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My Borrowed Son | 22 | Choices and Change

Chapter Twenty-Two | Choices and Change

Amanda knew she had messed up, but was now even the time to discuss it? Every expert she read about was saying the same thing. Every article and book indicated the same thing.

And yet Amanda couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Every adoption parenting book and article she researched said that integrating the fact that the child was adopted as soon and as early as possible would be the healthiest thing for them. Practically every study said that integrating this information as a part of every day life would keep a sense of normalcy and a sense of belonging for the child.

It helped in showing the child that even if they didn’t come from you, it didn’t mean they were loved or cared for any less. Sharing this information allowed open communication and questions in a “safe space.”

The only problem for Amanda was that she didn’t have the answers.

She didn’t tell Parker early on that she didn’t give birth to him.

She didn’t tell Parker that she found him at a children’s playground under a bench scared and alone after several powerful thunderstorms days prior.

She didn’t know what he was if he wasn’t a human with some kind of weird genetic disorder.

She didn’t even know if his real, biological parents were even alive.

No answers.

No hope of turning back the clock.

No way she could proceed delicately if she wanted to tell Parker anything about his origins.

So, when his fourteenth birthday came and went, Amanda realized that she could only prepare herself for when his questions would inevitably come. Everything was further complicated when Parker finally confessed that he thought he had feelings for his fellow classmate, Lyn.

Amanda had suspected Parker’s feelings for months now, but it wasn’t until he actually confessed that he thought he had a crush that it seemed real to her. It was obvious to Amanda, but Parker was a bit more reserved when it came to his confessions of puppy love for his friend.

No talk about being boyfriend and girlfriend was mentioned, but Amanda knew it was only a matter of time before any of this happened. It was an exciting and nerve wracking time, but Amanda couldn’t help but feel dread for what might lay on the horizon.

The thoughts about a discussion with Parker about him being adopted were also taking a back burner in her mind.

Recently, Amanda’s work had given her a promotion and wanted her to start coming into the office regularly rather than being virtual. She trusted her son in being alone in the apartment because she had done it before dozens of times when she needed to go out and couldn’t bring or hide Parker.

More than that was the fact Amanda wanted to move into a real home. A beautiful house in a nearby neighborhood had just become available and, after a lot of consideration, Amanda decided to talk to Parker about possibly moving from an apartment to a house.

“Nothing will change. You’ll still have your normal classes, but we wouldn’t be in a condo attached to other apartments anymore. We would have more space and could really made something special out of it,” explained Amanda.

Of course, Parker didn’t have to be sold hard on the idea. He had lived in the same place all his life and wanted his mom to be happy. She had talked about buying a house for years and Parker had always wanted to experience a move. All of his other friends seemed to experience it after all.

The promise of a new adventure was thrilling, so Parker agreed.

“Yeah! Is it a big place? Are there lots of rooms? Is it far away? Or is it close?” asked Parker.

“It’s a bit close actually. It’s just a few neighborhoods over, which might seem silly to move if it’s not a whole new area. It’s a fairly big place. There’s a big basement, a big living room, and three bedrooms,” explained Amanda.

“Woah! I can’t wait to tell Lyn,” beamed Parker as he continued to help clear his dishes after dinner. At this, he paused and glanced nervously up at his mom. “Do… you think… umm… well… do you think I could invite my friends over? Once we get all moved in and everything? Like… in time for my fifteenth birthday?”

Amanda’s stomach dropped as she considered Parker’s words.

Many of his friends had been around for four or five years. His really close friends seemed to be good kids and developing into decent teens.

The real question, however, was could they be trusted in handling Parker with care? Also, how would they react to seeing their friend in person? What would their reactions be to him being so small?

“I… Maybe. We’ll get settled first and then see if we can host something with some of your friends,” said Amanda.

Parker’s demeanor shifted from nervous to excited as he gave an excited shimmy and washed his dishes and then headed back to his room to finish a paper for his class.

Amanda knew she had an opportunity right then and there to possibly talk to Parker about why she had been so cautious, but diminishing that excitement in Parker’s eyes would break her heart.

She decided that this new move with new beginnings may be the best time to talk to her son about how he came into her life. Just as soon as they were settled, Amanda decided that she needed to talk to Parker about everything. Not knowing the answers wasn’t a good excuse anymore. Not wanting to hurt Parker wasn’t an option.

This was going to hurt both of them, but Amanda knew deep down that, as sick as it made her, she needed to address the truth regardless of consequences.

It would happen with the move and as soon as they were settled.

~~~^*^*^~~~

Kers heard the word “move” and knew he had a critical decision to make – stay in the apartment complex with the other humans he could borrow from or go with Amanda and Parker to watch over the Borrower child.

It wasn’t a difficult decision, but the logistics was the thing Kers was mainly concerned about. Moving as a Borrower was a tricky thing. There were too many things that could go wrong and twice as many things to worry about.

Kers could be seen, both by Amanda and by Parker.

Kers could be crushed by boxes or furniture pieces.

Kers could experience malnutrition and have a harder time finding food because humans became very particular about their food when moving.

Kers would have to start from scratch when moving to a new place if Borrowers didn’t occupy the home before he moved in.

The prospect of starting from scratch wasn’t an appealing one, but there was little else he could do. He made a silent promise to keep Parker safe, and that was what he intended to do.

So, with precision and care, Kers began packing all of his essentials in a go backpack. For his other essentials and items he had borrowed and wanted to take with him, Kers made the bold decision to put the items back into the human’s possession in the hopes he could borrow them back once they had finished the move.

Some of the things were blankets and kitchen supplies that were too heavy for him to carry with him. Other items he was able to deconstruct and slip into small boxes of miscellaneous nick knacks that the human, Amanda, never really bothered with.

It helped that Amanda had a big calendar countdown in the kitchen letting herself and Parker know how many days they had until the big move. It let Kers slip down into the kitchen and place his valuables into places Amanda might not look or grow suspicious of while she collected everything to move.

When the big day came, Kers felt his heart pounding in his throat. He had managed to collect nearly everything in his home and place it back into Amanda’s care temporarily. When Amanda began moving her boxes, the Borrower seized his opportunity.

Palms sweaty. Heart pounding distinctively slow in sync with every time his foot connected with the ground. Kers knew he had mere seconds to spare, but it didn’t stop his calmness of hand as he wrenched his hook from his hip and snagged it on the edge of the box.

Kers’ sprint was not half as taxing as the lightning fast climb he made into a nearby cluttered box of odds and ends. He just managed to get his hook free and found a hiding place, trusting his skills and praying he wasn’t noticed, before he felt the box begin to shift. He closed his eyes and hoped that nothing would reveal his hiding place.

The box jostled vigorously before being hoisted into the air at a nauseating speed. From where he was, Kers could see Amanda’s fingers poking through the box at the handholds. Kers held onto his gut and pinched his thumbs into his clenches fists as his breakfast threatened to make an appearance.

“Hang on, mom! Are my chargers in that box? Or in the other one?” asked Parker, whose voice was alarmingly close. Kers dared to glance up at the small gap of light at the top of the box as he wriggled further down into his hiding space beside some pen cups. From where he was, Kers could clearly see the charging cables Parker was referring to.

“Um… I think so,” Amanda replied, her much louder voice shaking the Borrower to his core.

“Is it okay if I check? I’ll be quick,” asked Parker. The question made Kers’ blood run cold.

Check?

Check!

You mean in the box?

Here?

Now?

Oh no…

Kers could do nothing as he listened to the sound of tiny feet pitter pad across the cardboard roof above him and watch as a small shadow filled the gap above him. He could only hope his Borrower skills had camouflaged him well enough so that Parker and his keen eyes wouldn’t notice him.

The small shadow of a fellow Borrower eclipsed the little bit of light at the top of the box before Kers heard a soft thump followed by an “ooff.” The disguised Borrower leaned back further and made sure he was braced for if the box was dropped suddenly. He knew the cardboard was too thick to cut through, but Kers had a clear path to those handholds Amanda was using now.

If he needed to, he could make a mad dash as long as that path wasn’t blocked.

No reassuring thoughts could quiet his relentlessly thumping heart. Each beat made his entire chest throb. Clenching his jaw and leaning back a little further, Kers could clearly see the little sandy haired Borrower teen rummaging through a few odds and ends at the opposite end of the box.

Seeing him up close really showed Parker’s form. He looked healthy and tall, which was a tribute to Amanda’s care. Amazing what good nutrition can do for you. He’s taller than the average Borrower, and he’s only going to get taller.

Parker suddenly turned around and, for a moment, Kers felt his heart skip a beat. Parker’s eyes widened and then squinted in rapid succession.

Kers held his breath.

Everything – time itself – stood still before Kers saw a smile curl Parker’s lips.

“Found them! They’re over there in the corner,” called Parker as he spun back around toward the light and jumped, catching the edge of the cardboard with his fingertips and hoisting himself up and out of the box.

Kers wanted to shout to release all of the pent-up energy his body was charged with in those tense moments, but instead he forced himself to breathe calmly and nodded slowly.

That was close.

That was too close.

One of us needs to talk to Parker sooner or later.

Kers could only imagine what kind of interaction that would have been had Parker actually spotted him hiding there under the various wires and contraptions in the box. It only ended poorly for everyone no matter how Kers thought about it.

It only reaffirmed the fact that Parker needed to know the truth whether or not he was asking the right questions.

It was time.

At least, it was nearing time.

Kers realized that he needed to get to the new house and settled in, relatively speaking, before addressing Parker. It occurred to Kers that possibly addressing Amanda first might be a better alternative to talking to Parker first, but the thought of talking to a human and willingly revealing Borrower-kind made him sick.

Sadly, it was probably the best way to go about it. Revealing himself directly to Parker would bring about trust issues between him and his mother and possibly make Parker resent his mother. If Kers talked to Amanda and answered her questions first, perhaps when she talked to Parker she would have those answers and then be able to refer to Kers, their friendly neighborhood wall walker, for further explanation.

It would show that Amanda wanted to talk to Parker about everything and wasn’t trying to hide information while also telling him the truth.

Parker deserved it.

He was a good kid.

He was going to be a man before long.

It wasn’t going to be easy or pretty, but just mulling over the concepts and ideas of addressing everything to Parker and Amanda helped keep the Borrower’s mind off of the overall trip. He didn’t even notice the roar of the car engine or the jostling all around him as the boxes around him.

The car finally came to a halt and after what felt like an hour of waiting in the darkness of the vehicle trunk the jostling came to his box as it was carried into the house. The whole thing felt like tumbling down a bumpy hill or a knotted line, every step making his insides lurch. Kers could only guess that Amanda was more careful when she was carrying around Parker; he hoped so at least.

When the world finally stopped moving, Kers remained completely still for another twenty minutes. His heart pounded uncomfortably as the thought that Parker could come climbing down into the box for his various belongings interrupted any and all of Kers’ strategic plans to escape his current environment.

It wasn’t until he was certain he was going to be alone for the next few minutes that Kers dared to push himself up, grab his pack, and climb up to the handhold to get a better view of his surroundings.

The living area was hard wood, which would make any movement very audible if he wasn’t light on his toes, and from where Kers was he could spot the kitchen and a set of stairs leading to an upstairs.

The vastness of the room and complete lack of cover made his instincts feel electrified, but all he needed was one clear shot to get into the walls. The sensation and difficulty of the task made his head swirl, but Kers took a few deep breaths to calm himself.

Go. Now!

That instinct in his mind screamed just as he began wiggling his way through the handhold on the box. Every hair stood on end. Every sound seemed amplified. The tremor in the ground felt like an earthquake.

Amanda was on her way back.

Kers knew he had only seconds to react, and he took full advantage of it.

Slinging his pack onto his back, Kers dared to drop from one box to the next without a security line all the way to the ground where he fell instantly into a crouch. His body seemed to move on its own as he rounded the corner just as Amanda passed right behind and headed toward the kitchen with a box of supplies in her arms.

One glance told Kers that Parker was riding on Amanda’s shoulder and seeing them both towering above him was crippling. Heart palpitating, Kers took his chance as he spotted an electrical outlet at the far end of the living room. He was sure he was making noise. It sounded like he was running around crashing into everything he could, which was not the case.

He had just made it to the electrical cover and unscrewed the faceplate when he heard Amanda and Parker talking about how they wanted to set up Parker’s room. It made Kers’ heart hurt hearing the excitement in the young teen’s voice.

There was such zeal and innocence there.

It took a couple of good tugs, but Kers finally managed to yank free the cover as he practically threw himself into the walls and covered the hole once more.

As Kers slipped into the comfort of the walls, he let himself breathe his first true sigh of relief all day. Though he knew borrowing back the things he mixed into Amanda’s belongings would be a trick, he knew he was once again safe within reason.

The Borrower sank to the ground, sliding down the wall slowly, and sat there against the stud of a load bearing wall. Something in his heart refused to quiet. It was either fate or pure dumb luck that Parker hadn’t seen him earlier.

Kers chuckled to himself quietly as the irony hit him. Here he was worried that Parker – a fellow Borrower – saw him as if Parker were a human.

Well… I suppose he kind of is all things considering.

Once he gathered himself, Kers hoisted himself and his pack onto his back. There was a lot to do and there was never enough time to do it.

First things first was to find a nice place to sleep and set up a temporary base of operations. There was nothing worse during a move than trying to fun from one side of the house to the othe when there was a decent middle ground that reached all of the essential spots.

For Kers, that usually was at or around the kitchen, so that’s where he headed. The pack on his back felt like it weighed a whole pound, but he refused to leave these things behind. It honestly showed him what living a sedentary life felt like, especially when collecting things with sentimental value.

It was a new experience, and something about it felt oddly good. Borrowers, after all, didn’t usually get to keep many trinkets and bobbles and knick-knacks that amused them. They needed to be able to move at the drop of a hat. They lived everywhere and nowhere.

Nomads.

Sojourners.

Borrowers.

What was on their backs was already too much to carry. It didn’t stop Kers from collecting what he did and bringing it with him.

Despite the aching it caused his bones and muscles, Kers trekked through the walls with steady confidence. He had moved many times before, carrying those same things with him everywhere ever since he was a child.

Now was no different.

He would start from scratch and work his way back up to having a home, but he wouldn’t part with these things. It would be difficult. He knew it. But it wasn’t different than anything else he had ever done.

He also knew, as he turned his hip lamp and held it to the ground, that there wasn’t hardly enough dust in between the walls and beams. There were holes from thumb tacks in weird places. It was his next discovery that truly solidified Kers’ suspicions. There was even a small pencil drawing that looked like a simple house with an arrow heading further into the walls.

Excitement and nervousness instantly churned his insides.

I haven’t even been here twenty minutes and already I think there might be someone else living here in the walls.

Kers’ suspicions were confirmed when he wiggled his way through a narrow board that looked like it had been purposefully cut and smoothed over and saw Christmas and fairy lights twinkling around the next corner.

The Borrower swallowed dryly as every possible scenario clouded his mind. This was both the best thing and the worst thing possible.

Best because he didn’t need to start from scratch and had others he could potentially rely on if they were friendly.

Worst because they could see Kers as an enemy. What was worse still was that they didn’t know about Amanda, Parker, and the circumstances surrounding this human mother and Borrower child duo.

Kers had decided over four years ago to help and protect Parker. If that had to be from other Borrowers before Parker was ready for the truth, so be it.

No sooner had Kers made this decision did he hear voices coming from around the corner. They sounded like a mix of ages and genders, but Kers guessed it was a dad and at least three kids, two boys and a girl.

Kers didn’t want to scare them and did the only polite thing to do.

“Hello?” he called, no plan and every prayer to his name.

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

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narrans · 4 months

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My Borrowed Son | 24 | A Waking Nightmare

Chapter Twenty-Four | A Waking Nightmare

Parker couldn’t believe how awesome this new place was. There were so many big spaces and new areas to explore. No longer was the kitchen connected to the living room which was connected to the dining room. The bedrooms were upstairs instead of on the same floor as all the others.

There was a separate spot for Parker’s mom to have an office instead of her having to use part of the living room or her office. There were carpeted parts of the house as well as tile and hard wood. There were two whole bathrooms and even a balcony that overlooked a back yard.

All of this was new and amazing for Parker.

Sure, he still had his space that he would be staying in, but Parker was already making plans to make some transportation structures for easy access from his room to the kitchen and bathroom.

One of those things included an elevator that he would get put into the wall. It would be a simple cut out from the floor to part of the wall in the kitchen. The actual mechanism would be inside of the wall.

Parker knew his mom was probably going to have some objections to it overall just because she probably didn’t want holes cut into their new home and Parker would be designing the pulley system himself. Still, he was confident that he could persuade her if he pointed out he would be climbing the stairs manually.

She didn’t like when he climbed too high.

It was an open and shut case.

So, as Parker helped unload all of the various cables and started setting up his area, he began scouting the floorboards and the rooms for the best place for him to put some of the contraptions he wanted to include in the home.

As he did, there was an odd feeling in the air that he couldn’t quite place. It was like the same sensation he got right before his mom entered the room or the sensation that overwhelmed his mind when he woke up from his reoccurring nightmare, which was happening more frequently recently.

It was the same dream every time, though some of the details changed from time to time.

The dark clouds. Some kind of boat. Someone calling to him as he was suddenly dragged under the waves. Not being able to breathe. Fear. Cold. Darkness.

Just the thought petrified the young teen.

Parker had to remind himself it was just a dream. He had actually posted about the dream a few times on his blog and a few people suggested it might be more of a memory than a nightmare, but Parker couldn’t remember anything like that in his lifetime. He did have to acknowledge the fact that some studies he read up on about dreams said that dreams couldn’t pull from information a person didn’t already have.

It was weird, and the more he thought about it the more it made Parker’s head hurt. Putting the dream aside, there was something about this house that set Parker’s senses on edge. It almost felt alive. Every time he approached the walls while hooking up his cables, Parker felt like a magnet drawn to steel.

Perhaps it was just his adventures that one night into the walls that compelled him to venture into the walls again. Perhaps it was just natural curiosity that drew him to explore what was unknown. Or, as another crazy thought, perhaps Parker wanted to compare the walls of his old home to his new home to see what differences there were.

He remembered the interior walls next to the drywall being unusually tidy and the little sketch mark still had no official translation. Were there marks like that in this house too?

Parker kind of wanted to know.

But did he really?

Conflicted, Parker continued hooking up all of his wires until, finally, his space was fully operational. Other than the water, which his mom hooked up after he informed her everything else was in place, all Parker had to do was help organize the drawers and chat with his mom.

They talked about everything while they worked. School. Future study plans now that midterms were over, and Parker would have to start thinking about what he wanted to study in the spring semester. They also talked about Lyn and how she was doing.

It made Parker just the slightest bit uncomfortable that they were talking about her simply because his body started doing funny things when he thought about his female classmate. Sure, she was a couple years older than him, their group of friends celebrating her sixteenth birthday just last week, but there was something about her that made Parker feel warm and tingly, excited and nervous, confident and seen.

It wasn’t until the movers came with all of the other furniture that Parker noticed his mom act a little strangely. She quickly ushered him up to his room and told him that she didn’t want him to get hurt.

“I’ll be okay, mom,” ensured Parker. “I’ll be on the counters and on the windowsill. They won’t hurt me. They’re not kids.”

“Parker, I would rather you not be out and about while they’re bringing everything in. There’s going to be so much movement and things swinging around and possibly falling. I would just feel better if you just took a break and relaxed in your room. Don’t worry. You’ll be able to help put everything when you want it when they’re done,” countered his mom.

Parker wanted to continue the discussion but ended up complying with his mom and retreating back to his room. There was something in her tone that sounded panicked and uneasy. It was like she didn’t want him to be seen and didn’t want him to talk to the movers.

That’s weird. I know she’s protective, but I thought it would be different now. I’m older. I’m almost fifteen. I can look after myself. I’m careful.

Parker huffed a huge sigh and flopped down on his bed where he found himself daydreaming about meeting Lyn for the first time. He thought about what she would say about his height, which he already had some lines for, or so he thought. He imagined what it would be like to hug her. He even dared to think about what it would be like to kiss her.

This brought about a whole range of emotions that made Parker squirm uncomfortably. He wasn’t sure where that thought came from, but he quickly shook himself out of his fantasy and turned his attention to his books and finishing setting up his room.

It was hours later when the sound of thumping and talking voices finally subsided. There were a few times when the voices sounded close to Parker’s door, but no one entered his room. In fact, Parker felt his hair stand on end and he actually retreated further into his space when he heard the voices.

It was another weird sensation of wanting to talk to new people and meet them but also wanting to retreat and hide away.

It made his head hurt, but he didn’t spend time dwelling on it. Too much time had already been dedicated to it in the past, and Parker didn’t find any use thinking about stuff he couldn’t solve. There were too many other books and subjects for him to learn about anyway.

Parker eventually emerged from his room, actually soldier crawling under the door to get out of his bedroom and climbed down the stairs. He wasn’t sure where the idea came from, but he snagged a few thumb tacks and taped them to his shoes and the used the carpet fibers as solid handholds as he climbed down each individual step.

The young teen was rather pleased with himself by the time he made it down to the bottom step and carefully took off his shoes before walking into the kitchen where he saw his mom unpacking plates and bowls.

“Hey mom,” Parker called. She stopped moving immediately and scanned the floor for Parker, smiling when she found him.

“Hey there, sweetheart. Were you calling for me? I’m sorry. I just thought I’d put these things away really quick before coming up to see what you wanted to eat for dinner,” said his mom as she knelt and extended her hand.

“No worries. I just got down here,” said Parker. Amanda glanced down at her child as she lifted him onto the counter.

“How did you get down here?” the thought that entered her mind changed Amanda’s expression to one of worry and disbelief. “You didn’t climb down them, did you?”

Parker sat quietly and averted his gaze bashfully. There was no denying what he had done, so he decided now was as good of a time as any to bring up his idea about the elevator.

“Um… well�� I did have to climb, but I was really careful!” Parker insisted. His mom gave him another worried look and shook her head. “No! I really was! I used some thumb tacks on my shoes and made sure I had a tight grip on the carpet before coming down. Which! I actually had an idea for. Since I’m on the top floor and my room is across from the kitchen, I could implement my elevator idea.”

“Parker…”

“I know you’re worried about the idea, so I decided to draw up the plans and try it out on the desk. All I need to do is build it and then you’ll have a chance to see that it’s a solid design,” insisted Parker. Amanda sighed heavily as she set her hand onto the counter. Parker could see his mom would need far more convincing. The reluctance was tangible.

So instead of pressing the issue, he decided to start dragging away the paper and stuffing that was in between the dishes while he listened to yet another safety spiel his mom had rehearsed. It was a conversation he had dozens of times before, especially when it came to him climbing and experimentally inventing contraptions. She was usually very supportive of everything else except for the two specific topics of certain climbing inventions and visiting friends in person.

Honestly, he tuned out most of what his mom had to say simply because he had heard it so many times before. Parker instead diligently worked and nodded, agreeing mindlessly. He would have continued to do so except something caught his attention that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

Just for a moment, the teenage boy could have sworn that he saw the electrical cover on the other side of the counter move on its own. It didn’t shift down as if falling. It shifted up – as if being shifted back into place.

He shook his head as his heart skipped a few beats. He felt like he was on pins and needles. Everything felt electrified in his body. His head swirled uncomfortably as if he was about to pass out, which Parker had never done before.

“Parker? Parker?” His mom’s voice shook him out of his temporary stupor. “Is everything okay? You look a bit pale.”

Parker looked over at his mom and then back to the electrical cover.

“I… sorry. I thought I saw the electric cover move,” Parker said in a daze. There was immediately a look of concern on her face as she looked over at the island behind her. Before Parker could say anything, his mom walked over and jiggled the cover. Sure enough, it was a bit loose and actually came off.

“Well, that’s not good,” she muttered. “I’ll have to screw that in tighter.” There was something about seeing that electrical cover open that drew Parker to it once more. Though the island was a place he definitely couldn’t reach, Parker suddenly found himself on the edge of the counter looking down at the sheer drop beneath him. The sensation was thrilling and terrifying as he looked down at the vertigo inducing distance.

“Anyway, what do you want to have for dinner? You get to pick,” said his mom as she snapped the cover back into place and turned to face him.

“Um… Chinese? It’s been a while since we’ve had it,” suggested Parker.

“Wonderful. I’ll go ahead and order it. And to watch after dinner?”

Parker decided he wanted to watch The Matrix. It was a bit of an adult movie, but he had been allowed to see it before while his mother censored some of the “naughty” bits. The concepts of defining what was and wasn’t real while also delving into the technology that existed in the world was fascinating to him.

Parker thought it might be fun to get into computer programming simply because he wanted to be able to write code and maybe create mods for the games he enjoyed playing. Lyn evidently knew a little bit about programming and mod creation, and Parker was more than eager to pick her brain about it.

The thought of what made the electrical cover shift slowly faded in the teen’s mind as his mother occupied him with other chores and preparing for dinner. The movie and the food were both phenomenal, but during both Parker couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched. Something kept drawing his eyes upward toward the trim at the ceiling or by the other electrical covers around the room.

There was something that felt alive about this house, and Parker didn’t like it. When it came time for bed, Parker actually brought it up to his mom.

“Do… you feel weird in the house? Like… are you getting a weird feeling?” asked Parker as his mom came in to wish him a good night. Amanda had been getting a weird feeling, but it wasn’t until Parker said something that she fully elected to acknowledge the sensations around her.

“Well, a little, but I think that’s normal. This is a new house. Maybe we’re just not used to it yet,” suggested his mom. Parker sighed and nodded as he tugged at the hair on the back of his neck and rubbed just beneath his hairline. “Do you feel uncomfortable? Like you don’t want to be alone?”

“Maybe,” he muttered. Amanda, seeing her son’s discomfort, had an idea.

“Here. One second.” She went down to the living room and retrieved the old baby monitor that she and Parker used. It was something she hadn’t used in years, but it certainly aided her when she couldn’t be near Parker. When she brought it up, Parker recognized the contraption immediately.

“The baby monitor? Mom, I’m not a baby,” grumbled Parker as his cheeks warmed with embarrassment.

“I know you’re not, but the radio still works. If you need anything, you can just shout, and I’ll hear it in the other room. Just for now until the feeling goes away. Sound good?” asked Amanda. Parker considered the electronic device for a minute before deciding to relent. It was a good idea, and it was more of a radio than anything else.

The teen agreed reluctantly, and Amanda quickly set it up in the hallway just outside of his room for relative privacy’s sake. Then, with a kiss, Amanda wished her son the best dreams and went off to bed herself.

Parker curled up into bed and stared at the ceiling for what felt like hours before feeling an inkling of being tired. There was something about this place that made him uneasy. Perhaps it was just the relative unease of moving to a new home. It was the first time he had moved before after all.

It was these thoughts that Parker eventually fell asleep to.

Sadly, his dreams were not the best or the sweetest one he was asleep.

The nightmare appeared once again, but there was more to it than last time.

Parker could feel the chilling rain surrounding him. Someone’s arms were wrapped around him and telling him that they were going to be okay. Walls of water surrounded him, and he clung to the person tightly. He couldn’t describe it, but he trusted whoever it was that held him with all of his heart.

Another wall of water crashed over him. The darkness of the sky lit up just in time for him to look into the faceless features of the person who held onto him so tightly. All at once, he was dragged away, swallowed by the wave of water and spat out in the mud and leaves.

He turned in time to see the person being held back as they too were dragged under the waves of endless water surrounding him. Someone called out something to him that he couldn’t hear.

Fear.

Primal terror.

Loneliness.

Parker clutched something to his chest as the dark shadows surrounded him. He whimpered and tried to get away, but one shadow emerged and grabbed him. He threw out his arms and tried to push it away, but immediately Parker knew something was off.

For one, he registered that his hands made contact with something. Times before in his dreams, there was never resistance.

Most unnervingly was the fact something – someone – said his name.

“Parker? Shush and wake up!”

Wake up? What on ea-…

Parker opened his eyes and, to his horror, spotted a shadowy figure looming over him. From the sound of the voice, it was a girl speaking to him. For a second, Parker thought this was still part of the dream.

Vision sharpening instantly and sleep banished from his eyes, Parker pulled his legs free from his blankets and kicked, launching the figure across the room. She grunted in pain and gasped for air with the wind knocked out of her. Parker was on his feet in an instant and practically threw himself at his touch lamp, smacking it unnecessarily hard as the room illuminated.

There, standing up with difficulty, was a teen about the same age as him, possibly younger. Her hair was dark brown, and her eyes were basically black. She had mismatch pieces of fabric for clothing as well as a collection of weird contraptions at her hips. Her hair was in a low ponytail, which only kept her hip length hair out of her face. She forced herself to her feet and gasped for air again as she glared at him.

“You kicked me!” she hissed accusatorily. “Whatever. Come on! We have to go! Now!”

Parker knew two things.

One, he was drenched from his nightmare.

Two.

There was no way this was a dream. The way his heart pounded and the sensation of landing not one but two solid blows on the girl. His entire body trembled violently, and nausea immediately punched him in the gut.

What was this?

What was going on?

Panicked at seeing this stranger, let alone one his size, standing right there in front of him triggered an instinctual response that Parker couldn’t begin to understand.

He started to shout.

“M-mom! Mom! There’s someone here! Someone’s in the house!”

He wasn’t sure why he started shouting. Perhaps it was the instinctual fear and the involuntary need to be saved, but his body acted on its own as he called out to his mom.

The girl’s eyes widened, and she shied away immediately, retreating into the shadows of the next room.

“Dude! Shut up!” she hissed. “The human will hear you!”

“H-human? What?” Parker asked. His head swirled again and he staggered to the wall, leaning heavily against it. He gasped several times for air that left his lungs unsatisfied as his vision by the girl blurred.

“Are you coming or not!?” The girl didn’t wait for more than two seconds before turning on her heel and running toward the stairs. The sound of her retreating footsteps summoned Parker’s attention, and he chased after her.

“Wait! What? Where are you going?” Parker shouted. The girl stopped on the stairs and glared at him.

“Stop shouting, you moron!” she chastised as she continued running. Parker’s mind was running wild, but he spotted the baby monitor and did the only thing he could think to do. His mom couldn’t hear him here, but she could with the monitor.

He darted forward and threw his weight into the button and shouted as loud as he could.

“Mom! Mom! Come here! Quick! There’s someone in the house!”

He heard the girl curse as she left his house. Parker barely made it to the window in time to see her give one more fateful glance upward toward him, briefly making eye-contact, before vanishing off of the side of the desk.

Moments later, Parker heard his mother’s footsteps thundering through the hall and into his room.

“Parker? Parker!” she called as she rushed over to the desk, practically ripping the hinges as she threw the door open to look into Parker’s space. Parker shakily staggered toward his mom, mindlessly pointing toward the backside of the desk.

“Mom! There… th-there… there was a girl! There was a girl here in my room! She… sh-she… she was… l-like me. She was little like me!” Parker ran his fingers through his hair as he staggered toward his mom’s open hands. He was heaving in breath after breath, choking back the urge to vomit.

“Is there anyone else here, Parker?” asked his mom as she looked wildly around the room and back over her shoulder toward the stairs leading downstairs.

“W-what? No. I… I don’t think so. B-but mom. Sh-she was my size. She…” Parker let himself fall into his mom’s hands as he tried to calm his breathing. Everything hurt, especially his head.

Amanda, seeing Parker in such a state, looked at the state of his clothes and glanced around his space. Nothing looked disturbed or different. Parker was drenched from head to toe. She had to wonder if he actually saw someone or if it was just a bad dream.

“Parker, are you sure you saw someone? Are you sure it wasn’t a nightmare?” asked Amanda.

“No! Mom! Check by the desk legs! I know what I saw!” shouted Parker. Amanda did as he instructed and looked at the legs of the desk and the electrical covers nearby.

Nothing looked out of place.

Was it just a dream?

Could it have been a dream?

Honestly, what were the chances of there being a small girl living here in the house with them?

Then again, Parker existed, so couldn’t someone else?

What were they doing here?

Were they here for Parker?

Why? Why would they be?

And, Heaven forbid, what if they tried to talk to Parker before she could?

She didn’t want to distress Parker further and decided to compromise for the time being.

“Parker, I don’t know how much searching we can do here in the dark. Come to my room and get some rest. We’ll take a thorough look around in the morning,” said Amanda. Parker, still visibly shaking, looked back at his space. Doubt began to fill his mind.

Did he see what he saw?

Was it a part of his imagination?

No… it couldn’t have been….

And there was something else too…

There was something in his mom’s tone that made Parker the slightest bit uneasy. Did she believe him? And, if she did, why wasn’t she doing something about it now? Was she trying to dissuade him from looking? Was she trying to hide something from him?

Head throbbing, Parker tentatively agreed to stay with his mom for the evening. He wanted to sleep without the threat of waking again; but he wouldn’t forget this sensation.

He needed to do some of his own investigating tomorrow first thing when he got the chance.

Tomorrow… he would try and find his own answers.

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

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