Chapter 2

Oliver looked on in anguish, a defeated sigh escaping his lips as he turned to the broken remains of his hook. Tears welled up in his eyes. He remembered when he first got it—a gift from his father when he was just a child, a symbol of his coming-of-age. Now, it was just a useless piece of metal and frayed rope. he remembered when he first got it. Oliver had been a child, 7 or 8 maybe. his dad had finally let him go borrowing, the little boy had been so exceed. his dad had found a spare fishing hook under the cupboard and had surprised Oliver with his very own climbing hook. now it was just a hook, with a splintered rope tied to it.

He was about to turn away when a chill ran down his spine. The once warm, comforting silence of the kitchen had turned into a cold, oppressive void. He was just about to reach the rope when the hairs on his neck stood up. something was off, it was oddly quiet. the previously warm and welcoming silence of the kitchen had been replaced with a cold, unsettling void. A sense of unease formed in the pit of his stomach.Oliver stopped in his tracks and spun around what he saw and caused his stomach to drop. he gasped starring at the looming shadow in front of him.

Looming over him was the monstrous figure of his host. Oliver's breath hitched. The human's eyes, wide with surprise, slowly focused on him. Panic surged through Oliver as the giant hand reached towards him. He stumbled backward, his injured ankle screaming in protest.

Oliver ran, to the best of his ability, limping and staggering pathetically to the tile he had entered from. However, before he could reach it, a massive, fleshy, wall blocked his path. Oliver spun around attempting to run but, to his anguish, he was surrounded. Oliver scrambled back to the only place not covered, the kitchen backdrop.

Oliver curled into himself protectively, shaking with fear, chest heaving, blood pumping, glued to the wall. his eyes searched frantically in every direction to find some way, any way out of this. the only opening was directly ahead of him where the human was, and he definitely didn't want to be anywhere near the human.

Adrenaline fueled his flight. He limped towards the chipped tile, his only escape. But the human was faster. A massive, fleshy wall blocked his path. Desperate, Oliver turned and ran, only to be cornered.

He curled into a ball, trembling violently. His heart pounded in his ears, his breath ragged. He scanned the room, searching for a way out. The only opening was towards the human, a terrifying prospect.

The human began to encroach on his space. Oliver's mind raced. He remembered the horrors inflicted upon borrowers by humans. Torture, experimentation, death. This was it. This was the end.

Oliver's breath hitched. The human's eyes, wide with surprise, slowly focused on him. Panic surged through Oliver as the giant hand reached towards him. He stumbled backward, his injured ankle screaming in protest.

Adrenaline fueled his flight. He limped towards the chipped tile, his only escape. But the human was faster. A massive, fleshy wall blocked his path. Desperate, Oliver turned and ran, only to be cornered.

He curled into a ball, trembling violently. His heart pounded in his ears, his breath ragged. He scanned the room, searching for a way out. The only opening was towards the human, a terrifying prospect.

Oliver's mind raced. the human began to slowly encompass him. Oliver couldn't take it, his PTSD started kicking in. He remembered what happened, his best friend, the humans, the blood, oh so much blood. this couldn't be happening to him. He couldn't think. the hands were getting closer. 'I'm gonna die. it's going to kill me. my life is over.' thoughts swirled in his head like a hurricane.

"STOP!" he screamed, his voice a desperate plea.

The hand paused, hovering inches from him. "Did you just...talk?" the human asked, curiosity evident in its voice. Curiosity was one of the worst traits of humans. When they found something, they couldn't help but try and cure their curiosity by discovering everything possible about the thing before finally killing it. 'that-thats going to happen to me' the borrower thought.

Oliver's breathing was now incalculable, he was shaking like a leaf, and his vision was blurry. He was having an attack. Unlike most borrowers, Oliver suffered from generalized anxiety disorder, a disorder that causes attacks whenever over exerted. these attacks can result in dizziness, nausea, hyperventilating, loss of the ability to hear, and even fainting. he had always been frail, and easily scared, but now he was terrified.

Oliver's breathing was erratic, his vision blurred. A panic attack was taking hold. He couldn't think, couldn't move. The world was closing in on him.

"Calm down," the human cooed, and Oliver's eyes darted up to his hosts. panic was filling him a in every place. Both beings didn't move, they only starred at each other one with fear one with....was that pity? Oliver didn't have time to think because the human spoke once more. But Oliver couldn't calm down. The fear was overwhelming.

"What are you?" the human asked.Oliver had heard of all the terrible things that humans did to borrowers when they were seen, they tortured them for information. that was going to happen to him! The human's 'phone' rang and his host looked over at it. This was his chance! Oliver bolted -well as well as someone with a dislocated ankle can bolt- to the opening.

Oliver knew he had to act. He bolted towards the chipped tile, his injured leg slowing him down. He was so close, so very close. Oliver could see the chipped tile just a few meters away! 20, 15, 12, 10 Oliver squeezed his eyes shut, he was going to make it, almost there-thunk! Oliver fell backwards and opened his eyes slowly. it seemed like his whole word was spinning. everything around him was warped, he could see the chipped time not 5 meters away. then he looked back.  But then, the human's hand shot out, catching him mid-air.

Oliver's heart sank. This was it. This was the end.

The human's hand closed around him, and Oliver felt a wave of nausea. He was trapped. He was going to die.

The human lifted him up, and Oliver closed his eyes, bracing himself for the worst. But instead of pain, he felt a gentle touch. The human was examining him, as if he were a curious insect. zeal was roughly droped somewhere, his tiny body making a light clink on the surface. when zeals eyes opened, the humans hand was hovering above him...wait not hovering, it was clenched around-and then Oliver realized the horror of his situation. he had been caught. This was not going to end well.

Oliver opened his eyes and looked at the human. The human's face was full of wonder. "What are you?" the human asked again.

Oliver didn't answer. He was too afraid to speak.

The human tilted his head. "You're so small," the human said. "And you can talk."

Oliver still didn't answer. He just stared at the human, his eyes wide with fear. the little borrower cowered back, his tiny form trembling from head to toe. he gulped as the human examined him through the glass prison. thank the gods he wasn't directly in the humans hands, the claustraphobia of that grip was enough to make Oliver whoozy.