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Jimmy ran up the length of his string as fast as he could. He hadn’t expected Joel to get home so early but there he was, at the door and hurriedly trying to take his shoes off so he could run and try to catch Jimmy. Fortunately for the borrower, Jimmy made it up to the shelf with plenty of time.
Joel finished yanking off his shoes and ran over to said shelf. He reached up on his tippy toes but his hand only reached the very front of the shelf. Jimmy’s breath hitched at the sight of the hand so close. He further pressed himself against the wall, thankful Joel wasn’t any taller. He heard the human huff.
“What, are you pressed up all the way back towards the wall?” Joel asked, still trying to reach out his fingers to try and grab a hold of Jimmy. But Jimmy wasn’t moving.
“...Yes.” Jimmy answered after a moment of hesitation. He wasn’t sure when it had started but he had started speaking back to Joel at some point during this whole thing. Joel had been surprised at first but Jimmy talking had just seemed to motivate him more in trying to catch him. Jimmy sort of regretted speaking because of that but he couldn't take it back. “Of course I am.” He added, because why would he put himself so close to the edge like that?
Joel sighed and then his hand left the shelf. Jimmy let out a small sigh of relief himself. “Well, you’re lucky I don’t have a stepladder or anything. Though I suppose if I did have one you would be back in the walls before I could come back with it, huh?” Joel laughed at that. “Oh well, I guess you win this one. But you’re bound to make a mistake sooner or later, and when you do, it’ll finally be my turn to win.”
Jimmy shivered at that. That was the last thing he wanted, for Joel to ‘win’. He had no clue what Joel’s plans were for if he ever did end up catching Jimmy, but Jimmy was determined to not find out.
Joel’s footsteps retreated and Jimmy raised his head a little to see Joel sit himself down on the couch and take out his phone. Jimmy bit his lip, realizing the predicament he put himself in. There was no entrance into the walls up here, the closest ones were down below and in the kitchen. And with Joel staying in the living room, Jimmy was essentially trapped.
It was fine though. All Jimmy had to do was wait for Joel to leave and then Jimmy could climb back down and head back home. Joel probably thought Jimmy was already back in the walls anyway. It would be fine.
Except, Joel continued to stay in sight of the shelf. At one point he went into the kitchen but even from the kitchen Joel would be able to see Jimmy trying to leave. It had already been a couple of hours, why wasn’t Joel going to his room yet?
Jimmy took a deep breath. It would be fine, he could stay here as long as he needed to. He might have to wait for Joel to head to bed but that was fine . Just as long as he wasn’t caught.
But Jimmy hadn’t expected Joel to, at some point, glance up at the shelf again and be able to see him from where he was on the couch. Joel’s eyes widened and he stood up. “Jimmy? Are you still there?”
Jimmy thought about staying quiet but then his eyes locked with Joel’s and he knew it was useless anyway. “M-Maybe I am, what about it?”
Joel tilted his head and crossed his arms. “You’re usually back in the walls by now. So what…wait.” Joel’s eyes filled with a sudden realization. “You don’t have an entrance up there, do you?”
No, no, no, no, no! Joel wasn’t supposed to realize that. “N-No, I do, I just-” Joel cut him off as a smile spread across the human’s face.
“You totally don’t. Otherwise you would be long gone by now. Oh this is great.” Joel plopped back onto the couch, keeping an eye on the shelf. “Looks like my win is finally within reach.”
Another shiver ran across Jimmy’s spine. He couldn’t get caught. “You’ll have to go to bed at some point.” Jimmy said, trying his hardest to keep the shakiness out. “I have a lot of patience.”
Joel chuckled, making himself comfortable on the couch. “So do I. At least when it comes to this. I’m not planning on going to bed anytime soon.”
Jimmy brought his knees to his chest and buried his face in them. He had to hope that he could wait Joel out. That Joel will go to bed or even end up falling asleep on the couch, either one worked. He just had to wait some more. He could do that. He had to do that.
And so, both human and borrower waited. Joel spent most of his time on his phone, while Jimmy sat there just trying not to panic too much. At some point, Joel’s phone died and he sighed but pocketed it and glanced at the time. It was already well past when Joel usually went to bed and Jimmy was as stubborn as always. Joel huffed and looked back up at the shelf. He could just barely make out Jimmy’s figure in the way back.
“Come on.” Joel finally said, breaking the silence. Jimmy jumped, startled by the sudden voice. “You gotta be tired or hungry or whatever by now, just come down already.”
Joel was starting to sound frustrated, which was not a good thing for Jimmy. “Not going to happen Joel.”
Joel groaned and threw his head back against the couch. “You really don’t want me to win that badly? It’s getting a bit ridiculous.”
Something in Jimmy broke at that. “Of course I don’t!” He shouted, his voice far louder than Joel had ever heard it. It made Joel sit up at full attention, eyes wide. “Of course I don’t want you to ‘win’ , I have no idea what you have planned for me! You’re acting like this whole thing is just a fun game for you but for me it’s terrifying !” Jimmy breathed in and out, everything finally coming out about what he thought of Joel’s little ‘game’. He wasn’t sure what finally made him say it but it probably had something to do with the fact that…that…
That he knew he wasn’t getting out of this. Not without being caught by Joel. His breathing became shaky and he slowly realized there were tears streaming down his face at the realization.
Joel’s eyes were still wide. Still trying to process what Jimmy had said. “Are…Are you crying?”
Jimmy sniffed and rubbed at his eyes. “ Yes .” Jimmy’s voice cracked. He didn’t see any reason to lie. It was obvious.
Joel was silent, which was more terrifying than anything the human could have said. He heard some shuffling and then something dragging. He looked up to see what was happening in just enough time to see Joel’s face come into view. Jimmy’s breath hitched as he was face to face with the human for the first time.
And then Joel’s hands were in view and Jimmy pressed himself even further into the wall, wishing he could melt into it. Wishing he was anywhere but here. “No, no, Joel, please don’t…” He cried, more tears replacing the ones he had just wiped away.
The large hands came up on either side of him and Jimmy flinched and braced himself. The hands scooped underneath him and suddenly Jimmy was sitting in Joel’s cupped hands. His body shook, his fear overwhelming him.
“Caught you.” Joel said, his voice low. Jimmy let out a whimper, feeling helpless and pathetic. Joel stepped down and was back on the floor, still holding onto Jimmy. Jimmy shut his eyes tight, not wanting to see what was going to happen.
But they quickly opened again when Jimmy realized he had been put down. He looked around, realizing Joel had placed him on the kitchen counter. He looked up. Joel was still there, looming over him but he quickly crouched down so he was more eye level with Jimmy. Jimmy scooted back, fear still in control.
“I finally won. And…now you can go.” Joel said, eyes glancing away for a moment. Jimmy’s eyes widened, not knowing if he heard him right.
“W-What?” Jimmy said, his voice a sharp contrast from his earlier yelling.
Joel sighed and looked back at Jimmy, meeting his eyes. Jimmy had the overwhelming urge to tear his eyes away from Joel’s but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. “I said, you can go. I…nothing was ever going to happen to you if I won. I just…I thought we were playing a game. I thought you were in on it.” Joel shook his head, eyes not leaving Jimmy’s still. “I’m sorry.”
Jimmy felt…well, he wasn’t sure how he felt. He had been caught by Joel, finally. But Joel…wasn’t going to keep him? Or do anything with him? What was happening?
Finally, Jimmy tore his gaze away from Joel’s, eyes instead moving over to the shelf he had been on not moments ago. But now, underneath it, there was a stepladder. “I thought you said you didn’t have a stepladder?” Jimmy said, letting it distract him for a moment.
Joel’s eyes briefly glanced over at the stepladder before settling back on Jimmy. “I lied.” He said simply.
Jimmy let out a small breath. “Oh.”
Joel’s gaze softened and he sighed. “I really am sorry, Jimmy. I didn’t mean to scare you like that. Or make you think I would… do anything to you.” Joel shook his head and then stood up. Jimmy couldn’t help but flinch back. “I’ll leave you alone now. I won’t…try and catch you anymore.”
Joel looked at Jimmy one last time and then turned around and left. Jimmy heard the door to his room shut and suddenly, Jimmy was alone.
His entrance back into the walls was right behind him but for some reason, Jimmy couldn’t get himself to move. Everything seemed to have happened so fast, Jimmy was still trying to process it all.
But the one thing he was sure of, was that Joel had let him go. And, apparently, had always had the intention of letting him go. This whole thing really had been a game to him but not in the malicious way Jimmy had first thought.
Joel thought it was fun because he thought Jimmy also found it fun. It seemed like, the second he had realized Jimmy was scared, he stopped playing.
Jimmy slowly stood up, his legs feeling wobbly. He looked over towards Joel’s room, watching for a long moment. When nothing happened, Jimmy turned around and walked toward his entrance into the walls.
He had a lot to think about.