Its Me

Lex scrabbled up the thread. The bean was coming. She was going to catch Lex. Images of that knife pinning Lex flooded her panicking mind. Lex's heart pounded in her chest - or maybe it was the approaching bean.

"We got a little thief, huh?" said the giant hunting her.

Wine-soaked shoes slipped on the glass shelf and Lex made a desperate dive forward, ungracefully pitching herself into the crack in the wall. Stumbling to her feet, she took off. What light seeped through the exit abruptly cut off and Lex knew the bean was right there. Lex didn't stop running till she was home, safe, and curled up in bed.

Lex was seen. She almost got caught. She was this close to becoming a borrower-kebab. She couldn't stop shaking. She buried her face in her ugly parrot pillow and pretended the blanket wrapped so tightly around her was her parents' arms.

What was she supposed to do now? The borrower rules said she had to move. But the last time she moved...

Lex lost a lot getting to this place. And she was supposed to give it up? And go where? Lex knew how dangerous outside was. The streets were not safe for borrowers. She couldn't even begin to think of where to go or how to... anything. No - Lex was staying. The rules could shove it. Screw that bean; Lex wasn't leaving her home because of some stupid, oversized, uh - what did the scary guy say? oh, yeah - demon. Lex was putting her foot down.

Life moved on, and so did Lex. Consequences weren't catching her this time because she ran faster. She borrowed at night, when the music was bumping and people were distracted, and slept in the day, when the club was quiet and calm (and when Mazikeen, the most terrifying bean Lex had ever seen, was prowling about). Lex's hours were flexible. And boring. Making bad stuffed animals could only entertain for so long. The lopsided worm sagged sadly on the bench. Lex huffed and pushed her sewing kit aside. She hopped on the swing and reached a new record, tapping her toe above the line painted on the wall. She itched for something to do, but nothing sounded fun or even slightly enjoyable.

When Lex thought of fun, she thought of daring, swashbuckling adventurers. Stories of misfits and the downtrodden over high seas and uncertain challenges. In Lex's versions, the characters would overcome whatever they faced and emerge changed - mostly for the better, but tragedies made really good books.

The rubber band ball bounced away as Lex paused her dribbling. She had a terrific idea.

Lex went borrowing in the penthouse.

Lex crept through the towering wall of bookshelves, perusing titles with her head canted to the side. Many were in languages she had no chance understanding, and many she wasn't sure even were languages. She found one that looked good and did her best to push it out. When it pitched over the edge and clomped to the floor, the sight that greeted Lex extinguished every ounce of elation in her peanut brain.

Mazikeen grinned sharply, crouched low like an enormous cat ready to pounce. "Hi, mousie."

Lex inhaled too strongly to scream and darted behind the tomes. Gigantic footsteps strolled toward her. Books had to be shoved out of the way, and she couldn't run for long without slowing to shimmy past another few.

She wasn't moving fast enough. She wasn't going to make it. The entrance was still a shelf over.

Lex didn't stop: she emerged from the books and jumped to the next shelf. She ducked under a slanted hardcover and escaped through the hole in the back. She yanked the door shut and gave it a good shove. And then she went home and screamed into her half-finished worm pillow. Lex couldn't have shit in the penthouse.

Two close calls were three too many for any sensible borrower. It was really unfortunate that sensibility wasn't Lex's strong suit. She observed the beans. The only schedule they followed was the club's, and Mazikeen rarely left. She frequented the bar while the other biggest threat - the boss - flitted around to whomever attracted his attention next. Lex had a limited window to search upstairs, and she took it. She rooted through the bar for food and anything useful or interesting. She had just finished up when the elevator made a hearty ding! and the doors rolled open. Lex hid till the giggling men passed, then hopped down to the floor and skedaddled before they got up to anything else.

Lex shouldn't have pushed her luck. But she was so bored, and she really wanted to know what was in those books upstairs. She returned to the shelf and picked one closer to her door. It was probably a dictionary, but screw it - a dictionary was better than counting threads. She rammed her shoulder into the book till it tumbled to the floor and climbed down after it. She skimmed the pages that opened on landing. Not a dictionary! Score! Some kind of ancient historical text? Old books had an intoxicating smell, and this one was no exception. The pages were heavy, but she managed to flip to the index. She scoured for whatever section piqued her interest most and darted back and forth with pages to find it.

She was neck deep in old paper and words that tied her brain in knots when the elevator doors opened.

Lex didn't notice, of course. She was trying to sound out bhikṣuṇī.

"Bick... bick-sun-"

"Bick-tsu-nee. A Buddhist nun. You know, I have a friend in Nepal - Bhavisana, makes the loveliest tea - and you wouldn't think a nun and the Devil would get on, but you'd be surprised-"

Lex didn't look. That voice spoke, and she was gone. He nattered on in that booming tone, unconcerned while she ran for her measly life.

How did she not hear the bean?! He was a massive freaking mountain, and she didn't even feel him approach! Stupid, stupid, getting distracted- what, were stomping feet not enough anymore? Did the shoe need to squish her before she got the hint?

Tremours thudded behind her in a slow, relaxed rhythm. Lex didn't want to look. She had a pretty good idea of what she'd see: polished shoes casually thundering after her, eating up distance in a single small shuffle that she broke a sweat achieving. The bean kept talking.

"-and I told her, 'Sana, you devil!' And I don't use that term lightly, but oh, she was a troublemake- are you even listening?"

Lex was yanked into the air by the back of her shirt. She kicked and squirmed. The floor shrank at a dizzying speed, stopping when she dangled in front of a gigantic, hairy face.

"I'm telling a story here," he said. "Something much more interesting than that drivel. You know, I knew the author - all his good ideas came from his wife." The bean showed off his teeth. Lex's struggles intensified. "Now, now, none of that. There's no point trying to get away. What a fascinating creature you are. Maze wasn't exaggerating. How did my father keep such a thing secret for so long? Sneaky little bugger. Where are you off in such a hurry, hm? Don't you know it's rude to ignore one's host?"

Lex tried slipping out of her shirt. The giant caught on and curled his fingers around her legs.

He shook his head in disbelief. "Are you trying to off yourself? Because that's all you'll accomplish, wriggling like that. Splat - plummet straight to the floor. I'd hate to clean up the mess. Stop moving. I want a look at you. So fiddly."

He pinched Lex's skull between an enormous thumb and knuckle. She froze in terror. He was going to crush her; pop her head off like a doll. Her chest heaved. Every muscle in her tiny body went taut.

Dark eyes studied Lex. They narrowed. He released his guillotine grasp.

"Who is letting their tiny spawn run around my penthouse?" he said sharply. "I need to have words with your parents. Are they as small as you, or did you pop out of a flower, like Thumbelina?"

Lex twisted around and sank her teeth into his thumb. He didn't even flinch.

"Squirrely, aren't you?" The giant carried her across the room and dropped her on top of the piano. "There. No more trying to- hey!" Lex was running as soon as her feet hit the glossy black surface. He clumsily scooped her up once more. "Stop that," he scolded. "You're making this very difficult for me."

"Let. Me. Go!" Lex screamed, punching and kicking wherever she could reach. Bone and muscle twitched under layers of thick skin, and the sensation made her own skin crawl. "Lemme go, lemme go!"

"I did, and you tried to dive off the edge. This is why I don't deal with children. So aggravating. You don't even know what you want!"

"Let me go!"

"Fine, fine. Stop squirming. Stay put, or I'll have to get a timeout cup." The hand tilted, and Lex rolled onto the piano. "Stay. Sit."

Lex glared tearfully into the distance. She hugged her shivering shoulders. The giant sat at the bench, and Lex full-body flinched. He settled like a great, big ship coming to dock. His decreased height made no difference to Lex, as he still towered leagues over her. He huffed, sending a gust over Lex that threatened to topple her. She huddled smaller. She tried to think of ways out of this, but it was so hard to form even one complete thought. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched the darkly dressed titan for any sudden movements, which she could do absolutely nothing about. He pulled out a phone and held it to his ear.

"Care to join me upstairs? No, no, leave the Brittanys. I've caught our little pest problem." He put the phone away, then grinned at Lex. "My demon is on her way. You know, I thought she simply had too much of the old Purple Haze - 'But Lucifer, that's impossible,' you say, 'this is Maze we're talking about.' And I thought the same. But here I find you in the proverbial cookie jar. Like a teeny elf! Or a gnome. Have you considered a career in garden décor?"

The elevator opened.

"Ah! Maze. I was just speaking with our little house guest. Say hello!"

Mazikeen regarded the borrower cowering on the piano with that flat stare. Lex trembled harder than a blender on purée.

"Mouse," Mazikeen intoned. To Lucifer, she said, "You took the fun out of it."

"Oh, I ruined your game, didn't I? You should have said something! I would've let you have the honour."

"You didn't believe me."

"Mm. Too late for that now. What are we to do with the mouse?"

Mazikeen's eyes flashed. "Set it free so I can catch it."

Lex scuttled back. Fear twisted her face. Tears welled.

Lucifer's vast shoulders shook as he laughed. "I'm afraid I have to veto that, as entertaining as it would be. I can't condone putting a child in harm's way, especially your way, dear Mazikeen."

Mazikeen frowned. She leaned closer. "A kid? It's just small."

"Mm, not quite. Small, yes, but still clearly a developing tadpole. A runt, perhaps."

"Damn. I was looking forward to hunting it."

Lucifer sympathetically clicked his tongue. "I know. I'll find you something else to play with, hm?"

Mazikeen huffed. "Whatever. What are you gonna do with it? It's been stealing from you, probably for years. You gonna let that slide?"

"Stealing what? The fluff under my furniture? Look at it, Maze. The only riches it's burglaring are bottle caps."

The powerful gazes of both beans fell on Lex, and she felt herself crumpling under their combined weight. Quavering hands fisted in her shirt. These titans were deciding her fate, and one of them wanted to kill her. The other was flippant, as if her life mattered little more to him than an inconvenience. It probably didn't; his expensive suits mattered more than her. They didn't even grant her personhood. She was an 'it'. Beneath the fear, anger stirred inside her. It grew until it overcame all other emotions. Anger at the world, at herself, at the people that wanted to punish her for just trying to get by on their scraps.

They were talking over Lex when she rose from her frightened huddle. Of course, that fueled the fire more.

"Hey, jerkfucks!" she yelled. The result was instant, amused and bemused faces snapping down to look at her. "My name is Lex. I'm not stealing anything, and if you don't let me go right now, my family is gonna wreck all your fancy suits! We know where you keep them!"

Mazikeen perked. "There's more of you?"

The corners of Lucifer's lips twitched. He raised a hand at Maze, then clasped both hands on the piano. Lex scuttled away. He said, "Quite brave, threatening me while also giving away your loved ones. And how would they carry out this threat when we catch them in the act? Then no one will save you. What then?" Lex didn't answer. Lucifer quirked a brow. "Well, I think our course of action is quite clear. I'm left with no other choice but to take care of you."

An arm stretched toward her, huge fingers splayed.

Lex bolted. Her unfulfilled life flashed before her eyes. She had no plan when the piano ended, but falling would be a better demise than whatever they cooked up. Heck, maybe cooking her was on the menu. Would you like your borrower sautéed, or deep fried?

A hand swooped under Lex and whisked her into the air. Lex steeled herself.

"Gentle, Maze," admonished Lucifer.

"Yeah, I got it," snapped Lex's captor. "I won't hurt your new pet."

What? Lex's eyes popped open. Pet!? Nononono-

"You can't keep me here!" Lex shouted, pushing fruitlessly against Mazikeen's coiled fingers. "I'm not a pet! Put me down!"

"Two very contradicting statements," said Lucifer. "But no, you aren't a pet - Maze - think of it more as an indefinite stay enforced by your keepers."

Lex paused, then cried, "That's prison. Let me go!"

"Mmm, wait, that wasn't a very good analogy. Give me a moment."

"Can't I stick this in a jar or something?" complained Mazikeen. "Better yet, why don't you hold it. It's yours, anyway." She shoved Lex into Lucifer's clutches and walked away. "I'm getting a drink. Deal with that yourself."

Lucifer stuttered in protest, then sighed. "Tell me you're clean, at least. Children are unbelievably messy, and I'm not having messy vermin in my home."

He didn't believe Lex when she insisted she was infected with every disease. Her fleas claim, however, almost made him drop her. Almost.