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So, a while back, I told my friends I liked g/t (oddly scary experience)(of course they were supportive)
And like any sane person would, I rambled on about (mostly) everything in this community as an explanation
So I'm gonna put that here
Beware. This explanation is very opinion based and not factual. And also has a clear bias. And also doesn't get into a lot of things
Eh em
So
Giant/Tiny
Welp. Crossed the point of no return with this one.
It should be fairly obvious what it means. You have
Giants -> anywhere more than 10ft for mini giants, and 50ft or more for usual giants. And you can go even bigger if you want an incomprehensible scale
Normal size -> Just, human sizes
And tinies -> Kinda tinies going about 2fts, the usual tinies going around 3-6 inches, and like Giants, you can go even smaller if you want an incomprehensible size
Now, VERY IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION! G/T or Giant/Tiny is the SFW section of this group! The NSFW section is typically labeled as Macro/Micro!
Anyways. After that, there's a lot of sections in the community itself. Lemme tackle some controversial ones first
-Controversial part 1. Vore (I don’t really like it) :
So, vore in g/t is kinda split. Half of the community likes it whilst half of them don’t. There’s no hate or scorn. People don’t think it’s weird if other people enjoy it. We typically just have different interests
Now, clarification, typically in g/t, we use what is called Soft Vore, which means there’s usually like a second section of the stomach where it’s entirely safe ([Iforgotthenamebuttheusual] Vore is, whilst still there, a lot more uncommon)
The appeal of this one is just the main appeal of g/t, but heightened. You know, all the safety and all that. Being completely protected by another person. Knowing fully that that person trusts you. A lot of those stuff. Don’t forget that this is a size thing, so typically it’s done with a 20 times size difference.
I get the appeal somewhat, but I don’t really like the insides of a stomach. I’d much rather be completely protected by like hands or smth.
Controversial part 2
-Pets (I also don’t really like it) :
So, with small people being like 6 inches and all, the power imbalance is quite obvious
Now THIS one is where the community’s really split on. There’s a large chunk of the community saying that it’s bad, and also a large chuck of the community who makes stuff with it. (It's been a while. I don't know where the community stands now)
So, it’s essentially these small small versions of humans that are sold as, well, pets. And that’s mainly it. Mostly everyone is treated like pets, except the obvious protagonist, and maybe some other people since not everyone is the same.
It’s not my cup of tea usually, but I do read some long stories that utilizes this trope very well (there’s one where a little lawyer guy tries to change the law of the pet rule so that they’re not treated like pets anymore(you guys know the one))
Let’s move on to the more common parts. Which I should’ve probably done earlier.
Now, have any of you heard of The Secret World of Arriety? Or The Borrowers by Mary Norton? That’s where a large chunk of the Tiny content derives from. We call them Borrowers usually (thank you Mary Norton), but it’s not a set in stone thing. There’s a lot of people who make up their own species names for them.
-Borrowers
Are small 3-8 (but usually 6) inches essentially human species who (usually) live in your walls. They survive by taking crumbs and items you wouldn’t ever notice going missing (so their items are quite limited). They avoid human(or Beans, as they call them) interactions at all costs (or at least that’s the common established most important rule)
Now, Borrowers don’t have to live in someone’s house. They can always go out to the wild (I think they’re called Wild Borrowers?), but it’s a lot more dangerous because nature wasn’t built for their size. They use torn pieces of fabric as clothes, pins as weapons (usually) and bottle caps for bowls.
That should be the general agreement of Borrowers
-Humans
Are humans. That’s it.
-Giants
Come in all shapes and sizes, and there’s no one popular species. You can have the monster like, myth like giants. You can have them coexisting with humans. You can have them naturally slowly grow into one. Just, a lot of ideas. They’re cool though.
Usually, in the story, they’re thought of as monsters by most people (likely including the protagonist), because of their size (sizist much). But they’re USUALLY chill.
## -Sizeshifters
Are my favorite
As the name suggests, they shift sizes. Typically normally a human, but can be of any big or small normal size if needed. And it’s not uncommon to see them only be able to shift smaller/normal or bigger/normal other than all both ways.
There’s a lot you can play with, and I don’t think I’d be able to list even half of them.
Now smaller roles include
-Gods (with a lowercase g) (who usually stands at 50-100ft in these stories)
-Basically omnipotent beings that’s like the size of a planet
-Forcefully shrunk or grown (the former a lot more often than the latter)
-A hybrid of animal/creature and human
-I don’t remember much else uhhhhhh
Now that the roles are out of the way, onto the story. I’m just gonna mention one part-
-First encounters
Because we love first encounters in this community. There’s a lot of Borrower gets caught by humans, human encountering giants, sizeshifters being caught, etc etc. But First meetings are like half of the stories in this community.
There’s also a lot about secrets but I don’t know how to explain it
I wanna talk about a little something first
I find G/T’s community fascinating. Because, rather than being built on a media, it’s built on a trope. And you don’t see those every day. A lot of the stories here involve original characters, that are placed in a g/t setting. Don’t get it twisted though, there’s also a LOT of fanfictions made in this community.
Now onto the appeal
Why do people like this stuff?
If I remember this correctly, it’s mainly because of the comfort and trust. The power imbalance is, pretty obvious with this trope, so the trust born from it is all the more impactful. And like, you have someone who’s hands can entirely envelope you, like look at that amount of comfort.
But at the same, doing things with sizes are just fun. Like imagine exploring a house when you’re as small as a hand(Several games did this, y’all just never knew it was G/T). Imagine exploring the world, but you’re 10 times larger than any human being. Imagine being able to switch sizes and do stuff with that. It’s just so interesting to think about.
And closing statements go
G/T, aka Giant/Tiny is something I’ve always been invested in ever since 8 years ago (though I never found it until 5 years ago). I like the concept, and I still like it now. It might sound weird, and I might’ve kept it hidden for so long I don’t think my sister even know it (mostly out of fear). But I trust you guys.
(ALSO IT’S NOT NSFW I DON’T KNOW WHY SO MANY PEOPLE THINK THAT. THAT’S AT MACRO/MICRO, NOT G/T)
Being put inside a hoodie's pocket, with the giant's hands completely encompassing your body. You can feel them, and they can feel you too. You can't see anything, but you feel safe, knowing that they'd never hurt you or let anyone else hurt you.
Rowan froze, afraid to look at its source. The giant was always so loud, so slow. She could hear him coming a mile away, which was why she was so confident in her borrowing. Out of all the places she could have ended up, she considered herself lucky to call this place home. Until today, she guessed.
It made sense. Her luck had to run out eventually, but she never thought today would be that day. That day had to be far in the future.
But the Bean was there. Rowan could feel his presence and she could feel his stare. He hadn’t made a move for her yet, but that could change in the blink of an eye, so she couldn’t just stand there. With the safety of the walls so far away, she couldn’t run either. And despite how hard she tried, she couldn’t think of a third option.
“Where did you come from?” Geoff asked. That was the Bean’s name. Geoff.
Over the course of an eternity, Rowan turned her head to face him, but vastly underestimated his height.
She seemed to realize she was still holding a chunk of a cookie and immediately dropped it to the counter. “You can have it back…I’m sorry.”
Geoff’s eyes widened slightly with the revelation that the small person on his counter could speak. Then he laughed. “Keep it. I shouldn’t be eating those damn things anyway. In fact…” He made a move to grab the package of Lorna Doone’s and pull out a whole cookie for her, but stopped when she stumbled backward.
“You’re a bit jumpy, aren’t you?” he chuckled. “I won’t hurtcha. Here.” He reached for the package again and ignored her when she moved even further away. The plastic crinkled as he opened it and pulled out a cookie with a suspicious chunk missing. He set it a couple inches away from her.
Rowan yelped and threw her hands over her head as if that would protect her. But when nothing happened, she uncurled to find the rest of the cookie sitting innocently in front of her. She looked incredulously from the cookie to Geoff and back to the cookie again.
“Go on,” he insisted. He noticed the way the cookie was roughly half her size.
Slowly, Rowan inched toward it. She hesitantly lifted up one end and dragged it backward toward the wall, keeping her eyes locked onto Geoff for any sign of deception. She’d abandon the food if she had to. But he just watched her, all the way until she disappeared into the walls.
Geoff hummed to himself, mildly flabbergasted. This was perhaps one of the strangest things that had ever happened to him. It seemed as though he had a tiny person living in his walls, and she was scared beyond belief. He wondered how long she’d been there. Regardless, he hoped she would come out again. It was about time he found himself a new friend.
Rowan, on the other hand, planned to leave immediately. She was found out. That was that. But there was something holding her back. Not once did Geoff reach for her or threaten her. It was disturbing to have such large eyes tracking her every move, she had to admit, but all he did was watch her. And he let her take the rest of the cookie.
Maybe Rowan would sleep on it. Moving was a big decision - one that shouldn’t be made impulsively. She thought herself unlucky for having been discovered, but perhaps her good luck would continue. Perhaps she found the only nice Bean in the whole world. Perhaps not. Only time would tell.
***
Daisy’s offer shouldn’t have taken Rowan so off-guard, but it did. Her first instinct was to decline and run away. That would mean climbing into the hand of a mostly unknown Bean and trusting that Bean with her whole life. That would mean leaving everything she knew behind.
What did she have left for her here, though? Comfort and stability, maybe? But even then, Rowan was just weighing different unknowns. The unknown of staying, of living with a whole new, potentially dangerous set of people, of risking discovery. Or the unknown of leaving, of traveling vast distances, of trusting Daisy, of uprooting her life.
Maybe going with Daisy was the right option. A terrifying option for sure, but the giant was right. Rowan couldn’t live here without Geoff. It would drive her insane.
Slowly, Rowan edged out of the crack in the wall, keeping her eyes trained on Daisy for any sudden moves. The woman was standing with her chest pushed right up against the mantle, well within grabbing distance. But she stayed still, watching.
“Okay,” Rowan said breathlessly.
Daisy smiled gently. “I’m ready to go. Is there anything you need to pack?”
Rowan shook her head. Everything she held dear was in her bag already. A sentimental part of her thought she should take one last look at the little home she carved out for herself in the walls all those years ago, but another part knew it was just an excuse to delay the inevitable. She’d seen those walls a million times. They would be burned into her memory forever.
Daisy rested her hand at the edge of the shelf and waited expectantly.
Everything in Rowan went cold. It was one thing to say she would go with her, it was another to actually do it. The hand was so big, so alive. It twitched in ways that were probably too small for Daisy to notice and some of its wrinkles were big enough for Rowan to stick her fingers into. The fingers buzzed with an energy that gave the appearance of a trap, like they would snap closed at any second.
Still, she stood for another minute or so, unable to make anything happen. Her feet felt like they were superglued to the wood. But they weren’t, because eventually, one of her feet shuffled forward. And then the other. It was as if Rowan floated over to the hand.
The hand nearly came up to the height of her knees, almost glowing as it reflected the overhead light. There was no turning back now, so Rowan lifted her feet a little higher and stumbled forward onto the palm.
The skin itself was spongy, but the hand felt quite firm underneath her thin shoes. The twitchy fingers felt much more menacing up here, but they did little more than twitch.
Rowan hesitantly looked up at Daisy, who was trying to suppress a smile. The wonder with which the borrower regarded her hand was adorable, and she looked so small. She didn’t know what went on between her dad and the borrower, but she was determined to watch after her. They had to stick together, if only because they were all the other had. They were the only two in the whole world that understood.
“Let’s go,” Daisy said.
Rowan nodded but was only slightly sure Daisy saw it. Regardless, the hand lifted off the ground and Rowan fell to a seat from the quick speed. The world flew by her in a blurry mess of light and color. She desperately wished for something to hold onto, so she clutched her bag to her stomach and closed her eyes. It would have to do.
When the motion stopped, she peeked an eye open. They were at the front door, facing the inside of the home. She felt the rise and fall of Daisy’s chest behind her as she took a deep breath, and she could swear she even heard the air moving in and out of the woman’s lungs. That was…weird.
Rowan ignored it in favor of looking into the empty home. It looked emptier than ever from over here. It held a lot of memories, but those were memories she’d be able to keep in her head. She didn’t need a house to remind her of all the time she spent with Geoff.
“You alright?” Daisy asked.
Rowan only briefly glanced up at Daisy’s face, unnerved by the steep angle with which she had to do so. “Yeah. You?”
“Yeah.”
Daisy turned around, opened the front door, and took a step outside. For the first time in a very long time, Rowan was about to experience a whole new world. And despite the horrible circumstances that led to their departure, she was ready.
A massive, dark pit suddenly opened in Rowan’s stomach. It tore her organs apart and it spread through her body, leaving nothing behind but a faint, numbing buzz. Her ears rang. Her vision tunneled. Geoff was dead. He died. He wasn’t coming back. It was over.
Rowan found herself on her knees, shaking in shock, or maybe in sadness. She didn’t know. Only when the giant hand was inches away from coiling around her body did she realize there was still an active world existing around her.
That wasn’t fair. The rest of the world shouldn’t be allowed to continue while her whole world stopped. But it did. And she either had to deal with it or face some pretty nasty consequences.
Rowan threw her body backwards, scrambling toward the wall and throwing her hands over her head. “Don’t touch me!” she screamed. Her body shook harder with the addition of fear to her already messy, emotional state.
The hand stopped. Rowan eyed the clean, long fingernails that could pierce her body seven hundred different ways. The only movement in the room was the violent heaving of her chest and the stream of tears that traveled down Daisy’s cheeks.
“I have to go,” Rowan said, and dashed off before Daisy could reply.
She ran through the walls for a long time. She just kept running and running. If she stopped running, she’d be forced to think about the reality she now lived in, and that wasn’t an option. She ran to parts of the walls she seldom visited anymore. She ran to parts of the walls she never visited at all.
Only when her lungs felt like they were about to burst did Rowan slow down. Sweat dripped down her forehead. She coughed loudly and violently from the strain, her body trying to expel all the bile that formed in her throat. And then she started to vomit.
Borrowers, as far as Rowan could tell, did not get sick. It was one of the few perks of being so small. So when her lunch made a reappearance, it freaked her out. It just kept coming and coming and it tasted so bad and it burned her throat. The resulting smell wasn’t pleasant either.
Rowan didn’t know what to do. She pushed her back into the wall and slid down, staring at the slimy pile of vomit leaking into the wooden wall supports, looking for answers that would never come. Geoff was dead. And she saw it happen.
Answers actually were readily available, or at least some of them were. Daisy had to know more about the situation, but Rowan didn’t know if she could bring herself to face the Bean again. Not after she tried to grab her…
Tuning in to her surroundings, Rowan realized she was almost back where she started. She nearly ran a full lap around the massive house. Wow.
She could either return to her sad, little home and sit with her sad, little thoughts, or she could spy on the Bean. The answer was clear.
Watching Daisy turned out to be just as sad, though. The woman couldn’t seem to focus on anything. She’d try going through some of Geoff’s stuff in one area and almost immediately break down into tears. The crying would subside, she’d try again elsewhere, and the cycle would repeat. Watching this made Rowan’s heart ache.
She and Geoff found each other for a reason. They made the others’ lives a little less lonely than they were before, and for that, Rowan was grateful. So, maybe that’s what Daisy needed right now. If not a friend, then at least an ear. It's what Geoff would have wanted.
And so Rowan found herself back in the exact spot she was earlier, staked out behind a picture frame for a long, long time.
Daisy sat on the living room floor again with crossed legs, but this time she was surrounded by mounds of junk. Without looking up from the ground, she said, “I’d love some company…if you’d care to join me.”
Rowan backed up out of instinct. There was nobody else Daisy could be talking to, and she didn’t like being singled out like that. She still wasn’t even sure how Daisy felt about her. Rowan’s hesitancy might literally be the reason this woman’s father was dead. Though if that was the case, maybe Rowan deserved whatever was coming for her.
She ultimately made the decision to trust Daisy. She made her way to the mantle and perched in her usual spot, but she was ready to dart back up at a moment’s notice. When Daisy looked up at her from across the room, Rowan instinctively averted her eyes. Though she knew logically that it wasn’t true, the notion that Beans found eye contact aggressive still sat in the back of her mind.
“I’m sorry,” Rowan said.
That was the last thing Daisy expected to hear. “Why?”
Rowan didn’t plan on spilling her feelings, but after a lifetime of isolation it was hard to keep them at bay. “I should’ve helped him. I - I should’ve been quicker. If I was, maybe he wouldn’t-”
Daisy had to strain to hear the small voice, but she was pretty sure she picked up on the correct words, and it hurt to hear. “There’s nothing you could’ve done. The fact that you called at all meant-” She paused to compose herself. “-meant he didn’t have to suffer. They kept him alive as long as they could, but…They said it was painless. I don’t…There’s nothing you could have done.”
There was nothing she could’ve done because she was too small. Even just a simple computer search on how to help him was out of her reach. Rowan didn’t often envy giants, but this seemed to be an exception.
The rest of the day was spent mostly in silence as Daisy slowly worked her way through sorting her dad’s belongings. By nightfall, she felt like she made absolutely no progress whatsoever. She couldn’t do this by herself.
But she wasn’t by herself.
“I’m going home. I’ll be back tomorrow. I wouldn’t mind some help, if you’re up for it.”
Rowan didn’t know what to do with the attention on her. She quickly pushed herself to her feet and prepared to go. “Um, maybe…” After an awkward pause, she decided to call it quits and return to the walls.
Daisy’s voice stopped her. “Will you be alright? For the night?”
Rowan barely looked back at her. “Always am.” And then she went inside.
***
The next day was almost the exact same. Rowan sat on the shelf. Daisy sorted through stuff. Few words were exchanged.
As the week dragged on, they slowly opened up to each other, sharing stories mostly about Geoff but also a little about themselves. Daisy never once got close to Rowan again, which Rowan deeply appreciated.
It was a sad, painful process watching the house grow more and more empty, losing all the personality imbued into it by the man who lived there for some fifty-odd years. Soon, it would be just like any other house.
The one redeeming aspect was that they were not alone. Rowan and Daisy, while not quite friends, at least had each other through their grief.
And then one day the house was completely empty. Daisy sat cross-legged in the center of the living room floor like she did that first day they met. She didn’t cry anymore, but the distant look on her face remained. Rowan sat in her spot on the mantle.
What Daisy had to say next was incredibly hard, and she found herself averting her gaze from Rowan. “I’m selling the house.”
She waited a moment, but Rowan didn’t respond. Confused, she looked up to see the small woman standing there, unmoving. Her eyes flicked back and forth and welled up as she processed the news.
“Rowan?” Daisy asked gently.
“You can’t!” Rowan decided.
“Rowan, I don’t think it’s-”
“You can’t do that! This is my home! This was his home! Does that not mean anything to you?!”
“It wasn’t an easy decision.”
“You don’t have any right. You moved to the city, and then you never visited, you never called. He loved you, and you ignored him. I was the one who was there for him. I’m his friend, and I’m saying you can’t do this!”
Daisy shot to her feet, her voice suddenly aggressive and loud. “You think I don’t regret that every single goddamn day?”
Rowan stepped back and craned her neck. She never shouted at Geoff before. She never had any reason to be angry with him before. She never thought she’d shout at a giant in a million years, but it was completely wrong of Daisy to show up at the very end, acting like she was entitled to his house and his stuff. Rowan didn’t have much, but she had her home. And she wasn’t going to let Daisy take that away.
So she didn’t regret her outburst. But when Daisy rose to her full height and raised her voice, Rowan began to doubt the safety of the situation. She wouldn’t back down in her argument, but she’d do what was necessary to keep herself safe, even if it meant running away.
Luckily, Daisy didn’t step closer, but she looked pissed. And she was crying again. “I do have a right, actually. Yeah, I wasn’t there in the end. But you weren’t there for the other thirty years. You don’t understand how god-awful it could be…” She clenched her jaw and took long, shaky breaths to calm herself down. “He wasn’t always like this. So unless you want to deal with the forms and the documents and the legal shit and the doubt and the guilt and the constant harassment from the rest of my family, then by all means, be my guest. Keep the house. Because I’m certainly done with it.”
Daisy wiped the tears from her face and stormed out the door, slamming it behind her. It shook the whole house, causing Rowan to topple to the ground. She stared after the woman in disbelief. Daisy never got close and never threatened her, but this was the closest Rowan had ever gotten to a pissed-off Bean, and it was terrifying. Daisy could have squashed her like a bug for speaking out. Despite her hammering heart, Rowan considered herself lucky.
***
Rowan jumped and banged her head on the ceiling when she heard a knock on the walls. A couple days had passed, and she truly believed Daisy wasn’t coming back.
Supplies were running low and with the house now completely devoid of food, Rowan didn’t know what her next move should be. She couldn’t leave. It would be a long, hard journey to find another house - both physically and emotionally. So on one hand, a new set of people moving in would be a welcome sight. She’d be able to borrow for the first time in a while and restock her stash.
On the other hand, a new set of people moving in would provide a whole host of problems. She wouldn’t have any control over who it was. It could be a massive family, they could have kids, they could have pets, they could smoke, they could be loud, they could be observant. And no matter who they were, Rowan would have to return to sneaking around. She’d have to plan her outings and always be on guard. She hadn’t had to think about stuff like that in so long.
And she’d never stop thinking about Geoff. Their constant presence would always be a reminder of the person who wasn’t there.
The knock on the walls was terrifying, and Rowan absently rubbed her head after banging it on the ceiling. She had to assume it was Daisy, but even if it was, she couldn’t go out there. She’d pissed off a giant. One that could kill her in a million different unimaginable ways and Rowan would be lost to time forever.
Minutes passed, and Rowan thought Daisy had given up. But then Daisy’s muffled but very close voice made its way to her ears.
“I’m sorry for yelling. If you could please come out here. I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to talk…Please.”
Rowan looked sadly at her empty food shelf as she thought about what to do. It could be a trick, but she at least sounded genuine. In the end, Rowan found herself back at the mantle, peeking through the wall.
Daisy’s eyes landed on her immediately, which was off-putting. “Come here,” she said.
Rowan shook her head.
Daisy sighed, but saw she wasn’t going to win this one. “I’m going to sell the house. I know you’re hurt and I know it’s frustrating and scary, but do you really want to live here with only his memory to keep you company?”
No, she didn’t want to do that. She wanted to live here forever, but she wanted to live here forever with Geoff, and that simply wasn’t possible.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
A short story about death and the feeling of helplessness that comes along with it, but from the POV of a borrower.
~
“Tea?” Geoff offered, knowing the answer already.
“I’m okay, thanks,” Rowan said for the thousandth time since she met him. She settled down on the mantle in her usual spot and swung her legs over the edge. She then pulled her needles and thread out of her bag and continued on the blanket she’d been knitting for the past week or so. The passage of time didn’t really take up much space in the borrower’s mind. Each day was the same. Each day she hoped for one more day. That was until she met Geoff.
Geoff was old. Rowan wasn’t sure how old exactly, but his hair was very gray, bordering on white, and deep set wrinkles lined his face. He moved slowly and his hands shook and his voice croaked every time he spoke. She hoped she would get to be that old.
Rowan always took care of herself, but Geoff’s knowledge of her existence combined with his patience and kindness made taking care of herself a lot easier. He offered her food, water, tea - always with the tea. Whatever she needed, he insisted that it was no problem to retrieve it. And it wasn’t like she’d make a dent in anything.
But Rowan saw the way he struggled to get out of his chair. She saw the pained, scrunched up look in his face whenever he had to reach for something. She was capable of retrieving her own food, and she didn’t want to make him go through that just for her. And now, she didn’t even have to sneak around!
The two often enjoyed each other's company in silence - Geoff in his chair and Rowan on the mantle. He would watch TV or read the paper or do his crossword puzzles. She would knit or write or organize or simply just sit and watch. Geoff didn’t seem to mind.
There wasn’t much to talk about, anyway. Neither of them went anywhere or did anything new. Geoff could tell her about bingo, he guessed, but she was probably far from interested. Rowan could tell him about the mouse she killed, she guessed, but he was probably far from interested. And so, they sat in silence most of the time. Except when he offered her tea and she declined.
Although, maybe she would try tea today. It was the same old, same old, day in and day out. Rowan liked the stability of a routine, but sometimes the routine got a little boring. Maybe tea was a good way to break it.
She took a break from staring at the pink fabric in her hands to ask. The question was on the tip of her tongue when she realized Geoff looked different than normal. He was sweating pretty hard and his eyes were unfocused. She learned that older people acted or looked weird from time to time and often fell asleep without notice (that had been scary the first time), but this was different. Bad different.
“Geoff?” she tried.
He didn’t seem to hear her. He clutched at his chest as his breathing became strained.
“Geoff?!” she tried again, much more urgently.
He still didn’t respond.
Rowan abandoned her project and whipped out her hook. It was a flimsy paper clip attached to a piece of thread, but it did the job. She lodged it into the mantle and leapt over the edge. It was more of a controlled free fall than a climb, but she had to get to him to see if he was okay.
She sprinted over to the base of his chair, keeping an eye on his slippered feet, especially since he wasn’t at full attention. In less than a minute, she was on the thick, plush arm of the chair, looking up at his face. His eyes were closed and his arms were now limp, meaning he was no longer conscious.
Rowan kicked an arm. It didn’t budge. She shoved at it as hard as she could, and still it didn’t budge. She called his name repeatedly, and nothing happened.
Something was really, really wrong, and Rowan had absolutely no idea what to do.
Looking around for anything, her eyes fell on the phone sitting innocently in its receiver. She could call someone! She could call someone and they could get help!
Rowan thoughtlessly and recklessly leaped across the large gap between the chair and the side table. She landed with a loud ‘oof’ and slid on the newspaper, but kept herself going. She didn’t slow down as she approached the phone, and she threw her whole body at it, tackling it off the receiver.
A loud monotone note rang out from its speaker. What now? Who to call?
Rowan glanced back at Geoff, still motionless in his seat. She had to move fast. Think !
911! That was the Bean emergency number! She’d heard it enough through the TV and probably from Geoff or one of the people he had over once every blue moon. It didn’t matter.
Rowan shoved on the buttons and hit send. It rang once before someone picked up.
“ 911, what’s your emergency ?”
Rowan was tongue tied. This was a real, live Bean on the phone. She couldn’t talk to another Bean! It had taken her forever to work up the courage to talk to Geoff! But one more look back at the man told her she had to, or he might be in some real trouble.
For Geoff.
“ Hello ?”
“Hello, yes, hi. Um…My…my…Geoff. He’s not…he’s not…he looked really bad and then he passed out and I think he needs help!”
“ Is he breathing ?”
“I can’t tell.”
“ What is your address ?”
“I…I don’t know!” Rowan was frustrated with herself for knowing so little. An address seemed irrelevant, since she actively did not want people to know where she lived. And she was unable to provide any useful information about Geoff’s condition because she couldn’t get that close to him while on the phone. It would take too long.
After a grueling, frantic conversation, the operator assured Rowan that help was on the way.
Rowan let the other person hang up. She paced around on the table, biting her nails and keeping her eyes trained on Geoff. He still hadn’t moved, and she really couldn’t tell if he was breathing.
Minutes passed, and Rowan found herself stroking his hand. The skin was wrinkly, tough, and covered in age spots. She never touched a Bean before. Geoff never touched her and she never touched him, and she liked to keep it that way. But touching his hand, holding his finger - it kept her grounded in reality. It kept her thoughts from drifting too far off into worry-land in the torturous minutes it took the medical Beans to arrive.
And then they did, and Rowan couldn’t stay in the vicinity any longer. The sound of sirens caught her attention, so she placed a quick kiss on Geoff’s hand and rappelled down her hook to hide underneath the lower shelf of the table.
A bunch of men burst in through the thick front door. The ground quaked with each of their booming footsteps. They all said fast, loud words she didn’t really understand, there was a lot of commotion, and then the door slammed again and the house went silent.
Rowan let out a long breath. Anxiety still coursed through her body, and she realized the worst part still wasn’t over. The worst part would be waiting.
She had no idea what was wrong with him or how serious it was, and she had no way to find out either. She would just have to wait.
And wait, she did. For days. Each day, Rowan perched herself on the mantle and stared at the full cup of tea sitting on the table. It still had the tea bag in it, but it was long since cold. She told herself that the medical Beans were just busy, or they were working really hard, or Geoff just needed to rest in the hospital for a while so they could quadruple check that he was alright. Each day Rowan told herself a new thing.
Her unfinished blanket sat with the needles in it by her bed for a long time. Every time she went to pick the project up, her hands simply wouldn't move.
Rowan meticulously kept track of the days. It was a struggle to remember at first, but she needed to know how long he’d been gone. Why? She wasn’t sure. It wasn’t like she knew what a reasonable amount of time was, and even if she did, she couldn’t do anything about it. She couldn’t even open the front door. Rowan felt unbelievably helpless. Undeniably small.
If only he warned her! If only she moved a little faster! If only, if only, if only, if only.
A week later, Rowan laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She barely ate anything since the incident, and her stomach growled at her miserably, but she just couldn’t find the strength.
Until the unmistakable sound of an opening door echoed in her ears.
Throwing caution to the wind, Rowan sprinted to the mantle. She burst through the small crack in the wall and pushed all the way to the edge, ready to see Geoff with her own eyes.
It wasn’t the sheer drop off the cliff to the floor below that caused her to falter. It was the unknown Bean that was in Geoff’s house. Without Geoff.
Rowan’s arms pinwheeled as she backed up and hid behind a picture frame. She shouldn’t have been so quick, so careless. That Bean could have spotted her! But she wouldn’t go back to the walls just yet. She had to know what this Bean was doing. She gave herself ten seconds to calm her beating heart, and then she’d peek back around to see what was going on.
The person looked incredibly familiar, that was for certain, but Rowan couldn’t place why. She didn’t even know any other Beans. It was a young woman, maybe in her early thirties. She had close cut, mousy brown hair and a sharp jawline. She wore a beige sweater and nice pants. This told Rowan nothing.
The woman had a distant look on her face. She stood in the middle of the living room doing absolutely nothing, which was odd. Beans were always doing something . And then the woman started to sob.
Uh oh.
Rowan didn’t know what to do. Was she supposed to do anything? Was this lady even supposed to be in Geoff’s house? And then it dawned on her. This was Daisy. And if Daisy was crying, that meant…
Rowan’s heart sank, but before she could even process it, the Bean’s eyes landed directly on her.
Rowan froze.
The shock in Daisy’s eyes was unmistakable. It was the same shock Geoff had in his eyes when he first found her. And just as with Geoff, the shock faded almost instantly and gave way to something else. For Geoff, it had been amusement. For Daisy, it was embarrassment. She sniffled and wiped at her eyes, clearly self-conscious about crying in front of someone else, but she didn’t make a move toward the mantle.
Rowan swallowed thickly as the silence stretched between them. Daisy’s mouth hung open, unsure what to say. There was a tiny person on the mantle. In her dad’s house. And they were staring right back at her.
“Are you…,” her voice cracked. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Are you the mystery caller?”
Rowan nodded with wide eyes. Then, realizing there was no way Daisy could see that, she squeaked out, “Yes.”
Daisy shook her head in disbelief. This had been a really shitty day, and now it was weird, too. She looked down at the phone knocked off its receiver. There would have been no one to put it back after her dad was rushed off to the hospital.
Slowly, Daisy approached the small person. “It’s alright. You can come out.”
But instead of coming out, Rowan backed further behind the picture.
“No! Thank you, I…If you hadn’t called, he would have…” Daisy had to stop talking or she’d start crying again. She squeezed her eyes shut to keep her emotions at bay. She took two deep breaths. “Thank you…I’m Daisy, what’s-”
“I know,” Rowan interrupted from behind the frame. Her back pressed into it so hard she thought she’d send it over the edge. She wanted Daisy to finish her first sentence. If Rowan hadn’t called, then Geoff would have what ? She slowly turned back around and jumped when Daisy was a couple feet closer than before. Not quite within grabbing distance, but she would be soon.
“Hey, hey, hey, hey. Calm down. It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you. How did you…How did you know my dad?”
Rowan studied Daisy’s face. Her soft brown eyes begged for Rowan’s trust. They were sad. They were looking for comfort. The same way Geoff’s did so long ago. She took a shaky breath and revealed more of herself.
“I live here,” she said quietly.
Daisy seemed taken aback by this. She honestly didn’t know what she expected. “Oh. Oh, um, okay.” She blinked a couple times as if that would help clear things up.
“Is he okay?” Rowan asked shyly. That was honestly all that mattered. If the Bean was really out to get her, she’d deal with it later.
Daisy squeezed her eyes shut again. “No,” she whispered, shaking her head. “No, he’s…he’s gone. He passed away.”
This most definitely won't be the last of these two
Normally don't put warnings but; unintentional fearplay, limb bent in the wrong direction
Inspired by the wonderful @chamomile-g-tea 's post with giants wearing gloves. I'll put the link in the comments :D
"I can hear someone in my room."
Those seven words struck an unfathomable amount of fear in my tiny body. My breathing stopped completely and my hands turned white because of the harsh grip I had on my satchel. My throat closed and I wanted to cry and run away.
I could feel his eyes in my direction, they were more prominent than ever. His usual short gaze in my direction turned into a full on stare. Even though I was behind books on his bookshelf, it felt like he was staring a hole through my chest.
A small shift of movement made me flinch.
I needed to get out of here, but he was fully aware of my presence, there's no way I could escape.
"Perhaps… not." His low voice rumbled to my core. The quiet sound of a chair moving made me panic. I hid further behind a few books, wishing I could leave. "When I return, there won't be anyone here." It was a warning; he was talking to me. He knew I was here, and he wanted me gone.
A soft brush along the wood of the shelf I stood on startled me. I tried not to make a noise and brought my hand to my mouth.
"Isn't that right?"
A door opened then closed, and the suffocating feeling of his presence finally disappeared. I took in greedy gasps of air as I allowed myself to breathe again. But I didn't waste any time; I clambered down the bookshelf, dashing underneath it and into the hole in the wall. It didn't stop there, I sprinted further inside the walls, desperately wanting to get home. I didn't care if someone could hear my panicked breathing or loud footsteps, I wasn't going to stay here for much longer.
"Only if your sneaking skills were as good as your listening."
I whirled around, expecting to see his giant face, but there was nothing but darkness. His voice echoed all around me, only causing my legs to move faster than before.
He always pulled small and stupid tricks on me. Amusing to him, but terrifying to me. Everything about him was terrifying and despite how small I was, it wasn't just me intimidated by him.
There's no way I was staying here for any longer.
A week had passed and I never left the walls. I had a good amount of food supply and I was ready to move. The only problem was I had come down with a horrible fever. Since the day of Cecil basically giving me a heart attack, I hadn't slept. A couple times I dozed off but it was never for long. Maybe an hour a day if I could relax, and if I was lucky.
My body felt so hot but the air was so cool. Normally it would've felt nice but it didn't. I curled up into a corner, pulling a blanket tightly over me as I hugged myself. My only goal was to get better so I could leave.
Hours passed and it eventually became late at night. I took this as my chance to gather last minute supplies and some cold water. There was usually some dripping from the kitchen faucet, even though it had been turned off long before.
Leaning against the inside walls, I managed to bring myself to the large kitchen. Peeking out of the small hole, I confirmed there wasn't anyone here and confirmed to lean against the wall. Pulling my blanket tighter, I mustered up the little courage I had. My steps were silent as I crossed the long counter, and in the distance I did hear the quiet sound of water droplets.
I just needed to fill up my small jug and then get out of here.
My heart beat rapidly as I crossed the cold marble. No one would be down here at this time of night, not even the servants that worked in this huge mansion so there was no reason to panic. And definitely not Cecil. Why would he be in here anyway? He would call up a servant like he always did. I've never even seen him in the kitchen. To be honest I've never really even seen his face. Just one of his light grey eyes, that seemed white. His face was always covered by something and he always wore velvet gloves. In fact, most of his body was always covered. And I've never been in his sleeping chambers but it's not like I wanted to either.
When I got to the sink, I walked to the back of it, carefully balancing myself on the handles. I reached out, putting my jug underneath the dripping water. With three droplets it was full and I quickly pulled it to my mouth, drinking greedily. My insides felt hot but my skin felt cold so hopefully it would balance out. The cool water felt nice in my throat and I couldn't help but sigh of relief.
When I finished I refilled it, then drank even more.
After a couple minutes of repeating my actions I filled it up one more time and clipped it to my satchel. My nose began to run at how cold it was in the room and the freezing water.
I sighed heavily, wishing I didn't have to move but it was too dangerous here.
No use dwelling over it now, I should've been more careful.
A small shift of movement in front of me made my body go rigid. I could feel eyes watching me but I didn't move, as much as I wanted to. The feeling never left no matter how long I stood frozen, and eventually I had to look up. So I did.
My eyes slowly traveled up, firstly landing on socked feet, then long slender legs dressed in velvety pale coloured pants. Lying next to them on the sides were form fitting silky gloved hands.
It didn't take a genius to know who this was.
My eyes finally met the giant beings. Even though I knew it was Cecil I couldn't help but gasp, losing balance on the two handles for a moment.
His face, the part that I could see, was blank, not even his signature small smirk graced his lips. His long blonde hair covered half of his face, his piercing eyes that pinned my body in place were half lidded. It might have just been his face, but he looked pissed.
"Little one." Cecil finally spoke, making me step back.
Except I was currently balancing on the sink valves, and not standing on solid ground. Either way, my foot barely missed the countertop causing me to fully lose balance. An uneven amount of weight brought my body back so I tried to fix it by leaning forward.
What I didn't expect was to fall and break my arm.
As I leaned forwards my entire body did too, not giving me any time to recover. I gasped in terror, trying to grab something. The only positive in this situation was the sink being clean.
I hit the bottom of the cold metal sink with a loud thump compared to the quietness of the room. A sickening crack and a surging amount of pain flying up my arm made me scream. I looked down at my limb, paleing at the sight.
Least to say, it wasn't bent in the right direction.
A crippling sob tore through my throat at the sight of my arm and the pain in my head.
"No no no!" I wailed, not knowing what to do.
"That doesn't look good."
I flinched back at Cecil's voice, snapping my head up to see his face peering into the sink. His silk-covered hands held onto the counter twitching at my horrendous state.
"Don't— don't touch me! Get away!" I yelled, cowering into a corner. Instinctively I pulled my arm to my body, only to scream again. Tears streamed down my face and I didn't bother to hide or stop them, all I wanted to do was escape. But considering what had all happened, there was no chance of that.
Ignoring my pleas and cries, Cecil reached down, cupping his hands around me.
"No! No no no! Fuck off you monster!" I turned into the cold metal. "Get away! I can't— you… don't touch…"
Due to the excruciating amount of pain I was in, I blacked out.
Gentle and quiet humming surrounded me as I was in a space of darkness. It was the same tune or song over and over again, but it sounded lovely against my ears. It sounded like something you would only hear in paradise.
I continued to listen, body and mind feeling numb as I enjoyed the sweet sound.
In my space of darkness I was engulfed in something soft; it felt silky and fluffy, nevertheless soothing against my skin.
Wherever I was, it was warm and the nice summer breeze cooled my skin and balanced the temperatures. It was peaceful here.
Maybe I truly was in paradise.
The humming stopped abruptly, just as I was close to losing consciousness once again. Still, I float in content against the silky material.
Something cold and wet pressed against my head and my body flinched. A stinging and throbbing pain formed, making me whine. The damp cloth repeatedly pressed against my face, the pain allowing me to finally move. My arm pushed against the wet cloth but it was gently shoved aside. This repeated a few times, allowing me to groan.
Paradise wouldn't purposely annoy me.
"Yes yes," A soft voice muttered and my arm was pinned down. Annoyed, I tried to move it but it wouldn't budge. "You can move when I'm done."
I groaned again and the voice tsked at me. But they were right; after a moment I could move again.
Who… was this? Where was I?
I tried to open my eyes but I was still met with complete darkness. My actions repeated a few times and I knew they were opening and closing, I could feel it, yet there wasn't any light. After that I began to feel the surface I was laying on; I wasn't floating in a dark space, I just couldn't see anything.
Panic in me began to rise and I tried to move my arms, but only one of them could, the other would erupt in pain.
"If you keep struggling, you're prone to hurting yourself."
Who was that? Who was talking to me?
"I—I can't- I can't see." I choked out.
"You're correct."
"Why? What happened? Why—"
"You don't remember." It was a statement, not a question.
Remember? Remember what? Wasn't I just walking on the kitchen counter, trying to get some water? So why couldn't I…
The kitchen counter? Why was I… why was I getting water? From the sink? The sink…
On no.
Cecil had come in as I was getting water and I had fallen, breaking my arm in the process. Then his silky hands cupped around me, preventing my escape.
Silk? I was lying on silk…
I gasped loudly.
There's no way!
"Cecil." I whispered out and his gentle hum came as a response.
I tried to sit up but something confined one of my legs, making it stiff. First my arm, then my vision, and now my leg?!
"Wh—What have you done to me?" I trembled.
"You mean 'thank you for saving me'." His voice didn't sound angry, but he didn't sound happy either.
"Why can't I see? What did you—"
"We've already had this conversation before," he sighed. "Hopefully you won't black out this time." He muttered the last part, not even trying to hide it.
Before? Not a chance!
"If I allow you to see, will you not run? Not that you'll get far."
No surprise that he did this!
"Why shouldn't I? There's no way I'm staying here!" I yelled, becoming defensive.
"You're mistaken," my head was tilted up and I winced in pain. "You don't have a choice. And with the state you're in, you can't anyway."
As soon as Cecil finished, everything immediately became lighter. I could feel the sun against me, but I still couldn't see.
Before I could even protest something that was wrapped around my head loosened. A soft fabric was covering my eyes, but that definitely wasn't enough to block out all light. Regardless I slowly brought my hand up to it, deciding I didn't actually want to face the giant being, or the injuries I sustained.
"...Do you need help? You tore it off previously."
Irritated, I pulled it off gently and carefully. Light poured into my eyes and I winced back, covering them with a hand. Soon enough, the headache inducing sensation went away, giving me no reason to keep them covered. After all, I did yell at Cecil to allow me to see.
I brought my hands and head down, deciding to look at my injuries first. Squinting slightly, I saw something confining my leg to stay straight. I tried to move it but all it did was shift slightly. Next I looked at my arm, staring at the cast keeping it in place. My hand looked bruised, purples and greens dotted around it. My other arm seemed fine, I could move it without feeling any pain. But my head stinged a bit, so I brought my hand up to touch the area.
"Don't touch it." Cecil demanded.
I flinched back, finally looking up at him.
His pale eye stared down at me, no hint of emotion evident in his face. Like always, most of his face was covered, along with his hand. Surprisingly, he was wearing a short sleeved shirt, exposing his sculpted arms.
"That looks like it hurts, but it looks better," Leaned close, inspecting the side of my head. "Definitely better than a couple days ago."
"D—Days?" I gasped out and his eyes returned to my own, causing me to shrink back.
"Yes. You've been out for four days. Spare the occasional times you were conscious for a couple minutes." He spoke like it was that simple.
I gulped.
"Have you been… taking care of me?"
"Yes." The giant answered quickly, making me jump. He held my gaze steadily, eyes slightly wider than before.
I became confused at his expression; he looked… hopeful? Was it?
"Why?" My voice finally found itself again.
"I don't know about you," he clucked his tongue. "But I wouldn't want to see or leave a dead Little in my kitchen." The giant's expression went back to normal.
"W—What?" I asked in disbelief, trying to add up how many days I've been out. "You told me to leave like two weeks ago! Don't you hate my guts or something!"
"What." Cecil's eyes furrowed, never breaking my gaze, voice sounding flat.
"All this time I've lived here you've been indirectly threatening me! So why did you save me?!" I yelled and he visibly became more confused. "Are you— are you going to keep me here and torture me? Maybe even use me for your sick perverted fantasies—"
"Enough." Cecil's voice was soft but stern, and my body went rigid at his tone.
I… did I piss him off?
"The least I expected was a thank you for patching you up. And why would I hate you? We have never interacted before this, I've barely even seen you before."
"Huh? You always not-so-subtly threaten me whenever I'm near!" I countered.
"How?"
No way… he has to be messing with me.
"I mean… it's never directly but… you…"
Have I been thinking of this all wrong? There's no way he could've been joking, he always sounded so threatening and scary
The giant waited for me to continue.
"I—I thought…" Now I feel really bad. "You always sound so mad. I thought you didn't want me here anymore— I was going to move… until this happened."
I felt stupid. I felt like crying. Did all of this happen because of my poor judgement?
"I didn't mean to make you feel that way. In all honesty I never thought negatively about you staying here," Cecil sighed, covering the part of his mouth I could see. "I've gotten that before too. I should have been more aware of how I interacted with you. I'm sorry."
"Huh?!" My face bloomed red. "No I— I'm sorry! I didn't mean those horrible things! I was— just scared!"
"It was partially my fault too." Cecil sighed, but sounded a little relieved.
Gods, I was in the wrong this entire time! I'm so embarrassed I could die!
The room went silent and my embarrassment grew just by thinking about how I had misjudged everything all this time. I mean I was always told not to trust beings so I shouldn't be too hard on myself, it wasn't completely my fault.
Something moved from behind me and I flinched in surprise. A giant hand soared above my head as Cecil reached down and grabbed something.
Had I been lying against him this entire time?
"Here. I grabbed it when you first blacked out."
I tried not to shy back as the hand returned in front of me, leaving… my satchel.
"Oh!" I gasped, quickly grabbing and opening it. The first thing I took out was my jug, greedily drinking some water. My throat was dry and it felt so good for the parchness to ease away. "Thank you." My gratitude came out sheepishly as I looked up.
I went to continue but froze, staring in awe and surprise.
Cecil's face… none of it was covered. I could see all of his features perfectly. His right eye was a different colour instead of the pale white-ish—blue. Instead it was a deep red, glowing with intensity, and lighting like scars traced shortly down a few centimeters. It was amazing. It looked so cool, and the platinum blonde hair that framed his face made it stick out more.
Why on Earth would he cover his face up?
"You… your face—"
My vision went black again, startling me.
"You aren't supposed to see that." His voice sounded harsher than usual.
He was stunning, absolutely gorgeous, I couldn't hide my amazement.
"You're stunning." I didn't bother to mask my awe.
"Excuse you?"
"Waaa— I mean you— uh-" my words tripped over each other. "Your face is…"
"Your head must still hurt," Something was pressed against my head, and it was without a doubt a finger. "I should find you something to eat. You must be hungry."
Geez did he really look like that? My eyes have to have been playing tricks on me.
"No I'm fine but you… you're remarkable."
"And you're sick. Here, open your mouth." I went to protest but a piece of food was shoved into my mouth. It tasted like cheese. As the wonderful flavour melted in my mouth my stomach growled. Shrugging, I took a hold of it and ate it gratefully.
After a moment my vision returned and I was still staring at Cecil. But he wasn't looking at me, instead he was writing something down elegantly.
"If I'm correct," he started off, completely disregarding our previous conversation. "It will take almost three months for your arm to heal, and a couple weeks for your leg as well."
"W—What?" Disbelief consumed me.
How will I, well, live? There's no way I would be able to survive out there like this! I don't even know how I'll be able to stand— how will I borrow, or get supplies? And my arm! It hurts just to move it!
Oh shiiit. This isn't good, this isn't good at all.
I began to chew on my nails, trying to come up with a way to survive.
Maybe I could find other borrowers and they could help me! But no one would want to help someone who couldn't help themselves. I don't think even I would. That's too much extra borrowing and more threat of being caught! You would need double the supplies and—
"You can stay with me, if you would like," Cecil's voice brought me from my thoughts. Before I could ask or refuse he spoke again. "I helped you this far, there's no use in not continuing to."
"You… want to help me? But I—I said all of those horrible things, how could you…"
"Well, if you do stay here, your recovery will be quicker and you have access to more things. Physical therapy would be a good interest for you too."
Access to more things? Would that mean no borrowing? Or having to hide? That sounded great, it really did! But how could I trust… well he's basically kept me alive since I blacked out four days ago. He hasn't made any threatening comments or an attempt to grab me either. And he's patient, never raising his voice once.
It all sounded like a good deal.
"Can I leave whenever I want?" I asked, looking up at Cecil again. His face was covered again, more so than last time.
"If you wish, and if you can make it that far." He subtly rolled his eyes.
"And you won't hurt me, or try anything weird?" This time he actually rolled his eyes.
"Correct," Regardless he kept his voice soft. "I would like to know your name first."
"It's Ember..." I muttered. "I don't have any sort of different clothes." I muttered.
"That can be arranged. Besides, it's not like you're wearing the one you originally wore when you blacked out."
A gasp rippled through me and I looked down, staring at the clean clothes. Despite their bland grey colours it was the nicest thing I had ever worn. Does that mean he undressed…
"You—You! Did you?!"
His face was flat for a moment, then he smiled, exposing some of his features.
"I did."
I squeaked in embarrassment, hugging myself with my one arm.
"Come to think of it, you've been wearing those for a couple days. Maybe it's time for a new pair." I yelped as he scooped me up in his palms, one of his gloves lying on the desk.
"No! I—I can do it myself!"
"How will you manage that? You can't move half of your body."
The Orion’s Factotum | Ch. XIII | It was a good life
Blood.
The ground around him was soaked in blood; and there, lying there wheezing on the ground, was Steele. He was covered in bruises and cuts. A massive object was shoved into his side, sticking straight up to point at the sky. Each inhalation sounded like a struggle.
My heart had ached like this only twice in my life; being abandoned by Terrilyn’s father and having to leave Terrilyn when I moved to the city. It was breaking. I was breaking. I gave Terrilyn another quick hug.
“Momma? Is he going to be okay?” asked Terrilyn.
“I… I don’t know baby. I’m going to go see him,” I said, stepping toward Steele.
“Wait! Momma, I’m scared. Don’t go. Don’t leave me.” I didn’t have words. I needed to take care of my daughter, but I also needed to see if Steele was alright. I knelt in front of Terrilyn and looked her in the eyes. When did she get so big?
“I know sweetheart. I know you’re scared. I’m scared too,” I said as calmly as I could while feeling the panic raising in my throat. Terrilyn sniffed and looked me in the eyes.
“You’re scared?” she asked, lip quivering.
“Yes sweetheart. I was, and still am, scared. I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to protect you and keep you safe, but Steele helped me do that. I was scared that we wouldn’t get here in time. I… I am scared for the families out there now who still need help; and I’m scared for Steele. He’s really hurt and I need to go make sure he’s alright.”
I could see the conflict in my daughter’s eyes; yet, somehow, a wisdom beyond her years shone through. Her lip stopped quivering and she looked through me, into me, and nodded, eyes still glossy from the gathering tears.
I could only smile and give her a kiss on her forehead.
“I’ll be back soon. I love you sweetheart.”
With that, I turned and sprinted toward Steele’s face.
“Steele! Steele!” I shouted. My feet carried me faster and faster down the embankment until I was nearly there. His eyes barely flickered open. “Steele!” My shout sounded more like a choked sob.
Please… please let him be alright.
~~~~~^*^*^*^~~~~~
My eyes felt tired and heavy. Every breath ached. I could feel my pulse in my temple, and it was fading. I wondered why I wasn’t slipping away completely. Why hadn’t the darkness taken me?
No.
I knew why.
I needed to make sure she was okay. I needed to see Raina once more. Had she gotten away? Was she in the carriage? Had she made it to the woods?
I attempted to command my body to stand – to obey – but it refused to move. In fact, everything screamed in pain. I was exhausted and sleep beckoned me forward.
I heard something.
“I’ll be back soon. I love you sweetheart.”
I love you sweetheart? The voice sounded familiar. Raina! Was she speaking to Terrilyn? What were these words?
I love you.
It was then that I heard something else. Something getting closer.
“Steele! Steele!” It was undoubtedly Raina. “Steele!” She was crying; no, sobbing.
I suddenly felt a pressure against my forehead. It was so soft, so gentle. Was this Raina? I finally managed to force my eyes open to see her with her hand against the bridge of my nose and other hand resting in between my brow. I forced myself to breathe evenly, painful as it was, and reached up with my left hand until the tips of my fingers brushed against Raina’s back.
She was so small.
So fragile.
So strong.
It was her strength that inspired me and her bravery that brought me to this place. I smiled weakly.
“Raina,” I said, voice barely above a breath. I wished I didn’t sound so feeble after a heart wrenching triumph. Many thoughts came and went in my head in an instant. Whether they had the strength to form coherent words was beyond me at this point. Only one thought eventually surfaced which meant more than any of them.
“You’re alright.”
Raina smiled, laughing slightly accompanied by a wet cough, as she sniffed and wiped her eyes. She nodded over and over, tears still falling from her eyes.
“Yes, I’m alright. Viyoo-en rhonor,” said Raina before choking another sob. “But you’re not; and it’s because of me. I’m the reason you’re hurt.”
I shook my head subtly, wincing immediately and partially regretting moving even the slightest bit as my head spun with another bout of nausea.
“No. I hurt because of me,” I managed to say after collecting myself. Why was it so hard to breathe? Why was it getting so cold? I tried curling my toes, but couldn’t feel them. Not a good sign.
“Raina,” I said, pressing my fingers against her, wishing I could eternalize the warmth of her skin against mine. “I am free. I am free thanks to you.” I smiled again as Raina leaned back and searched my eyes for any hint of regret or anger. I was proud to say she found none and could only lean more against me.
I could hear something rumbling in the ground. Was I hearing things? Perhaps. I refocused on Raina as she pulled back slightly. I didn’t need to have clear vision to see she was looking at the blade currently submerged in my side.
“I… I have to get help. I have to help you. We… we can fix this,” she said with as much confidence as she could muster. I could hear it in her voice. “Just hold on, Steele. I’m going to help you.”
I heard it again. Rumbling. My ears weren’t playing tricks on me. Something was coming; or, rather, many smaller things were coming. That’s when we heard it.
“IT’S HERE! IT’S OVER HERE! IT’S GOT SOMEONE!”
We had run out of time.
I knew it was going to happen at some point – the people of the town coming to hunt down and kill whoever was left. I looked at my hand. It did look like I was grabbing at Raina, keeping her against her will. Raina turned her eyes, those beautiful eyes, away to the person who was currently running away from us.
“Wait! Wait! No! Come back!” Raina shouted. She started to step away.
No.
Please… don’t leave.
I spread my fingers and moved my arm so my fingers just barely brushed against her. She turned to look at me, once again pressing her back against my fingertips.
“Raina… please… Stay…” I panted, finding my vision swirling faster as the world slowed. I winced again from moving my arm in front of her. My lungs wheezed and I tensed in an attempt to stifle the cough. Instantly, I regretted it. The tenseness in my body seized, sending a ripping burning throughout every nerve, making them scream in agony.
All I could do without sending this jarring pain through the rest of my body and spasming on the ground was to clench my jaw and press my hand into the ground, scraping at the dirt beneath my fingers.
“Steele, I need to reach him. I need to tell him there’s been a mistake,” said Raina, stepping beside my hand, kneeling, and placing her hands against the top of my hand. “Maybe I can get them to help me. Please! I have to…”
“No…” I said. I hated cutting her short, but the pinpoints clouding my vision were narrowing with each passing moment.
“N…no?” she asked, confused. “Steele, you’re hurt. You need bandages. Herbs.”
I looked her in the eye, seeing seemingly right through and into her. My vision was clear enough to see her beginning to see what I meant.
I was tired.
I was hurt – more than I had been in my youth; and age was not on my side. Even as I interrupted her the first time, I felt my eyes beginning to gloss. Raina’s jaw suddenly slackened and she looked at me disbelievingly.
“Raina… please… Trust me. Go. Run. Do not listen. Do not watch. Please… Trus…”
“No… No, Steele! You can’t just give up! You can’t give up on me like this!” Raina had never sounded like this before. She let out a wailing sob as she clutched one closed fist to her chest and kept her balance with her other hand on the top of my hand.
My heart ached, but not because of the injuries that broke my body. This hurt in my chest was different than any other. Still, I managed to muster a small smile that turned the edges of my lips and didn’t cause pain. I rotated my hand slightly and curled my fingers inward, almost cradling Raina from all sides.
It reminded me of when she came to me earlier and threw herself into the crook of my hand near my thumb. She leaned into my hand and brought her clutched hand to her face, trying to stifle another sob.
“Raina,” I said again, this time working to soothe her. Between wheezing breaths, I spoke one word at a time, treating each like an accomplishment as I managed to finish the word. “It is alright. I… have lived… because of you. I have restored… my family name… because of you. Do not… be sad. You gave me back… my life.”
Raina sobbed and wrapped her arms around my thumb, clutching onto it as if she were hanging over a ledge. I curled my fingers tighter so they brushed against her left shoulder. I managed another smile as she looked back up into my eyes.
At that moment, I could hear the rumbling getting closer again. My blurry eyes could see more people coming, cresting over the top of the ledge like warriors of old. They were carrying torches and makeshift weapons; however, they were still far enough away.
It was time.
“Raina… Trust me… once more… please… go…” I pleaded. “Do not watch what happens.”
Raina shook her head over and over again.
“No. No. No! I won’t! I won’t let it happen!” she cried. “Don’t give up on me Steele! Please! I can’t… I can’t lose you!”
“THERE! She’s there! It has her!” I heard shouting that sounded too distant for how close they were. Raina, looking around panicked, stood and steadied herself against my partially closed hand.
“No! Stop! It’s okay! He’s not going to hurt any of us!” Raina turned to the now formed crowd of people.
Suddenly, three of them rushed forward, pitchforks in hand.
“No! Please!” Raina’s words were ignored as the three men charged forward and plunged their makeshift weapons into the top of my left arm, making my fingers spasm and open. Two of them rushed around toward Raina as the other retrieved their weapon and continued jabbing over and over.
They didn’t mean her harm. I knew that much. They were trying to protect her – though they didn’t need to. I understood. I kept my fingers splayed and watched as the two men rushed around, grabbed Raina, and started pulling her away.
“You’re alright now. We’ve got you. We’re going to keep you safe from this thing.” They were saying over and over.
Raina wasn’t having it. She thrashed in their grasp, lashing out and kicking one hard in the shin. Their grip faltered and she ran at me once again, pressing herself against my forehead.
“Steele… please…” When Raina’s voice cracked, so did my heart. I felt warm moisture gather in my eyes as I memorized that warmth, like the flickering of a candle during a cold sunset. If I felt nothing else in my life, I would be happy.
Sadly, I knew of one more thing I would feel before my end.
As the two ran up and retrieved Raina again, pulling her away, something was wheeled to the top of the hill. It reminded me of the crossbows many of the soldiers carried; however, it was much bigger.
The bolt itself was as long as my finger if not longer. Evidently, the people had learned from the first attack that they needed to be able to defend themselves and created this menacing weapon.
*CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK*
I heard them winding the tension in the string back with each notch the wheel caught. All the while, Raina called out my name over and over, each cry sending a chill down my spine. That instinct of protection reared, willing me to do something to save her.
My vision was quickly fading. The tightening in my chest made my wheezing all the more painful. Everything in me felt numb and cold except for the tips of my fingers which still possessed that moment of warmth Raina had gifted me.
*CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK*
A realization kept me firmly on the ground.
She was safe.
She was with her people.
*CLACK CLACK CLACK CLACK*
“Ready to fire…”
“Steele! Please!” She called to me again. I sought out her eyes and connected with them. I smiled for Raina. The memories of our first meeting. The recollection of her coming to my aid when I was sick. Our countless lessons where, finally, I could understand her people.
I don’t know why, but somehow those words made more sense now; and as I looked at her they were the last thing that came to mind.
“I love you… Raina.”
My vision faded.
My breath faded.
I slipped into darkness with Raina calling my name and her name in my heart.
Fuck I’m at a fencing tournament and literally a minute after I reblogged this my dad told me that he talked to the point people and I’m probably going to win a medal.
I need to follow up to say I reblogged this last night, and this morning I got some of the best news of my life, like, a life dream come true news thing.
FUCK, I though it was just another lucky meme but LISTEN. Since a week ago I was waiting a phone call to confirm me if I got a job or not in my university. I reblogged this yesterday’s night “just for fun and because I don’t want any bagel to be mad with me”, and today’s afternoon, while I was losing my time as always, the professor I was supposed to work with called me and asked me for my personal information to start working with her.
Last time I reblogged this, I was complaining to my mum how I never got to go on walks alone. Then, she legit said to me, “well why don’t you go down to *censored*?” Which she’d never let me do before. I had three hours. In a place half an hour from home. It works.
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