Marvin

“I’ve got a crying Kye in the living area. She had a nightmare and got spooked. What does not help a nightmare about your family disappearing is waking up to your family actually disappearing.” “Wha?” Otis rubbed his eyes. His sister caught on faster. “Where’s Audwin?” “That’s for you to find out.” “Why us?” Otis whined. “I’m tired!” “Because Audwin is missing and no offense I do not trust you two to comfort Kye.” Clare thought that was a fair assessment. “Wait so let me get this straight- Audwin is missing?!” She asked. “Don’t say it so loud! Yes. We were all sleeping quietly, when Kye had a nightmare that she woke up alone. Like we had all left her. And when she actually woke up, Audwin was gone. Now she’s out there distressed.” “I mean, he could just be going for some fresh air. I wouldn't stress about it.” Otis laid back down. Clare smacked his arm. “You are so lazy, what if he’s not okay!” “What could have happened to him? Teddie is the lightest sleeper to ever sleep! If Audwin didn’t leave on his own accord then we would have known.” Otis said. “Besides, how would he have even left involuntary?” “A mouse, I dunno.” Clare mumbled. “Can you guys just please do a quick round and see if he is just wandering and clearing his head? Kye needs him.” Otis huffed. “Fine.”

That's how Clare found herself at three pm, up extra early, with her needle once again at her hip and her brother at her side. “Where do you think he is?” Otis asked, bag strung over his shoulder just in case. “No clue. I hope he’s okay.” She frowned. “He’s never left without telling us before.” “That we know of.” Otis said. “The dude has to deal with four idiots who he isn’t biologically required to raise. I’d dip and grab a breather every once and a while too.” “I take it you aren’t very worried?” “Nah. Let’s split up and cover more ground. I go left, you go right?” “No.” Clare said suddenly. Otis mumbled something about borrowing alone being good practice for the future and Clare just looked straight ahead. Her and Otis had done routine walks before. Checking out the pest levels or just a general “what's going on in this room”. She wouldn't consider it borrowing alone practice. But- She glanced at the hook in Otis’ hand. -she didn’t trust herself not to fuck up if she wlaked alone again. And also she didn’t want to think about borrowing without Otis. “How exactly did you get this back by the way?” Otis tossed the hook up and down. “I’ve been wanting to ask but Audwin is always around. I know Teddie is dying to know too.” “I have my ways,” Clare smiled. “Just don’t make me need to grab it again.” She wasn’t sure if her heart could handle that. “I won't. You know this is my favorite hook.” “I do.” “If I dropped it again I might just run out in front of a human to grab it.” If only he knew. “You’re shaking your head like you don’t believe me.” “Okay, Otis.” “No, no. Clare. The things I would do for this hook let me tell you.” “Shut up.” “It was my first ever hook! I’ve never had to replace it. It’s like how humans have lucky underwear, I think.” “Otis, shut up.” “No, actually I don’t know what lucky underwear is, I retract that statement until I can ask Audwin. I doubt humans have been wearing the same underwear since birth-” “Otis!” Clare covered his mouth. “Jesus! Stop talking for thirty seconds! I think I hear Audwin.” Otis pushed her hand away silently. They stood quietly, and sure enough there was no mistake to what Clare heard. Somewhere near them Audwin was talking. The only problem? His voice was coming from out of the walls. And somebody was talking back. “What the hell?” Now it was Otis’ turn to shush his sister. “Shut the fuck up, Clare. What are they saying?” “Otis we are not eavesdropping on-” Her brother shushed her, guiding her closer to the outlet that lead to the room Audwin was in. If Clare knew the walls as well as she thought she did, they should have been standing right outside of Rebeckah’s office. A room not too useful for borrowing, only filled with books, paper, and pens. Yet it was one that sat on a well traveled path. Sure enough, as the twins peaked past the pushed out outlet, there was Audwin and Rebeckah. “What the fuck.” Otis whispered. Audwin didn’t seem to be in danger, in fact, the way both adults sat relaxed made it seem like this was almost a normal occurrence. Audwin casually talked about how Kye went on her first borrowing trip, with Rebekah nodding along like she already knew about Kye. Clare felt like she might be dreaming. It was possibly the only answer for something so impossible to happen. Maybe she was. Like- she was woken up to look for Audwin. So maybe she never woke up. But Otis’ tight grip on her wrist suggested otherwise. “Ow.” She whispered, pulling her arm away. . “Sorry,” Otis mumbles. “I just- what the fuck?” Their whole life they had been taught to avoid humans. It was practically embedded in their DNA. Rules that Audwin told them because he had been told them too. All skills they had were developed so they could avoid humans. Hell, their daily tasks were timed to be completed as humans slept. To see the man who taught us everything blatantly break every rule he forced us to remember felt- Wrong. “He doesn’t look scared or trapped, right?” Clare asked. “No, I don’t think?” “That’s what I thought.” They stood there for a while, just listening to the adults talk. Nothing about their conversation sounded like captive vs captor. Rebeckah didn’t look like an evil human who wanted to kill Audwin. But it was also the first time Clare ever really looked closely at a human. Even yesterday, she only saw the young girl briefly before running. Borrowers never stuck around long enough to really study a face. Rebeckah looked a lot like a borrower. Just bigger and older. Well- Audwin’s age. There were no sharp teeth or long pointy fingernails. Clare was confused. Her and Otis watched as Audwin stood up and waved and they almost didn’t realize what was happening. They were saying goodbye. Rebekah was just letting him leave. Just like that? As Audwin turned towards the outlet, Clare ducked away, yanking Otis with her. She pushed him into the shadow casted by the outfit right in the walls. If Audwin looked in a direction other than home, they’d be caught and explaining spying wasn’t gonna be easy. But as the twins stood pushed up against the wood, Audwin walked past humming a tune, stolling home. What the hell? He just walked away from a human without so much as a scratch and if anything- it seems to have put him in a good mood. Once Audwin turned the corner and was out of ear shot, Otis pushed Clare off of him. “What the fuck. Am I going crazy? Are we still dreaming?” “The thought has crossed my mind.” Otis looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers. “Still have ten fingers. That’s a human thing right? Okay. We’re awake. They what the fuck is going on. No, I don’t believe it. Punch me.” Clare didn’t need to be told twice. “Okay, wow, I’m awake for sure.” Otis cringed. “Audwin is hiding something.” “No shit, Clare. He’s talking to the orphan mom lady like they’re childhood friends. Of course he’s hiding something.” “Are we gonna confront him?” “Hell no. We’re gonna walk back, conveniently walk in after Audwin, claim we went in the opposite direction, and smile naively and whatever excuse he has.” “I’m a bad liar.” “I know. We can make this work.” “Are we gonna tell Teddie?” “It if comes up organically, sure.” “Otis, I feel like you're accepting Audwin talking to a human very easily.” “Oh no, I’m freaking out. Things just sink in quicker for you, Clare. Get back to me by tonight.” “Our whole life we’d been taught humans were bad news. Not only that- but it was Audwin who enforced the rule the most. But he's, dare I say, /friends/ with a human?” Clare rambled. “I just don’t know what to believe! Does he do this often? That didn’t seem like a first interaction. How often does Audwin sneak out at night?!”

By the time they got back home, Kye was nowhere to be seen- presumably already asleep again, and Teddie and Audwin sat waiting for them. “There you are!” Teddie stood up, taking Otis’ borrowing bag from him. “So much for finding Audwin, huh?” “Oops.” Otis grinned. “Where were you, old man? We looked by the kitchen area, living room, and everything!” Audwin smiled. “Sometimes you just gotta take a breather and do a lap. I was in the other direction.” Otis nudged me. “You see, that’s the exact thing I told Clare earlier! See, nothing to worry about.” “Yep,” Audwin nodded. “I’m all safe.” “Tell us next time you go to leave randomly,” Clare said. “You really scared us.” “I’m sorry. Don’t worry, next time I’ll say something. You three should get to bed okay?” “Right.” Teddie nodded. Clare and Otis followed him to the sleeping area, but it was hard to fall asleep again.