Chapter 1

Have you ever had something mysteriously disappear? Or maybe you noticed small noises in the walls? Or even seen a small form out of the corner of your eye? If so, then you probably have mice or rats and can forget about it. Just ignore any signs of suspicious things going missing. Don't try to find out more, and definitely don't set traps.

Okay, I'm joking. I obviously don't think it's mice. I do, however, believe you should ignore any strange occurrences and not bother with anything related to them. Because if you don't, you might cause unnecessary fear and anguish to some poor creature.

Let me explain. There are beings that live in our world that aren't quite animal, but not human either. These beings live in the walls of our homes and take small things, freeloading off of what we unintentionally provide. No, these aren't mice, rats, or any other creature you can think of. These beings are beyond our ordinary understanding of the supernatural.

They're called borrowers. They're sentient, humanoid creatures no taller than your pointer finger. And one of these creatures is the protagonist of our story. His name was Oliver. Like many other borrowers, he grew up knowing and fearing humans, or as they called them, hosts.

Oliver was a decent height for a borrower, 3 5/8 inches tall, with wavy blonde hair that was always a bit messy. He smelled softly of dandelions, his eyes a glimmering blue. The most unique thing about Oliver was his ears and tail. Most borrowers look just like humans, except for their size. But Oliver was a hybrid. His mother was a normal borrower, and his father was a brownie, a creature with more rodent-like features. So Oliver had a mix of both: a fluffy blonde tail with a tuft at the end and mouse-like ears.

He also had other distinctive features, like a galaxy of freckles and a uniquely shaped face and nose.

Oliver had been living in his host's house for a little over a month, having just moved out on his own. He worked hard to become a good borrower, and when he finally set out, he felt prepared for his new life. But the journey was rough, and when he arrived at the complex system of college dorms, his host seemed to have no routine at all. They stayed up all night on their computer and still woke up early.

His host didn't even have a consistent diet, mostly eating packaged foods that were nearly impossible for a borrower to steal. Oliver was tired of the stale and unhealthy food his host had been buying. But there was nothing he could do about it. "You get what you get," his father used to say when he complained about the lack of variety in their diet.

Oliver needed to figure out when his host would be distracted enough for him to get some food. It had been a week since he'd last borrowed and three days since he'd last eaten.

Oliver was already a skinny boy, and this didn't help his situation. He was pale and thinner than most borrowers. One late afternoon, his host was busy in their room, so Oliver decided to go out borrowing while they were distracted.

He set out for the kitchen, navigating the dark, musty tunnels he'd built over the past month. Building and mining those tunnels had taken most of his time, and he had to be completely silent to avoid being discovered.

Oliver entered through a chipped tile he'd found when he first arrived and headed towards the cereal cabinet. He launched his hook at the cabinet door, making a slight thwack sound. He cringed but kept going. He climbed the thin rope, a difficult task since the cabinet was over 30 feet tall to him. Finally, he pulled himself into the cabinet.

The inside of the cabinet was much larger than it looked. It was dark but not too dark. Oliver breathed in the warm scent of grains. He looked around at the rows of boxes, examining each one carefully. Finally, he found the one he was looking for.

Oliver took out his knife and cut into the cereal bag. The thick plastic was tough, but after a few tries, he was successful. Oliver cautiously descended the rope, relieved to have his climbing gloves on. He was about twelve feet from the counter-top when disaster struck. The knot holding the hook slipped, and Oliver plummeted towards the ground.

Time seemed to slow down as he fell. The room spun around him, and he could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Then, with a sickening thud, he landed on the hard floor, twisting his ankle painfully.

Despite the pain, Oliver forced himself to get up. He staggered to his feet, his head spinning. He looked up at his detached hook, still firmly planted on the cabinet door. His heart sank as he realized the extent of his injury. He knew he wouldn't be able to climb back up the rope, and he was too far from the counter-top to jump.

He was trapped. Oliver sat down, wincing as he put weight on his injured ankle. He looked around, trying to think of a way to get out of the cabinet. The only way out was back up the rope, but he knew he couldn't do it. He was too injured, and he was too scared.

Oliver closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He tried to calm himself down, but it was difficult. He was alone, injured, and trapped. He didn't know how long he would be there, but he dreaded to think of what would happen to him if his host found him.