In Blaine Sight
A borrower style small person discovers there's things more dangerous than humans.
Warning for: Violence, Fear, Blood
Most of this will be posted to my side blog, but I will start duping some stories here on my main.
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Blaine had been fond of where he had lived before. The previous apartment building had quite a thriving community. Sure, he was the sole resident of the walls of apartment 5, but he could easily go to the floors beneath the hall to visit the other little people. They even had long established trading spots, neutral zones where everyone could exchange resources, as different apartments had different benefits. But then came the dog.
Moving to a new home was always a challenge, but the last place no longer worked for Blaine. The small man sighed as he hauled the heavy pack up. Why did they have to get a terrier? That little dog had sniffed him out immediately and took a snap at him! The world was so dangerous when you were in the same size range as a mouse. It had been lonely since he had taken up residence in a new apartment building. He knew it took time for other little people to get established in a new building. No mouse holes as shortcuts and modern building methods made it harder to establish new paths. But he was up to the job. He liked to keep busy.
He started near an outlet. One he had chosen very carefully, the one behind the refrigerator. Easy access to the kitchen while being hidden behind the large appliance. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Good sign. Meant it was in use. He took a small peek into his new territory, though the huge fridge which kept him safely hidden also blocked his view. He took note of the fine layer of dust on the floor. In use, but not regularly cleaned. Perfect. He pulled out the bent nail he had attached to some wood to use as a pickaxe and got to work.
Weeks later Blaine had not only made a small opening to access the main apartment, but had set up several climbing areas and spots to peek out once he knew where picture frames, shelves and the like were positioned. He’d seen the people living here a few times. Rather different. If they weren’t terrifying huge humans he might call them good looking. Both had dark hair, although the pale one’s had a different texture to it than the other guy. Had a familiar look, reminding him of some people seen on tv. The pale one seemed to prefer going out at night. Blaine had watched for when they ate so he could steal scraps off their plates in the sink, but that one hadn’t eaten at home even once. But the other had good taste in food. That one looked to be part Asian, if Blaine remembered the right words for that look. He didn’t always know all the human terms. Blaine managed to snag a grape that rolled under the fridge while they were snacking. Fresh fruit was wonderful to have. Another time Blaine got a piece of roast quail off a plate in the sink. It was amazing! He was already fond of that one. Had good taste in food and didn’t wash plates off immediately.
Of course, he would never let them see the fact they had a third roommate in the walls. Humans were too dangerous. He’d heard the stories from other little people, rodentfolk, and such. Some said the big folk would even eat bitty folk like them. Of course that was almost certainly a lie, but he very much believed they would capture them, experiment on them, even keep them like a pet. Humans were curious and he had seen some of them fascinated by rodents, lightning bugs, and other small creatures. It didn’t always end well for the creatures.
Still, even if he couldn’t trust humans it was almost… comforting to not be completely alone. Little people usually did these sort of expansions into new locations with a few folks, not just one. But Blaine had been forced to move immediately. At least so far Blaine enjoyed the work, and listening to the roommates on the outside of the wall made him feel not alone.
Maybe once he got more paths and openings established other little people would be willing to move in. Blaine liked the idea of being the reason there was a new, safe place for his kind to live. He was already starting on a new pathway leading to a higher area! He was actually making a sloped path to the counter so it would be easier to get food up and down from there…
He was actually starting to examine an outlet to see if it could be altered to double as a hidden door when he heard the roommates in the kitchen talking. He was pretty sure it was the one called Ty talking, “Hey Finlay, the popsicle sticks disappeared from the craft supplies I was going to give to the neighbor down the hall for her kids. Have you seen them?”
As Blaine peeked through the hole near the outlet, he heard the pale one shouting back, “Dammit Ty, I’m calling you by your new name. Stop calling me that. I told you before it’s just Finn now. And I haven’t seen the dang popsicle sticks. Why you wasting money on that anyway? I thought we were supposed to be laying low a while.”
Ty rolled his eyes, “Sorry Finn, your change was much more recent. And laying low doesn’t mean I can’t be nice. I was hoping giving them some craft materials would keep them busy so you wouldn’t be as likely to get headaches from that sensitive hearing of yours.”
Finn seemed to pause at that, reconsidering, “Oh… hadn’t thought of that. But these walls seem better than the last place. The noise hasn’t been a problem lately. I think one of the neighbors may be doing woodworking or crafting though. If it wasn’t such a new place, I’d assume a mouse… But anyway, haven’t seen the sticks. Anything else missing?”
Blaine was frowning after hearing that. The guy’s hearing was really that good? At least he assumed it was a neighbor’s hobby and not a rodent. But he’d have to be more careful. Space out the work, try to time it for when that guy was out. He missed what Ty said about missing stuff… He already knew taking the popsicles sticks for the walkways may have been pushing things a bit. He’d have to get stuff from some neighboring apartments for a bit to let things die back down here.
A few days later Blaine was working on making a hidden doorway for himself on the counter while Finn was out for the night. He was certain Ty was sound asleep at the moment, so it was the perfect timing. He could work on weaving thread into sturdier ropes when Finn was home. Blaine slipped out onto the counter to check that when it was closed, it blended in with the counter. He backed up a few steps, admiring his handiwork. He really was doing a great job getting set up. The next little person to come to this building would be able to stay with him and thrive easily while more access points were developed in neighboring apartments.
Blaine yelped in surprise when the front door swung open with Finn rushing in, blood covering his mouth. He had someone leaning on him, their neck a bloody mess. Finn called out to Ty, currently red eyes glancing over the open floor plan before focusing on Ty’s bedroom. Blaine broke from his panic, rushing to the side of the counter and hooking a string-rope on the side, sliding down to the floor quickly to get to the door behind the fridge as Finn called out to Ty.
The tiny man was breathing heavily as he leaned against the wall. No wonder Finn could hear noises in the wall. He wasn’t human. Blaine had seen such things on tvs, obvious works of fiction… but this was reality. Finn was a vampire. Blaine listened as Finn asked for help bandaging up the person he bit. Well, while it was nice to hear the vampire didn’t like to kill to feed, that didn’t mean such kindnesses would extend to him. Hopefully when he looked around to see if Ty was up he hadn’t noticed Blaine… If he had been seen, the risk was huge. The only way vampires could have remained a myth to not only humans but also little people was if they were incredibly careful about guarding their secret. Which meant if Finn figured out a little person living in the walls knew, he would likely be killed to guard that secret.
Blaine took a couple deep breaths. There were no signs yet that Finn had seen him. He seemed too concerned with dealing with the injured person. So it wasn’t safe for Blaine to stay at this apartment… He would have to start scouting out the nearby ones. He couldn’t rush this or he might slip up. As much as he wanted to leave immediately, slow and steady was far better.
He made his way back up to one of the elevated platforms, peeking through a tiny hole. Looked like they got the person’s neck wrapped up and were discussing assuring nothing was told to anyone. This was a bit concerning… Was it some sort of psychic power? Magic? Or were they just going to drug the person? None of those sounded good for Blaine’s situation. Psychic would mean higher chances of being caught. Magic would mean more options for imprisonment or experimenting. And drugs… they couldn’t properly dose a little person meaning death would be the only option for maintaining the secret. It was scary to consider something like psychic powers or magic could be real, but he couldn’t discount anything anymore.
Blaine watched Ty come to the kitchen, getting a cup of water to offer the person. Ty paused, sniffing the air. Blaine frowned. Ty clearly knew Finn wasn’t human… and Ty ate all the time so wasn’t a vampire. What if he was something non-human as well? If vampires were a secret, no telling what else may be too… and may also have enhanced senses. Moving to a different apartment’s walls would take time… So Blaine would be here a while to at least have access to food until he made access to more places. He had used up the food he brought with him for this move, so options were limited.
Blaine was relieved when Ty walked away. Maybe he was just being paranoid about Ty possibly also being something scarier than human. Maybe the trashcan had an odor. He needed to stay calm. Panic would only lead to mistakes. The small man took a deep breath. He had a lot of work to do to make access points to other homes. He had barely been able to manage getting in other apartments and rooms by squeezing under doors so far. But such high risk, exposed movements weren't ideal. He needed to restrict where he had access points set up. Where he had better odds of staying hidden.
Blaine spent more time listening to the roommates over the next couple days. Trying to pick up any hints he had been spotted, or any indication that Ty may also be non-human. The situation was so stressful. Because he wasn’t going under doors to reach extra locations anymore, building supplies to make more access was hard. But the kitchen had the most important things.
It was night again, when Ty was asleep and Finn was out… Perfect time to check the plates for scraps of food. The hidden wall door slid open with ease. He was so glad he took the time to assure it was well hidden. Blaine looked around. Lights were out as he expected. It was hard to see, but the safest time to do this. Carefully, quietly he ventured out. He reached the sink and secured a rope to the faucet to assure he could get out if he slipped.
Then he heard a voice from next to the counter.
“What a curious little thing you are. Since I saw you the other day when I came home I’ve been pondering what you might be. I already figured out you must be the source of the sounds I heard. But you’ve been more quiet lately… Wasn’t hard to guess you worked out schedules and were taking advantage of them. So what are you? A brownie? A hob? Perhaps an imp, a sprite, or a tomte. So many tiny folks of legend… the similarities in stories should have been a hint there was some truth to it.”
Hearing Finn’s voice, Blaine was starting to panic. The vampire must have sat with his back to the cabinets where he couldn’t be seen. Waited until Blaine was too far into the open to get back to his hidden door. Still, Blaine had to try. Surely if the vampire caught him, it would kill him to keep his secret. So he very slowly took a step, figuring a quicker way out of reach would be to drop between the counter and fridge. He heard Finn’s voice again, “Oh? Stepping away from the sink before you go after food? Your steps sound quieter… You know I can hear either way.”
Okay. Sneaking back to hiding wasn’t going to work. He would have to rely on his speed and hope the vampire wasn’t faster to get up and reach him. Blaine bolted, unraveling his makeshift rope as he ran and preparing to put the hook on the edge of the counter. He could see movement to his side but didn’t dare look at the vampire standing. Looking may slow him down.
Then he slammed into something. Thin, clear plastic. The aim of it coming down over him hadn’t been perfect, one leg was now pinned under the edge of the container. He had seen these before… big people used them to store food for later. And now a hand had one clamped down over him. It shifted slightly to a different position, no longer pinning his leg. But he couldn’t stand… his leg was really sore now. Finn was staring at him through the plastic, “Sorry pipsqueak. Couldn’t have you running off without a chat… Didn’t mean to get your leg.”
Blaine watched the container lift away and a hand come near him. He tensed, expecting this to be the end… but a finger just gently touched his leg, as if checking it. Probably making sure he can’t run away. Finn was speaking again, “Okay. Doesn’t seem broken. Probably pretty bruised though. So little fella, can you speak? I suppose if you can’t object I could just pick you up for a closer loo…” Blaine interrupted, “Don’t!”
He saw Finn smile. Blaine didn’t like that, the vampire showing off his fangs. But it didn’t seem malicious, yet, “So you can speak… I certainly hope you haven’t said anything to anyone about what you saw… That would be most unfortunate.” Blaine was shaking a bit, “I can’t have told anyone! I'm the only person in this building!! Just… let me go!” Blaine pleaded… but also felt sure it was completely hopeless. There was no way Finn was going to let him go, not when he knew his secret. Blaine closed his eyes tight as a massive hand came down towards him once more.
Blaine expected to have his life quickly ended… and was surprised to just have a finger lightly prod him, as if confirming bow real he is. Blaine opens his eyes, looking up at Finn. The man was just… staring at him. Apparently thinking. Blaine was so scared of what kind of conclusion the vampire would reach. All he could do was wait and listen as Finn talked, “I’m not exactly happy about you saying you are the only person here, as if I’m not a person. Not exactly kind wording. But I’ll ignore that for now… But at least it means my secret is still safe. But it still leaves the issue of the fact I don’t like people knowing my secret.”
Finn took a deep breath, “Ty is the only one who currently knows that isn’t also a vampire. I tend to avoid killing when I can… But I am also finding it difficult to think of a way to keep you from telling anyone. Other than the fact you also clearly keep your existence a secret.” Finn sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Damn complicated situations… I don’t really currently have the means to exactly keep you… So we have to come to an understanding.”
Finn leaned onto the counter close to Blaine, staring down at him and causing Blaine to shudder. “Your coexistence inside homes leans me towards the stories of my own land, back when I was there. When I was human. You haven’t stated a preference for species name so I’ll lean towards hob for the time being. Your kind, whatever you are… For there not to be anything beyond stories to indicate your existence… You must be existing in secrecy like my kind. Which is what makes me think we might reach an understanding.” Blaine was hesitant, but nodded, “An understanding is good…” Finn smiled, flashing those fangs again, “Excellent. Since you don’t seem to socialize with regular sized folks, I am hopeful this means you won’t go blabbing about what I am. I can keep my mouth shut about you if you can do the same for me. That seems fair enough, doesn’t it?”
Finn leaned over even closer to Blaine, clearly purposely trying to intimidate the little person, “Oh, and if you try to sneak away, move to a different apartment or building, I’m going to assume you are planning to expose me and track you down. I will be a lot less friendly. I can move silent enough you’ll never hear me coming. I can punch through bricks to get to any hiding spot. So until I say otherwise, I better hear you in the walls at least once a day, understand?” Blaine gulped and nodded. He had been planning to relocate to a different apartment as soon as he learned the truth… but it sounded like that was no longer an option. “I… I understand. I won’t run away.”
Finn straightened himself back up. “Excellent. Just to keep it a fair demand, I’ll make sure there’s food and drink accessible regularly. I assume you can handle anything else you need.” Blaine nodded slowly. He was really not liking this ultimatum. He wanted to move to a different place, get far, far away from this scary fella… but he had no choice. If he fled he would be hunted down.
Blaine cocked his head as he saw Finn move, hearing the sound of a drawer opening. Blaine wasn’t sure what he was doing. But it probably wasn’t good for him. Blaine flinched as he saw a large pair of scissors set on the counter near him… That was extremely concerning… The box of matches that followed was less so, but still not good. He wanted to run… but the vampire would likely grab him if he did. He needed to wait until the monster allowed him to leave. The last thing set near him… napkin? That made very little sense… unless it was to be used as firestarter and the vampire intended to burn him alive. A horrific thought.
Blaine watched the scissors get picked up, then the napkin being cut into thin strips. Definitely firestarter. Blaine closed his eyes. This was going to be so painful… He felt something touch his leg and opened an eye. He was… holding the match next to his leg? How weird. He glanced up, watching the vampire lift the match to the scissors and clip it short. This… didn’t make any sense. Why was he cutting the match? Blaine used his good leg to start scooting away while the vampire was busy, but the vampire’s hand came behind his back and Blaine froze. “Please remain still for the moment,” Finn said simply. Blaine had no choice…
What happened next made even less sense. Finn wrapped the thin strip of napkin around Blaine’s leg… then lined up the wooden part of the matchsticks to his leg and continued wrapping. It was… a splint. The vampire was making a splint for his sprain. Finn started talking as he worked. “While this certainly isn’t a perfect match for when I treated a bat injured by a stray cat, I think the prior experience is sufficient that it won't be too tight. Since it’s my fault you got this sprain, the least I should do is assure you can still move around with it.”
Finn straightened himself and gestured, “Try it out. I can trim the wood shorter if needed, but I tried to line it up to walk on properly.” Blaine hesitated, but stood. The splint was surprisingly usable. He may have to shave it down a tad with his own blade, but it was definitely good enough to get him behind the wall. “Uh… yeah… it’s… it’s a good enough support to get around…” Blaine said, glancing at Finn. Finn smirked slightly, “Want me to help you to the ground? Or are you going to use the little door you hid in the wall on the counter?” Blaine frowned. He didn’t like that Finn saw the door location… but if he was already aware of it, no reason not to use it. So he limped over to the door, quickly vanishing behind the walls again.
As Blaine made his way across the platform he built to some of his supplies, only one thing kept running through his mind: How was he going to handle a situation where he had been spotted but couldn’t run away?
