The Hidden

Chapter 25

After what felt like an eternity, the humans finally stopped their fishing and decided to head back to the clearing. I had just finished eating a few bites of asparagus stem when my prison was swiftly pulled up into the air once again. I almost felt like I was going to throw the food right back up as the bag was swung back around onto Connor's back.

Another trip of constant bouncing up and down and the humans arrived back at the clearing. While being in the pocket was dark, uncomfortable and all around demeaning, it at least provided me solace from the teen aged human's disconcerting stare. I wasn't looking forward to once again being under such intense scrutiny, even if it did mean I would be free from my prison.

I heard the sound of the zipper indicating Connor was once again entering the tent. I felt my stomach lurch again as the backpack was swung off of Connor's shoulders and placed on the ground. I was still trying to rid myself of the queasiness when the opening of the pocket above me was pulled open. I jolted at the sudden noise and looked up to see Connor's face peering in. God I hated it when he looked in at me like that. It made me feel smaller than I already was.

"Hey, how's it going?" The human asked, a smile forming on his face.

"Just swell." I shot back sarcastically before I could stop myself. 

Though he didn't look angry, the human did give me a speculative look, as though he couldn't see why I seemed to be so irritable. Of course it couldn't have anything to do with the fact that I had been pretty much forced into backpack pocket captivity for two hours, could it?

Ignoring my sharp remark, Connor changed the subject. "So are you still against me getting you out the easy way?" He asked in a way that made it seem like he found me ridiculous for not wanting him touching me.

"Yes." I said icily, getting up to my feet and crossing my arms over my chest in an act of what I guess was stubborn defiance.

The human sighed loudly, his breath lightly hitting my face and blowing my hair back. "Fine." He said as his face moved away from the opening of the pocket. For a moment I wondered what he was doing until suddenly I realized too late.

"Wait!" I cried, but the bag was already falling to its side.

A shriek escaped me as all gravity changed around me. The floor was suddenly behind me and I was falling down. The backpack landed on the ground with a thud, shortly followed by my body tumbling out of the pocket and onto the dirt ground painfully, the untouched hunk of cheese falling down next to me.

With my face pressed into the dirt I couldn't see the human, but I heard him moving and talking behind me. "Sorry, sorry, I wasn't thinking!" He apologized. I couldn't tell if he was being authentic, but at the moment I didn't really care. I was far too sick and tired of his bullshit.

I pushed myself off the ground and whipped around to look at the human who was currently crouched in front of me, looking down at me.

"Do you ever think?!" I shouted up at him furiously. 

Connor's expression transformed into surprise. He seemed to be once again stunned by how easily set off someone "so small" was. But that didn't make me stop.

"Do you ever consider how what you do affects me?" I continued angrily. "You just throw your bag around, not even taking into consideration that I'm in it!" 

"I didn't mean to." Connor said, still flustered by my outburst.

"Try thinking before you act maybe." I spat back.

This wasn't my first outburst of anger in front the human, but this time I didn't immediately regret it. For a brief moment I felt satisfaction for finally speaking my mind and I was glad I did it. Of course the fear of retaliation from the human did eventually come, but in that moment I felt gratified. 

"I-I think before I act." Connor spluttered. "I'm not used to having a tiny person in my bag." He said, trying to defend himself.

I still despised being called a "tiny person",  but with the fear of crossing that line finally setting in, I remained silent.

Connor stared at me for a moment, likely trying to gauging my reaction again. He then sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Maybe you're right though." He conceded. "Maybe I should be more...cautious around someone like you."

I wasn't sure how I felt about this. While I did want him to be more considerate, the way he said was as if he saw me as some fragile creature, and that was something I still wanted to avoid, even it did mean I'd be less likely to be hurt. I wasn't willing to totally give up my pride. I wasn't going to be seen as some weak little thing.

However, this seemed like some sort of progress I guessed, so I continued my silence and instead just gave a slightly uncertain nod.

Connor gave me a smile before grabbing up his backpack and tossing in into the corner of the tent.

"My dad should leave me alone for a while after that painfully long father and son time. I think he's taking the bones out of the fish or something." He told me with a shrug.

"Taking the bones out of the fish", that sounded absolutely savage. A disgusted look formed on my face but Connor apparently didn't seemed to notice because he continued on as if he hadn't just said something totally horrifying.

"So I've been meaning to ask you," He began as he sat down on the ground, a little ways in front of me. "how do you know English so well?" He asked. "I mean, I would have thought you'd have some weird made up language or something, living out in the woods alone."

Great, we were getting back into personal questions, personal questions I couldn't really answer without giving away the secrets of my entire race. 

I decided on playing the ignorant card. "I've just always known how." I told him with a shrug, hoping he wouldn't press on with the subject.

"You don't know a whole lot about your own history do you?" He said, a slight smirk on his lips.

I just shrugged once again, which thankfully was enough for the human as he changed the subject. 

"Hey," He said, suddenly becoming excited, "do you want to see something cool?" This sounded bad.