Mister Acres [ COMPLETED ]

Chapter Eleven

"Make sure you lock up when you're done here!" 

I perked up at the voice, noticing Katy, the blonde chick waving back at me as she left the building. I waved back.

It had been about a month since I started and I had gotten to know everyone fairly well. Katy was the first girl I met at the shop. She had the spunkiness of a kid yet also the resting face of an old person.. She had come to the town in a similar way I had, though for her, it was through secret trades.. The illegal kind. 

Burly, the older man who I helped on the first day was pretty much fitting to his name. He's well.. burly, in every sense of the word, though he was the sweetest older man I had met. Sure.. he had his grumpy moments where he may out lash about a wrong shipment of something or be fuming about a hole I accidentally put in the wall... but I mean. Who can blame him.? I wasn't entirely the greatest employee in the beginning.

And now look at me! I'm closing the shop by myself these days. I feel so much more at peace than I ever have in my entire life.. 

I held the broom in my hands, my slow sweep coming to a stop as the feeling in the air changed. 

"I feel like.. I'm missing something." I muttered to myself before softly exhaling. After a short moment, I shook my head as if to make the thought go away.

As I continued to close the shop, I mulled around in my brain the good things that have happened so far. Like becoming really good friends with Ging, despite our wide array of differences. Or helping out in many different ways, one being the shop and the other being Troy's right hand man.. or borrower. I've even been trusted to wander the house as long as I am aware of the people around me, those being Troy and Malcom. As of late, my anxiety has been at all time low and my strength at an all time high.. 

I really did have a huge life improvement by being here. I shouldn't let myself wallow with distant thoughts anymore.

 It didn't take long to finish up, so I headed out, locking the door behind me. As I walked along the sidewalk towards the 'lift' zone, where I was meeting Troy for the evening, I pulled out my journal. Sure.. it's hard to draw and walk at the same time, but I still tried anyway. 

Just as I reached the spot, I heard a distant sound coming from the direction of the hall. I looked out in the direction, but saw nothing.. so I ignored it. Or well, until I heard it again. This time it sounded like it was coming from a farther distance. Were my ears playing tricks on me.?

My curiosity peaked, leading my imagination to go a bit haywire. Was someone breaking in? No.. the noises were too soft for that. Maybe Troy was in the kitchen? No.. again. The noises were still to soft for that. 

My body seemed to have a mind of it's own as I got up and walked in the direction the sounds had come from. Surely there was something out there.. right?

The sounds hadn't even lasted long, my mind leading me from memory as I walked along the edge of the town. There was a ladder on the end that would give me the ability to continue to investigate further.. so that was where I was headed.

It didn't even take long before I reached it, hearing new sounds coming from the direction of the kitchen. They were still very quiet sounds, but noticeable. It sounded like shuffling. Did we have mice.? 

If so.. that would be terrible. I could only imagine the damage they could do the town. 

I pressed on, walking across the long open floor towards the kitchen. There, from the ground I could see a faint string hanging from a barely open cupboard. My eyes widened immediately. A borrower..?

The second I saw it, I raced to the edge of the counter and climbed up the makeshift ladder as fast as I possibly could. Once at the top, I tried to catch my breath before racing in the ropes direction. 

Soon I stood just below it, not daring to attempt a climb.

"Hello.? Is someone up there?" I shouted, cupping my hands over my mouth as if to make my voice louder. Just as I spoke, it felt like the world went quiet.. even more quiet than it was two seconds prior. 

A head peeked over the edge up above, unidentifiable but definitely a borrower like me. I breathed a sign of relief.. 

Though.. two more heads popped up on either side. Multiple? Together? Was it a family?

No later than they appeared, they came vaulting down the rope, their appearances becoming more and more clear in the faint light of the room.

They wore leaf like cloths, leather in some ways and little acorn helmets.. or one of them wore an acorn helmet. I didn't know what the other helmets were made of. The tallest of the bunch stepped forward, reaching for their hat to take it off.

"..Reb.?" 

Time halted right then and there as the borrower in front of me revealed themselves.. It was Kila. I hadn't seen her in months.. and at this point, I figure she was dead. The expression on my face must have told her everything I was thinking.

"No.. I didn't die. And no.. we aren't staying." She stated, her voice almost cold. 

"Where have you been.? What.. happened to you?" I started, almost bewildered from her voice alone. It sounded course, yet the same ol' Kila. Seeing her face better, I could tell that she had scars and marks from fighting.. and her hair was partially matted. I had taken a glance at the other two, but I couldn't make anything out because of the helmets they wore. "and, who are they?" 

"Listen.. I didn't expect to run into anyone here and we can't stay for chit chat.. I'd love to tell you everything but our time is low." She stated, almost abruptly cutting me off. With a few hand movements, the other two skittered off. 

"Can you at least tell me why you came back here then..?" I asked, grabbing a hold of her arm as she was turning to leave. She gave me a glare, seemed to think for a moment, but sighed soon after.

"I can tell you everything.. but you have to come with me. It's way to risky for that human to know.. and frankly.. I don't trust that you wouldn't tell him." She snarked back. I grimaced a her words.

"I can't go with you Kila. I have a life here.. you could as well. All of you could." I explained, releasing Kila from my grip. Even though it was dark I could see her roll her eyes. 

"You never change do you." She bit, her voice nearly fuming. "This place isn't freedom."

"And you think striving on rations is?" I bit back, getting a glare in response.

"We do what we have to in order to keep ourselves going. That is more admirable than living some life with humans. We are meant for the woods, the walls and anywhere else. We aren't meant to be kept as pets, Reb. You know that." Kila's voice sounded odd, as though the words were about to cut. "Somewhere deep in that sad little heart of yours, you know that's true. How many hours a day do you think about being out there in the world?"

I stayed silent, biting my tongue. Frankly.. I didn't know what to say. In a way, she was right but in another she was so wrong. 

Kila let out a sigh as she put her helmet back on, "You can come with us and escape this place you know. Leave behind this 'human'.. these brainwashed people. You can be free like us."

"Reb?" Troy's voice echoed through some of the house. It was a whispered yell as most were sleeping, but it didn't change the fact that he was looking for me. I had totally forgotten I was meeting with him tonight.

"You have to make up your mind and make it up quick." Kila stated, urgency in her voice but her hand outstretched to me. My eyes glanced at the hall and then back at Kila before I finally grabbed a hold of hers.

Almost as immediately as I did, she pulled me away from view and down the back of the counter. She was leading me out of the house alongside the others.

I looked back, my mind racing as I saw Troy still aimlessly searching for me.

What was I doing.?