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Part Twenty One

  ~ A sketch of Drizzle, because I love her (yes I'm playing favorites what about it). Enjoy the chapter~                                
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                             4 Years Earlier

   "The trip won't take long, Sammy," Drizzle coaxed as she placed a gentle kiss on her son's forehead. "You know what to do, right?"

   "Be on the lookout, don't get caught, and don't try to help. I know, mama, this isn't my first time."

   Drizzle gave off a light laugh at that, calling her husband over as he just finished up with gathering all the supplies they would need. "Look, Jack, he's got your pride now that he's been on two borrowing trips."

   "I think he gets that from you, actually " Jack muttered, winking down at his son. "Sam only inherited my looks and agility."

   "No wonder he hasn't gotten any partners yet."

   "I'm twelve," Sam whined out. "And I haven't met any other borrowers yet, either!"

   "She's joking, Sammy. Hurry up and get your thumb tack before the human gets back and we miss our opportunity." Jack leaned down to whisper in Sam's ear. "Maybe afterwards, your awesome dad can show you how to make your own hook for the next trip."

   Like a switch flipped on in his head, Sam's eyes lit up and he rushed to find the makeshift sword in his bedroom before his parents left without him. Drizzle and Jack gave each other a look, trying their hardest not to break out in laughter at the eagerness of their only son.

 
   They had a perfect family. Not perfect in the traditional sense, but it was so beautifully theirs, and that's the only thing that Drizzle cared about.

   After leaving her colony with Jack and finding their own place to raise a child, life was better. The food supply was easy to come by, her son was growing up to be just as healthy as Jack, and best of all, they were happy. A trio of borrowers that lived far away from any danger, taking life for granted once they realized how amazing they had it.

   They should've known better.

   "Everyone ready?" Jack asked once more, always extra prepared for a borrowing trip when his wife was with him. Lord knows what might happen if he missed a bag to carry an extra piece of cereal, or misplaced his prized hook to carry the two of them up a steep countertop.

   "Hurry up, Papa, I wanna see you make the hook!" Sam bounced in place at his spot behind the uncovered outlet.

   "I think we better hurry before the humans hear Sam's jumping," Drizzle laughed, taking her husband's hand as they tore away from the outlet in the wall and further onto the floor covered in crumbs from a child's precious meal. The only plus to living in the walls with a child nearby was the mess they always seemed to carry, no matter the circumstances.

   A magnifying glass lay several feet away on the kitchen floor, but Drizzle and her husband thought nothing of it at the time.

   Sam kept hopping from one foot to the other, being a good boy and keeping watch for his parents like he was told. While his brain was preoccupied with the thought of learning how to make his own hook to climb with, his body had a physical mind of its own and the instincts embedded in his muscle memory forced Sam to focus on the situation at hand. His parents always praised him after a good borrowing session; telling him how well he did at keeping watch, and how they would eat well tonight because of him. Sam always revelled in the attention he received, especially when his mother gave him her favorite blankets for the night and he was able to build his nest up to their ceiling. Such an event was his expectation for tonight, but that positive mindset was swept away the moment Sam's sensitive ears picked up on a deep rumble entering the kitchen.