My Friend, The Shifter (G/T)

CH2- Borrowed Time

(Remy)

"Feeling or Showing Sudden Shock or Alarm"

This is what comes up if you look up the word 'startled'.

And right now, I was trying my best to not show that I was beyond startled.

I froze at the spot, and Natalie looked at me expectantly, as if I was about to say something. So we stared each other for a few seconds, after which I fell down on the ground laughing my head off.

"That's what you wanted to ask me?" I wheezed between the laughs.

"Remy, stop. I'm not joking!"

"Next what, the hulk?" I said as my laughter died down. Nat looked embarrassed, and not at all amused.

"Up for listening now?"

"Ok, ok." I said as my breathing came to normal.

"Follow me into the kitchen, and please, try not to freak out." She said while leading me to the kitchen. I just followed, thinking if she's hit  her head on something or what, because this is weirder than a lot of other weird things I've seen, and trust me- I've seen a lot of weird stuff.

"Remy, promise me that you won't tell anyone what's behind this door. It's for her safety."

"For who? You lost me back there."

"Just. Don't. Freak. Out..." She said slowly while creaking open the door and heading in and I followed from behind. We entered the kitchen, and there was literally nothing out of the ordinary. But Nat had tensed, and therefore I gripped the med kit even more till my knuckles were white. Whatever happened, it wasn't good...

"Ok Rem, just don't freak out, ok?"

"I won't." I said without realizing that Nat was practically whispering now, and that was kinda suspicious.

"Ok, I'll ask you again, and don't laugh this time. Do you think tiny people exist?"

"Yes, they're as real as your homework that disappears whenever someone asks for it."

At that she scoffed and stepped aside, revealing that on the kitchen table was a towel, with a figure in the middle. And get this- the figure was most definitely human.

"What?" I asked to myself, and the whisper of a question I said elicited a reply from Natalie.

"Told you," She said in a low voice, "and thanks for not freaking out."

Meanwhile my mind was spiraling on what I had just seen, I-I mean, what?! How?! This is literally impossible! Who is this, and what on Earth is she doing here? Or is the tiny figure just a stupid illusion? I leaned in a bit further, and saw the slow but very real breathing, barely visible on the tiny... unconscious form?

"Natalie, what happened, is- is she unconscious?"

"Y-yeah. It was my fault. Please, tell me you can help her!"

Now, while I did have quite an experience in patching myself, and in a handful of cases, others, up- this was quite unexpected. I mean, who gets called to their childhood friend's home to patch up a tiny person?

"I'll... see. But you need to tell me at least what happened." I said while I tried to think this through. And then Nat spoke up again, remorse on her face.
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't know. I mean, I just came into the kitchen to get a glass of water, but instead what I saw was her. She was... trying to get down from the table- w-with a rope, look, I left it, it's still there!" She said while pointing the thread latched onto the tabletop in a corner and then continued.