#borrowers

 Ryder had come back, also apparently not allowed in the room where the doctor was working. He was looking at something on his phone but his eyes quickly lifted from it and honed in on Ryland instead. He looked him up and down and Ryland held back a shiver. It seemed like he was about to say something but then his phone rang. He cursed to himself but answered it, turning his back to Ryland.

 “Heeeey, Gail. What’s up?” Ryder started out of the kitchen and Ryland could just barely see him turn to walk up the stairs. Ryder’s voice faded out and Ryland was no longer able to hear him.

 Ryland relaxed a little, thankful to not have to be near the human anymore. But his anxiety was still high as now it was a waiting game, to see if his brother was going to be okay or not.

 He didn’t go anywhere. He barely moved from his spot on the counter, only shifting slightly to be in a more comfortable position. He didn’t want to risk missing out on anything, so he stayed where the humans knew where he was.

 He stayed like that for four hours. Four hours of nothing but anxiety fueled thoughts. And then he heard the sound of a door opening and footsteps. He strained to listen as a pair of voices started to speak. “He’s in stable condition.” The doctor spoke, her voice getting louder as both her and Ryder entered the kitchen. Neither seemed to be surprised that he was still there.

 “Good, good.” Ryder said. “What’s the recovery looking like?”

 The doctor took out a tablet, tapping a few things on it. “He fractured his back in three places, so he’ll be down for a while. Months, most likely. And then he’ll probably need to relearn how to walk again, but he should be able to walk again.” Ryland listened with rapt attention to the doctor. Colt was alive. He was okay. He’d be bedridden for a while, which he knows Colt will hate but he would be back to normal. Eventually. It was the best news Ryland could have gotten.

 “I’ll also need to come by fairly regularly, just to check in and make sure his recovery process is running smoothly.” The doctor continued and Ryder frowned at that.

 “How often?” He asked and the doctor looked back down at her tablet.

 “More often during these first couple of months, less often after that. I’d say a good next visit should be in about a week.” She said and then looked back at Ryder. Ryder…didn’t exactly look happy at that but he sighed and nodded.

 “Alright, pencil that in then.” Ryder said and the doctor nodded, tapping a few more things on her tablet.

 Ryland was getting antsy now. The humans continued to talk over him and while it was good information regarding his brother, the only thing he wanted to do right now was see him. So, he gathered up the courage and cleared his throat. He regretted his choices a bit when both humans turned to look at him but at this point, he was sort of used to it. He let out a breath. “Can I see him? Please?”

 The doctor looked between him and Ryder. “He’s still asleep. He won’t wake up for some time but I don’t see why not?” She ended the sentence weird, continuing to look back and forth between him and Ryder. Mostly at Ryder, it seemed.

 “I’ll see you next week.” Ryder said instead of anything else. He put on a brilliant smile but it was clear he was all but kicking the doctor out now. Still, she didn’t react. She just nodded and left. Ryder stayed where he was as they heard her gather her things and leave through the front door. With the sound of the door closing, silence rang out between them. Ryland shifted on his feet, once again finding himself alone with the human. And it didn’t seem like a phone call was going to save him this time.

 Ryder looked him up and down. The smile never left his face but it did change. How exactly, well, Ryland wasn’t sure. He just knew it wasn’t the same smile he had given the doctor. “You want to see him?” Ryder asked and Ryland blinked in surprise before nodding rapidly. Ryder’s smile grew a bit wider and Ryland didn’t really know why until the human stepped closer and reached a hand toward him.

 Ryland couldn’t help it, he let out a small scream and cowered. His fear of humans hadn’t just gone away because they had saved his brother.

 “Whoa, hey, what’s with all that?” Ryder’s voice rang out and Ryland looked at him. His hand was resting on the counter now, just a few inches from where Ryland was. He looked at the hand for a long moment before glancing up at Ryder’s face. He didn’t look angry, more…amused than anything. “I’m not gonna hurt you. Would be a pretty big waste if I did, seeing as how I just spent a lot of money on a doctor for the other one.” And, well, yeah, the human had a point.

 “R-Right.” Ryland stuttered out, feeling a bit embarrassed for his reaction. “Sorry.” He felt the need to apologize.

 Ryder let out a small laugh. “It’s alright, sweetheart. Now, do you want to see him or not?”

 Ryland blushed a bit at the pet name. Not really knowing how to respond to that, he focused instead on the question. And the answer was obvious. “Yes, please.”

 Ryder hummed and his hand inched forward. “Then you gotta trust me.” He flipped his hand over so it was palm up and motioned with his head for Ryland to get on. Ryland gulped, trying to pull back his nerves. At least he wasn’t being grabbed, this whole situation definitely could have gone a lot worse. He had to be grateful the human was even helping in the first place.

 He had helped Colt. He was letting Ryland see him. He could honor his wish for trust. At least…for now.

 Ryland took a step closer toward the human’s hand, feeling his chest get tight. Just because he decided to give some trust over, didn’t mean it was any less frightening. The hand itself was bigger than him, could comfortably fit both him and Colt and there would still be room left over. It would be very easy for Ryder to close his hand and trap him within.

 Ryland groaned, shaking his head of those thoughts, and just…went for it. He stepped onto the hand, doing his best to keep himself steady on the uneven surface. He made his way to the center of the palm, knowing he would be more secure there and then sat down for the extra reassurance.

 The hand was warm, he could feel the heat emanating off of it. His hands came to rest on the skin, curiosity overtaking his fear for a moment. And then the human’s fingers curled in slightly and Ryland felt his body tense. But they didn’t come any closer, thankfully.

 “There we go.” Ryder said and that was all the warning he got before the hand was moving. Ryland tried not to look over the edge of the hand as he was being lifted higher into the air. He wasn’t scared of heights but, well, being moved like this was pretty disorienting.

 Thankfully the journey was a quick one. Ryder walked into the room and Ryland chanced a glance over the hand to see if he could see Colt. Sure enough, he was there on the desk, laying down in some sort of makeshift bed with tiny tubes connecting him to a much bigger machine. Ryland didn’t know what any of it meant, it was actually quite scary seeing Colt like that, even though he knew the doctor said he was going to be fine.

 He briefly had to wonder how they had things small enough to use on Colt but that thought quickly went away when Ryder started to lower his hand. As soon as his hand hit the table, Ryland practically flew off and ran to Colt’s side. He looked him over, hesitating with his hands over him. He looked pale but better, if he ignored all the weird tubes in his body. His breathing appeared steady and his face seemed relaxed. Ryland felt like collapsing in relief but instead he carefully gripped Colt’s hand as tears fell down his cheeks.

 “You’re going to be alright, Colt.” Ryland said in a low voice. “Everything is gonna be fine.” And it was nice to see that he, too, believed it when he said it. It really was all thanks to the human that Colt was even alive right now.

 Oh. Right. With everything going on, he hadn’t actually thanked Ryder. He hadn’t thanked the doctor either. He winced at his lack of manners. The doctor would come back, so he would have to thank her later. But Ryder…

 Ryland looked over and, sure enough, Ryder was still in the room. He sat on a chair practically right up to the table and though he held his phone in his hand, he was staring at them. He didn’t seem like he was trying to hide it either. Ryland didn’t really care for that but he couldn’t blame Ryder for it either. He’d probably act the same, if their roles were swapped and he was the human who had found a tiny person.

 Ryland shook his head. Right, he needed to say thank you. “Um, I just wanted to say thank you, Mr. Ryder. For saving him.” Ryland said.

 Ryder’s response was immediate. “Tom.”

 Ryland blinked. “Huh?”

 Ryder, or Tom, he supposed, smirked. “You can call me Tom. No reason to be so formal, sweetheart.”

 Again with the pet name. Ryland couldn’t stop the heat in his cheeks. “Oh, well, uh, thank you, Tom.”

 Tom hummed and leaned forward a bit, his head now being supported by his hand with his elbow firmly on the table. “So, I take it he’s your brother. Colt, was it?” Tom asked, looking at Colt briefly before his gaze returned to Ryland.

 “Oh, uh, yeah. Yeah, we’re twins.” He was sure that was pretty obvious. They were very identical, but Tom seemed to appreciate the extra information.

 “Right. So, then, sweetheart, what’s your name? Or do I have to keep calling you sweetheart?” Tom asked with a teasing smirk and Ryland raised one hand up, the other refusing to let go of his brother’s hand.

 “No! No, that’s okay. Um, I’m Ryland. Ryland Grace.” Maybe the pet names would stop now. Hopefully.

 Tom hummed. “Grace, huh?” His gaze drifted over to Colt. “Ironic.”

 Ryland squeezed Colt’s hand a bit tighter. “That’s not-the string he was climbing down broke. Colt’s usually the one who’s good at this.” He felt the need to defend his brother. Colt was good at what he did. It wasn’t his fault that the string happened to give out.

 Tom raised both of his hands. “Sorry, sorry.” He was laughing a little as he said it, negating the apology a bit. “I didn’t mean to offend.”

 Ryland hummed and opened his mouth to say more, what he wasn’t actually sure, when he felt movement. He practically gave himself whiplash turning his head back towards Colt as his brother moved a bit in his sleep. Ryland waited with bated breath to see if Colt would wake up, but he quickly settled back down again, still asleep. He sighed but reminded himself that the doctor said it would be a while.

 “So, what are you? Can’t say I’ve ever seen, or heard of, tiny people before.” Tom suddenly said, leaning even more forward. Ryland tensed at the questions, sure he had revealed them but there was still a line, right? But then again, maybe he owed it to Tom to tell him, seeing as how he helped Colt and all.

 “Well, uh, that’s a good thing. We’re supposed to stay…unknown.” Ryland winced at his own words. He really had risked a lot by doing, well, all of this.

 It was all worth it though, for Colt.

 “I could have guessed that.” Tom scoffed slightly, leaning further back in his chair. “Otherwise, the news of you little guys would be all over.” And Tom was right, if the wrong person ever found out about them, then that was it. Their existence would spread like wildfire and then…who knew what would happen.

 Ryland had a pretty good idea and it was not something pleasant.

 “You, uh, aren’t…going to tell anyone about us. Right?” Ryland hesitantly asked. Tom had already told the doctor, which again, Ryland couldn’t argue with. The doctor was needed in order to save Colt. But hopefully, that could be the end of it.

 “Wasn’t planning on it.” Tom said simply and Ryland relaxed a bit. “Unless something comes up and another specialist needs to come in or whatever.” Okay, that was fair enough.

 “They won’t say anything either?” Ryland asked and Tom waved his worries away.

 “The doctor signed an NDA. She’d be sent to prison if she ever spoke of anything she saw here.” Tom said and Ryland’s eyes went wide. Prison? Well, he supposed it was a good incentive to make sure she didn’t say anything. But still. “So…are you going to answer my question? Or are you going to keep leaving me in suspense?”

 Ryland blinked before remembering what exactly it was that he had asked. “Oh. Right.” Tom wouldn’t tell anyone and he deserved to know at this point, right? “We’re called borrowers.”

 “Borrowers.” Hearing the name of his species come from the mouth of a human was all sorts of wrong but Ryland ignored the feeling it gave him. “Interesting.” It was then that a ding came from Tom’s phone. He looked at it and sighed before standing up. Ryland couldn’t hold back his flinch but Tom didn’t seem to notice.

 “Welp, as much fun as it is to watch someone sleep, I’ve got some work to do.” Tom typed a few things on his phone and glanced back at Ryland. “I’m assuming you’re gonna stick around?”

 Ryland nodded. “I’m not leaving Colt.”

 Tom hummed. “Figured. I’ll be back later.” And with that, Tom exited the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

 Ryland let out a long breath, finally feeling like he could relax. The humans were gone and Colt was going to be okay. Ryland felt a bit of his anxiety ebb away.

 His thoughts still raced, of course, about his brother and about Tom, but they were at least quieter than before with Tom now out of the room.

 He squeezed his brother’s hand again and got comfortable. He’d be here when Colt woke up. He’d make sure of it.

***

 Tom closed the door and paused briefly before locking it, just for good measure. He knew the borrowers weren’t going anywhere but still, he felt better doing so.

 Borrowers. Tom rolled the name around in his head. It was pretty on the nose. Telling. He gathered a lot of information just from the name of their species alone. He thought about writing the name out on a sticky note but decided against it. He didn’t want some random person seeing his note and questioning him on it.

 Not that anyone would, no one questioned the Tom Ryder, but better to be safe than sorry, he supposed. Besides, he doubted he’d forget something like that any time soon.

 He looked down at his hand, rubbing his palm with a thumb. Holding one of them had been something else entirely. He could still feel the tiny weight, could still see how small Ryland was in comparison to his own hand.

 He wanted to experience that feeling again. Holding someone like that, knowing they were completely reliant on you…it was a very powerful feeling. But not in the same way that Tom was used to. Tom was used to feeling powerful, he was a famous movie star, after all. He had the fame, the money, the looks in order to get whatever he wanted. To make people do whatever he wanted.

 But this was…different.

 A good different, Tom decided.

 Tom hummed to himself as he looked back at his closed office door again before turning away and heading up the stairs. He’d have plenty of opportunities to have one of them in his hands again. 

The ending was absolutely heartbreaking. Though I at least like to make myself feel better by headcanoning that Arrietty and Sho eventually manage to find each other again, however and whenever that may be…

"What is that..?" Violet looked up at Asor almost disgusted at the object he pulled out of a gift bag.

"Oh I didn't see you there. Not used to you being out on my desk like that." Asor looked back over at her, stopping halfway through the room.

"I was waiting for you, it's weird they called you into the physical office. What is that?"

"It's a dog leash. Prize from a company wide raffle they do annually." He presented the leash and collar with a vinyl logo on it.

"We don't have a dog."

"They don't really do research for this kind of thing, they just put you in the raffle and you get what you get. Big company, they don't care about individuals." He stuffed it back into the bag, settling the bag next to his desk.

"God your job sucks."

"Well it pays for all the fancy cheese you eat. Regardless I'll probably sell it or give it to a friend." He relaxed down into his chair.

"I didn't say you had to do that. You got it for free didn't you? I could cut it up and use the metal rings. The clip would be nice too."

"You really find use out of anything huh?"

"That's literally my entire thing."

"I suppose you aren't wrong. Let me cut it up for you. When you're done I'd be curious to know what you use this for." He grabbed the leash and pulled out some heavy duty craft scissors he bought for her several months prior. The leash had several layers of biothane to cut through.

"Sure. But it may take a while, you know how much I procrastinate."

"As always. Here you go, I'll leave it by your vent." He set the pieces of the collar by an adjacent vent. "For now, I'm tired from all that social crap at the event."

"So you want to hang out with me…?" She was used to this by now.

"Yes." He lifted her into his hands, slow as usual to not stir up her motion sickness.

He brought her back over to his bed, laying down gently with her upon his chest.

“Hey! Watch out!” Garrick darted to the side and made sure Chance could see him. 

“Sorry. I’ll be more careful,” Chance apologized briskly, oddly feeling small as she was scolded by the little man. He stared, sternly, but didn’t press further as he turned around and began leading the way once more. He ducked under leaves and balanced along fallen branches. His movements were reminiscent of a squirrel or some small forest creature completely in control of his body. Each leap or twist reminded Chance of an elaborate gymnastics routine. 

Unfortunately, it didn’t matter how fast this strange person could twist, flip, and balance. It didn’t change how slow he was by comparison to Chance. Even his top speed had the adult human woman walking heel to toe over the uneven terrain, and Garrick knew it. He could keep a fair pace for days on end, but the Borrower found himself nearly at a full run, sprinting when under the cover of leaves to suggest he was faster when unseen. It wasn’t sustainable, and ten minutes passed in a threatening agony. 

He’d just ascended a particularly gnarled branch, catching himself winded, when he noticed that Chance looked like she wanted to say something. 

“What?” he heaved, each breath poorly stifled. Throat raw as sandpaper, he attempted to swallow but failed, instead awkwardly gagging on the air he desperately craved. It was the look the human gave him that made her words apparent before she even spoke. He could read it in her features but, winded, couldn’t stop from hearing her spine shuddering suggestion. 

“It’s just… I know you’re fast, but if we want to get there by nightfall, would… it be better if I… gave you a lift?” Chance gestured to her shoulder before shuddering. “Gosh! Gosh, that sounds so weird to say! Well, I mean… it would be weirder to say do you want to ride on me because that’s just… uugghh…” Chance groaned, turning scarlet in the cheeks and at the tips of her ears, and covered her face with her hands, which was to Garrick’s benefit as he felt his own cheeks burning at the human’s accidental innuendo. The Borrower quickly recovered, however, and caught his breath as he weighed his options. 

He hated the idea of losing his autonomy, relying on this human to move around, especially when this human was so meek of mind to be lured by a splasher. At the same time, ten minutes of sprinting was a compelling motivator. His heart still thundered against his ribs. The lack of water combined with the cracked parched sensation in his throat. Nothing displeased him more than requiring help, especially from a human; and yet he was considering it. It was unnerving. The thought of riding on a human’s shoulder close enough to count freckles and pores on their face sent chills down his spine. To see the fine hairs on the edges of a cheek as tall and as broad as him might be too much. At the same time, he promised three days and there was possibly a child who they could still save. 

At the very least, if we end up finding this kid, she might give me more intel if we manage to succeed. 

“Fine.” 

Chance, eyes widening and ears still scarlet, gawped. “What?” 

“I said fine. Are you hard of hearing?” Garrick snipped.

“I… j-... no. I just didn’t think you’d… you know?” While Chance sputtered, Garrick steeled himself, hoping silently he was appearing braver than he felt. 

“Look, you made a good point. If we want to get to the islands before dark, we need to move faster, especially if you want to find the kid; if he’s still around. I don’t like it and if you want to take it back, that’s too bad. A good idea is a good idea, even if I don’t like it,” huffed Garrick. Unease filled the space between their words. Neither could look at the other. 

Just get it over with! 

“Well? Put your hand down here if you’re going to do it.” Garrick noticed Chance’s subtle hand flex as the act of consciously picking up the small man. Obviously, something had changed from earlier to now. Reassuring, but didn’t lessen the roiling in Garrick’s gut. That same unease threatened to beat his heart out of his chest as he watched the woman’s arm swing down, hand extended toward him. He nearly stepped back and away, but hesitated as he saw the tremble in her fingers. 

Scared… like me. At least she can’t see me shaking. 

Garrick examined the dirt smudges in the prints of the hand in front of him before his eyes traced up the length of the arm. The long sleeves he hadn’t noticed before creating patterns in his mind like how bark on a tree would. Within a fraction of a moment, he’d tracked a path with his eyes all the way up the arm and up onto the shoulder. Jump at the wrist. Grab for the fold at the elbow. Snag the sleeve at the top at the seam and then onto the shoulder. Easy peasy. He bit his lip and jolted his head to one side, as if it were a piece of debris he could shake away, before sprinting up the woman’s arm. 

He realized too late that he’d failed to communicate his intentions as he ran past the awaiting hand and felt the arm jolt beneath him as Chance flinched. The world threatened to turn on its side, but the reflexes of the Borrower were quick to adapt. Garrick lunged onto all fours as the arm that was once inclined was now a vertical wall. He caught himself from falling, but slammed into a wall of flesh he hadn’t anticipated. His fingers clasped desperately at the shirt as his attention snapped up to Chance. 

“What was that?! You trying to knock me off?” Garrick demanded. Chance’s eyes were wide, mouth agape. Thankfully, she made no additional flailing motion. 

“I… sorry… I just… I th-thought you’d… um… that I’d…” 

Their miscommunication was plain as day. 

“That you’d lift me up? Yeah, well thanks for the heads up. I thought I’d just run right up the side all easy like, but if you’d rather…”

“No. I… it just… I mean… you just… startled me… that’s all. I’m sorry.” Chance’s apology felt genuine enough, though Garrick couldn’t stop the scowl he shot up at her. He swallowed roughly, heart thumping in his throat, before looking back up at her. 

“It’s… fine. Just… choose now before I do anything. Are you raising your arm so I can walk over or am I climbing this thing?”

“I’ll raise my arm,” Chance said, nerves making her talk a bit quicker than normal. Garrick watched her exhale as her arm raised slowly, eyes fixated only on him in fascination as he adjusted his stance to compensate for the moving limb beneath him. Arms out to steady himself, Garrick managed to balance as he was brought to be level with Chance’s shoulder. It felt impossible to ignore the woman’s blue-green eyes as they watched his every move, but Garrick attempted to do so all the same. It was only a dozen steps or so, but every step felt heavy simply with the weight of Chance’s eyes. He hated the way her neck craned to look down at him as he knelt on her shoulder and secured himself by slipping a safety pin into her clothes and tying a line onto it. 

“Okay, tied down,” he stated as he crouched and braced for her first step, but she didn’t move. 

“You… sure you’re good?” asked Chance. 

“Yeah, but we won’t be if we’re caught in the water when the sun starts going down, so let’s move,” Garrick’s unease translated into tension in his voice. It went unaddressed as Chance nodded shakily and took that first step forward. He expected to be thrown forward or tossed backwards. Maybe jolted forward. Maybe encased in a hand that feared he was fragile and would fall at a moment’s notice. 

Thankfully, that didn’t happen. 

Of all the creatures he’d hitched a ride on, Garrick silently acknowledged that this was the easiest by far, which he found surprising. Some of these creatures glided through trees silently while others stomped and scraped up against every tree to spread their scent. Chance seemed to be a complement of the two. He felt each step without feeling the threat of falling at any point. The rhythm let him catch his breath and anticipate when they would connect with the ground. It was like riding an immense wave, and it wasn’t altogether unpleasant. 

Not that I’m going to tell her that. 

While Garrick clung to the metal safety pin on her shirt, Chance made every effort to walk as normally as possible while ignoring the slightly shifting weight of the mysterious man riding on her shoulder. She kept her eyes focused on the ground beneath her. It was the most unnerving walk she’d ever taken in the woods, and she found a random staircase for crying out loud. Her boots maneuvered over branches and stepped onto clusters of briars that clawed at her pants. Slick mud and brush attempted to trip her. Chance was never more grateful that she was sure footed. 

Pays to be an experienced hiker. 

Step after step, Chance maneuvered through the woods, eyes scanning the ground for anything and everything that might be a clue as to where the boy might’ve gone. This whole thing about the staircase being some kind of portal felt beyond her, like it wasn’t real. Then again, who was she to question what was or wasn’t real? There was a tiny man on her shoulder afterall. 

Time was hard to tell, but Chance guessed she’d been walking for about an hour when the water finally came into clear view. The sound of the water lapping at the edges of the banks created a soothing, rhythmic white noise. It reminded her of home. The miniscule waves cresting along the silt shores. The way the water blended into the scenery with the islands poking out from the surface like dandelions in full bloom in a well trimmed yard. 

The beauty of the scene’s tranquility was interrupted as she felt a harsh tug on the lobe of her ear. 

“Ow!” She winced. 

“What did I say earlier about the water!?” The little man scolded as he tugged on her ear lobe again. “One eye closed!” Chance ignored the bristling feeling rising in her to snap back at this hand-sized person, but thought better of it and instead closed her right eye so he could at least see she was making an effort. 

“Sorry. I forgot and… wait… I thought the whole mint blood thing was protecting me.” Chance couldn’t read the man’s expression, but she did hear him sigh. 

“Some things are warded off by the mint and the blood as well as cattail fluff. Other things, however, aren’t deterred by it. It’s safer to approach and assume it isn’t going to work rather than assume it is,” he scolded. “Now, big steps. Into the water. I’ll get on top of your hat thing and…”

“What? You mean just wade right into the water?” interrupted Chance. 

“Yes. Can you not swim?” retorted Garrick. 

“I mean… yeah, I can. I worked as a lifeguard for a few summers and was part of the swim t-”

“Then what’s the problem?” 

Chance had to take a breath as she clasped her hands together in a kind of praying motion. “Not to be that way, but you’re being difficult to work with. You tell me one thing and then you tell me another. I don’t have a Matrix style download of what you know, Tiny, so just let me catch up. Okay?” Met with silence, Chance continued. “Anyway, I can swim, but I have questions. Does the blood and mint trick need to be reapplied like sunscreen to keep me from getting attacked? Is there a chance I could get sucked under here? And, if that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better to find a boat or something nearby to float on? I mean, there’s got to be something nearby, right?” 

Chance felt distinct footsteps on her shoulder walking to the edge by her arm, a novel and yet unnerving sensation, before hearing, “Fair enough. Though I don’t know what a Matrix download is or whatever, you’re taking all of this better than I suspected a human could.” 

“Careful, or I might think that was a compliment.” Chance’s snarky comment slipped out before she had a chance to stop herself. She heard the little man snort as his weight shifted. An image of him sassily folding his arms and looking incredulous filled her mind, but instead she focused on what he said next. 

“Well, I used it earlier, so repeat performance. Don’t count on it happening again. At any rate, I thought you wanted to get to where you needed to go quickly. You can take the time you want to try and find a boat or something, but I’m telling you swimming is going to be your best option,” he sighed. “That said, the blood and mint will need to be reapplied for safety, so tilt your face down here and try not to knock me off.” 

Chance held her breath out of sheer politeness and tilted her forehead toward her right shoulder while keeping both eyes closed. She could only imagine what his perspective was like, and seeing two massive eyes the size of his body was probably the last thing he wanted. Chance could’ve sworn she heard a wince just before she felt the weight shift and her hat tug as she felt a light, brushing motion on her forehead. 

“Done. Safer to keep one eye closed still, but a splasher won’t get you at the very least,” the tiny man stated. “As for your other concern, there are other things in the water, but if you are quick and don’t thrash around, we should be good to go.” 

“Then you’d better get on my hat. We’re going swimming, apparently.” Chance approached the water’s edge. The squelch of the mud under her shoes was an unpleasant sound, but not as much as the smell as she waded into the slick mud water. She maneuvered deeper and deeper, pack firmly on her back and not bothering to change, while keeping her one open eye fixed on the island in front of her. The chilled water soaked through her clothes and crept up past her midsection and to her chest. The tiny man scrambled from her shoulder to the top of her hat, using her ear as a foot hold as he secured himself onto the top of her head. 

Before pushing off, she asked, “You really think Aiden is on that island?” 

Garrick wished he had a definitive answer. He wanted to guarantee the safety of this human kid. Sadly, he couldn’t. He spent years perfecting his skills. The possibility of a kid surviving was next to none. 

Then again, stranger things had happened. 

“I don’t know. I don’t think so, but if he’s alive, this is the best place to go looking for him,” replied Garrick. 

“As good of an answer as any. Hold on.” Chance sunk into the water past her shoulders while sucking in a deep breath. The air in her lungs kept her afloat and, pushing off the bottom, began a very easy breaststroke across the water. The scent of the water that lingered on the surface filled each breath, but she made every effort to keep her head level for the sake of her passenger; that and putting her face in the water was the last thing she wanted when the water clung to a kind of silty, putrid scent of moist earth and decay. 

Garrick, fortunately, had fresher air from his vantage point on the top of the human’s head. He crouched and, like a periscope, kept a watchful eye on the horizon to make sure nothing was creeping up on them from above, beside, or below; though that last one was the trickiest. The murk of the water made even the first few inches of the water nearly impossible to see through. Even Chance’s body looked like a hazy blob, edges wavering and smudged beneath the water’s surface. 

They were about halfway when Garrick’s keen eyes saw past the surface of the water down to the murk below. The shapes of plants and small fish flickered in and out of visibility, sometimes only for a fraction of a second. The shape of those long, thin tentacles, on the other hand, continued to linger inches away as those familiar yellow-green eyes peered up beside the stones at the base, blending with refracted light. 

Don’t freak her out. She’s taking all of this well, but she doesn’t need to know it’s right beneath us, right? 

Each stroke brought them closer to the banks, but they were still only halfway. There was no way they were going to be attacked. Garrick had already taken the precaution of the mint and blood, and he was already spreading the cattail fluff behind them. 

I should just tell her when I get to the other side, right? It would be safer, right? What if she freaks out here in the middle of the water? She might attract something worse. Then again, she’s taken everything so well so far. She might want to know if there’s something nearby in case she needs to avoid it or swim faster. 

Garrick looked down at the hat bill hiding Chance’s face and wondered what he should do. Tell her? Possibly protect them and keep her in the loop? Or just wait? What she didn’t know right now wouldn’t hurt her, right? 

| ~ What should Garrick do? ~ |

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

Continue | Coming Soon

Previous

Beginning