A Temporary Refuge...But Now What?
Small Self
chapter 10
by
copier
· original author:
notknown20
Alex’s legs were aching, each fast-paced step sending waves of pain through her muscles as she tried to run across the seemingly endless floor. It was like someone was stabbing her legs with a thousand burning needles. But she had to keep going. The pain would end eventually. She glanced up at the desk, its mountainous legs looming above her and she still had a good distance to go before she got there.
Every tremor in the house, no matter how minor, sent her into a panic, wondering if Ian had returned or if someone else was about to enter the room. She knew that she was too small to be seen, but the overwhelming size of everything around her made her feel constantly exposed.
Her eyes started to sting from exhaustion as she kept running. She had to make it. She had to...
But she couldn't keep going like this. Any more of this, and her legs, if not her body itself, might give up on her for good. She had to stop, if just for a moment, or she'd collapse.
As soon as she gave herself permission to take a break, Alex collapsed to the floor. Her legs and chest burned in agony. She gasped for breath, knowing she couldn't stay like this for long. But it felt so, so good to rest.
And then she saw it. A chance to rest a little while longer while not being completely exposed: a crack in the floor. To most, it was nothing. A tiny sliver in a sea of wood, almost invisible. But to Alex, it was a chasm deep enough to fit in. It wasn't as safe as hiding in a crack under his desk, but it was much better than out in the open.
She crawled into the deep pit that was the crack, and although it wasn't the most comfortable place in the world, it sure wasn't the worst. She could stay in there, recover her strength, then continue to a safer crack later. She just had to be careful not to stay there too long. Sooner or later, someone would come in. They could step on the crack, which could possibly cause a flood of dust particles and wood shavings to fall down on top of her. And then...and then.....and then...she didn't want to think about it.
After, well, she wasn't sure how long exactly, but after a while, Alex was feeling better. She had recovered her strength enough to climb out of the canyon and run. Just run as fast as she could. The pain in her legs returned after sprinting, but she gritted her teeth and pressed on.
Finally, after what felt like hours, Alex reached the base of the desk. Its massive wooden legs loomed overhead as she ventured under the titanic piece of furniture. Her body heaved with exhaustion, but she did it! She actually made it! The dark shadows underneath the desk provided some sense of cover, as dust motes the size of huge boulders drifted lazily in the dim light filtering under the desk.
She glanced around, scanning the floor for any cracks that might serve as a hiding place, but as she did so, her mind began to race. What was she going to do next? Even if she stayed under the desk, she couldn’t stay there forever. Despite the enormity of her predicament she refused to give in to despair.
That’s when it hit her—her phone! Alex tended to carry her tiny phone with her, in case of emergencies like this one. She didn't have Ian's number, but she could call her brother or someone. Anyone she knew who could try to get her out of this. She patted down her clothes, her fingers finally brushing into her pockets. And...
Every tremor in the house, no matter how minor, sent her into a panic, wondering if Ian had returned or if someone else was about to enter the room. She knew that she was too small to be seen, but the overwhelming size of everything around her made her feel constantly exposed.
Her eyes started to sting from exhaustion as she kept running. She had to make it. She had to...
But she couldn't keep going like this. Any more of this, and her legs, if not her body itself, might give up on her for good. She had to stop, if just for a moment, or she'd collapse.
As soon as she gave herself permission to take a break, Alex collapsed to the floor. Her legs and chest burned in agony. She gasped for breath, knowing she couldn't stay like this for long. But it felt so, so good to rest.
And then she saw it. A chance to rest a little while longer while not being completely exposed: a crack in the floor. To most, it was nothing. A tiny sliver in a sea of wood, almost invisible. But to Alex, it was a chasm deep enough to fit in. It wasn't as safe as hiding in a crack under his desk, but it was much better than out in the open.
She crawled into the deep pit that was the crack, and although it wasn't the most comfortable place in the world, it sure wasn't the worst. She could stay in there, recover her strength, then continue to a safer crack later. She just had to be careful not to stay there too long. Sooner or later, someone would come in. They could step on the crack, which could possibly cause a flood of dust particles and wood shavings to fall down on top of her. And then...and then.....and then...she didn't want to think about it.
After, well, she wasn't sure how long exactly, but after a while, Alex was feeling better. She had recovered her strength enough to climb out of the canyon and run. Just run as fast as she could. The pain in her legs returned after sprinting, but she gritted her teeth and pressed on.
Finally, after what felt like hours, Alex reached the base of the desk. Its massive wooden legs loomed overhead as she ventured under the titanic piece of furniture. Her body heaved with exhaustion, but she did it! She actually made it! The dark shadows underneath the desk provided some sense of cover, as dust motes the size of huge boulders drifted lazily in the dim light filtering under the desk.
She glanced around, scanning the floor for any cracks that might serve as a hiding place, but as she did so, her mind began to race. What was she going to do next? Even if she stayed under the desk, she couldn’t stay there forever. Despite the enormity of her predicament she refused to give in to despair.
That’s when it hit her—her phone! Alex tended to carry her tiny phone with her, in case of emergencies like this one. She didn't have Ian's number, but she could call her brother or someone. Anyone she knew who could try to get her out of this. She patted down her clothes, her fingers finally brushing into her pockets. And...
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June 6
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