My Borrowed Son

Weirdness in the Walls

Parker tried deflecting the issue continually, making the excuse that he was tired after finals and that he had a bunch of projects he was working on, but it felt dishonest to keep something like this from his friends.

What made it worse was that Parker didn't feel like he could bring it up to his mom. Her reaction before was enough of an indication that something was off, and Parker didn't want to bring it up. It felt weird talking to her about it now if he was being honest with himself.

Parker's friends were really thoughtful and considerate, especially Selina who was calling more frequently to check up on him. It was a nice distraction. Sadly, it wasn't enough to draw Parker away completely from the nagging sensation that he was missing something – something important.

So, finally, he had enough.

Parker needed to know.

He needed to know why the darkness of the wall felt alluring.

He needed to know why these sensations were infecting his mind.

He needed to know if he was missing something.

So, nearing midnight when his mom was asleep, Parker decided he needed to act.

He forced himself out of bed and pulled on some already dirty clothes, so his mom didn't suspect he was up when he wasn't supposed to be. There were a few tools that Parker just felt were necessary that he shoved into his backpack like a spare thumbtack, string, a safety pin, and a spare battery for his flashlight that he pulled onto his shoulder.

Trembling with anticipation, Parker tiptoed out of his little space to the line affixed to the back of the table. It took moments to slide down the line, the fibers making Parker's slightly sweaty hands burn. Touching down on the ground felt like landing on an alien planet in a dream.

Nothing felt real.

And yet it did at the same time.

Parker approached the electrical cover and heaved a few times before managing to wiggle it free from its place. It slid off to the side and made a slight cracking sound as it fell a few inches, leaving a nice little hole for Parker to slide into.

Once again, the sensation overcame him. The vertigo of the room overwhelmed the small boy while the darkness of the wall beckoned him forward.

This time, however, Parker didn't resist.

He cautiously hoisted himself up onto the ledge and slid down onto the other side of the wall. Parker hit the ground and immediately found his eyes adjusting to the pitch black darkness in front of him. He couldn't see clearly by any means, but Parker could better make out outlines of the beams when he was close.

The young teen flicked on the flashlight on his shoulder, readjusting the elastic band he used to keep it affixed to his shoulder and arm, and decided to take an extra precaution to make sure he didn't get lost. On a nearby exposed nail, Parker fished into his pack and pulled out some of the thread he had placed in his pack and tied it onto the head of the nail.

It was a camping trick his mom told him about so he wouldn't get lost.

When the thread runs out, I'll go back. I just have to see.

Parker took a deep breath and closed his eyes before daring to venture forward into the darkness, the light on his shoulder leading the way.

There was something reassuring about this narrow passageway in between the walls. Every towering beam that the nearly four inch tall boy passed didn't produce the same sense of vertigo that being outside of the walls gave him. The smell of the undisturbed wood between the walls brought with it a sense of nostalgia.