#borrowed family

[tinyinvadr]

I’m so sane I’m so normal. Anyway, here’s more Borrowed Family!

Borrowed Family

Chapter 2

I froze up as the human stared at me from across the room. Neither of us moved or said a word for a solid minute. Then, he got out of bed and started to walk towards the desk.

At that point, I panicked, and started trying to run as if it would help me. No matter what, I was trapped. There was no way for me to get down from the desk, and he was gonna grab me or crush me or shove me in a jar.

My worst fears were realized when a massive pair of hands clamped around me, holding me in place. I was shuddering nonstop as I forced myself to look at the human.

He didn’t look angry, at least, but very confused.

“What… are you?”

I couldn’t speak. I just stood there, completely helpless as he lifted me off the desk like it was nothing. He turned me around in his hands a few times, looking at me from different angles. Then, with a single finger, he gently pulled my hood down to get a better look at my face.

“You’re human!? But… how did you get so small? Did Zim do this to you?”

At that point, I had no idea what to say. If he thought I was human, maybe he wouldn’t hurt me. But at the same time, if he figured out I was lying, it could end badly. Plus, I had no idea what a “Zim” was. I had to just come clean and hope for the best.

“N-No, I’m supposed to be this small. I’m a borrower. B-But we’re really not all that different from humans! Please don’t kill me…”

I shut my eyes, not wanting to look at him anymore. I doubted I was able to get through to him. There really was no getting out of this.

“What? No, kid, I’m not… I’ll just put you down now.”

I opened my eyes as he slowly and carefully lowered me back onto the desk, then took a few steps back.

All I could do was look up at him, waiting and watching to see what he would do next. Except he didn’t move. He stayed at a distance, looking concerned.

“Are you… really not gonna hurt me?”

I flinched a little as he raised his hands defensively. I think he noticed how scared I was and put his hands back down.

“Of course not! You’re just a little kid. Literally. But… what are you doing in my room?”

I avoided his gaze as best I could. Even if he wasn’t going to hurt me, I still felt awful that I ended up being discovered by a human. The whole point of this exercise was to prove to my Dad that I was ready to be a borrower. Clearly, I wasn’t.

“I-I’m just waiting for my Dad to come get me. He told me to wait here for him.”

The boy nodded. “Okay. Do you know where he went? Maybe I could help you find him.”

“NO! I mean, uh… you really shouldn’t. He doesn’t like humans, and… I don’t want him to know I messed up…”

The human took his eyes off me for the first time, looking down at his feet, ashamed.

“Yeah, I get that. But… is there anything else I could do to help? I’m sorry, I just… you’re all alone and scared and I’d feel really bad if I didn’t do anything.”

I hated how obvious my fear was. I couldn’t stop shaking. He was being so nice, but every story I’ve ever been told was about how horrible and monstrous humans are.

“D-Do you have a place I could sleep?”

He looked around the room for a second, then stopped when he saw something near his bed.

“Yeah, sure, wait one second.”

The boy went to the other side of the room, took a black coat off his bedpost, and folded it up into a large square shape. He brought it over to the desk and placed it down next to me, moving very slowly and carefully. He was actually trying not to scare me.

“Okay, hopefully that’s enough like a bed. Try it out, let me know if it’s comfortable or not.”

I climbed onto the folded up coat. It was pretty soft. I lied down, pulling the edge over myself like a blanket. Instantly much better than the stinky pencil case.

The human smiled at me, and I gave him a little smile back. I still wasn’t sure about the whole situation, but I was glad that he didn’t seem to be dangerous.

“Alright, if you’re good, I’m gonna go back to bed. Hopefully your Dad will come back soon. But, until then, I just want you to know that you don’t have to be afraid of me, okay? You’re safe here.”

I gave him a nod as he started to walk back towards his bed, but then he stopped and turned to look at me one last time.

“Oh, by the way, my name is Dib. What’s yours?”

I was almost gonna say it, but something stopped me. I don’t know why, but I never really felt like a Rosie. And I guess I was curious about what it would be like to go by another name. My parents would never want me to change it, but since this was only temporary and I’d probably never see Dib again, what was the harm in trying something new? So, I said the word that was still sitting in the back of my head for some reason.

“Recap!”

Dib paused, looking confused. “That’s… kind of an odd name, but, okay!”

With that, he got back into bed and went back to sleep, while I got myself comfortable on the makeshift coat bed.

As I drifted off to sleep, the last things on my mind were how weird this whole thing was. One of the monsters my family always warned me about was not only sparing my life, but he was being nice to me, and giving me a place to sleep while I waited for Dad.

Of course, I couldn’t fully trust him, but there was this part of me that was almost hoping it would take a little longer for Dad to find me. Just those words, “you’re safe here,” they never left my head. I… wanted that to be true.

When I woke up the next morning, Dib was still asleep. There was no sign of Dad anywhere. What was taking him so long? I looked around, just to double check and see if he was hiding anywhere, but nope.

I noticed Dib moving, and he let out a yawn as he woke up. He got out of bed and almost walked right past me, but then he backtracked and went back over to the desk.

“Whoa, you’re still here!? To be honest, I thought that was a dream. Wasn’t your Dad supposed to come and get you last night?”

I nodded. “Yeah… I guess he’s still looking!”

He looked like he was about to say something, but stopped.

“Okay… I guess you should probably stay here until then. I’m gonna go downstairs for breakfast. Want anything?”

It almost didn’t seem real. A human was offering me food. This never happened.

“Uhh… I’m okay with whatever! I don’t eat much.”

He looked like he was thinking something over for a second, then spoke again.

“I think I’ll just bring my plate up here so we can share, then. Do you like waffles?”

I never had waffles before. They’re not easy to borrow since they’re stored in the freezer, and that’s not the sort of place you wanna go inside unless you have to.

“I dunno. I never tried ‘em.”

Dib looked somewhat surprised. “Really? Wow. Well, you’re in for a treat, then! Wait right there.”

With that, he left the room. I sat and waited on the folded up coat, watching the door. I couldn’t get over it, he was actually bringing me food. I didn’t have to borrow it without him knowing, he was just… giving it to me. But why?

Either Mom and Dad were wrong about humans, or Dib was a very, VERY unique case.

[blue-cheeseinmyoffwhites]

Buddie’s Greatest Hits!!!

[buf309]

Well… is that face captivating enough to entice you to buy this W.I.S.E cosmetics collection? 🤔

--------------

***Disclaimer***

1/ The "Honey" slogan was coined by @nire-the-mithridatist

2/ The perfume bottle was based on the real Spy x Family Fragrances

3/ The other two pieces were based on the lipstick and blush balm I randomly found in my mother's cosmetic bag.

[dsudis]

Medieval peasants did not behave in a manner modern social scientists think of as optimal for their circumstances.

--Barbara A. Hanawalt, The Ties That Bound: Peasant Families in Medieval England.

(Dr. Hanawalt explains that there is no real evidence that English peasants were living in or even particularly acknowledging the existence of extended kinship groups in the 14th-15th century, no matter how much anthropologists think they should have been.)

[narrans]

My Borrowed Son | 2 | Decisions

Amanda hated this. She hated this whole this. Curses, she really hated this. 

Amanda had managed to shove her current troubles aside just long enough to focus on the thumb sized boy hiding under the park bench. After everything that happened, Amanda determined a few things. 

One, the boy was real. No hallucinations could move real blades of grass and whimper and cry like a real human child. 

Two, the child was alone at the moment. He kept looking around expectantly but refused to leave the pole more than a few inches before scurrying back to its perceived safety. 

Three, he needed to be taken care of. He had obviously been there for a few days, but Amanda couldn’t be sure. 

Finally, she needed to leave him alone. If he was more animalistic, Amanda didn’t want her scent or whatever to taint him. She thought some kind of parent might be back to collect him any minute. She knew some animals would leave their young for days on end while they hunted or lured off a predator, but she didn’t want to even consider the later. She also knew the law and abducting children was not something she wanted on her record - no matter how small or how in need the child was. 

At the same time, she couldn’t just leave him. 

So, she compromised with herself. 

She sat at a neighboring park bench, the whole time keeping eyes on the chipped base of the bench and the little tuft of sandy brown hair she could see. For hours, she sat and kept an eye on the small boy while also researching “tiny humans” on her phone. 

Sadly, she only found communities of authors and artists fascinated with small people with tails called “Littles,” which was part of a larger series written by John Peterson. There were other references to small, human-like beings who possessed sentience, but who knew what the little boy actually was. 

In all honesty, Amanda was focused so intently on the boy not only because of the whole situation, but because the distraction was a welcome one. It was far from relief, but it was a good way for her to keep her mind preoccupied at the very least. The tension of what to do next with her life and what to do with the boy loomed over her like the impending night. 

What made the evening even more tense was that the neighborhood kids came and began to play on the playground, kicking their soccer ball dangerously close to the thumb-sized boy’s hiding place. It was on the second time that Amanda moved back and sat on the bench just over the boy’s hiding spot that her anxiety began to calm. 

By the time it was sunset, the children had gone home with their parents and friends, leaving Amanda alone with the little boy. Amanda checked again and again and, sure enough, there was the little boy slumped over, barely awake. 

He had to be so tired. 

He looked so small and helpless right there, barely sitting upright against the cold metal pole. She looked into his dreary eyes and could see the spark of life draining away with each passing second. 

Amanda had been won over by her irrational, caring side. Whether the child was abandoned or not, he needed help. Amanda would return the next day with the boy if need be, but he needed help now. 

Nerves made her hand shake more than she thought as she knelt down and caught the eye of the small boy again. Dark circles were under his eyes, and he barely moved when she pulled the grass blades to the side. He was obviously exhausted to the point where he couldn’t even run away anymore. 

Amanda didn’t want to just grab him. He was probably very fragile. 

At the same time, she didn’t want him to run away either. A rough plan was in the forefront of her mind, and she was risking everything on it working. 

Based on all the fictional pieces she read about “The Littles,” all a “human bean” had to do was reassure the small person (because they really were just little people with mouse tails) and then the small person would trust the human. 

It seemed ridiculous, but it was the best laid plan that Amanda could come up with in her emotionally exhausted state. 

So, straining a forced smile, Amanda laid her hand onto the grass in front of the boy a few inches away. He whimpered and curled in on himself, hiding his fear filled eyes from Amanda. The way he shied away made Amanda think that the boy was bracing himself to be grabbed or pinched. The sight made her heart ache. 

So, she withdrew her hand ever so slightly and smiled again, making sure to appear as non-threatening as possible. 

“Hey, sweetheart. You’re okay. You’re safe now, okay? I’m not going to hurt you,” said Amanda gently. Was she losing her mind? Was this some sort of acceptance her mind needed to go through to begin recovering from her divorce? The boy’s eyes blinked away tears as he looked back up at Amanda. 

“Come on sweetheart. I won’t hurt you. Let’s go home,” she said. The child looked around but didn’t seem to find what he was looking for and, to Amanda’s shock, yielded to her request. 

He stood shakily, picked up something, and toddled forward until he stood at the tips of Amanda’s fingers. She held her breath as she marveled at the child as he glanced from Amanda’s hand to her eyes. Amanda felt her features soften involuntarily as she gazed at the boy. 

“I’ll protect you. You don’t have to be scared of me,” she said tenderly. “Come on. Just step on up, okay?” 

The sandy haired boy seemed to glance around once more, looking warily back toward the bench. Was he looking at something? What was keeping him there? 

“It’s okay sweetheart,” Amanda coaxed again. 

Then, turning away from the bench and his little hiding place by the bench, he lifted his foot and crawled up onto her hand. 

A shiver ran through her body as she felt his weight in her hand. Amanda thought he might vanish or that she might wake up at any moment, the whole thing being a dream. Instead, this impossibly small life crawled into a ball in the center of her hand, shivering and casting uncertain glances at her every few seconds. 

She couldn’t believe it. His weight was like a stack of just a few quarters in her palm. He wiped his eyes with the back of his dirt smudged hand. He looked up and met Amanda’s gaze once again, making her heart skip the next few beats. All at once, the fear and anxiety of being around this little boy in her hands melted away and was replaced by a protective surge she wasn’t expecting. 

“Hey there,” she said softly, curling her fingers so he wouldn’t accidentally fall. “You’re safe now. I’ve got you.” 

The boy locked eyes with her and blinked. Was it just her imagination? Or was there some recognition in his eyes at her words? Then, amazingly, he offered the first little smile she had seen since discovering him. That look on his face alone created a wordless connection between them. Amanda could see the boy’s insightfulness, even at his young age, and it only strengthened her resolve to protect him. 

Without severing their eye-contact, she stood and began the trek back home.  Amanda never had such a nerve wracking walk back to her apartment. Keeping the boy steady in her hands step after step was a terrifying venture all on its own. Still, the most terrifying events were yet to come. 

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

Continue

Previous

Beginning

[tblsomedoodles]

My Leo and Mikey for FW's good future.

(part 2 of 3 that i promised (oof) like 2 weeks ago. Yeah, it's been chaotic on my end.) (Donnie and Jennika can be found here.) (i'm still working on raph. Maybe by friday)

edit: Raph is here

I'm exhausted do multiple pet shenanigans so I'm posting this instead of waiting. (I'll do asks tomorrow. Tired)

again, all info under the cut

Leo is, like Donnie, 24 by the time they find Raph's bitties. He goes to college part time b/c he has other things he wants to be doing but also is slowly working towards getting into Mystic medical school. As much as Mama wants him to take over the nexus and hotel at some point, he'd really rather become a doctor like Leatherhead.

By now he's mostly gotten past his fear of medical procedures, though he's still not a fan of being treated by anyone except himself. There are a few things that still set him off (Like Bishop's genetics lab) but usually he's pretty good now.

At this point he's running the Battle Nexus's medical wing (not exactly practicing in it b/c he's not legally allowed, but he does run it.) And is in charge of the human side of the Nexus hotel (with use of a cloaking broach.) (Mikey helps but Leo's the face of it now.)

And Mikey! Mikey's 23. He went head first into art and mystics and just didn't look back. The dude has had art shows in both the hidden city and new york (though he never shows up to the nyc ones in person. It makes him a bit of a local cryptid as far as the art community goes lol.)

He's in college for art and has a nice little following online as well. Mostly for original work, but he does post jupiter jim fanart sometimes that is generally well liked. (he used to post Lou Jitsu fanart too, but the fandom was just too horny for his dad for him to be comfortable continuing doing so.)

His mystics are very powerful at this point. Probably more powerful than his apocalypse self was at that age (or ever) due to having proper access to training and food. His primary eyes glow gold almost constantly as a result of his extra mystic use, which he kind of likes since they used to be an amber color before his mutation.

I think that's about it.

[the-eldritch-it-gay]

This is technically old and I know I haven't done DA stuff in a while, but I was bored and just polished up some doodles comparing Joaquín Hawke a couple years before Kirkwall vs like Late-Game Kirkwall (or, more or less pre-T vs like 8 years on Magic T).

[g-t-prompts-all-the-time]

If the Addams Family found a borrower, you know they’d take good care of them. “Ah yes this is cousin tiny they live in the walls!”

Any borrower that chooses to live with the Addams for more than a week has to be cool enough to fit in with them anyway

[steeb-stn]

Love the idea that both Miller households are just. Constantly in and out of each other’s houses. Tommy letting himself in Joel’s front door just like it was 20 years ago. Ellie sitting at Tommy and Maria’s kitchen table drawing because their kitchen has perfect light. Baby Miller barging in to Joel and Ellie’s and shaking the walls down on Saturday mornings, looking for someone to play with. Another way Joel and Maria could break the ice: one day Joel stops by his house in the middle of the day because he forgot something, only to find Maria sitting in his living room floor, hiding from her toddler/a fellow council member/disgruntled townsfolk/her husband/all of the above. Joel awkwardly offers her something to drink and the rest is history. It becomes a regular thing because Joel will even lie for her if anyone comes asking where she is.

[katabay]

haccho and goro :)

there are so many things in this show I'm obsessed with, it's an absolute cake that has everything I want to sink my teeth into and I cannot stop eating it (literally, I think about it all the TIME) and someday I'm going to get my hands on the comic. but. until then. these two have some kind of hold on me

[tinyinvadr]

I’m finally back with another chapter! In this installment, Recap meets the scary gamer girl!

Borrowed Family

Chapter 7

“Okay, are you sure you’re ready? Do we need to go over the plan again? It’s not too late to back out, we can think of something else.”

Dib was more nervous than I was about this whole doll clothes heist thing. I couldn’t blame him, though. From what he told me about Gaz, she did sound pretty scary. But I was ready. I was gonna go on my first borrowing mission, and I was gonna be great at it!

“I’m ready! Let’s go!”

He let out a sigh as he brought me over to Gaz’s bedroom door, then put me down on the floor.

“Okay, she’s downstairs right now, and the plushies won’t activate unless she’s here. I still wouldn’t touch any of them, just to be safe. All you gotta do is get the clothes and get out of there as fast as you can. I’ll be out here keeping watch.”

“I’ve got this, Dib! Trust me!”

With that, I ran inside the dark and spooky bedroom. There seemed to be a bit of a running theme going with the decorations. Lots of skulls, and pigs, and posters with scary-looking creatures on them.

I crept around the room, searching for the doll clothes. Soon enough, I found a plastic bin full of tiny clothing. And just like Dib said, it looked like it could fit me. Not perfectly, but good enough!

I couldn’t take all of them, so I just dug through and picked out a few favorites. Of course, I had to take the little coat that kinda looked like Dib’s, and just ONE of the goth dresses! Not really sure how well I pull the look off, but it’s cool.

I was about to leave with the clothes, but I stopped when I heard footsteps approaching. Dib glanced into the room to check on me, but then turned his attention to the person in the hallway.

“Son, what are you doing? You know your sister doesn’t like it when you snoop through her room.”

“Ah- no, I wasn’t-“

“No need to worry about it, I won’t tell her. But, there is something I wanted to show you. Come along.”

All I could do was watch as Dib’s dad dragged him down the hall. I wasn’t sure whether to stay put or head back to his room on my own. It would probably be safer to wait, but I had no idea how long it would take him to get away from his dad, and there was no telling when Gaz would show up. So, I decided to make a run for it.

My little legs can only go so fast, though, so even as I ran, It still took a while for me to get to the doorway.

Just as I was about to head for Dib’s room, I heard footsteps again, and when I turned to see who it was, my eyes were met with Gaz.

I didn’t want to wait around and find out if she saw me or not, so I darted back into the room and hid in the shadows of the nearest corner.

I held my breath when she entered the room. All humans are scary, but there was something about her that was extra intimidating.

She walked further into the room, and it was then that I realized that I sort of left a mess when I was gathering the doll clothes. And she noticed right away.

“Dib…” She scowled, looking around for him. “I know you’re in here. Get out before I force you out.”

While she was clearly angry, Gaz was also trying to remain calm. But for some reason, that was still terrifying.

“This is your last chance, Dib. Show yourself!”

I pulled my hood over my head and curled up into a ball. I didn’t think she’d be able to find me, but I didn’t wanna take my chances.

But, it turns out she didn’t need to find me.

“SECURITY!!!”

All of the creepy plushies in the room sprang to life, with robotic limbs bursting out of them. They jumped off their shelves and started to prowl around the room, searching.

Before I could fully react, a plush tail wrapped around me and pulled me out into the open. I let out a scream as I saw the head of a rattlesnake hissing above me, its sharp metal fangs ready to strike.

A shadow fell over me, and I turned my attention to Gaz, who was looking down at me in confusion.

“You’re not Dib.”

“N-No… No I’m not!”

She snapped her fingers.

“Release the kid.”

The snake let me go, and all the plushies went back on their shelves and took on their regular appearances. It was freaky how quickly they could change back and forth like that.

I started to run again, but Gaz grabbed me and lifted me off the floor.

“Hold it! I’m not done with you yet. What are you? What are you doing in my room? And why are you stealing my doll clothes?”

I wasn’t sure what to say, so I just went with what I thought would make her less likely to kill me.

“I-I’m Dib’s friend! And I was just borrowing! I’m a borrower, that’s kinda what I do!”

She stopped to think for a second, then shook her head.

“You do realize borrowing involves asking the person for permission first, right?”

“I’m sorry! D-Dib said you-“

“Ugh… I see, he put you up to this. Typical.”

She put me back down on the floor and backed up.

“You’re free to go, kid. Just don’t let this happen again. Now, where’s Dib?”

As if on cue, Dib came running into the room, looking out of breath.

“Recap, I’m here! I’m sorry, my dad was giving me a lecture and it was so BORING! C’mon, let’s go before Gaz- OH MY GOD!!!”

He looked back and forth between the two of us, clearly panicking.

“Gaz, I can explain! Please don’t hurt them, this was all my idea!”

“Yeah. Figured that much out already.” Gaz said with a scoff. “You should’ve just asked me if you needed doll clothes.”

Dib let out a defeated sigh.

“You’re right… Just, please don’t tell anyone about Recap, okay? They’re just a kid, and they need a place to stay.”

Gaz shook her head. “You really think I’m gonna tell people? I hate people, you know that. And anyway, this is none of my business. Just stay out of my room and don’t make them steal stuff from me again. Simple.”

Dib nodded, then scooped me up in his hands. He immediately pulled me close to his chest, and I could actually feel how fast his heart was beating. He was clearly even more shaken by this than I was.

“It’s okay, Dib. I’m alright.”

I turned to look back at Gaz, and her expression softened slightly. I could tell that even though she acted mean and scary, deep down she was a good person.

We returned to Dib’s room, and he set me down and took out the miniature furniture we got from the craft store. After everything was all set up, it was like I had my own little room on his desk.

“I know it’s not much, but I really hope this helps you feel more comfortable. It must be off-putting when everything’s so much bigger than you, so I imagine having stuff that’s suitable for your size is helpful.”

With that in mind, I plopped myself down on my bed. Yes… my new bed… in my new home… wow…

But everything was gonna be okay. I had a human, one of the most dangerous creatures for a borrower to face, that was willing to take care of me. This was the safest I could possibly be. And yet, it still felt wrong. This went against everything I’d ever been taught.

“Alright, after that stressful situation, we should do something more relaxed. Maybe watch a movie? Do borrowers have movies? Does anything I say make sense?”

I chuckled. “You’re good! I’ve heard of movies, but we don’t really watch them, since we don’t have TVs. But I’ll totally watch one with you! That sounds cool!”

Dib smiled and pulled up a movie on his computer, and I sat and watched the giant screen from my bed. It was about spaceships or something. I dunno, I couldn’t really follow the plot, but there were lots of explosions and it was really cool!

After the movie, it was about time for dinner, so he went downstairs to get food for us again.

He came back with a plate of spaghetti and let out a little laugh.

“It’s a good thing we got you those utensils, ‘cause this would be kinda messy to eat with your hands.”

Yep, he definitely had a point there. Having my own fork and knife allowed me to cut my noodles into little pieces. It was still messy, but at least I wasn’t getting sauce all over my arms.

By the end of the night, I was feeling a lot better. I actually managed to get a decent night’s sleep without any nightmares. Maybe being in an actual bed again helped. Or… maybe it was knowing that I had someone who truly cared for me.

[puppyeared]

throws oc lore at u <3 (anton belongs to @poicyss )

[thiziri]

Princess Anne and Sir Tim Laurence, attend day four of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival, on 15 March 2024.

[beaulesbian]

After dinner, I want you to pick out your toys for the yard sale. Two boxes' worth.

[narrans]

My Borrowed Son | 1 | That Day

It would’ve been the perfect day to rain. The divorce was finalized. The house and everything in it were divided up accordingly, but only two boxes of an entire life together had been cracked open. The rest were still taped and shoved in every free space available. 

Seven years. It had only been seven years. Well… they don’t call it the seven year itch for nothing, but why did it have to be her? 

Amanda Silverstein sat on the edge of the hard plastic bench just beside the playground in the neighborhood she moved into just one month ago. 

The sun shone brightly on the metallic structure that made up the playground. The swings drifted back and forth in the light breeze that didn’t reach the clouds high above. It looked abandoned, but school was in session, so no kids were present yet. 

In a perfect world, Amanda could have seen her children playing on a playground like this. The house her and her now ex-husband had was next to a lovely playground.

All of these hopes and dreams were now dry and fading like the link signature on the divorce papers sitting on her kitchen table. 

They weren’t, however, dry like her eyes. Amanda hadn’t stopped the slow stream of leaking tears since she went on her walk. The warmth of the sun couldn’t penetrate the barrier of numb sorrow strangling her heart. Every moment, she wondered what she could’ve done differently. Could she have spoken softer? Was it the hours she worked? Her desire for kids? What chased him away? Or was it inevitable? Were there too many differences in the first place? Was there anything she could’ve done? 

Amanda hung her head and laced her fingers through her hair by her scalp. Deep breath after deep breath, she was managing to keep herself from succumbing to the nausea plaguing her. Head throbbing, she leaned back and stared at the cloudless sky. 

It was only now that she realized she wasn’t shuddering with every breath. She filled her lungs and exhaled the first calm breath she had taken in hours. 

What was she going to do now? Work, obviously; but what else? The possibilities were endless, and the vastness was all consuming. 

It was too much…

And…

Really…

What she was actually asking herself was what was she going to do without him. 

Was it even worth it? 

Chest clenching in the familiar aching throb, Amanda felt on the verge of another round of sobs when she heard something. 

It was a soft sob, and it didn’t come from her. It was a sniffling sob that sounded close, but a quick glance around revealed no one. 

Amanda composed herself and wiped her palm against her cheek, smearing what little makeup she placed on her eyes. 

“Hello?” she called. The little sob was close, but no one was around her. 

More importantly, the sob sounded like it was… under… the bench. 

Amanda swallowed dryly and dared her curious side to peer under the bench as she heard another impossibly soft cry. There was no way something was there, right? 

She pulled her skirt to the side and looked, heart skipping every other beat in her chest as she did. 

Naturally, nothing seemed to be under there… at first. 

Then, after a moment of staring intensely and unblinking at the same spot while allowing her eyes to unfocus, she saw some of the tall blades of grass twitch. Amanda held her breath. Did she just see that? 

She focused on the same spot and, once again, saw the tall blades of grass twitch and something pull closer to the pole. Mortified, Amanda pulled her whole body up onto the bench, fearing it might be an injured creature like a mouse. 

But… how could it be a mouse? It was a light sandy brown and was too round for a mouse. 

Perhaps it was one of those crying dolls that a child lost earlier on the playground? 

Amanda dared herself again to peer over the edge and, with the utmost care, pulled the blades of grass out of her field of vision. 

Almost instantly stunned, she found herself locking eyes with the smallest boy she had ever seen in her life. Soft brown eyes and gaunt features, a boy no bigger than Amanda’s thumb was huddled next to the metallic part of the pole that supported the bench. 

Upon seeing Amanda, the child scurried away to the other side of the pole, peering out only a little to reveal his fear filled eyes. 

Amanda felt like she was about to faint. Stunned beyond words didn’t cover the rush of emotions she experienced. Completely flabbergasted, Amanda could only stare at the boy, jaw slack with surprise. 

Was he real? 

Was he a hallucination? 

Was this some kind of manifested stress creature because of everything she was going through recently? 

She found herself muttering, “Hey there,” before she could stop herself. The boy, who looked thin and filthy, whimpered, and retreated back behind the pole once again, and he didn’t reappear despite Amanda being able to hear him. 

Amanda’s anxiety from her own predicament was immediately replaced by questions and concern about this child. 

Was he alone? 

Was he real? 

Where were his parents? 

He looked human enough, but he couldn’t be human if he were that small, right? 

What should she do? Should she call the police? Or was he more like an animal and, if she touched him, he would be rejected by his family. 

What should she do? 

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

Continue

[octobertomarch]

"It never satisfies

Living my life in a lie"

Inspired by this song