The Biggest of Them All (OLD)

2 - The Borrowers

Jake

Boy, that kid can talk! I swear my ears were about to fall off by the time he finished talking.

His name is Woodchip, by the way.

"...we're borrowers! That includes me, you, and the rest of my family! We borrow stuff from humans to survive, and try to stay hidden from them as much as possible."

Great, I thought glumly, Our house has a family of tiny people stealing from us.

He shuddered. "I've heard so many scary stories of humans."

"I mean, are they really that bad?" I asked, wanting to know what his family thought of me.

"I don't know," Woodchip said awkwardly, "The ones here don't seem too bad," We quickly rounded a corner. "But the stories don't lie. Humans want to tear apart things smaller than them. Why would they step on ants and flies? What more are we to them?"

I hate to admit it, but what he said was sort of true. What if I had seen them before this? What would've I thought of them?

"Also!" He chirped, "I almost forgot." He waved his arms in a grand motion. "The Borrower Rules!"

"Yes?" I pressed, slightly interested.

"Number one: Stay hidden from humans."

"Number two: Don't talk or interact with humans."

"Number three: If you are seen, move to another house immediately."

"Do not reveal any information on borrowers to humans."

"There are probably more rules, but those are the main ones!" Woodchip looked back at me. "And, we're here!"

I looked around me in awe. It was like a small den. There were small LED lights lining the ceiling, small tables and chairs, along with what looked like beds made of fabric.

And there were so many borrowers!

"Hey guys!" Woodchip squeaked, and the borrowers turned to look at me and him. "I found this new guy! Can you call Elder Ariah?"

One of the guys nodded and scurried off, and four more kids, this time really my age, approached me.

"Well, uh, hi!" A boy greeted. He was the tallest kid out of the four, and had light brown hair that was similar to Woodchip's, all curly and long. "I'm Elijah, Woodchip's brother! And you are...?"

Shit. I can't say my real name, can I?

"Um, I'm Jake." I said hesitantly.

"Like that giant? Wow. That's like, really weird." A girl spoke up. "Hi! I'm River." She had dark, wavy hair, and bright blue eyes.

"Hello," I extend my hand out, and she shakes it in turn. "I hope I don't sound too rude saying this... What's with the nature names and "other" names?"

"Oh yeah, don't worry that's fine," River grinned. "Our great-grandmother, Leaf, and great-grandfather, Ariah, agreed to let every other child have a nature-based name. We've carried on the tradition."

"I see. You have a... very large family." I add, glancing at the many borrowers that lined the room.

"I know right? We've almost reached 32 people. We have a very extensive family." A shorter boy with orange hair piped up. "I'm Kas, 'S nice to meet ye."

"And you obviously saved the best for last." A boy smirked, interrupting Kas. "Greetings, fellow borrower, I'm Cattail. Please call me Cat."

"Or just call him Annoying." Eli chortled, "We call him that all the time."

Alright. These people were awesome. And I've known them for less than 5 minutes.

"Hey!" Cat grinned. "We don't talk about that!"

Suddenly, a strong, powerful voice rang out, "Hello, fellow borrower!"

I turned to see an old man walking toward me. His white hair seemed to stand out in the dimly lit room, and his pace was slow, yet seemed so proud and confident. "I'm Elder Ariah. Welcome to our home! I hope you have found it to your liking."

"Yes," I inclined my head, "Everything is so nice here..."

"If you'd like, you could stay!" River said hopefully. "It's sort of been ages since we've seen a new face."

Look. That offer was ve-ery tempting. I'd really love to be in such a nice and welcoming family...

But I already have a nice and welcoming family, and they'd worry about me if I suddenly just disappeared.

"Sorry, I have my own place to stay," I say regretfully, shaking me head. "But I'd be willing to visit once in a while, maybe even help around if possible?"

The other borrowers murmured in agreement, and on that day, I was accepted into the family of borrowers that lived in my walls.

Honestly, I kind of enjoyed it. During the day, I would leave small trinkets and snacks lying around. They always disappeared. And then, at night, I'd shrink down, going into the walls, and have fun with, River, Kas, Cat, and Eli.

I was like those "normal guy by day, superhero by night" type people, except at night I became a tiny guy, and I have never gone to sleep since.

And honestly? I wouldn't have it any other way.