little too much, and then just slip away.” She paused for a daring breath. “That’s when I saw you on the floor. You needed help, and so did I. If that wasn’t a sign, I didn’t know what was.”

Soren readjusted slightly under the covers but was asleep still. Ashlynn paused just long enough to see if he would open his eyes, but he didn’t. She sighed and kept talking. There was something reassuring about saying everything out loud to someone, even if they couldn’t hear you.

“You… you saved my life, Soren; and I never thanked you for that,” said Ashlynn. She felt warm, salty tears stinging the corners of her eyes. They threatened to fall down her cheeks and onto her pillow.

He was still out like a light. Her entire body seemed to be vibrating with anticipation. There was a fluttering in her chest making her anxious, but also excited. If she didn’t speak these feelings that made her chest ache and her heart flutter and flip, she would lose the nerve forever. She knew it.

“There’s something else, Soren. I… I don’t even know how to say this, but it’s been weighing on my heart.” Ashlynn smiled to herself. “I don’t know when or even how it is possible, but I have to tell you because I don’t want to let you go without saying it out loud.”

No regrets.

“I’m in love with you.”

Like a freed river, the emotions came flooding out of her. Ashlynn found an unstoppable smile crossing her face, and she chuckled to herself, feeling ridiculous at how good it felt to say it out loud. She wanted to do it again.

She wanted to scream it from the rooftops.

Instead, she said it again like the precious secret it was.

“I’m in love with you, Soren,” she whispered. “You’ve helped me become the person I am. I don’t know how you always make me smile and laugh, but you do. I knew the moment I left that day that it was a mistake, but I was afraid. I wasn’t sure if it was right or just circumstance that made me feel the way I did – the way I still do.”

Ashlynn gazed at Soren’s sleeping form.

“I… just wanted you to know. I needed to put it out there. I don’t expect you to feel the same way. I don’t want you to force feelings either. I know you have someone you’re interested in, and I’m honestly just happy to even be here in your life. I just want you to be happy, and that’ll make my world – because that’s what you are; you and Mayzie and Dorian and Rey,” smiled Ashlynn.

The nervous thrill of falling for someone made her head spin.

At the same time, seeing him cupped in her hand made her see the one very obvious difference between them. She wasn’t sure how it would even work. Would he even want it to work? Because she knew she did.

She stared at Soren for a moment longer when a dangerous thought crept into her mind. It crossed her mind before, but everything between her nerves and excitement had her mind in a whole new mentality.

She sat up on her elbow slowly and carefully to not disturb the bed as she gazed at Soren. Her heart pounded in her chest. The nerves just below her skin felt electrified. The thought in her mind grew and blossomed.

It was now or never.

She held her breath and leaned down, moving her hand slightly out of the way, until she was barely an inch from him. Mustering all of the courage and tenderness she possibly could, Ashlynn closed the distance and kissed Soren. It was just on his chest, and it was only for a second, but what a thrilling second that was.

She pulled away and laid her head against her pillow again, finding her emotions overwhelming at the moment. Ashlynn felt Soren readjust, but he remained quiet and still. After a little while, her eyes tired and she let herself drift off to sleep, hand gently placed just over the man she adored.

~~~^*^*^~~~

What she didn’t know – what she couldn’t have known as she drifted off to sleep – was Soren heard it all…

~~~^*^*^~~~

Soren wasn’t sure if he was dreaming or not. He thought he nodded when she asked if he was awake. Did he nod? It was a strange, lucid dreaming state he couldn’t quite wake from. It was like he was there, and yet he wasn’t at the same time.

It was, as they say, an out of body experience, but he heard it all.

Ashlynn’s past.

What she was thinking.

What she was feeling.

Did he even hear her right?

She loved him.

She was in love with him!

She had been feeling this way for quite some time, and now he knew it for certain.

When she kissed him, when her soft lips pressed against his chest, his mind sent him over the moon. The mental and emotional rush was the release of tension he had wanted for so long. His heart pounded out of his chest, and he was thrilled beyond words.

He knew the feelings were mutual now.

He wanted to say something, but his body and the dream like state his mind was in wouldn’t let him. By the time he managed to fight his way out of this stupor, Ashlynn was fast asleep, hand resting over him like the guardian angel she was.

Now, he was faced with a conundrum.

Ashlynn thought he was asleep the whole time, and in a way he was. The question now wasn’t whether or not Ashlynn had feelings for him, but it was how he was going to tell her that he was in a dreamlike stupor and had heard her entire confession.

~~~~~^*^*^*^*^~~~~~

Continue

A Tall and Small Collection | Soren

ASK ME ANYTHING

21 notes · View notes

narrans · 2 years

Note

For the sentence starters prompts: how about 7?

7. “I’m not a doll, you know. Stop treating me like one.”

One Shot | Michael, not Mikey

I knew it wasn’t good-bye. It couldn’t be. She would get better. This sickness between us would go away and we would be together again. We had to be okay.

It was still odd for me to think that we were together, not only as friends, but as scholars and colleagues – equals. I was, and still am, a pet. Yes, I may be a pet, but that didn’t change that I was fully aware and a sentient being.

Pets are biological constructions who are fully aware and yet not autonomous – legal speak for able to function on our own and make decisions for ourselves. Five-inch-tall living dolls for the amusement of others. We are, in a word, powerless to determine our own fates. Some of us have good owners, but others are not as fortunate.

I decided early on that I wasn’t going to be entirely powerless. Yes, I may be a genetically modified sub-strand of the human race measuring, personally speaking, five-and-a-quarter inches tall, but that didn’t limit my intellect or ability to learn.

Conditioning taught me to be obedient, but my will kept me unbroken. The rules told me where the lines were, and my creativity found ways to bend those rules to my will. I knew how far I could push the line with my first owner before I was surrendered to Second Chance, a shelter for pets like me. My next owner insisted on keeping me for only a month before finding my, as he called it, “feet dragging,” unacceptable.

When I was sold for that third time, I was certain I was going to be returned or treated like an insignificant, unintelligent being like my other two owners. I didn’t listen when I was loaded into the carrier, and I ensured I avoided eye-contact with the woman who purchased me. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of pleadingly looking into her eyes in hopes of gaining sympathy.

When we arrived at her home, however, this was not the case at all.

Caroline, sweet Caroline, was unlike any human I came into contact with. From the first day, she talked to me like an actual person. She made eye-contact with me when she opened my carrier and apologized for anything any human might’ve done to me. When I asked why, Caroline simply explained she wanted a companion and friend, but she moved around a lot since she traveled so much for work that she didn’t have any constant in her life.

That’s what she wanted me to be. A constant – a friend. She didn’t want to force a friendship, and Caroline said if I simply wanted to exist separately from her, I could do so.

The main thing was she wanted to help get someone, a pet, out of a bad situation. She once agreed with having pets, but an impactful conversation with a doctor friend of hers who lived out of town somewhere, I honestly didn’t remember where she said because my ears were ringing too loudly, about the mentality and sentience of pets. He told her that pets were just like people and that having a conversation with a pet when they felt free to speak their mind would tell her everything she needed to know.

Her opinion changed after that, and this is when she purchased me.

She made it clear I could pursue my own interests if I wanted to stay while she traveled. She also said I could use any resource she had to improve my life as I saw fit.

Needless to say, I was in absolute shock and thrilled beyond expression. Caroline let me adjust to my new home with her for the next month though, in all honesty, I only needed a week to feel perfectly at ease in her presence. Her hands were never probative, and she always asked before moving me, and it was always optional.

I had even run a few tests, telling her to wait while she was walking or asking for a moment after she asked if I wanted to go with her from one room to the next. Without question, she listened.

No rules.

No obligations.

Just my sweet Caroline.

We had the best conversations ranging from her business, which was contract estimation for architectural structures, philosophy, photography, politics, and even the films we watched together. It felt like we had been friends for years, which was all I ever wanted to be, because it meant I was seen as a person, not a pet.

So, when Caroline was diagnosed with cancer, we had one another to cope and work through next steps.

Everything was set in place. I was supposed to stay with her in the hospital when she was on extended stays. We had documents permitting me to be by her side.

One night, however, she had an episode. She was gasping for breath. Everything was going wrong. I called the police to send an ambulance immediately and, thankfully, they did. They did not, however, take me with her. Despite my insistence and her pleading, I was forcibly left behind.

I waited all through the night and into the next day to hear something – anything – about Caroline. It wasn’t until I called the nearest three hospitals asking about her that I heard she was admitted and receiving “the best treatment,” but they were unable to disclose any details. I was thankful that they didn’t realize I was a pet while we were on the phone. I had that going for me at least.

I felt like I was losing my mind. Nausea plagued my insides. I didn’t eat, sick with worry, and barely sipped water throughout the whole day. Exhaustion was the only reason my body let me sleep, passing out and falling into a string of nightmares I couldn’t wake from.

The only salvation I had was when Caroline herself got a hold of a phone and called me two days later. Her voice alone relieved every tense muscle in my body with the simple word – my name.

“Michael.” Never had a sweeter voice said my name. I fell to my knees as I listened, heart thundering in my chest.

“Michael, I’m okay. Are you there?”

I swallowed dryly and choked out my response.

“Yes, I’m here. How are you? How do you feel? I called all the hospitals nearby and just found the one they took you to,” I said, trying to keep all of the facts straight in my tumultuous thoughts.

“I’m okay. The doctor said it was just a flare up, but they want me to stay for observation and an additional treatment,” said Caroline. Her voice was raspy and tense. She was obviously exhausted. I stared across the kitchen counter. I had a million questions to ask her, but I knew our time had to be limited and that Caroline needed sleep. I needed to hit the highlights.

“Are you going to be alright?” I ask. That was the most important thing happening right now.

“Of course, Michael. You know me. Fighter to the end,” Caroline said before going into a fit of coughs. I heard her fend off some of the doctors as they tried to take the phone from her. “No. I’m not done. I’m fine.” I knew I didn’t have a lot of time.

“How long will you be staying?” I asked. “How can I get to you?”

“I don’t know how long,” replied Caroline. “And… you can’t get to me.” My heart stopped.

“Caroline…”

“It’s not because I don’t want you here. I honestly would feel a lot better if you were here with me. I miss you Michael. I miss you so much, but they’re transferring me to a different hospital that has a policy against… you know…. I asked them not to take me or if my paperwork would be valid and they said no. My doctor is out of town, and this is the best they can do. It’s the New Works Social hospital downtown,” explains Caroline.

“But… if that’s the case…” My mind is spiraling. She is going to be gone for who knew how long. She needed me. I needed to be there for her.

“Look, my cousin Daisy lives nearby. She’s going to come by and check on the house to get my paperwork. I told her our rules and that you were special, but she only hears every other word. The family says she’s a genius, but I think that’s a load of you-know-what.” Caroline wheezed and coughed violently into the phone again. My heart ached for her.

“This… Daisy? She okay with pets?” I asked.

“I don’t know, but she’s the only one who lives nearby. She’ll be there later today. I told her not to bother you, Michael, but she isn’t the best at listening,” said Caroline. “I’m so sorry, Michael. I didn’t want any of this for you.” I nodded a few times, accepting what was undoubtedly going to come my way.

“It’s okay. It’s not your fault. It’s okay,” I reassured. My heart races a million miles a minute. I wanted to throw up. I wanted to beg her to call off Daisy and that I would look after the place, but it would be nearly impossible for me to clean up the mess from the other night. Right now, we needed to focus on Caroline. “I’ll be okay. Don’t worry about me. Just get better soon and call me or call the house as often as you can, okay?”

“Promise,” she said softly. “Miss you.”

“Miss you too,” I replied. At that, the phone was shuffled away, and I was left alone in the apartment on my own to the solitude that was sure to be broken sooner or later.

I lost track of time as I watch the line go out. Caroline said she was going to be okay. I needed to get to her. When I glanced back at the clock, I was astonished to find that I had been sitting there blankly for nearly two hours.

I probably didn’t have a lot of time left. This Daisy person was probably going to be here any minute. I had involuntarily waisted a couple of hours processing the information Caroline gave me. Now, I needed to take care of me so I could help her.

I instantly started planning on places to hide from this Daisy woman, but I get maybe five minutes into planning and climbing down off of the counter on my makeshift ladder when the front doorknob jiggled. Within seconds and before I could react, the door was opened cautiously and a woman around her early twenties peered in through the crack she created.

After only a half of a second, she whisked herself into the room and closed the door behind her. I thought at first she might be okay. She was trying to observe the room after all. Maybe she was making sure she didn’t step on me?

My hopes instantly drained when I watched her pull out a bag of “pet treats” from her side purse that looked more like a duffle bag than a purse and shook the bag.

“Buddy? You here?” she called as she made several ear-splitting kissing sounds. “Come on. You don’t have to be scared. I’m not gonna hurt you. I’ve got some yummy treats for you. Are you hiding? It’s oka…”

Her pale green eyes traced the room and found me halfway down my makeshift ladder absolutely frozen. I had been found out. I thought for a second about dropping to the floor, but I was sure I would break something if I did. I hated that of my instinctual reaction options of fight, flight, or freeze, I was freezing. It wasn’t even my choice at this point. I was completely frozen.

A smile on her face meant to be reassuring only appeared arrogant and demeaning to me. She approached, her thunderous footsteps sounding like the bell tolls of my demise.

One look and I knew this “Daisy” was like the others and that she saw me for what I was supposed to be – a pet.

“Well, hi there little guy. Did you get stuck up there?” she asked, her voice “sweetening” and talking to me like a young child. I hated it. Caroline never talked to me like this. I managed to snap out of my frozen state, but it was already too late.

“Here, let me help you get down,” she said as she wrapped her fingers around my body just under my arms and tugged me free from the ladder I so desperately clung to. My fingers didn’t stand a chance at fighting her simple tug and I was suddenly aloft in the air, pressure all around me and being smothered by the heat of her palm.

My heartrate spiked instantly, and my arms gripped the edges of her fingers, trying to pry them off of my body. She brought her other hand up and brushed the side of my head with the tip of her finger. She wasn’t trying to be rough, but even involuntarily she raked her fingers across my skin.

“Shhh… it’s okay. Don’t be scared,” she said as she hoisted me further in the air up to her face so she could better see me. I only now noticed that her hair was some kind of pale magenta and silver. “Aww you’re a cutie. I see why she likes having you around.”

My voice finally comes back to me. I look into her eyes and think of the one thing I want more than anything in the world.

“Put me down, Daisy,” I said firmly. “Put me down and bring me to Caroline.”

“Aww! You’re so sweet! Missing her, aren’t you?” I rolled my eyes at Daisy’s question as she whisked me away to the kitchen table and set me down. She set me down and fished out a few of the treats to give to me. I had to admit I was relieved to be using my own two legs again and instantly retreated to the opposite end of the table to distance myself from Daisy.

“I do miss her,” I said indignantly. “Which is why you need to bring me to her. I’m worried she’s not telling me everything about her procedures. We have the paperwork in the desk over there. If you have that on hand and smuggle me in, I coul…”

“Wow, you’re a talkative one, aren’t you?” smiled Daisy as she held out the treats, interrupting my directions. “You’ve got to be hungry. Come on. Not eating won’t do you any good.” I sighed and rubbed my tired eyes. I clasped my hands together and used them to point at her.

“Daisy, right? Please. I need you to listen to me. Caroline needs me, but I can’t get to the hospital on my own,” I said as slowly and calmly as I could. Daisy sighed and looked at the treats in her hand.

“Not hungry then. That’s okay. Still, I promised I would look after you. This whole thing has to be stressful. Let’s get you clean and into some fresh clothes. That’ll make you feel better,” decided Daisy.

“No, wait…” It was too late. Daisy already reached forward and had nearly grabbed me around the waist again, but I rolled out of the way behind the paper towel rack. “Aww! Don’t be shy. I told you I’m not going to hurt you. I’m here to help.”

Annoyance saturated my senses.

“If you were here to help, you’d find a way to take me to Caroline,” I replied.

“Caroline is in the hospital, so whining about it isn’t going to help. Come on Mikey,” coaxed Daisy. This variation of my name made my blood boil.

“It’s Michael,” I snapped. “Just Michael.”

“I’m sure you’ll feel better if you just take a second. Poor thing, being here all alone. Come on, Mikey. Get something to eat and get clean,” said Daisy.

I glared around the paper towel holder at Daisy and prepared to say something snarky when I felt her fingers wrap around me from behind. I tried to slip out from her grasp, but she got me this time.

She hoisted me into the air once again and walked the both of us to the bathroom sink. Before she shut the door behind us, she retrieved a small “care package” from her purse and began running warm water. I tried struggling at first, but it was pointless.

I had to be the slightest bit grateful that even if Daisy wasn’t listening that she was attempting to be gentle with her grip. She set me down on the countertop and checked the water before continuing to pull out different items including soaps and brushes.

I had to try again. She needed to hear me out.

“Daisy, Caroline is alone in the hospital right now. She has to go through treatments. I have to be there,” I explained. “We’re a te…”

“Caroline is fine. She’s in the hospital and they’re taking care of her. Come on, you can’t do anything to help her, but you can be fresh and clean, fed and rested for when she comes back. Now, it’s bath time,” stated Daisy.

My chest was getting tight. Everything was spiraling. Flashbacks crawled their way out of the depths of my memory to play before my eyes. Being forced under water to have what was essentially a toothbrush raked through my hair to “brush” it. Pokes and prods to make sure I was responsive.

My only saving grace was thinking about what Caroline taught me to do. Deep breath. What can I see? What can I hear? What can I smell? What can I feel? I latched onto the facts around me because it was what Caroline did to help herself.

I wished Caroline were here. She would know what to do. She could tell Daisy to stop and to listen, explain who we were and share her perspective of pets.

The peace the mental exercise brought is shattered when Daisy picks me up once again and lowers me into the sink under the faucet.

“Wai-” The water poured over my head and drenched the clothes on my body. It was only for a second, but it was a second too long where my entire body was submerged under the warm water.

Everything in me shut down. It had been so long since I had been treated like what I was – a pet – that my mind and body shut down. It felt like shock. I knew I needed to fight. I wanted to fight. I also wanted it to be over as quickly and painlessly as possible.

It was like I was back in conditioning once again. I needed to drop back and observe. The rules had changed, and I needed time to find a way around them. I wouldn’t let this break me, but that meant losing this battle for now.

All of this transpired in less than twenty seconds, and Daisy was just about to start her so-called “grooming” when her phone began to ring. She needed a hand to answer the phone, but she couldn’t leave me under the water.

“I’m sorry, I need to see who it is. Don’t you go anywhere,” said Daisy as she wrapped me in a towel and set me on the side of the sink. She pulled out her phone and her eyes widened immediately. She picked up the line and walked to the doorway to lean up against it.

I wasn’t trying to listen in, but Daisy wasn’t exactly subtle. Also, the one word that caught my attention made me latch onto the conversation, breaking the hypnotic shock my body fell under.

Caroline.

“Hey, Caroline. What’s up? Gosh, you sound awful. You okay?”

There was a pause as Caroline was most likely responding.

“Delaying treatment? Why?”

Another pause.

“Wait, you’re breaking up a little. They found a what?” asked Daisy.

My breath stopped dead in my chest. What? What did they find? What was going on? Was Caroline okay?

“Seriously? Now? I didn’t think they said surgery wasn’t going to be an opt… Yeah I’m at your place,” said Daisy, eyes flicking over to me. “Well, yeah, Mikey is doing fine. He hasn’t eaten anything and is being really talkative. I picked out a couple of things for him on my way here. I’ve even got this cute little outfit I think you’re gonna love. I’ve gotta say Caroline, you picked a cute one. I think he…”

Another moment of silence as Daisy’s brow furrows curiously.

“Well, yeah he’s here. I was giving him a bath. I thought it might calm him down and make him feel bet…”

Another pause. I actually caught a bit of what Caroline said, which was something along the lines of, “you’re what? He’s there listening? He doesn’t need to hear this second hand. Step away and I’ll call him back in a minute.” Everything felt tense around me. My ears were ringing as I heard Caroline coughing again.

Daisy, as predicted, stepped out of the bathroom at Caroline’s request and continued the conversation.

I was alone once again to wallow in these new revelations.

The tests came back that quickly?

Or was Caroline understating the severity of her sickness to keep me from worrying myself to death?

What were they talking about now?

Caroline sounded upset that Daisy was speaking so freely in front of me. Was that because she didn’t want to be caught in a lie? Or because she just found out the information for herself?

The most important question was whether or not Caroline was okay and if she was going to come home. Or was Daisy my new “owner”?

I lost it.

I was soaking wet, shivering under my tow0le. I was sick with worry, nausea churning my insides. At the same time, I was starving from not being well enough to eat. Most of all… Caroline.

Caroline was sick in the hospital. I knew I couldn’t do anything to help her medically, but I could still be there to support her. She was alone and not doing as well as she claimed earlier.

My body shook uncontrollably. Every part of me felt numb. Vision blurring, I saw tears falling from my eyes like some kind of out of body experience.

It was now, only now, that Daisy stepped rambling from the other room and had come back into the bathroom. She looked at me huddled under the towel shivering, grasping at its fibers that clung to my shoulders.

“Are… you crying?” she asked, arms lowering. The outfit she picked out for me was still in her hands, but she slowly put it down as she watched me slowly succumbing to the frustrating madness of the situation.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay,” she cooed as she approached.

“No, it’s not!” I shouted, ready to vent my frustration regardless of the consequences. If she was going to be my new owner, I was going to make myself the worst pain possible to rebel. “It’s not going to be okay!”

“Mikey, I know how you feel, but…”

“It’s Michael! My name is Michael,” I interjected. “Not Mike. Not Mikey. Not Micky. Just Michael. And don’t try the sympathy bit. You don’t know how I feel, so empathize away.” I sat there shaking, unwilling to look Daisy in the eye, while tears poured down my face. I tried choking them back in my chest, but that only exaggerated my shakes.

“You’re… taking this really hard…” said Daisy softly. Something in her tone was different, but I wasn’t ready to relent. I was just getting started.

“Of course I’m taking it hard! Caroline is my friend. She’s hurting and sick and all alone having to deal with doctors and needles and this sickness. The only reason I’m not there is because of some stupid human rules saying I can’t go,” I said, standing and letting the towel fall off of me. My soaking wet clothes felt like the burdening weight every other human put on me and talking about Caroline was like throwing those shackles aside.

Daisy said nothing. She just stood there, actually listening for the first time since she had arrived.

I intended to take full advantage of the situation.

“If I were human, I wouldn’t care where she was. I’d walk if that’s what it took to get to Caroline, but I can’t. I’m a pet. I have to sit and do what I’m told because that’s what is expected of me. Caroline knows the truth. She knows we’re more than that,” I ranted before running my fingers through my hair. It’s drying in clumps, which I know Caroline would tease me about.

Daisy’s voice drifted through the air.

“I… didn’t think…” I’ve already heard enough. I looked up into her eyes for the first time since I began my rant.

“Didn’t think what? That a pet, like me, could have such intense feelings? That we could have thoughts and dreams and opinions? You didn’t think we could come up with plans to get around those ridiculous human laws? That we were capable of forming emotional connections beyond that of a gerbil or dog?” I asked. “I’m not a doll, you know. I’m a person; at least Caroline sees me that way. So, stop treating me like one.”

I couldn’t look at her anymore. I turned around and folded my arms, gritting my teeth to keep my lip from trembling.

“You really care about her, don’t you?” asked Daisy. I can only nod over and over again.

“More than you know,” I muttered, knowing she couldn’t hear me.

“And… you’d do anything to see her? Even if you got in trouble?” asked Daisy. Again, I could only nod.

Daisy sounded like she was about to say something else, but the phone rings, making both of us jump out of our skin. Caroline retrieves the phone and sees it is the hospital. On the phone is none other than Caroline; and she was asking for me.

Caroline immediately apologized when she got on the phone, saying she wasn’t trying to keep anything from me and that she just found out some of the results from the tests they performed. She’s being taken into surgery later that night and wished more than anything that I could be there.

I tried to stay strong during our call, but she knows me better than the back of her hand and knows my voice is tense and shaking. What was more heart breaking was another round of coughs ended our call when a doctor informed her she needed to rest before the procedure later. The whole conversation, Daisy stood nearby listening to our conversation. I wanted privacy, but suspected Daisy wouldn’t listen even if I requested her to leave.

The moment the phone clicked off, I saw Daisy’s hand come back into view. Feeling defeated, I raised my arms slightly so they wouldn’t be pinned against my body. When no pressure came, I looked over to see Daisy’s had turned upright in an offering motion.

I looked back at her confused and was slightly taken aback by the tears brimming in her eyes.

“Come on,” she said quietly as she blinked away the glossy look in her eyes. “I’m sneaking you in. We’re going to go see Caroline and wait for her to get out of surgery.”

Stunned, I looked up into her eyes completely and utterly baffled.

“Why?” I asked. I didn’t necessarily care what her reasoning was, but my racing heart and curious mind couldn’t help but ask the question.

“Because,” she said quietly. “You’re not a doll.”

~~~~~^*^*^*^*^~~~~~

Apologies for the delay in getting this out. This was a fun little one-shot to write and I cannot thank @tiny-and-determined for suggesting it.

Thank you so much for your patience. I love this community and all of its creators. You inspire me to be creative every day.

Cheers and, as always, stay awesome! ~Narrans

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narrans · 2 years

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One-Shot Thought?

I posted a random one-shot about Soren's childhood and his first solo mission on some of my other sites and got to thinking...

Would anyone be interested in a backstory mini-series about Soren's life growing up? You'd get a chance to meet his parents, see some of his early adventures, and potentially see some of his close calls.

Thoughts?

Cheers and, as always, stay awesome! ~Narrans

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narrans · 2 years

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9. “Hey! Put me down!” 👀 👀 perhaps?

***warning... not a happy ending... for now... not yet...

PROMPT

9. “Hey! Put me down!” 👀 👀 perhaps?

It was mid-afternoon. No one was supposed to be home. Why was the human home? Lian bit his lower lip as he tried his best to stay hidden behind the skinny chair leg under the kitchen table. He was just trying to get to the pantry across the room.

It had been weeks since he had left the comforts of his home in the vents to find sustenance. The human, Joe Dawson, hadn’t left the dorm all this time, and he finally was out. Lian had just migrated from one dorm complex to the next after some suspicious college students started setting traps and surveillance in their rooms, and he was starting to think Joe was already suspicious.

Lian was alone, but that wasn’t out of the ordinary. Many Borrowers lived on their own if they wanted to stay safe. It was the ones who couldn’t pick up and move who were more likely to get found out; or, at least, that’s what Lian thought. Now that he was truly alone and no longer with his brother and his family, he knew no one would be able to find him or rescue him if the worst were to happen.

No.

The worst wasn’t going to happen.

He was going to make his way out of this.

He just had to find a way around the human who just came home to his dorm room.

Lian leaned out carefully and saw the human, Joe, vanish into the next room with a couple of plastic bags. Now was his chance!

As fast as his Borrower legs could carry him, Lian sprinted from the table leg. He just had to get into the cabinet beside the washing machine. That was all. Heart pounding in his chest and breath burning his lungs, Lian was mere feet away when he heard the bone chilling words from behind him.

“What the—”

Lian’s heart clenched in his chest. The Borrower didn’t dare slow as he slammed into the baseboard next to the washing machine. Hands trembling, he pried the edge of the cabinet open and forced his way inside, scraping his back along the unforgiving edge as the door closed behind him.

Panicking, Lian began forcing his way past the cleaning supplies and under bottle nozzles as he made his way to the back of the cabinet. It was nearly impossible to see in the dark, but he didn’t dare turn on his hip lamp. Not now.

Light flooded in behind him and the eclipsing shadow of the human soon followed.

He was almost there. Perhaps he was in the clear.

That flicker of hope was premature.

Lian pushed past one last bottle and had his hand on the string to the door when he felt a pinch from behind.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his shirt and borrowing bag were pinched between the massive thumb and index finger of the human. A shriek rose in his throat but didn’t make it out as his arms were suddenly slightly restrained and his chest was compressed as the shirt pulled tightly from behind.

He kicked and wriggled, trying to slip out of his garments, but to no avail. He could only watch, heart palpitating, as he was hoisted into the air and effortlessly pulled out of the cabinet. He felt lightheaded at the speed of the human moving him jostled his brain. The unforgiving pinch at his back tightened as the human’s wrist rotated, leaving Lian face to face with the human.

The human had sharp features and cold, calculating eyes. To Lian, his teeth were way too big and his eyes were way too wide as he was held mere inches from the human’s face. There were gaps between his teeth which Lian only saw when a sly smile crossed the human’s face.

“Well now. What have we got here? You’re not a doll,” stated Joe, his smug, nasally voice shaking Lian to his bones. Joe wiggled his wrist, tossing Lian from side to side as he was still restrained.

Lian was frozen stiff, unable to force himself to move. Every nerve in his body screamed to run and hide. Every ounce of his being cried out for help, but he had no command over his body with these chilling words.

Joe stood up from his crouch, rummaged through his cabinets, and grunted as he wasn’t able to find what he was looking for. Obviously improvising now, he reached under a different cabinet and pulled out a large glass mixing bowl. Lian knew he had to do something. He couldn’t move very well, but perhaps he could reason with the human.

There were a few stories, albeit few, where the human was sympathetic. Maybe if he knew Lian was sentient, he would be let go. It was a long shot, but he had to try.

“Hey! Put me down!” shouted Lian, commanding all of his effort into keeping his voice audible and unhindered by stuttering and fear. “I’m not an animal and I’m not a toy, so just put me down!”

“Gladly,” stated Joe coolly as his hand hovered over the bowl and dropped Lian in once he was a few inches from the bottom of the bowl. Lian stumbled and quickly found his feet as he backed as far as he could away from the human who was now leaning over the bowl.

Lian had never seen anything more terrifying than this – a human hovering over him like he was some sort of plaything.

Cornered.

Trapped.

No escape.

No one coming to look for him.

Lian’s body started to shake violently, but it didn’t stop him from attempting to steel his features and grip the shower razor blade he fashioned into a short sword.

Joe, in response, chuckled in amusement.

“Wow, look at that. You have tools and everything. Looks like Austin was right. I didn’t give that punk enough credit,” said Joe. Lian’s heart sank.

Austin? Who was Austin? And what did Joe mean that he was right? Did that mean… others had been found?

Lian couldn’t think about that now. He had to find a way to get away – to get free.

His determination quickly vaporized, however, when he watched in horror as Joe pulled out that funny black rectangular box called a phone and hold it up above Lian. There was an incredibly bright light that flashed like lightning, making Lian stagger back and slip against the edge of the glass bowl.

“W-wh-what was that?” he shouted at the human.

“Oh, just taking a couple of pictures for evidence.”

Lian’s heart sank. Evidence? Evidence for what? Proof? Proof of Borrower existence?

No…

Not like this…

Had he just revealed all of Borrower kind?

Maybe he could still reason with the human. After all, technology was advanced, right? People could make things look like others all of the time. Lian saw a few movies in his life after all. It wasn’t real.

“E-ev-vidence? Ha! No one will believe that!” said Lian, attempting to sound brave despite how he stammered. His vocal tremor was unfortunately noticed by the sinister looking human.

“Maybe, but this is just a backup. I’ll need to start making some calls for proper analysis. I’ll also need to confer with a few other colleagues that you are, in fact, real and that there isn’t literature on whatever you are already being hidden by the government or some other group,” stated Joe coolly as he reached into a drawer and pulled out some plastic wrap and snapped it over the top of the bowl to keep Lian inside. “But first, I need to see what Austin says, especially for pricing.”

“P…pri…”

“Pricing. He has a business. He’s an exterminator, but he’s quite inventive when it comes to traps. There have to be more of you running around, and he has a few things that could do just the trick in getting a better sample size,” said Joe.

He walked away with that strange rectangular box and held it up to his ear as Lian slid to the bottom of the bowl. His shoulders shook uncontrollably, and he felt lightheaded. It was going to be his fault. The reveal of his entire family and his kind was going to be his fault.

Hopeless, Lian collapsed inward on himself, trembling for what was to come. He knew he couldn’t give up and that he had to find a way to escape, but how long would he have to do that?

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narrans · 1 year

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Greetings and salutations!

I hope you are all doing well. Apologies for my delay in writing. My hiatus has finally ended and I'm ready to start writing in full force again.

I also would like to involve everyone in a fun project I've wanted to do for a while.

As some of you know, I crochet dragons, but I want to crochet something special that everyone can participate in - a blanket.

The blanket theme is Astrology!

To participate, comment or place in the hashtags your astrological sign and a number from 1-100.

I will be working on this throughout the year, so don't worry about the cutoff date; and, at the end, we may have a little giveaway on our hands ❤️😜!

I want to take this time and also thank everyone for your patience and your love and support. I still see your comments and your notes, which keeps my spirits lifted and my motivation high. This is thanks to all of you.

Thank you all so much again and know that, because of you, I can do what I do.

Cheers and, as always, stay awesome! ~Narrans

(also thank you to momo@land for the use of this image until the project begins).

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narrans · 1 year

Link

Podcast Question : What do you want to ask Soren for the podcast? Leave in the comments below! by narrans7thending

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narrans · 2 years

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I JUST FINISHED THE ORION'S FACTOTUM AND OH MY GOD JUST... HOW? HOW?! HOW DO YOU MAKE SUCH GOOD STORIES AND WRITE SO DAMN GOOD??!! I'M JUST...IDFBUPIEUFBSIUBPIB!!! I'M LEGIT AT A LOST FOR WORDS!! YOU ALREADY STOLE MY HEART AND SOUL WITH SOREN, DORIAN, REY, ASHLYNN, AND HERO, BUT NOW THIS? HOW DARE YOU BE SO INCREDIBLY AMAZING AT YOUR STORY TELLING AND MAKE ME HORRIBLY SOB OVER THESE FICTIONAL CHARACTERS AT THE SAME TIME. I HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY AND THANK YOU FOR COMING TO MY TED TALK.

@starskichild,

Wow!.... 😲😭🤭🥰 SO MANY EMOTIONS!

First and foremost, thank you so much! I am absolutely blown away by your response. I don't even know what to say other than thank you.

Seriously, it is because of people like you and this community that let me do what I do and help inspire me to write.

You and the community are the ones to thank for creating these characters.

Haha and I will come to your Ted Talk any day ^.^

Cheers and, as always, stay awesome! ~Narrans

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narrans · 2 years

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A Tall and Small Collection | S2.7 | Last Night Home

Soren took his time as he walked along the rafters and beams all the way back to their home. His head was buzzing, and it felt as though adrenaline had replace every other compound in his body. He was vibrating and shaking slightly, but not with nerves – it was excitement. It was a feeling he hadn’t felt in a long time, and this only brought a bout of crushing guilt.

Why did he feel excited? It was Ashlynn. He had seen her hundreds of times and, more importantly, he had not seen her in years. Sadly, he knew where the guilt was coming from – and he didn’t know what to do about it except to lock it away like so many other things rolling around in his head.

He couldn’t think about any of this now. What he had to think about was all of the things he needed to pack and what they should leave behind. Could they bring everything? Should they bring everything?

There was another question that tugged at the back of his head. Were there going to be other Borrowers? Ashlynn said she thought there might be others, but she hadn’t really said she had found any exact evidence. Then again, they had other things to talk about that were more important than specific pieces of evidence.

Besides, they were going to find out soon enough.

Soren made it to the line and pulled himself up and finally crossed over the threshold of his home with Dorian, Rey, and his daughter. The moment he did, he could hear Rey and Dorian in some kind of dispute. It didn’t sound serious, but it was enough to bring Soren from his spiraling thoughts to the present.

“You can’t bring that,” said Dorian from the other room. Soren walked past the postcard divider and peered into the boys’ once shared room which now belonged entirely to Rey. Rey, who was currently packing some of his so called “inventions,” stood defiantly in between his belongings and his brother.

“Who said I can’t bring it?” asked Rey.

“We can’t pack it all. It’s common sense,” argued Dorian.

“That’s if we were packing it all ourselves. Ashlynn is helping us,” pointed out Rey.

“Yeah? So?” retorted Dorian.

“So? So, Ashlynn could probably get all of our stuff in one load with one arm. So what if I want to bring a couple of my inventions along?” countered Rey.

Soren too this opportunity to step in with a chuckle and a grin.

“What are you two going round and round for? Rey’s inventions? Or packing space?” asked Soren.

“A little of both,” muttered Dorian. “Rey wants to bring a lot of things that don’t make sense. We won’t have room to bring everything and, frankly, a lot of these things don’t work.”

“Dorian, you have plenty of things that you are refusing to take because you are thinking that we have to move all of this stuff ourselves. If we don’t have to start from scratch, then why would we?” emphasized Rey. “And for your information, if I had more borrowings, I could get these things to work. I’m missing a couple of key components and then they’ll be good to go.”

“Okay you two. You’re old enough to compromise. Dorian, if there is anything you want to bring, regardless of how silly you think it is, bring it. I don’t think Ashlynn will mind. Rey, you could probably do with a few less tinkerings gone awry. Disassemble what you can and bring all the parts with you. Deal?”

Both boys shared a mutual, dissatisfied look before giving a reluctant nod. Soren turned and began heading back off to his room when he heard his name coming from behind him. He turned to see Dorian walking up to him, something obviously on his mind.

“Soren?”

“Yes, Dorian?” asked Soren as he stopped just outside of his room. Dorian glanced behind him as if to check and see if Rey were listening in before looking back to Soren.

“You don’t… well… you don’t think any of this is, I don’t know, weird, do you?” asked Dorian. Soren felt his head turn in confusion.

“Weird? I’m not sure I follow,” stated Soren, a feeling starting to come up in the back of his mind. Dorian had become more wary of going out into the human world, and he had every right to be after what happened, but the reason for his suspicion was unfounded even if it were justified.

“You don’t think it’s weird that Ashlynn managed to make it back just before this destruction? I don’t know. The timing seems off to me,” muttered Dorian.

“Dorian,” said Soren reassuringly as he reached out and clasped Dorian’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. It’s Ashlynn; and we’ll be looking out for one another as always. Okay?”

Dorian gave a half-hearted nod before heading back to his room to finish packing. It wasn’t unlike Dorian to be wary more so recently than when he was a child. Still, there were other things to attend to.

With that, Soren turned and headed off into his room and began gathering his own belongings. He grabbed a few satchels and began packing immediate supplies he knew everyone would need such as fresh cloth for cleaning themselves, thread and scraps of clothes as emergency garments, and practically their entire pantry.

For his other belongings, he laid them out on his bed including his own personal clothes and weapons. Everything had a place and was organized. He couldn’t help but see it and feel a heavy sadness in his chest. This house, this apartment complex, had become a home multiple times over through settling down, meeting Ashlynn, meeting Lucy, and then having Mayzie. Now, once again, they have to leave a place that meant so much to him.

Soren sat on the edge of the bed, reminiscing, until he heard a soft cough and a cry just from the other room.

Mayzie was awake.

Soren pushed himself up off of the bed and walked into the next room, turning the Christmas ornament light on which instantly cast the room in a warm yellow glow. There, standing with one hand on the makeshift crib and one slightly chubby fingered hand rubbing her eyes, was his daughter.

Her nightgown was twisted off to the side and her wavy brown hair kissed with the slightest auburn frizzed out around her face, making it look rounder than it already was. The moment she saw Soren approaching, a toothy grin spread across her sleepy face and one hand raised as a signal to be picked up.

“Good morning sleepy head,” cooed Soren as he reached down into the crib and lifted Mayzie into his arms. “Did you sleep so good?”

Mayzie instinctually leaned into her father’s shoulder and nodded, still obviously sleepy. Soren walked back into his room and sat on his once shared bed as he pulled Mayzie upright slightly.

“Are you hungry? Thirsty?” asked Soren. The toddler muttered some odd babbling phrase. She sounded interested, but was more interested still in being close to her father. Soren bounced his daughter slightly and chuckled. “Well, let’s see what we can do about that. Let’s get you changed first.”

Soren changed Mayzie and got her a snack as he began laying down the things that could topple over. The eldest Borrower suspected that Ashlynn could easily pick up the entire tile their things were on and carry it if she wanted to. With that in mind, he tried laying the taller pieces of furniture including a matchbox drawer set on its side and a mirror vanity he never had the heart to close.

Mayzie finished her snack and watched her father work, eventually climbing off of the bed and retrieving some of her own things. In her babbling talk, the overarching theme was, “Whatchadoin?”

“I am packing because we are going to go on a trip – a very long trip. I have to put all of our things into these bags,” replied Soren. Some of these words meant something to the Borrower toddler, but many of them did not.

Soren watched as Mayzie toddled into her room and retrieved a cotton ball bunny she had as a toy all her life. Seeing her wander back into the room with her most precious belonging and begin to put it in the bag made his heart ache.

“Like this then this then this,” she mumbled in her toddler speech as she tucked her bunny into the bag.

“Mayzie,” chuckled Soren as he stepped forward and gave his daughter a pat on the head. “You can keep your bunny.”

“Bunny stay? Bunny needs tuck in,” said Mayzie as she continued to tuck her cotton ball bunny in with the edges of the half packed bag. Soren, watching his daughter, realized now that all of these preparations would make little to no sense to her. One thing that would make sense, however, was an apprehension toward strangers.

She was young enough that meeting someone new was going to be a challenge – and Soren didn’t want that to taint her experience meeting Ashlynn for the first time. Soren, who had never done this before, had to think of something, someway, to introduce them. A thought occurred to him which brought a smile to his face.

He sat down on the ground next to his daughter and brought her into his lap, pulling her favorite bunny from the pack and placing the bunny into his daughter’s hands.

“Hey, Mayzie. You know who hasn’t met bunny yet? My friend Ashlynn,” said Soren. Mayzie turned her hazel eyes to Soren and looked at him curiously as her chubby little fingers squeezed the soft stuffed animal.

“Aslyn?” she asked, not quite able to make the name completely through her chubby cheeks.

“That’s right. Ashlynn. Ashlynn is very tall and she is a good friend. We’re going to see her tomorrow and she would love to meet bunny,” said Soren.

“She love bunny?” asked the toddler. Soren chuckled and held her close.

“Yes, she is going to love bunny; and you are going to love her. Ashlynn is very kind and very sweet just like you,” said Soren.

At this point, Mayzie didn’t seem very interested in anything other than playing with her stuffed animal; and, for now, that was all that was required of her. Soren would have to hype her up the next day. What mattered now was spending the last night in their home together. Soren began bouncing Mayzie intermittently and humming playfully.

He listened to her giggle and watched the waves in her hair bounce in the Christmas tree lights. The way she giggled was like her mother, full of joy and life unhindered by the weight of the world; and what a big world it was – and it was only getting bigger.

Little did Soren know how much bigger it was going to get.

~~~~~

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A Tall and Small Collection | Soren

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