Recondite (Novella)

Chapter 4

Darkness. That was all he could see as he tumbled in the cold whisking wind. Bristles brushed against him, covering him in dust, and he couldn't breathe, gasping for clean air and not this poor excuse of air.

What felt like minutes was really seconds before he was spat out of the darkness with a "shunk!" and he clawed around at the dust bunnies, coughing as he tried to surface. He finally burst out of the disgusting surroundings, sneezing as he gasped in breathable air. His lungs were burning, as was his throat, and he wheezed for a bit before his body calmed down. He realized the engine had been turned off, and he paled, realizing that his unexpected suck-up had been noticed.

He froze when he saw something huge move out of the corner of his eye, and he slowly turned, eyes widening. The human had crouched down and turned off the vacuum cleaner, frowning from having heard the thump Adam's body had made on impact. The back of Adam's neck tingled as the huge dark brown eyes landed on him, and they both froze, their eyes meeting.

For a moment, it was silent, still, then Adam turned his head to cough, weakly pressing his hand against the glass. The dust was really stirring up his sinuses. He looked back to see that the giant being had leaned closer, peering at the tiny life trapped, and Adam's heart raced faster. His weak audible pants through his nose grew quicker and louder, a sense of horror shooting through him, numbing his body. 'I've been seen.' The one thing Harvey had told him, oh so many times, countless times, was to never be seen. And he had failed him.

He felt his surroundings lurch, and he realized that the giant human was unlatching the dust collector, lifting the container up to get a better look. Adam panted harder, cold sweat of dread breaking out as he snapped back into his senses, and he sprang into action. He started wading out of the dust and ramming against the glass, earning an unexpected gasp of surprise from the human. Adam ignored it, ramming again despite his shoulder stinging, desperate to get out. He had to get out. Harvey needed him.

Ty brushed his headphones down to around his neck, flicking his bangs out of his face as he stared at Adam with total flabbergast. He looked so familiar. But how!? He was tiny! He was a tiny person...

A tiny person half drowning in dust.

Adam was making ready to ram into the glass again when the lid opened, and he froze on sight. A shadows stretched over him, making his tiny little heart beat faster in his chest, dreading what was to come. A strange and unfamiliar texture wrapped around his waist, and Adam flinched with a gasp when he realized with horror that the human was picking him up. He started squirming, kicking and writhing to try to escape, but the fingers persisted, and they dragged Adam out upside down out into the air. His eyes widened at seeing the ground so far away, carpet looking like a speckled floor instead of lawn cut grass. But the scariest part...

He slowly twisted around, seeing that the human was staring at him with a shocked look, and he paled, failing to suppress a whimper. He was in a bit of a stuck situation.

Seeing the tiny human turn around to look at him... It just left Ty speechless. That face... Those eyes... It looked just like--

"...Adam?" Ty whispered. The tiny human's eyes widened in shock, shaking his hanging hair a little.

"H-h-how d-do you know m-my name!?" It stuttered. Ty gasped and dropped it. It talked. It had just spoken!

Adam landed on his back and grunted, quickly rolling over to leap to his feet, not even giving Ty a glance as he ran, darting under the stairs. Ty, numb with shock, couldn't even move his lips to plead for the thing to come back. He had just seen a tiny person... And that tiny person had been his long lost friend.

The one who disappeared three years ago.

Harvey was pacing anxiously back and forth when the door opened, and he whirled around to see Adam, covered in dust and looking weary and drained.

"Adam!" He gasped, barreling into the older male's chest, locking him into a hug. Adam was still for a moment, then wrapped his arms around the thinner borrower, hugging him back tightly. Harvey was quick to break away however, immediately looking Adam up and down.

"Are you hurt?" He blurted. "Did you break anything!? Oh god, you're absolutely covered in dust..." The finicky teen brushed dust off the broad shoulders, working frantically to clean him up.

"... Harvey..." The male looked up at his whispered name. "... I was seen." Adam's eyes were closed, as if recalling his predicament. Harvey's eyes rounded.

"Y-You were?" He breathed. Adam nodded, taking a shaky breath.

"H-he picked me up," he sobbed. "H-he simply reached in and-and-" Harvey hugged the frightened male, patting him reassuringly on the back. "... H-he let me go." Harvey blinked.

"He... He let you go?" He echoed. Adam nodded, slowly pulling away.

"H-he knew my name..." Adam whispered. "Harvey, how did he know my name? I don't know him! And yet it sounded like he knows me..." In that one simple word, whispering his name... All that emotion loaded in that soft husky voice... The pain and loss, and yet ardor...

Adam noticed Harvey had gone silent, and he tilted his head.

"Harvey?" He murmured. The young male jumped,  being snatched out of his thoughts as he looked over with a "Hmm?" Adam took a deep breath.

"How does he know my name?" Harvey didn't answer, staring for a moment before slowly turning away.

"Just... Just promise me you'll stay away from them..." Adam nodded slowly, seeing that Harvey seemed frightened.

Frightened that he'd lose his only friend.

"Of course," Adam vowed. Harvey smiled gratefully, then let it disappear as he turned back around.

"Come on now, off to bed," he directed. Adam was about to protest, then broke off with a huge sleepy yawn.

"Fine..." He whined. He trudged to his room and closed the door, sighing before faceplanting on his bed, which was really just a few pieces of cloth sewed together-- courtesy of Harvey.

He rolled over and wrapped himself up in his little quilt, only to fling it off with a shudder as he recalled the soft touch of those huge calloused fingers, rubbing up against him and touching him, invading his personal space...

But how did that human even know his name? They had never met had they? Adam couldn't recall meeting a giant being that made him the length of their longest finger-- but the human did seem familiar... Or was he just imagining it?

After tossing and turning for a few hours he finally sat up, putting his jacket back on before tiptoeing out of his room. Harvey was asleep on their little makeshift couch, needles holding a taut piece of cloth like a hammock, and Adam stopped, gazing at him from the darkness.

"... I'm sorry Harvey," he whispered, emptying his pockets of the salt and sugar, pouring them in separate piles on the table for the exhausted teen. "But I have to get to the bottom of this." And with that he slowly headed to their door, opening it before shutting it behind him, taking a deep breath before slinking down one of the tunnels that led away from the little cozy shelter he had grown to call home.