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Part Twenty-Seven

A human boy lay sprawled on the bed, stomach up in a position that screamed he was far too asleep to be woken up by the likes of Jack. Even if Sam were get close, it was doubtful he could do very much to stir him out of unconsciousness.

Jack took a step back, bumping into the wooden leg of the bed frame, bracing himself.

The human's image was replaced by the paranoia of every new bodily weapon he held against their species. His size, his strength, his speed, all far outweighed Jack's own and could kill him with the snap of his fingers. Faster than the borrower could manage a protest, Jack would be reduced to nothing. He could stomp him into oblivion without even knowing it, or squeeze him in a tight fist and leave him to suffocate, or trap him inside a freezer and laugh as He fell victim to hypothermia, or-

Or nothing. Jack braced himself for nothing.

The human boy wouldn't do anything to Jack, whether he liked it or not. Maybe it was Sam's opinions on the humans that recently brought him to the conclusion.

Maybe it was because the boy looked so innocent sleeping there, mouth parted in a way that reminded him of his wife, and Jack almost began to think of this human as a 'he,' rather than an 'it'. A terrifying thought, really, but one that Jack was undeniably coming to terms with.

Borrowers had a specific mindset on the likes of humans. That was how it always was, and to Jack, how it always should've been. They were giant, dangerous creatures that had no sense of morality in their unempathetic hearts, and Jack swore to protect his family from any danger he encountered.

But the way this boy looked in his comfortable bed that could've easily fit a hundred borrowers had Jack rethinking a few details to his upbringing. Maybe Sam was onto something.

But before Jack could be the bigger man and do anything about it, a roar of thunder went off in the distance, and he flocked back into the walls to prepare for a storm.

"Just don't tell mama and papa, okay?"

Sam and Axel stood side by side, staring up at the wide screen that enraptured their vision. It was as bright as always, even with the streams of sunlight pouring through tiny wooden cracks in the walls.

Drizzle and Jack were in the other room, preparing a plan to pack the room's belongings in the event of leaving sooner than later. And Sam found it to be the perfect opportunity, allowing Axel the alone time he needed to text Elijah on his own.

"You know what to do, right? Just push the buttons with your hand and go as quick as you can. U can shorten words however you want," Sam instructed, giving an example with simple letters on the keyboard. When Axel nodded in response, his eyes too focused on the screen in front of him, Sam let out a deep breath. "I'm going to the other room to distract them if they try to come in here. Remember to switch apps if they come in anyways, okay?"

Again, Axel shook his head 'yes' to avoid breaking focus.

"Okay," Sam stalked away from his phone. "Good luck!"

Axel rubbed his eyes, preparing for what was going to happen to him. The thought alone was insane, Axel was insane, but it almost left him giddy with excitement. He could hardly contain the twitching of his little tail, swishing back and forth like a borrower who had just scored a block of cheese. Something that might be a little more accessible now that he was in contact with a human.

No, Axel thought to himself. Don't get ahead of yourself. Just start by saying hello.

For someone who grew up so timid, he didn't exactly know how to converse. But, with that extra push from his brother, Axel considered himself more than ready for what would come next.