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Alessia had started to struggle finding good food near her home. Despite her own annoyance at it, she had to travel farther away. Closer to humans. She spent the last few weeks gathering everything she’d need for a trip across most of the forest. Packing the little bits of food she had, mostly edible herbs and plants. It helped that a human had started passing through lately. They mentioned something about a drought or a dry spell. She didn’t entirely understand, but it meant there was no rain. No rain meant everything lined up perfectly for her to travel to the closest human house.
She lifted her bag over her shoulder and started her trip. The human scared off a lot of the more dangerous animals. They had heavy steps that made them nervous to stay nearby the usual path. She could leisurely walk along the forest floor, just taking in the bright sun above her. No human would notice her with the cloak she had on. It blended well with the grass and tree roots.
Her walk was taking more of the day than she expected. The sun was high in the sky before a human home was in view. It started to feel like a waste, she only packed enough food for one day. Tremors on the ground had her diving into nearby roots. She tried to peek out of her hiding place as the tremors came closer. She recognized the rhythm, a human was walking nearby.
The tremors started to grow too severe for her to keep her balance. She had to steady herself against the root. A human man came closer, bringing the tremors with him. She ducked down hoping those green eyes didn’t see her. She had seen this human sometimes, she didn’t like him. He was too observant. Noticing her moving when others ignored her. She’d felt those intense eyes on her too often.
Once the man was finally past her she made a run for it. She couldn’t abandon her goal to at least reach the human house today. That goal didn’t involve that white haired human either. She ran steadily from tree to tree. A bad feeling started to rest itself in her chest. The amount of time passing didn’t match how dark the world was getting.
The tremors of the human man started to approach again. She spared a look up towards the sky, expecting to find his eyes locked on her. The world felt like it stopped when she found dark clouds hovering overhead. The tremors grew stronger, but she didn’t care.
There was a storm, a bad storm, on its way. There was no way she’d get back home in time. There was no shelter nearby that could save her if the water caused a flood. The human’s tremoring steps grew closer and faster. She didn’t have a choice. She started to run along the path she knew the human would take.
The tremors were becoming mini earthquakes. She’d been in a real one once, it was just as bad as human steps. Maybe worse. Alessia pushed the thought away as the boom of a step landed behind her. She took deep breaths waiting for the gigantic foot to take the next step and land next to her. As soon as it did she turned towards it. She put all her strength into her legs. She had to make it before the human took another step.
The foot was starting to lift while she was too far. Alessia begged for her legs to move faster. Just before the lace of the shoe was out of reach she jumped. Her heart was racing. She barely managed to grab the plastic at the end of the string. She tried to dig her hands into it, but the plastic was too hard. She bit her tongue to hold in her scream as the human completed his step.
Alessia nearly fell as the foot hit the ground. Her body slammed against the side of the shoe, knocking the wind out of her. She started to lose her grip, but the grumble above her followed by the heavy droplets of rain spurred her on. She put all the strength she could into her arms and heaved herself up. She dug her fingers into the strange fabric of the string on the shoe. It filled her with relief she never could have expected.
She didn’t let herself relax. She kept climbing until she managed to wrap the loose part of the lace back into the tight parts pressed against the human’s foot. She managed to settle herself just in time. The human’s steps grew faster. If she hadn’t tied herself down she would be thrown hard enough she probably wouldn’t survive. She had to stay focused, just worry about getting out of the rain.
The steps kept moving consistently. She had to fix how she tied herself a few times, but it didn’t take long for the human house she’d seen in the distance to tower over her. The human slowed as he started up a few platforms to a gigantic door. He paused which gave her the time she needed to free herself. She slid off the foot and backed up to hide behind him. She had to hope the human didn’t look around. The idea of his hands wrapping around her made her shiver.
“There wasn’t supposed to be rain for a few more days,” the human grumbled. Alessia stared up at him as he kept digging in his pockets for something. She wanted the door to open so she could find a place to hide. He pulled something out of his pocket and pressed it into the door. “Finally.”
As soon as the door twitched she ran ahead. She looked up, making sure the human hadn’t started watching for her. His eyes were locked forward. The door opened enough she could squeeze through, and she took the chance. She ran along the edge of the room until she was under something. She would wait until he moved further into the house then find a place to set up for now.
The human stomped inside knocking her off her feet. She curled up in the shadow desperate for the human not to search for her. There was a chance he’d noticed her and she’d be found. Another tremor inducing impact made her look towards the human. It was him sitting on the ground she felt this time. She swore the human would hear her beating heart as he played with the strings on his feet.
She watched him pull one shoe off, tossing it towards the door. The other he spent longer on. He brought his other hand to fiddle with the string too. She heard him make an annoyed noise before leaning back. He forced the shoe off his foot leaving the strings tied. It joined the match next to the closed door.
The human grumbled, Alessia only made out something about a knot. He groaned as he climbed to his feet again. He walked off into the house leaving her alone. She curled up into a ball as she realized she was trapped in a human house. Logically her focus should be securing necessities. Proper shelter, food, water, warmth. She hadn’t realized before just how much rain had hit her. The adrenaline rush she gained from her desperate survival attempt was gone. Her body felt heavy, the lack of real food hit her too. She was too tired to move, a bit of sleep would be fine for now.
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Alessia woke up a much longer time later than she wanted. She was shivering and couldn’t think clearly. It only took a few minutes for tremors to reach her and remind her where she was. A human’s house with the human she’d seen a few times. The one who was taller than the ones she saw in the warmest weather and always came close to finding her. The tremors passed by, never getting as close as when she’d reached the home. She had to do something to get home.
Slowly, Alessia pushed herself to her feet. Her head was pounding and her stomach empty. She pulled her pack off her back and set it in front of her. The climbing gear was fine, but the food ruined. All of it soaked and turned to mush. It was the issue she’d been having with the dried plants. They just didn’t survive most types of weather. With a heavy sigh she decided to abandon her pack, it would only slow her down with the heavy mush. Making a new one wouldn’t be too hard once she got home.
It took more time than she was used to, but she managed to wrap her climbing line around her waist. Her hands were shaking no matter how slow she went. It was just fear. She had to get out of the human house and get home. Once home she’d eat and get some water, then she’d be back to normal. This whole trip would become another bad memory. She took a few steadying breaths before finally taking the chance to explore.
There were plenty of places to hide as she walked along. Tremors of footsteps reached her now and then, but she didn’t see any humans. Something smelled amazing, she let that direct where she went. She was starting to stray from the edges of the walls to find the good smell. The human’s voice was a low and almost soothing sound as she moved. She was starting to understand why some of her kind enjoyed living around these giant beings.
The tremors grew stronger and knocked her out of her daze. The human was walking around a brightly lit room. The good smell came from something in there. The human took steps near her, she couldn’t hold herself steady this time. He wasn’t paying any attention to her and that was all she needed. She ran underneath the closest object, pushing away the thoughts of how his ignorance could kill her. This room had food and she would get something to eat then find her way home. Assuming the storm was done, she hadn’t heard any rain since she woke up.
The human walked away. Alessia kept watching him move around. Something about his movements felt different from other humans. Usually they were always careless, just stomping around blindly. This one almost seemed soft. He stopped in front of a high human thing that reached his waist and moved some fabric that hung on the wall there. She gasped when she saw a blue sky appear.
The human moved something and she could smell the air from outside. She stumbled toward it, with a sky like that she could get home. The human turned away from the opening. Alessia knew she should wait, but there was no guarantee the human would leave her opening available long. She waited a few seconds for the human to turn again. Luck was taking her side as he focused on some big metallic thing.
Alessia ran forward, panting a bit as she reached an out of sight edge. She didn’t run out of stamina that quickly usually. She forced the thought away, that was something for later. For when she was safe. She pulled her climbing hook free. It took her a few attempts to start spinning it properly, the thing felt heavier than normal. She missed her first attempt to catch it on the high surface above her, and her second… and her third. If the fourth didn’t land she would have to find another way up. Thankfully it did, she tugged the string with all her strength, relieved it was caught.
Before climbing she looked at the human. She didn’t see his face, but his posture was tense. It made her shiver, that wasn’t something she wanted to understand. She started her climb up towards her exit. It was slow going, her hands still shook a bit as she moved. Her body felt heavy too. It took everything in her to even reach the top. She had to catch her breath once she was there.
Dread started to worm its way into Alessia’s heart. She’d slept until the next day at least. Her hands were shaking and she struggled to do things. Sick… She was sick. She thought she just needed some water and food, but this was worse. She had no one to help her anymore. She had to at least make it home, she wouldn’t be able to do anything to increase her chances of survival in a human home.
Her mind cleared a bit with her realization. She didn’t bother curling up the string from her hook, dragging it behind her as she moved. Her best hope was to move before the human found a reason to. From the side of some weird metal thing filled with water she could reach her exit. Fear and dread gave her the energy she was lacking to spin the climbing hook in her hand before throwing it up to the exit. It caught on the edge on her first try. One tug was all it took before she started climbing.
“Salt!” the human exclaimed.
Alessia tried to climb as fast as she could. The burst of energy was already fading. It didn’t matter that the human might not look at her, he could find her. She made it to the top almost unable to stay standing. She turned back to face the human, hoping to see him still not looking her way.
Instead she met those intense eyes locked onto her form. The human’s face looked stern as they stared at each other. She took a few steps back, but the human didn’t seem to like that. He started to approach her, but she wasn’t getting grabbed now. Not when she was so close. Alessia stumbled back, her foot meeting open air. The hook was still secured, her string was more than long enough to get her down from a height like this. She took a step further back and let herself fall from the window.
“Wait!” the human roared.
Her ears were ringing from the sound. Humans were bad, she’d seen what they could do. She wasn’t about to wait for one like this. Not one who had a glare that burned her every time it rested on her near her home. She grabbed her rope to slow her descent, except the fear didn’t give her strength this time. She couldn’t slow herself well enough, landing hard on something much higher than the ground. It wasn’t hard enough to break anything, she’d be able to move soon.
At least she thought she would, but her whole body was in pain. Her vision was swimming and the sky started to look dark. It might have been the wrong time to run, she always forgot that the worst storms had a calm during them. Her parents had always tried to drill that into her mind. The darkness was coating the sky, she’d drown now or get too sick to make it home.
Heavy steps somehow reached her from where she was. It wasn’t the ground, but it probably wasn’t insulated like the tree or that opening in the house. She felt tears sliding down her face as the tremors grew worse. The darkness around her grew deeper when the human’s shadow cast over her. Even like this she could make out his glare and stern face. He was going to kill her for intruding. She should have just risked the flood and stayed where she was in the forest. It was better than a human crushing her.
A scream worked its way from her throat when hands came near her. In her imagination they paused, as if she could make a human stop. They eventually surrounded her, all the fingers were taller than her. She tried to say something, old threats her parents said could work. All that came out was a whimper.
The fingers were gentle as they lifted her from whatever she landed on. It made her cry more as she thought about how much pain these digits would cause later. The human’s voice rumbled around her in a soothing way again. She wasn’t hearing wrong earlier, he wasn’t saying words just making a noise. It was nice… which made this worse. She couldn’t even get her body to curl up.
She made a noise of fear as a raindrop landed near her. The human’s gaze stayed fierce as he covered her with his other hand. She was trapped in darkness and forced to listen to the human’s voice as he moved. It was terrifying to be carried like this, the last thing she ever wanted. Humans carrying people off is how she wound up alone. Now she’d face the same fate.
“We’ll get you taken care of, little one,” the human mumbled. She tried to scoff. She’d be taken care of, just like her parents always told her. She hoped she got lucky and this one would kill her, she didn’t want to see the fates her parents refused to talk about. Her body decided to give in at that moment. Warmth surrounding her along with the comforting rumble. She closed her eyes with a faint wish for it to be the last time.
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The next time Alessia woke up she was warm. Warmer than she’d ever been before. The only time she’d come close to being this warm was in the summer when her parents were around. Her body was still heavy and in pain, but she kind of liked this. It had to be a dream after the human killed her. The thing she was on was too soft for a human to give her.
“So I should dilute it in water?” the human’s voice echoed above her. “It’s a small bird, I’m positive it’s too warm. All right, thanks. I’ll let you know once I put it back outside. It just fell onto the compost bin.”
Alessia chanced opening her eyes. The human was hovering over her. That glare she didn’t want to see was focused on something near her. He had one hand holding a strange box to his head, the other hovered over a giant cup. She watched a drop of some weird colored liquid fall from something he held into the cup.
The human sighed pulling her attention back to his face. He looked angry. The clack of him putting the thing with a strange liquid down made her jump. He picked up a spoon and dipped it in the giant glass stirring the water inside. She didn’t want to know what he was planning with that. The strange box he’d had next to his face hit the table next to her making her squeak.
“Oh,” the human whispered. He leaned closer, his breath washed over her. It smelled like some of the herbs she collected sometimes. She wanted to run from his gaze, it was too intense. “I’m glad you’re awake. I need you to drink some of this water, ok? It should help you feel better.”
She pressed herself deeper into the soft thing. She didn’t trust the liquid. The human pulled the spoon out, getting just a little water on it. He held it out to her, she could smell something strange about it. She didn’t like the smell. Alessia scrunched her face up and tried to pull herself away from it. His other hand surrounded her, keeping her still.
“I promise once you’ve had this I’ll give you something that tastes a lot better, we need to take care of your fever,” he said. She wanted to hide from him. That gaze was too observant just like when he sat near her home. “Please…”
The spoon wasn’t leaving her vision. The fingers behind her kept her trapped. She accepted her fate and climbed to a sitting position. Once she was up mostly straight she leaned forward and sipped some of the strange mixture. She didn’t like that it looked like water, plus the taste was horrible. She coughed as it made its way down her throat. The deep chuckle from the human didn’t help her feel better.
“I hate the taste too, I’ll be right back,” he said.
She grimaced there wasn’t much of an option for her. She didn’t have her gear to climb, even if the human realized that’s what it was he wouldn’t give it to her. This was probably some weird poison that would give him a fun show of her death. At least that was better than having to be awake while he crushed her. Titanic steps rocked the surface she was on as the human returned to her.
He sat down in front of her again. The impact made her heart pound. He set a heavy dish down on the surface she was on. Her mind went blank, protecting her from any thoughts about what he could be planning. He had a new spoon, the one he made her drink from before was resting in the cup. He dipped the new one in the dish he brought. He pulled the spoon out, in seconds it hovered in front of her again.
The good smell from earlier wafted from the red liquid. She wanted to refuse it, but her empty stomach decided to remind her that she needed food. Accepting that the human would toy with her no matter what she leaned forward. At first she just tried to sip some of it, but the taste on her tongue was amazing. She couldn’t remember ever eating something that tasted this good.
“Slow down,” the human chuckled. Her cheeks reddened, but she listened to the deep voice. “I guess I was wrong about it needing salt after all.”
Alessia stopped then. She didn’t know what salt was, but she hated it. She was captured because he wanted it. She stared up at him, his face looked sort of soft for once. It became stern when he noticed she’d stopped eating. He pulled the spoon away, leaving it in the massive dish beside her.
The human sat back, it was the first time she realized he had been hunched over her. She looked around, they weren’t in the bright room anymore. There were openings like the one she’d tried to escape from. This time there was no smell of the outside, something kept her trapped despite seeing the sky clearly. It didn’t matter with the heavy rain blasting against the invisible barriers.
“Alright, I guess you should get some more sleep,” he said. The human stretched and stood up to walk off. She knew she was trapped, even if her body would listen there was nothing she could do to escape. “I’m Vitus, just let me know if you need anything.”
Alessia watched him walk around. He went all over the room, grabbing things as he moved. Each one was so much bigger than her. It felt like he was making a point to show how little freedom she’d have. Another squeak escaped her when he sat down again. His face darkened, but she decided to hide. She didn’t want to see what that dark look would turn into. She quickly buried herself in the warm soft surface. She heard another sigh from where he’d settled.
She wanted to stay awake and learn what he was planning. Once she knew she could start figuring out her escape. Although a part of her liked the warmth. The strange food was good too. Her eyes started to get heavy, fighting it wasn’t working. Her thoughts centered on the human poisoning her. She could actually never wake up again. Tears slipped out as her mind drifted to sleep, she didn’t want to die without knowing it.
“Wake up, little one,” the deep voice rumbled. She groaned, but something prodded her. She tried to slap it away, but her body was too heavy. She just wanted to sleep. “You need to drink some water, then you can go back to sleep.”
Alessia just made a few noises. It was hard to move her mouth. Light flooded her vision. She groaned as she blinked away the blindness it caused. The human’s face was above her. No matter how much she wanted it to be a dream this was real. The human actually looked relieved when she met his eyes. His hand came near her again, she was more alert and flinched from the approach. Another sigh blew past her.
“Am I really that scary?” he muttered.
She didn’t bother trying to answer, just looked away from him. He brought a spoon with water in it near her. He still kept his hand close, but didn’t try to grab her. As much as she wanted to be difficult, her throat had started to hurt. She pushed herself up enough to manage to scoop some water into her hand. She took a careful taste, relieved when it tasted almost like the water she knew.
“There’s no medicine this time, just plain water,” he whispered. She glared at him, but the quick movement made her head spin. She decided to focus on the water instead. It was colder than she was used to, but it felt good. “Can you talk?”
She choked on the water. A finger rubbed against her back, but she jolted forward. It made her feel nauseous. She didn’t want to get into this. She didn’t answer, the finger came a bit closer. Alessia couldn’t remember what she’d been told. If it was better to hide that she could talk or if she should try and reason with the cruel giants.
Another heavy sigh. He brought his face close to her. He tilted it as he tried to get a better look at her. His eyes were still too intense. The look drove her insane. Her body was heavy, but she managed to push herself back. It didn’t make much of a difference when he was this big. He sat back with a groan, stretching his back out. It made all of this feel worse.
“You look human,” he mumbled. “At the very least you probably need something better to wear. I could call Felix…”
“N-No!” she shouted. The second the word escaped she regretted it. The human’s eyes were wide as he looked over her. New tears fell, she should have just let him show her off. It would be better than seeing what he had planned after learning she could talk. His stern face almost looked soft.
“I won’t call anyone if you don’t want me to. No one else is going to show up here either, you’re safe.” She didn’t believe the words. Humans lied. Humans that looked nice were cruel, ones that looked cruel could only be worse. “Could you tell me your name? Maybe how you’re feeling? Did anything break when you fell?”
One word was all he got. She wasn’t going to use his name and he would rename her anyway. If he kept her . Her mind shouted the words at her. He said something about releasing the bird he found, maybe she was the bird. The human let out another deep sigh that washed over her. He sat up straight and leaned back while staring at the roof.
“The rain is supposed to last for a few days,” he said. She grimaced. “You felt pretty warm when I picked you up this morning. It’s probably best if you at least rest until it’s over.”
Alessia grabbed at the fabric around her. It was still warm, she couldn’t understand how it stayed so warm. She tried to push herself out of it. The human’s hands surrounded her in an instant. She froze, waiting for those fingers to close in around her. They didn’t, she was left with enough space to climb out, but she didn’t try, not after he reacted so quickly. He hadn’t even been looking at her.
“Don’t push yourself,” he whispered. She slowly looked up at the human. He had that same stern look. The intensity of his stare seemed to grow. Alessia gave up, falling down as she let her arms give out. Those massive fingers caught her, guiding her to the softer surface rather than letting her fall. She glared up at the green eyes. She hoped her own intensity matched his.
There were a few minutes of her just glaring at the human. She kept it up even when he pulled his fingers away. His own gaze somehow grew more intense. Alessia kept trying to think of ways to get away. This human was too observant, he was going to notice too much. Her body still felt heavy and the aches had only dwindled. Even if she ran, the storm was raging against those invisible barriers. She closed her eyes, curling up on her side as she finally accepted her fate. She was trapped until the sky cleared, she just had to survive until then.
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The next couple of days were a blur for Alessia. She tried to sleep instead of risking the human trying to interact with her. It didn’t do much to stop him. He’d wake her up to give her normal water and that water with a sickening smell that made her cough. He gave her the red liquid food a few more times too. She hated relying on him. If he forgot or got bored she’d starve.
Of course it didn’t seem like the human would forget about her. He sat next to where he placed her constantly. He’d ask her questions all the time. How old she was, if she wanted his help to get home, how she felt, if the food tasted good. Endless questions. She knew once she spoke he’d just try to get information on other borrowers. She knew that she wouldn’t take that risk.
It wasn’t always questions from him though. Sometimes he made that same noise she’d heard when she tried to escape. It annoyed her how soothing it was. Other times he just said a bunch of words as he held one of those paper binded things. She never did learn the word for that. There were a lot of things she didn’t know the name of. It made his talking worse, she couldn’t follow a lot of what he said.
It seemed like weeks before she woke up with her body feeling normal. Better than normal actually. The aches were gone and she had more energy than she could remember ever having. She looked around for the human, almost screaming at his sleeping face nearby. It felt strange, the stern look was gone. He looked kind while he slept. Alessia shook off her curiosity, she had to run.
She followed the human’s shoulder to find his arm wrapped around the area she was in. His body kept her trapped on the surface, the only escape would include climbing over him. Accepting the situation with a heavy heart, she decided to wander the large space he left her. There had to be something to help her get out, at least to get water on her own. Her stomach grumbled reminding her the human hadn’t fed her in a while.
Looking for distractions she approached the arm blocking her in. She’d never been this close to a human, his arm was so much taller than her. She followed it like she would a trail of water, almost tripping over two things he’d left out. Water in one, food in the other. Her empty stomach and parched throat begged her to take from them. She wasn’t risking that. The human could have put something in it to punish her for walking around.
Forcing her eyes away from the dishes she looked at the human face. As long as she’s been alone she’s been strong and confident. She could keep that going when being near the massive head of a human. Moving her legs stiffly Alessia marched forward, stopping near enough she could touch his skin. At this distance she saw the bits of hair on his face. She looked around and saw something she didn’t expect. Her hook.
Carefully Alessia approached it. He wasn’t hiding it from her, it was out in the open. After each step she looked back at the sleeping face expecting that glare to meet her. That he’d see her going for the only thing she could use to escape. The only object she had brought on her trip that could be used for defense. She swallowed her anxiety as she took the last few steps to stand before it.
Reaching out with a shaky hand she pulled her hook close. She flipped it to grab the string that should be attached. Her mind froze when she met something thinner. It wasn’t the string she’d made with her parents. It was something else, something she’d never seen before. She needed that string, it was all she had of their time together.
Turning to face the human she tried to think of how to demand it. Her mind wasn’t cooperating. She just had the last time she saw her parents playing on repeat. After all these years she never cried, never let herself fall apart. Now she was here, trapped, and the only thing left from them was gone. Tears slipped out followed by a loud and painful wail.
Alessia fell to her knees as she wailed. Everything was over, it didn’t matter how strong she could be anymore. The pain of her mistakes, her loneliness, and the truth of her future coalesced. She wouldn’t ever get home, she wouldn’t have anything to remind her of her parents. She wouldn’t climb the trees at night, holding the string they wove to her chest as she watched the stars. She wouldn’t watch humans, keeping an eye out for the one who left her behind that day. She’d be trapped.
The human sucked in a sharp breath. A part of her knew she should be afraid, she should run. Her overabundant pain kept her still. The intense gaze locked onto her, but she didn’t care. Large, warm fingers wrapped around her. The grip would grow harsh to silence her. The pain didn’t come, instead she was lifted from the table. The hold on her shifted just a bit before she was pressed against a broad chest. The thumping beneath her made everything worse.
One of those daunting fingers pressed against her back. A slow rhythmic movement was started. She hated it, but desperately needed it at the same time. The human didn’t make a noise as she continued her painful wails. It finally simmered to sobs as she felt the bits of anger bleed back in. Anger at humans fueled her for so long, she needed it now more than ever.
“I hate you!” she shouted. With all her strength Alessia pummeled the firm chest in front of her. The human hummed, the only noise from him since he’d woken up.
“That’s fine, I’d probably hate me if I were you,” he whispered. That only made her angrier. Empathy to trick her wouldn’t work. Humans would never understand. She squeezed her eyes shut. The image of fear on the faces of her parents when the human back then had first seen them. When they stared back at her as hands closed around them.
“You’re a monster!” The pleas to be let go. The heavy steps as they were carried away. The tears she shed, knowing that the human had found them because they saw her. Knowing her curiosity about humans did that. Knowing her parents were captured because they protected her.
“I suppose I am.” The calm way he spoke only made it worse. She heard the screams when that human silenced her parents. Never knowing if they survived that motion, if they made it where that human was taking them. Her attempts to attack the broad chest started to slow. Her tears came faster.
“Give it back!” Her voice cracked. The pride when they finished weaving the string. The smiles as she used it to climb up to where she’d usually watched humans. Sliding down when large eyes met her own. Her mother covering her with the cloak she always wore. “Give it back… It’s all I have.”
Her arms fell to her sides. She almost missed how her hands brushed the cloak. He didn’t take that. She put all the energy she could into glaring at the human above her, but he was staring at her. Brows furrowed even with the finger still gently rubbing her back. The face softened and the finger pulled away. He pressed her firmly into his chest, it was almost nice. It almost made her feel safe.
The moment of safety died as her stomach dropped. The human was moving, she could hear the fabric shifting. Each small motion felt like too much. She gripped the cloth. The human made a soft groan that rumbled through her. She didn’t know what he was doing. Hopefully he was throwing her away, then she could go home.
The first steps he took shot through her. It made her shout. The palm pressed against her a bit more firmly, the steps after were softer. She could hear him moving things. She wanted to yell at him to just let her go, but it didn’t matter. No one was waiting for her. No one would miss her.
The steps happened again, her stomach dropped when his height shifted. At least she thought that’s what happened. The fingers wormed between her and the broad chest, pulling her away from the cloth she’d held tightly. She wasn’t kept in the air long, set back on the table she’d been on for days. She stumbled to her feet trying to glare at the human.
“It had been cut when you jumped out the window,” he whispered. She couldn’t help mouthing the word, she had never heard it before. “I took it off you and that hook so I could set it out to dry.”
She stared with wide eyes when he brought his hand close. Hanging from his fingers, almost how she remembered it, was the string. The rope she wove with her parents. He didn’t make her walk towards it, bring it to rest right in front of her. She grabbed it and held it close, relieved that all she had left was still there. She didn’t lose her last link.
“I tried to fix it, there’s some sharp edges on the windowsill that cut the string when you were falling,” he said. She didn’t particularly love how much sense that made. She’d been unable to slow her descent back then. Even weak from fear it shouldn’t have been that bad. The human’s laugh rumbled around her. “I don’t think I did a good job, my fingers were too big.”
Alessia slid her hands over the woven string. She found where it had torn, the messy fix the human did. It shocked her how well done it was. She stared up at him, seeing him for what felt like the first time. He had a soft look in his eyes as he watched her. Knowing what she knew, the face wasn’t one she could trust. She almost wanted to.
“Why…” she said. The deep breath he took was enough to pull her forward. His massive fingers caught her before she fell to her knees.
“I didn’t want the threa-” he started.
“Why haven’t you killed me?” It shocked her that she could even cut him off. He stared at her, she tried to keep standing strong as his brows furrowed.
“Why would I?” Somehow that comment only made her angry. She hugged the woven string tighter and stomped her foot.
“That’s what humans do! You take us and control us until you kill us! We’re lucky if you keep us alive for a little while! Use those giant hands to crush me already! Just kill me like that human did my parents!”
Tears rolled down her face as she said it. All this time she kept thinking that they might have survived. That awful crunch when their screams stopped. Watching them fall from the human’s hands as she followed. Seeing empty eyes once the humans were gone. She could pretend until now, until she had to face a human on her own. A human who wasn’t killing her.
His hand surrounded her and a sick hope popped into her chest. She didn’t want to die, but maybe he’d pity her. Not leave her alone. The fingers curled in surrounding her. She closed her eyes, trying to accept the outcome. Except the fingers weren’t hurting. There was a gentle squeeze, but the pressure was just kind. None of what she expected.
“That’s awful, it never should have happened. No one should do that to-” he tried.
“To something useful right?!” she shouted. The fingers squeezed her again. She sucked in a breath, but pain still didn’t consume her.
“No one should do that to another person .”
“I’m not a human.” The human loosened his grip. She should have let him think he tricked her. “You can’t trick me.”
His hand was pulled mostly away from her. Alessia tried not to scream when the massive face loomed closer. The intensity of his eyes made her want to run. His hand came close and tapped her head lightly. The looming figure was gone quickly. She stared up at the man who looked deep in thought. He let out a hum that made her shudder.
“You do look a bit more avian than we do,” he said. She whispered the word to herself, this one she had no idea what it could even mean. The window thing was the exit, but this one… “Your hair feels strange too.”
Alessia forced herself to stand straight. She would deal with what the human did. If she dies she wouldn’t die begging. She would be silent. He wouldn’t get to have fun with her.
“Well… I can’t see a thing that makes you not a person.”
“W-what?” she breathed. The human smiled at her. “I-I’m not a human! I’m…”
“A person doesn’t have to be human.” He leaned closer again. “Are you all on your own?”
“...yes.” She knew telling a human there was no one else would make it worse. Her parents answered yes too. The fingers surrounded her again. She held her breath, but for the first time she didn’t expect pain. The kindness she felt in the soft squeeze didn’t match humans.
“I see…” The fresh smelling breath wafted over her. “I can help you get home, or you can leave on your own. There is another option though.”
Her eyes snapped open as she stared at the human. It was the first time she wanted to use his name. She couldn’t remember it, she didn’t even try to. Asking would only make things worse for her future. This mystery third option would be what she had to take. He’d offer to keep her and she’d try to go home, but the human would stop being kind.
“You could stay here, although I’m only here for a few months now and then. I’m sure you’d be able to take care of yourself on your own. I could bring you back to my home. I do have a wife and son, you could hide from them if you wanted. They wouldn’t hurt you, they’d be kind to you,” he said. Alessia deflated. It was like she thought. Humans aren’t kind. He wanted to keep her.
“So you’re keeping me,” she whispered. The hand pulled back. She watched as the massive being pushed himself away from her. His heavy steps rumbled through the table he’d left her on as he walked. She hugged the woven string to herself. The human stopped far from her, she wasn’t stupid enough to try and escape.
“No, you just have options.” She watched him raise his arms. She couldn’t see what he did, but some strange sound came from in front of him. He stepped back, turning to his side. Alessia gasped when she saw the invisible barrier had moved. The human walked again, stopping near her. “I’ll go to the living room, just come find me if you need me.”
Alessia stared at the human as he walked away. The door she assumed would shut was left open and she was alone. The options were real… She had them and could pick any. She could just stay here, it would be safer. No worrying about a storm destroying her home. She wouldn’t be stuck just eating herbs all the time. She might even get more of that warm red food.
He was still a human, how trustworthy could he be? What if his family hated her or wanted to control her? She hugged the string with all her strength, staring at the one he’d given her. It was thinner, probably stronger. Could she trust a human with her life?
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vitus sat down on his couch with a small groan. He didn’t expect any of this to happen. He hadn’t done any of the work he planned to do this time around. All his focus was on the tiny person he found. A heavy sigh escaped him as he flexed his own hand. He hoped she would stay, but hearing what she’d been through those hopes were low.
He brought one leg up, resting his ankle on his knee. He didn’t want to be tapping his foot on the ground until he felt sure she’d left. The little woman looked younger than Felix. The time she must have spent alone terrified him. As an attempt to force his mind to stop, he reached for a book left out. Dabria had left it during the last time they all came out here.
He kept one hand on his lap with the book in the other. He kept moving the foot hanging over his ankle like he was tapping it. This was a better fidget than anything. The time he should let her be was hard to guess. He didn’t want to make her think he was going after her. The words on the page blurred together, there was no distracting himself. He leaned back his head to stare at the ceiling.
Vitus closed his eyes and just tried to let his mind go empty. The image of the young woman crying in his hand stayed at the forefront of his mind. He didn’t want to make her go back to what sounded like solitude. She must live somewhere nearby, he could try to find her after. That would probably just scare her more. There had to be some way he could help.
“M-Mr. Human!” a soft voice called. He jumped up searching out the source of the voice. “I-I’m here!”
Vitus followed the call to his foot. He didn’t even feel her through the thick fabric of his socks and pants. He didn’t move, leaning forward seemed like it might lead her to fall. She didn’t need to be hurt again now that the storm ended. He tried to offer her a soft smile, but the tense way she stood told him more than enough.
“Just Vitus is fine,” he whispered. She jumped, but just nodded at him.
“Ok V-Vitus. If I chose to stay around you… would you take me back home first? To my home?” He decided to lean forward then, wrapping a hand around her protectively. Once he was sitting straight, he moved to have his palm open and flat next to her.
“I’ll take you if you don’t want to stay too.” She stared at his palm for a few seconds before climbing on. He noticed that hook she’d left on the windowsill resting on her back. It made him smile, he didn’t want her trapped without him.
“I… I live… I lived in a tree where you used to sit and stare at the ground.”
“Alright, we can go now. If you’re ready.” The small woman nodded.
Vitus didn’t waste any time. He brought her close to his chest and made his way to the door. A sigh managed to escape when he remembered the issue he had with his sneakers. He sat down, setting the palm with the small woman down on the floor. She stared up at him.
“Just need to fix my shoes. I never got the knot out.” The little woman scrambled off his hand like it burned her. He moved after her, freezing before he curled his fingers around her again. He couldn’t keep doing that to her, he could only grab her when it was necessary.
Vitus focused on his shoes. The first slipped on easily. The other posed an issue. He set it on his knee and started to work out the knot he couldn’t understand. He hadn’t gotten caught on anything that day. There were no animals and this didn't happen from the wind. His eyes went wide. Slowly he turned to face the small girl who had started shaking.
“You’re why it’s tied like this…” She ran as soon as the words left his mouth. She dove under a set of shelves he kept near the door. He frowned, but could understand her fear. “I didn’t even notice you… I’m glad I didn’t hurt you that day. Once I’ve fixed this, and you’re ready to come out, we can go.”
Fixing his shoe only took a few minutes. By the time he finished the small woman had come back, a bag on her back he hadn’t seen before. Vitus kept quiet and just offered her his hand again. She was more hesitant now, but still climbed on. He pulled her to his chest and stood. He left, shutting the door gently behind him. He would make sure she didn’t get overwhelmed.
The walk to where she instructed was quiet. This time of year the woods usually were. It was why he came out here to work. The small woman continued to fidget in his hand, but neither of them spoke. Once he reached the set of trees he usually sat by to think he stopped. There were no obvious signs of someone living around here. He flattened his hand to show her where they were.
The small woman pointed towards the tree he usually avoided, there was poison ivy near the roots. He nodded and stepped closer, waiting for another sign. She pointed towards what he’d thought was an owl or squirrel den. The life she lived seemed unbelievable the more he saw of it. He brought his hand up and held her in front of the hole in the tree. She jumped in and he smiled.
The woman poked out for a second, dumping what looked like dried grass from the bag. He frowned, the reasons she carried grass like that made him worry. Silence surrounded them, for a bit he thought she might send him away. He considered leaving, promising to come back around sunset. Instead the small woman appeared at the edge of the hole staring at him again.
“...what if they’re mean? Or try to hurt me?” she asked. It didn’t take him long to realize who she meant.
“Then I’ll stop them. Take you back here where you’ll be safe,” he said. She nodded, he should get around to asking her name.
“How do you… how do you know they aren’t like the other human?” Vitus pulled his phone from his pocket, already calling his wife. There was an easy way to show her how she’d act.
“I can show you.” He hit speaker just as the line connected.
“Vitus? Did that bird recover yet? I’m sure there’s a vet nearby you could bring it to,” Dabria’s voice came across clearly. The little woman backed away.
“She’s fine. Although, what if she wasn’t a bird?” The small woman hugged the pack to her. He didn’t even notice she held it.
“Well then she must be something pretty small if you called her one. Did you find someone else to let sleep on our couch sometimes?” Her laugh echoed through the silent forest. Vitus gave the small woman a look, he hoped she understood it was asking permission. He received a small nod in return.
“Not so much the couch, more like a pillow. I met someone who’s been living on her own for a while out here. Small enough to fit in one hand.” There was a crash from the phone. Dabria had been multitasking again.
“What!? And you told me she was a bird?! I’m coming out there right now! Is she ok? Did you hurt her? Is she hiding from you? I bet you scared her with that glare of yours!”
“Why?” the tiny woman’s soft voice reached his ears. He stepped closer to the tree.
“I can’t believe you’d do that! What if I gave you the wrong information it could have hurt her. Is she really alright? Walking, talking, moving at all? Did she leave already? Did you give her anything she needed before she left?”
“Dabria calm down.” He laughed a bit to himself. He held the phone out to the small woman. Another silent question that received a small nod. “She’s with me now.”
“H-Hello…” The voice sounded strange with so much force behind it. Vitus brought the phone closer to her. She didn’t need to yell for them.
“Hello,” Dabria’s voice came out significantly quieter, “I promise he won’t hurt you. He just looks scary. Are you feeling alright? Do you need anything?”
“H-He… Vitus said I… I could live with you.” Another crash, this time the small woman stepped away.
“Of course you can! I can get something set up for you right now. Is there anything you need? Where would you want to stay? Hmm, maybe we could repurpose one of the vents so you have a nice private spot.”
“...why?” This time the question reached the phone. Vitus could picture the face Dabria made once she heard that small voice. The warm look and hope to give the small woman a safe place.
“You should have a safe place to live, that’s all.” He heard some more noises coming from the phone. “Oh, we could always pretend you’re not here too! I’m sure you can take care of yourself.”
“What… what if a human tries to hurt me?” Vitus tightened his grip on the phone. She sounded her size for once.
“Anyone of any size wants to hurt you, they deal with me first. Although Vitus might be the better one to go to, he looks scary to everyone.” The woman stared with wide eyes at the phone. Vitus pulled it back to himself.
“I’ll let you know what she decides to do, we’ll talk later.”
“Love you, oh! Wait, what's your name?” Dabria’s voice was back to her usual volume. Vitus stared up at the small woman. Her small brown eyes were wide.
“A-Alessia.” Her voice was quiet, he didn’t think Dabria heard.
“She said it’s Alessia.”
“Alessia. Ok, well you’ll always have a place in our home if you want to live with us. Bye.”
The call disconnected and Vitus laughed to himself. Dabria was a bundle of energy at the strangest times. He offered his flattened palm to Alessia, waiting to see her choice. There was no movement. Vitus left his hand for a few more seconds before starting to pull away. A small hand reached out to grab his finger. He moved his hand back up to wait.
“Can I bring my things?” Alessia asked. “To… to your home can I bring what I had here?”
“Alessia,” he smiled, “you can bring whatever you want. It’s going to be your home too.”
The small woman disappeared into the hole. Things started to appear on his hand. When she stopped he raised a brow at her. It seemed like no where near enough for how long she’d lived here. He looked into the house, a small bit of sadness hit him at how empty it was. It was just big enough he could reach inside.
“Is the rest too heavy for you? That is if you want to bring the rest?” He waited, relieved at the small nod. “Alright, I think I can fit my hand inside. Should I try? I might grab you with everything though. Do you want to climb out first?”
The woman nodded. He held his currently occupied hand up to her. She climbed out and then he fit his hand into what used to be her home. With as much care as he could he moved everything away from the walls. There wasn’t much left either way. Once it was piled together he scooped it into his hand and pulled it free. Vitus looked in, relieved to find the hole empty.
“Got it all,” he whispered. He looked down at her before moving his other hand close. He’d cut his trip short and head home today. “Are you ready?”
“I-I guess… you really won’t let humans hurt me? You’re not lying about being kind,” she asked. Vitus knew she was smart, that he could still be lying to her. He decided to bring her up to his face, to stare into her eyes as best he could.
“Alessia, would I go this far if I was lying? No one will hurt you, I won’t let it. You don’t have to trust all of us, not even me, but I’ll be keeping you safe from any humans you don’t want near you. Even Felix and Dabria.”
“O-ok… let’s go home.”