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tinycoded360 · 7 months ago

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Sterling Household-Mushrooms

Agnes couldn't suppress the grin that tugged at the corners of her mouth, a mixture of mischief and pride blooming in her chest. Today was the day she'd venture out alone and prove her mettle as a borrower. She was feeling extra bold and would venture out in the daytime. After all, her father always prattled about how oblivious their human was. It should be a piece of cake. She’d gather some goodies from the kitchen and return triumphant. After all, the best stuff would be out now since the human would be cooking his lunch soon. So, she would have to be quick.

With a deep breath, she squeezed through a crack in the wall, her heart drumming a lively beat.

She tiptoed past the colossal form of Sterling, who lounged in the living room like a benign mountain, utterly engrossed in the pages of a thick book. The cat, Whiskers, lay curled on his lap, a soft purring mass that seemed harmless—until one remembered its predatory instincts. Agnes marveled briefly at Sterling’s size; he could, without effort, crush her or ensnare her in his palm, transforming her from a daring adventurer into a helpless pet. A shiver danced down her spine at the thought, but she shook it off, bolstered by her mission.

Agnes's tiny heart thrummed like a bird's wings in her chest as she scaled the sheer cliff of the kitchen counter.

There - on the far counter sat the mushroom basket. Agnes swallowed hard and steeled herself. She raced across the expanse, hyperaware of her vulnerability. The open space seemed to stretch on forever. At last, she reached her prize.

Up close, the mushrooms towered over her, each cap the size of her head. She gave a giddy laugh. This would show them. She reached for a mushroom stem, picturing her family's faces when she -

A thunderous meow shattered the silence. Agnes whirled around. The giant's cat - Whiskers - stared hungrily at her from the floor, mere feet away. Agnes froze. This was not part of the plan. Whiskers crept closer, and Agnes's courage melted away. She dove into the mushroom basket, burrowing deep out of sight.

Whisker’s golden eyes fixated on the diminutive figure amid the mushrooms. A low, playful growl rumbled from the cat's throat as she crouched, her tail swishing back and forth with predatory excitement. To Whiskers, Agnes was nothing more than an enticing morsel—a wriggling snack to be chased, caught, and savored slowly in the warmth of her belly.

"Whatcha hunting there, Whiskers?" Sterling's voice boomed, a gentle rumble that sent waves of dread through Agnus's tiny frame. If he looked too closely if he decided to inspect...

Agnes squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to become invisible and insignificant. Whiskers' tail flicked inches from her sanctuary, and Sterling's footsteps approached like the drumming of an oncoming storm.

"Nothing to see here, just mushrooms," she willed him to think, her fear a tangible thing in the cramped darkness. "Move along, move along..."

"Curious little thing, aren't you?" Sterling murmured, lifting Whiskers into his arms and scratching behind her ears. The cat purred, content under his touch, but her gaze lingered on the container, now still atop the counter.

Sterling tipped the container, and the mushrooms cascaded into the gaping maw of the food processor. Agnes tumbled with them, her panicked mind flashing images of the spinning blades that would surely be her end. She tried to push upwards, to somehow alert this unknowing harbinger of death, but the weight of the mushrooms bore her down relentlessly.

"Stop! Please, stop!" Her voice shrills with panic.

Sterling reached for the power button, his finger hovering so close. But in that split second, something caught his eye—a flash of color that didn't belong among the earthy tones of the mushrooms. His hand halted, and he leaned closer, peering through the clear plastic.

Shock etched into his features as he realized what—or rather, who—he was about to blend. "Oh my god," he gasped, his voice a mixture of horror and disbelief.

Sterling's hand plunged into the food processor. His fingers, gentle despite their size, curled around Agnes's minute form. He lifted her out, the mushrooms falling away from her trembling body, and set her on the safety of the countertop.

Agnes, still reeling from the near-death experience, lay there quivering, unable to fully grasp the enormity of what had just occurred. Sterling towered above her, his expression of concern and anger at the tiny, mouse-sized girl before him.

Sterling's voice rumbled like distant thunder, breaking the silence that had befallen the kitchen since Agnes's rescue. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?" he asked, his words heavy with the weight of unspoken fears.

Agnes, perched on the cold granite countertop, swiveled her head up to meet his gaze, her body trembling slightly as she registered the gravity in his tone. Sterling towered over her, a colossus clad in an apron, his expression etched with lines of genuine concern and frustration.

"Your recklessness could have ended...very badly," he continued, his voice softening but still laced with the urgency of his message. "I almost didn't see you. I almost..."

"Your parents, do they know where you are? What you're doing?" He paused, the gears turning behind his eyes. "I'm very upset by what happened," Sterling said firmly. "I have half a mind to keep you here until I can find your parents and explain what occurred."

At that, Agnes burst into tears. The thought of Sterling telling her parents and potentially exposing their entire family terrified her. They would have to move right away, and it would be all her fault.

"I—I didn't mean to," she stammered between sobs, her tiny voice barely a whisper amidst the kitchen's silence. "I just wanted to help prove I could do it too." The words tumbled out, marred by sniffles and fear.

She couldn't fathom why this giant, this human, would care about what happened to her. In her mind, borrowers were invisible, inconsequential to humans like Sterling.

Agnes shrunk back, wrapping her arms around herself in a protective cocoon.

Sterling's heart sank as he watched the tiny girl shrink away, her tiny shoulders quivering with each sob. The sternness in his voice had been meant to protect, not terrify. Crouching down, he diminished his towering form to meet her at eye level, trying to exude calm.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," he whispered, "Let's start over. My name is Sterling, Sterling Silversmith. What's your name?" he asked kindly.

"A-Agnes," she replied between sobs.

"That's a lovely name," Sterling said.

Before more words could be exchanged, Whiskers leaped onto the counter, her tail twitching with interest at the sight of Agnes. A high-pitched scream tore from the borrower's lips as Sterling acted on instinct, scooping her up into the safety of his palm. The cat's curious meows filled the kitchen, pleading for the treat just out of reach.

"Shh, I've got you," Sterling soothed, his thumb brushing gently over her back while keeping her nestled within his curled fingers. "I'm sorry for scaring you again; it wasn't my intention. I just had to keep you safe from Whiskers."

Agnes, trembling, clutched his finger like a lifeline, her gaze locked onto the predator's eager eyes. There, she saw an insatiable hunger, one that understood her as nothing more than prey.

"Shh, it's okay, Agnes," he cooed, cradling her carefully while shielding her from the curious gaze of Whiskers. He ran his thumb, a giant warm pad, over her head, attempting to soothe her fears.

"Sorry, little one," Sterling murmured again, his voice laden with guilt. He held her until her tears subsided, each sob tapering off into shaky breaths.

"See? You're alright now," Sterling reassured, his voice a deep balm against the terror that had gripped her. He carefully packed her small bag with the mushrooms she'd bravely come to borrow. "You can go back to your family. I promise."

Her eyes widened, a glimmer of hope piercing the veil of her fear. He was letting her go? Relief fluttered within her chest, her breaths easing as she absorbed his words.

"Could... could I speak with your parents?" Sterling ventured, his tone gentle yet earnest. "I'd really like to understand more about you all."

"Nono, I can't!" Agnes blurted, her newfound calm dissolving. "They'll be so mad... We might have to move if they find out!"

Sterling frowned at her distress. "I wouldn't want that for you. But it's not my first time noticing your family around here. I saw your dad a few weeks ago and your siblings recently."

Agnes's gaze snapped up, wide-eyed and filled with a mingled sense of surprise and relief. A flush warmed her cheeks as she processed this revelation. "Nobody said anything," she stammered, her heart pounding against her ribcage.

"Perhaps they didn't want to cause any alarm or get into trouble," Sterling suggested with a wink.

Once safely on the floor, Agnes acted on a sudden impulse. She wrapped her arms around Sterling's thumb—a gesture so small yet filled with a magnitude of gratitude. "Thank you," she said, her voice steadying as she stepped back.

Sterling's lips curled into a warm, protective smile. He scooped Whiskers up, ensuring the feline's predatory interest in Agnes was thwarted. "Just think about it, okay?" he entreated. "I’d like to be friends, to talk with your family—not to harm anyone."

With Whiskers now safely cradled in Sterling's other arm, Agnes bolted, her tiny legs pumping furiously.

Agnes scurried back through the walls, her heart still racing from her close call. She couldn't believe the giant human had let her go with just a lecture. She clutched the bag of mushrooms closer.

As she neared the hidden entrance to her family's home, Agnes wondered if she should tell them about meeting the giant. Would they be angry? Proud? Afraid? Her father always said beans could never be trusted. But the giant had been so kind...

CHapter 6

#giant/tiny #g/t #g/t writing #the-borrowers-au #gentle giant #giant tiny #g/t writers #reckless borrower #tiny female #giant #Sterling finally gets a name for one of the kids #Only Cassia and Emma has managed not to be spotted #Cat #Sterling almost had a heartattack

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