I’ve always had questions about the big world we lived in. How many people live in the building? Where do they come from? Where do they get their supplies if we get our supplies from them? What does this word or that word mean?

Being a Borrower isn’t an easy life, but the basics seemed simple enough. Eat. Dress yourself. Keep yourself clean. Drink water. Maintain your living space. All of the simple stuff.

There are also rules that are just implied. We’re not supposed to take more than what will be missed. Knick-knacks were nifty, but weren’t essential – so leave them alone. Make sure you have enough stored up just in case you can’t go out. Leave everything where you found it – unless your borrowing it.

There are also rules that we’re supposed to follow for our safety and the safety of our kind. Do not let yourself be spotted or seen by humans. Do not let yourself be caught by humans. Do not ever talk to humans. If any of these things happen, you need to move as soon as possible.

I knew a few Borrower families who had to immigrate away because they thought they were seen by the humans they borrowed from. It was always really sad when families left. There was an uncertainty when they left. Would they find what they needed? Would they find another home? Did the rest of us need to leave?

My family is different. We had a lot more family than a lot of other families. We never had to move and took pride in not having to immigrate. While some never knew their grandparents, I have great-grand-pop-pop who was one of the first Borrowers to live in this building.

Our home is nice, with borrowed trinkets humans forgot or lost when they left the building. It’s warm in the winter and cool in the summer. We’re close enough to a few apartments, so borrowings are never really short. We have our own rooms and even have extra rooms to congregate and eat.

Despite all of these things, I’ve always felt like there was something missing. I know I’m young and am still learning how to borrow from my older siblings, Atlas, Prim, and Cali, but I can’t help the feeling that I could be doing something great. You know? Making a difference.

I still remember the day when I caught a glimpse of what the human was watching on the “Big Screen” called a T.V. My brother and sister and I were watching from the rafters since the human just moved into the apartment. The show was a cartoon, but it was one I wasn’t familiar with. They were shouting a lot and the one with green hair seemed really upset.

I don’t remember their names really, but I know what the good guys called themselves – Heroes. These people were courageous and helped people. They went out of their way to keep people safe. This was the kind of person I wanted to be.

After that, I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to live up to my name – Hero.