Shay couldn’t believe she had done it. She had just talked to a human – and she wasn’t in a box or a jar or being grabbed by fingers the size of her body. The thrill was ten times more real than anything that she ever experienced climbing lines or learning to free fall in the walls. It made her feel ill. Her head swirled unnecessarily fast while she tried to hold still and look up at the human. When did the edges of her vision blacken? When did the ringing in her ears start? She wasn’t sure when it happened, but Shay suddenly was sitting on the ground cross-legged and the human’s shadow hovered near her.
His voice sounded so distant, but the young teen knew the human was speaking. It took a moment to concentrate on what he was saying as she watching his lips moving. Over and over, he repeated the same phrase.
“Are you alright? Hey, you’re okay. You’re okay. You’re alright.” Something about catching his gaze this time, latching onto those eyes, didn’t stoke the fear as it did minutes ago. He was still just as intimidating, but at least he had kind eyes and a reassuring smile that reminded her of her brothers.
Shay nodded timidly and, not knowing what to do with her hands, wrang them against the strap of her bag which was still slung across her chest. She winced again, which the human seemed to pick up on in an instant of reading her features.
“Are your hands hurt?” he asked. Shay nodded, still feeling a lump her in throat choking any more words from coming out. He mimicked the nod and looked past her. “I… erm… need to get my first aid kit. It’s in one of these boxes. Can I… get past?” Shay couldn’t move away from the middle of the threshold fast enough and hurriedly pressed her back against the baseboard beside the door. The human nodded with another smile and stood to his full height before leaving the room.
Shay hadn’t stopped to think about how hard her heart was pounding against her chest and how her ribs and body held an unbelievable amount of tension like the anticipation in the air before a strike of lightening and roll of thunder. A shuddered breath escaped her lungs as she brought her knees to her chest. Her eyes, which felt like sandpaper even with the moisture gathering in the corners of them, felt glazed and tired.
Shay almost didn’t want to blink, terrified of the thought that she might fall asleep if she were to blink even a single time. I need to stay awake. I can’t fall asleep. I won’t fall asleep. I need the human to help. He didn’t catch me. He didn’t hurt me or grab me or… Shay didn’t realize she was breathing faster and faster. It didn’t matter how much she tried to breathe and calm her mind. It was futile. There was too much going on. Too many sounds. Too many sights. Too many smells. Too many thoughts.
“Okay, so I don’t have anything for burns specifically, but I do have… hey, you okay?” The human’s words came from nowhere up above and slightly behind Shay. A jolting shiver electrified her spine and had her sit bolt upright as she turned her eyes skyward, a timid squeak escaping from her mouth. The human had returned and with surprising stealth. Shay didn’t even hear him approach or even notice that he was kneeling in the doorway mere feet from her.
Instantly, he looked completely apologetic and guilt ridden, retracting from her immediate vicinity. She swallowed dryly again and rubbed her eyes, unintentionally, with her rope burned blistered palms.
“You… okay?” he asked again. Shay nodded after immediately regretting rubbing her dry eyes. “Right. Well, like I was saying. I don’t have anything for burns specifically, but I can go and get some if you want. Or, if you’d like, I have this Vaseline. It’s kinda gross and slimy, but it’s great for moisturizing and keeping your skin soft. It’s not aloe, but it’s all I have right now. Sorry. I also have these bandages to wrap around your hands so you, you know, you can wrap your hands. I’m… going to be quiet now.”
With that, the human set down the Vaseline lid down and scooted back so he sat on the opposite side of the door from her and slightly outside of his own room, back pressed against the hallway wall. He pulled out the bandages and a pair of scissors longer than Shay was tall and began methodically cutting strips of cloth. Shay shuddered at seeing the sharp sides slicing through the cloth effortlessly and hoped the human wouldn’t turn this device against her.
One by one, the strips were set in the lid. The young Borrower teen could only watch while the human worked until she felt satisfied enough to scootch forward and smear a glob of Vaseline on her palm. It was cold and clammy, like a disgusting thick snot. She gagged involuntarily while rubbing the thick, glossy substance along the burns on her palms. There was an odd, cooling sensation, but it wasn’t enough to be alarming.
More than satisfied with the amount on her palms, Shay pulled one of the bandage strips toward her and began wrapping her hand. It took a few tries between the glossiness of her slicked palms and the mere size of the bandages themselves, but the bandages were finally tied tight enough to not slip from her hands. Shay was pleased that she was able to use the edges of her teeth to tighten the edges; that much she could do on her own.
Shay hadn’t given the human much attention, but, now that her hands were bandaged, she pulled her attention from the thick cloth wrapped around her hands and slowly looked up toward the human. He, evidently, had been watching her and looked away quickly when her eyes fell on him. Do I make him uncomfortable? Shay wondered. Regardless, I need to be polite at least.
“Th…thank you,” she said, pleased she only stuttered the single time and spoke loudly enough to catch the human’s attention. Absolutely mesmerized by her, the human smiled and nodded as he looked her in the eye. He maintained this contact for a moment before breaking direct eye contact and exchanging it for more general glances toward her.
“You’re welcome. Happy to help,” he replied. “Um… so… you said you want me to help you get home. Do you mind if I ask where that is exactly? I mean, how did you even get here? Do you live nearby?” He chuckled nervously and reached back to scratch neck as if it were some kind of habit when he was uncomfortable.
“I… well… I don’t… I… live at home,” stammered Shay, now suddenly realizing she didn’t want to give away her family if the human’s intentions were to trick her. The amount of trust she held for the person only a few feet away from her was minimal at best and was held together by a shred of hope given to her by stories which may or not have been true. The Borrower pulled her knees back to her chest and rested her chin on top of them.
“Home?” echoed the human. “Like, my home? Where I was this morning?” Shay looked up eagerly and nodded. “Wait. Then how did you get here?”
“Yes. That. That’s home,” she replied. “It was an accident. I was in the box and my br… um… well… I couldn’t get out.”
“Yikes, that’s really far,” muttered the human. It wasn’t meant for Shay, but the young Borrower didn’t know that; and hearing that the human thought the distance was far damaged her fraying confidence. Tears once again began gathering in her eyes and her throat constricted in a partially choked sob.
Far? Far! What’s far for a human? If he’s worried then what am I going to do? What if he’s fibbing? Lying to me! What if he’s trying to discourage me and keep me here?
The human suddenly noticed Shay’s distress and he immediately began backpedaling.
“Hey. Don’t worry. I’m just saying it’s a little far. That won’t be a problem though. Look, my parents and siblings are driving home tomorrow after brunch. You can come with me to brunch, I’ll explain everything, and then they can bring you…”
“Please no!” Shay completely surprised herself with her outburst; and was even more surprised she was suddenly on her feet confronting the human. She didn’t mean to interrupt so loudly. Even the human seemed surprised. “Please. They can’t know about me. I’m… I’m not even supposed to tell you! It’s dangerous for human to know!”
The human raised his hands in a motion akin to a surrender. “Right. Okay. Sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. Um… they don’t need to know. I mean, I can just tell them to bring a couple of things I don’t need from here back home. Would… that work?” Shay let out a shuddering sigh of relief, amazed at the human’s ability to find a viable solution.
“Y…yes. That should work. I… thank you,” muttered Shay as she sat back down onto the ground, this time crossing her legs rather than folding them against her chest.
“Right,” he said with a grateful sigh of relief. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to freak you out or anything. Um… I don’t know how you want to do this. Do you just want to get back in the box you came here in?” Shay gave a noncommittal shrug.
“I don’t know. It was kind of dark and hot,” muttered the teen.
“Well… I could poke a few holes in the side; and to keep you secret and everything I could tape in a false bottom so you wouldn’t have to worry about them opening the box and seeing you. Would you like that?” he asked. Shay considered it for a moment.
A false bottom would help keep her safe, sure; but why go to the trouble? Why was he helping her? Did it matter if she got to go home? Undiscovered at that? Shay opened her mouth, not sure what she wanted to say, when her stomach growled uncomfortably loud. The Borrower girl tried desperately to hide it by wrapping her arms around her torso, but even for her size it was too loud to go unnoticed. An amused smirk spread across his face followed immediately by a sympathetic stare.
“I’m assuming that means your hungry and that it’s not some kind of menacing growl,” he said cheekily. Shay was too embarrassed, feeling her cheeks and tips of her ears reddening with heat, to have any kind of response. “Hang on. I’ve got some stuff I can heat up for you.”
He was gone for maybe two minutes while Shay stared at her bandaged hands and numbly reflected on what had just transpired when he returned with a bright orange bottle cap and a bottle of water. Tucked into his palm was what Shay recognized as tin foil – a Borrower’s saving grace when it came to tool making and cooking. This collection of items was set nearby, and Shay only hesitated for a moment before moving closer and partaking in the meal.
At some point about halfway through the meal, she thanked him to which he merely hummed a response. It went unsaid that she was being watched. It was subtle and more of a hospitable and also curious nature. Still, it made Shay feel self-conscious and soon she wiped her mouth with the back of her bandaged hand and sat quietly once again. Only a fraction of the food was gone, but she had completely eaten her fill and could stand no more.
“Finished?” he asked. She nodded and felt the smallest smile tug onto her face. The food was good and warm, something she knew not all Borrowers got to appreciate.
“Yes. Thank you.” The Borrower kept finding her repeating those words over and over with this human.
“Yeah, of course,” replied the human, who glanced over at a small device by his bedside. “Um… I know this is all probably a bit much for you all at once, but it is getting late. Are you… I mean… I guess you sleep, right? Are you ready for bed?”
Shay’s eyes widened and she once again drew her legs to her chest. “I do sleep, but…”
“Well, it’s settled then. Let’s get some rest. I’ll grab a pillow. Would you rather sleep on the bedside table or back in the box or, well, wherever? What’s good for you?”
“I, well, was just going to sleep on the floor; but, could you, maybe… um… set the pillow on the ground? Under the bed?”
As easy as that, the human pushed himself up, retrieved a pillow and blanket, and had it under the bed ready and waiting for her. He mentioned something about brushing his teeth, which Shay remembered she should probably do, and that he would be back in a few minutes. In the meantime, Shay swished some water in her mouth and approached the pillow with a fascinated curiosity.
Borrowers had proper pillows and beds; at least, her family did rather. Her brothers had borrowed cotton balls and stuffed them into fragments of cloth they gathered over time. They were wonderful, but not as wonderful of this. Stepping onto the pillow was like walking onto a cloud of marshmallows. It was so unbelievably soft and melted under her feet she couldn’t believe it. The blanket, too, was soft unlike the thick woolen and scratchy cloth. Shay tried to argue that her blanket back home was warmer until she laid down and slipped under the cloth. Yes. It was just as warm as it was soft.
It was a rapturous moment where she didn’t worry about not being home with her family. She had food and a warm place to sleep. She had someone who listened to her. The Borrower girl prayed it would be enough to keep her safe until she made it home.
A set of rhythmic, heavy-set footsteps approached and paused right along the edge of the bed. The light overhead was extinguished and was replaced by a much smaller, dimmer light. The feet disappeared, but the boards near her head ached and creaked like the walls of the house during a windstorm.
“Did you want the light on?” His voice drifted through the air like a gentle breeze on a summer day.
“No,” said Shay. “Thank you though.”
A thought entered her mind. It had been there like an unattainable itch, but it wasn’t until now as she was beginning to drift off to sleep that the inhibitions she held before were now beginning to drift away.
“Why are you helping me?” she asked in a daze.
“I… well.. I mean why wouldn’t I help you? You’re a person. You needed help. Wouldn’t you help someone if they needed help?” Shay had to think about the human’s question, but it wasn’t hardly enough time as he continued talking. “My name is Todd by the way. I don’t suppose I could know your name?”
The Borrower teen contemplated the question for that fraction of a second as she began losing consciousness.
“It’s Shay.”
She fell asleep to Todd muttering her name over and over again, as if by saying her name he was willing her to not be a dream.
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