Outsmart (G/T)

Alone

POV: Seth Cirn

Being alone gives you time to think. Laurie is on my mind. I make it look like I hate her, and I don't. I just don't understand how she can let a human get away with taking away our hard work even more than they naturally do. I don't know if I truly have an engraved hatred for humans, more of a hatred for how they pat themselves on the back for what they barely even do. 

I miss Laurie. She was nice and cared for everyone, which led to us ending. She confuses me so much. She's told me she's microphobic, but she's gone and turned toward this human who can't do more than fascinate her. I get wanting to preserve something you like, but what's there to like? A teenager who's only five feet tall and taking away your livelihood? I see no appeal to interaction.

But I'm also a dumbass. I should've driven it out the minute I saw it. I could've easily grabbed it and just intimidated it when it was by the counter, or in the walls, or even if I just walked into the kitchen at the right time.

As I said, I don't get excited at the idea of making a humie quiver with absolute fucking fear, but this one deserves it! If no one else would put the little homewrecker in his place, I'd have to. Or am I the homewrecker? My thoughts are racing.

I call Laurie. Voicemail. I call again. Voicemail. Once more. Voicemail. I give up.

The only way I'm able to understand Laurie, I guess, is to get her perspective. I go outside, looking for a human wandering around.

I see one near the edge of a wall, who might be the kid. What was it's- I mean his name... Nick? Ni... No... Nolan! I bend down to the human, light but toned skinned and wearing a pink sweatshirt, and ask "Are you Nolan?" He screams and I stand up again, on my way to find someone else. Probably not Nolan. I do this a couple more times, ending in another scream and just dead silence. I'm not that scary, unless I have a reason to be.

Maybe he crossed the border. I ask the giant worker there if a dark skinned human passed earlier. He says no, but the human woman worker says she believes so. I get on the ground to be closer to her and ask her if she can contact him to bring him over again, and she says it's possible.

POV: Nolan Queen

"... so I'm here now. I wanted to stay longer, but he just wanted me dead. I couldn't stay and expect to survive." I finish the story.

"That sounds so messed up, I'm so sorry," Rosie tells me. She's a good listener, that's what I love about her. Before I can reply, I get a phone call.

"Sorry, let me take this," I say, picking it up. "Hello? ... This is. ... Why? ... Oh, okay. I'll be there." I hang up and redirect to Rosie. "I have to go to the border real quick, someone is waiting for me and I think I know who it is." What could Laurie want now?

"Oh, that's fine. Be safe," she advises me.

"Will do, you too." I leave, backpack and suitcase left behind.

-

Upon reaching the border, I tell the workers I was called and they know, so I suck through, which is much easier without the extra weight. Waiting on the other side is... Seth. I begin to pass over again when I get a rug at the back of my shirt. I'm lifted.

"Thanks so much, but we have to get going," he tells the human worker, and stands up to his full height, me in his hands. We start going back to the house I assume.

"Laurie is gone, and I need to know why she likes you. So be you for me. Make sense?" he asks bluntly, but I barely process his words out of complete confusion and fear. He's not murdering me. Out of instinct, I tap once on his hand.

"What?" he asks in response to my tap.

"Help!" I scream.

"No, shh..." he tries to quiet me. "I just need to get to know you, and you can live here for now. I just want to talk to you."

"No!" I yelp out.

"I'm not giving you a choice, you can't leave me." We reach the house and go inside, and I'm Seth on the counter as Seth bends to my level. I run toward the wall, trying to get inside but not being able to with the patches.

He laughs. "So, tell me about yourself."