The Boy in the Pantry (2/4)

**I would personally recommend hitting the little paragraph symbol up on the top right, it makes it a little easier on the eyes.**


It’s in here, IT IS IN HERE WITH YOU,’ Ezekiel’s instincts screamed warnings at him as he struggled to remain calm. He remained completely motionless, breathing slowly and carefully as his heart fluttered out of control. He wasn’t sure if the dragon could see him from this angle, since he didn’t have a good view of the doorway, but he didn’t dare risk checking. The slightest movement or sound could catch the dragon’s attention. His heart hammering in his chest seemed to punctuate the silence as he heard the dragon’s voice cut through the small room’s stuffy air.

“Mom, where’d you put the cookies?” She boomed. There was a pause. “Moooom?” She called again, impatient. Ezekiel couldn’t stand it any longer. He peeked over his shoulder and could see that the cereal box framed his body in shadow, out of sight from the large reptile. A small space between several boxes allowed him to peek into the rest of the pantry while remaining almost completely hidden. His heart rate spiked again as he caught a glimpse of the pantry’s enormous, other occupant. Leaning on the doorframe, the turquoise dragon glanced aimlessly around the shelves, eyes wandering aimlessly. Some part of Ezekiel’s mind recognized it as one of the dragons he had seen his first day here, several weeks ago. The boy blinked, surprised at his own thoughts. Had it really been that long?

“They’re in the pantry, dear,” a voice echoed from down the hallway, jerking the boy back into awareness.

“Yeah, I know that. Where in the pantry?” The dragon in the doorway rolled her eyes and let out an irritated huff.

“Dear, you know I don’t like it when you yell across the house,” her mother responded.
The dragon scowled in the direction of the voice. Ezekiel grinned in spite of himself; their conversation reminded him of the ones he would have with his aunt. The grin slipped from the boy’s face as he remembered his aunt, his home, everything he had been familiar with. He was beginning to lose hope that he would see the place that he had called home ever again.

“Hey, I think they’re on the third shelf. Grab me one, will you?” A different, male voice from the living room called. The turquoise dragon grunted an affirmative and turned her eyes back to the pantry, scanning the shelf above the little human. Ezekiel watched her movements in silent reverence, unable to turn away. He had kept to the shadows for the past few weeks, and as a result, he rarely got anywhere near the reptilian inhabitants. Now that he was actually close to one, he found that he couldn’t keep himself from staring.

The dragon’s whole body was layered in light turquoise scales that were almost sky-blue in color. She possessed two small horns, or at least they were small proportionally to its body; the horns were longer than Ezekiel was tall. Like her siblings, the young dragon stood on two legs, standing like a human would. Ezekiel assumed that the children remained bipedal through adolescence and became quadrupeds once they reached adulthood, while growing considerably in size. She towered over the human, but then again, everything in this world did. Her sapphire eyes lit up as she spied the box of cookies on the right side of the pantry, across from Ezekiel’s lookout behind the cereal box. Her face contorted into an irritated scowl as she tipped the box upside-down, rewarding her with nothing but a few crumbs and empty air. She snorted, crushing the box between her claws. Ezekiel watched in morbid fascination as a cardboard box several times his size was reduced to a small, compact ball. The dragon pivoted on her heel and tossed the cardboard projectile into the family room, resulting in a startled yelp.

“Hey, what was that for?” The male voice asked, irritated.

“What do you think, Mark? You guys didn’t even leave me one!” The female dragon shouted back.

“Don’t look at me,” Mark replied sheepishly. “I only had one!”  

“Well, what else do we have to eat around here?” She asked, still irritable. She turned back to the pantry and glanced around. Ezekiel slipped behind the colored box before she could see him.

“I think we got chips, popcorn, probably some pretzels… tons of stuff,” Mark replied offhandedly.

“Meh, I’m in the mood for something sweet.” Eliza, still standing in the doorway, turned back to the crammed shelves. Ezekiel impatiently shifted, hoping she would find something and leave. Being in such close proximity to the dragon was giving him enough stress to last a lifetime.

“Well, there’s some dried fruit in there somewhere, and there’s always cereal,” Mark suggested.

Ezekiel froze when he heard the last suggestion. His heart hammered in his chest, thoughts racing.

Eliza humphed. “Yeah, I guess.” Ezekiel crouched instinctively as he felt the hairs stand up on his neck, muscles coiling like a spring. Without any other warning, the human was blinded as the box he was hiding behind was pulled away by a scaled hand. Squinting, he put a hand up protectively as a ear-splitting shriek pierced the air. The dragon nearly leaped out of her scales, knocking boxes to the floor as she slammed into the shelves behind her.

Ezekiel sprung into action, sprinting behind the other cereal boxes nearest to the door. Just my luck, he thought to himself sarcastically. Out of all the truckload of boxes in this stupid pantry to choose from, she just had to pick that one. He ignored the concerned shouts coming from the living room; all that mattered was getting as far away from the dragon as possible, hopefully into the safety of his little hole before the dragon could react. Colors rushed by his as he ran past the series of cereal boxes that lined the shelf, temporarily breaking his line of sight with the dragon. He reached the wall in a matter of seconds, his mind suddenly thrown into overdrive. He needed to get to the floor, but falling two stories onto hard wood didn’t seem like an attractive option. He would probably survive, but he doubted that he could walk away without injury. The cereal box next to him, however, would make a much softer landing, if he could get it onto the floor first.

He threw his shoulder against the cardboard container, feeling it budge under his weight. As small as he was, he still managed to push the box to the edge of the shelf in a matter of seconds. With another strong heave, the cereal box fell off the shelf, a more welcoming landing than the hardwood floor below. Before leaping onto the fallen box, he stole a glance towards the dragon, and what he saw made him hesitate.
The dragon had recovered from her initial fright, and she had leaned down towards him. He expected to see anger or fear from the dragon, maybe even disgust. Instead, her face glowed with curiosity, her eyes sparkling with wonder. She stared at him, unmoving, and he stared back at her. Time stood still as they both held their breath, each not wanting to startle the other.

A voice from the living room jerked Ezekiel out of his trance. Despite the fall distance, Ezekiel unceremoniously leaped off of the shelf, aiming for the fallen cereal box below. He shut his eyes for a brief instant as he fell, bracing himself for the impact. He heard a whoosh of motion as his feet struck, tucking his body into a roll to distribute the force. The impact wasn’t as bad as he expected, since the box seemed considerably softer than he expected. His eyes shot open and he screamed at what he saw.

He hadn’t made it to the floor. His vision was startlingly blue as the dragon’s outstretched arm obscured most of the room in front of him; the dragon’s palm had blocked his fall to the box below, catching him about halfway from the ground. Still fueled by the adrenaline and momentum from his fall, he transferred his roll into a sprint as he attempted to leap from the dragon’s hand, only to be knocked off his feet by dragon’s other hand as it moved to stop him. Before Ezekiel could recover, the dragon’s clawed hands constricted and curled to form a tight ball around his crouching form, cutting off any escape routes. Tiny holes allowed light to flicker into his fleshy cell as he flung himself at her fingers, slamming into them with his shoulder repeatedly. If he could get them to budge a little, he could squeeze out of the whole and possibly make an escape. Despite his best efforts, the dragon’s fingers didn’t move an inch, only shifting slightly under his blows. He thrashed and kicked at the dragon’s hands, hoping that she might drop him out of reflex, but his tiny prison held firm.

“Eliza! Did you hear me?” Mark asked from the family room, his voice a mix of irritation and concern.

“Yeah, I… Uh…I’m fine, thanks,” Eliza responded, shifting her fingers restlessly. “Just, uh, stubbed my toe.” Ezekiel’s was knocked off his feet as she jerked her hands suddenly, hearing her begin to take hurried steps away from the pantry.

“Hey, where’re you goin’? You gonna watch this with me or what?” Ezekiel heard Mark’s muffled voice through the dragon’s hands.

“Sorry, I just remembered I need to do something!” She called back, still carefully holding her tiny captive.

The next few seconds rushed by in an adrenaline-induced blur. As the dragon quickly made her way through the house, Ezekiel half-crouched, half-sat in his dark cage, jerked around suddenly and often. Disoriented and dizzy, the boy felt like he was about to be sick, when suddenly all motion around him ceased. He heard the distinct sound of a glass clinking, and moments later he was blinded by a sudden flood of light. He jumped to his feet just in time to feel the dragon’s hands disappear from under him, and he dropped several feet onto something hard. He winced as his weight was forced onto his wounded foot, dropping into a crouch to ease off of it. As his eyes adjusted to the room’s light, he looked around and saw that he was in a bedroom, and he was sitting inside what looked like a glass cylinder with an open top, placed on the bed. It was slightly taller than him and wide enough for him to comfortably sit down cross-legged. He guessed it was probably some sort of drinking glass.

He was about to jump to see if he could reach the lip of the cup when a noise behind him caught his attention. He turned to see the dragon’s face nearly pressed up against the glass, her curious eyes wide and watching. He decided against trying to escape at the moment, afraid that any sudden movement could startle the dragon into action. She seemed content with staring at Ezekiel in his little container, while he took a moment to catch his breath and steady his racing heart.

After several minutes of silence, Ezekiel grew uncomfortable under her gaze. She seemed to be sizing him up, taking in every detail of his body. Her eyes drifted up and down his form, never looking away. What did she want? He shifted from foot to foot and looked around, uncomfortable under the dragon’s unwavering gaze. Her eyes were like two huge, glittering oceans, her deep stare only broken when she occasionally blinked. He shivered, trying to avoid the endless pools that glowed with intelligence. He had no idea what she could be thinking, and her silence only made it more unnerving. The way she looked at him made him feel like a caged animal in a zoo, a rare and strange specimen that is put on display and studied. She seemed to notice his discomfort, tilting her head and giving him a puzzled look. Her voice broke the silence so suddenly that Ezekiel flinched.

“Something wrong, little guy?” She murmured. “You scared?” She didn’t sound like she was talking to him; it sounded like she was simply trying to comfort him with the sound of her voice, not expecting a response from the strange little creature. Ezekiel remained silent, still avoiding direct eye contact.

“Don’t be afraid. I’m not gonna hurt you,” she smiled kindly at the little human. Ezekiel was about to respond when she continued speaking.

“What were you doing in the pantry, I wonder? Were you hungry? Was this what you were after?” She produced one of the cereal pieces Ezekiel tried to sneak off with. She grinned deviously, like a parent who had just caught a child in a lie. “Don’t worry, I don’t mind. We’ve all got to eat, after all.” She reached out and dropped the cereal piece into the glass, clinking softly as it fell in front of Ezekiel’s feet. She casually reassumed her previous position, resting her head on her hands as she peered through the glass.

Unsure of what she expected, Ezekiel waited a moment before slowly bending down and sitting cross-legged in front of the Cheerio. He began breaking off small pieces and ate slowly, watching the dragon carefully. She returned his gaze with a look of fascination. For the first time, it struck Ezekiel that this dragon may have never seen a human before. The thought alone was enough to make him stop eating. Dragons were nothing but myths and lore where he was from; he wasn’t sure if humans even existed in this huge, unknown world. He continued to munch slowly on the cereal piece, not feeling hungry but knowing his body needed the nutrients. Once he had eaten his fill, he stood up slowly and cleared his throat. He took a moment to organize his thoughts, looking directly into the dragon’s huge, blue eyes.

“Thank you very mu-” He tried to speak with a loud, clear voice, but his voice cracked, rough with underuse. The dragon’s eyes widened, her face attentive and eager, but she remained silent as if waiting for him to continue. Ezekiel took a moment to pick his next words carefully, afraid that his life might still be on the line. The dragon said that she would not hurt him, but he wasn’t remotely willing to trust the dragon to keep her word.

“Thank you for the food. I apolo-” He coughed, swallowing roughly. His throat throbbed painfully in response. “I’m very sorry for startling you earlier, and for any inconvenience I might have caused.” He did his best to appear intelligent and respectful; hopefully the dragon would treat him with respect in return, but he had no way of knowing how she would react.

Rather than voice an immediate response, the dragon just grinned wildly at him. She looked at him with a newfound interest, as if he had suddenly grown wings and an extra head and needed to be completely reevaluated. More than anything else, she seemed excited, watching him intently through the glass container.

“I knew it!” She exclaimed proudly after several seconds, still grinning widely at the human. “I knew were intelligent!”

“Uh… What?” Ezekiel stammered nervously, trying not to stare at her glowing grin; from this far away, he had a clear view of her rows of extremely sharp-looking teeth.

“You’re wearing clothes,” she explained, gesturing at his body. Ezekiel looked down reflexively, suddenly aware of how he was dressed. He had been wearing the same shirt and jeans for almost a month now, and at this point they were filthy and threadbare, torn in several places. He hadn’t thought anything of it before now, but now that the dragon was commenting on it, Ezekiel felt rather self-conscious about how ragged he looked. “And you didn’t seem to be panicking; you were calmly assessing your surroundings. I figured that you must be an intelligent creature, but I hadn’t hoped that we would be able to communicate! Oh, this is so cool!” The dragon continued, talking excitedly. “How are you? Are you okay in there?”

“I, uh, yeah. I’m fine, thanks. Just a little knocked around,” Ezekiel managed, taken aback by the question. The dragon seemed to care about his condition, and that settled Ezekiel’s frayed nerves a bit.

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” The dragon asked, her brow furrowing in concern. The dragon’s worried, gentle demeanor was taking him by surprise, but Ezekiel stayed composed and polite.

“No no, I’m fine. You just… startled me a bit.” The boy smiled sheepishly. The dragon’s smile easily slid back onto her face.

“Well, I’m happy to hear that. Sorry about the glass,” she gestured at his cylindrical cell. “How about I get you outta there?” Before Ezekiel had a chance to respond, Eliza had grasped the glass with a clawed hand and upended it onto the bed, letting the little human fall gently onto the colorful bedspread. She removed the glass and placed it on her nightstand, the glass lightly clinking as it touched the wood. Without the glass barrier between them, Ezekiel became suddenly aware of exactly how exposed he felt next to the dragon. It took every ounce of his self-control not to cower away from the enormous reptile.
She quickly turned back towards him, as if he might disappear if she looked away for more than a few seconds. “So, what exactly are you?” She asked excitedly.
Ezekiel had been expecting the question for a while. “I’m a human,” Ezekiel declared clearly, waiting for a response. The dragon gave him a blank look. “Or a homo sapien, if that helps,” he added, trying to clarify.

Eliza gave him a helpless look and shrugged. “Human, huh? I’ve never heard of anything like that before, or at least not from around here. Human,” she repeated slowly, as if trying to familiarize herself with the word. Her eyes lit up as she thought of another question. “So are you from around here? Are there any more of you guys living somewhere around here?”

“No, I’m alone,” he blurted without thinking. She looked a slightly disappointed. “Oh!” She exclaimed as a thought struck her. “I still don’t know your name. What should I call you?”

“My name’s Ezekiel,” the human replied, his own name sounding strangely foreign. He realized that he hadn’t heard it aloud in quite some time. “Nice to meet you, Eliza.” He would have offered his hand to shake, but since the dragon’s fingers were thicker than his arms, he figured that it would be an awkward exchange.

She looked surprised. “Nice to meet you too, Ezekiel. How did you know my name? I don’t remember introducing myself.” She looked curiously at the human.

“S-sorry, I remember your brother calling you by name earlier,” Ezekiel stammered. He felt his face heat up. He didn’t want to seem like he had been spying on them.

“Oh yeah? I’m sure you learned all sorts of things about us while you’ve been hidden away.” Ezekiel blushed harder. While he had overheard quite a bit about the family during his stay, he had never meant to eavesdrop. “I assume you didn’t just come in this morning and make straight for the pantry. My guess is that you stayed out of sight until you figured out where we kept the dry food, then snuck in there.” She gave Ezekiel a knowing smirk. He looked away, feeling like a child caught stealing from the cookie jar. “How long have you been living here, anyways? A day or two? Half a week?”

Ezekiel looked down at his feet and shifted uncomfortably. “Quite a while, actually. It’s been hard to properly keep track of the days, but I think it’s been almost a month since I arrived.”

“A month!?” Eliza almost squealed in shock. Ezekiel flinched and stepped away; he hadn’t expected such a strong reaction. “You’re telling me that you’ve been living by yourself, hidden in the walls without friends, a bed, or a hot meal, for an entire month?” Ezekiel nodded shakily, staring at the floor. He tried his best to look like a tired castaway, rather than an intruder that had secretly been stealing food for about four weeks. In his rather ragged state, he didn’t have to try very hard.

“Aww, you poor thing! You must be exhausted! ” Eliza cooed sympathetically. Ezekiel still had to fight the instinct to run away as the dragon slowly reached towards him. He was surprised to feel that the was gently stroking his head, a caring look on her face. He blushed again, shifting his feet nervously. “Living alone for that long in the cold and the dark, with no one to talk to? How come you had never come to one of us for help?”
He shrugged, embarrassed. “Well, I… I kinda thought, you know,” he gestured helplessly at her body, as if it helped explain his situation. She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. Arthur sighed. “I wasn’t sure how you might react to find out I had been secretly living in your house. And with you being so big and all, you might…” He trailed off, unable to put his thoughts into words.

“We might what? Treat you like a pest and throw you out?” She finished testily, scowling down at the human in irritation. The dragon was obviously put out by Ezekiel’s suggestion.
He held his hands up in a placating gesture. “W-well, no, not exactly, I just-”

“Not exactly?”She cut him off, fuming. Ezekiel gulped. Wrong answer, apparently. She jutted her head towards the tiny human standing on her bedspread, making the human feel even smaller than before. “What did you think I’d do to you then? Thoughtlessly stomp on you like an insect? Crush you for fun? Eat you?” With each suggestion, she moved her head a little closer to the human.

The human’s eyes widened in fear at the last suggestion, but he remained carefully silent, trying to avoid insulting her further with poorly chosen words. Despite her proximity, Ezekiel forced himself not to instinctively step away from the angry dragon; doing so would undoubtedly worsen her mood. He wanted to find a polite way to say that he had been terrified of her family, of their immense size, and what they might have done to him if he was ever discovered, but explaining that in a delicate manner seemed perfectly impossible. She was obviously insulted, but Ezekiel couldn’t think of anything to say to placate her.

“Well?” Eliza’s nose was practically touching the human before her, her blue eyes piercing through him. The human’s heart hammered in his chest, sweat beading on his forehead and trickling between his shoulder blades, leaving a cold line down his back. Something inside Ezekiel sparked to life, a fierce flame of emotion that he hadn’t felt for a long time.

“I was afraid, alright!?” He was surprised to hear that he was shouting. Eliza drew her head away from him, her lips forming a tight line as she narrowed her eyes at him. Weeks of fear and confusion burned away as he glared up at the dragon, while she looked down at him like he was some minor annoyance. He felt his caution and fear be replaced with a burning, uncontrollable anger that had been slowly building in his body. He stared daggers at her as furious thoughts boiled to the surface of his mind. She was the reason why he was afraid. She was why he had to live in destitution for so long, hiding in the walls like a rodent or an insect. All of the bottled up anger that had been accumulating over the last month tore out of him like a raging storm. His fury flowed through his veins, searching for a way out of his body. He was disgusted at how pathetic he was, living like an animal. He was angry at this world for making him feel small and insignificant and afraid. Most of all, he loathed the dragons that inhabited the house for making feel practically nonexistent, for going about their lives normally while he quietly wasted away inside the walls. His rage reached a breaking point as it burst from his lips before he knew he was speaking.

“It’s not my fault I’m small! You’re the ones that are stomping around like the gargantuan beasts that you are, making my life a living hell! Do you think I like living in the walls like some kind of insect, stealing food in order to barely survive?” Ezekiel’s voice dripped venom as his thoughts freely flowed from his mouth, his hate forming words as if to tear the dragon apart. “You think that I want to live here? I am sick and tired of being afraid, tired of going to sleep cold and alone, and tired of waking up from countless nightmares! I’ve been terrified of what might happen if any of you ever caught me, and you’re mad because I wouldn’t ask for help? I didn’t want your help! I wanted you to disappear! I wanted nothing more than to wake up from this endless nightmare and never see any of you again!” He screamed, his voice cracking from the strain. He felt his fists clench and muscles tighten in anger and anticipation. He scowled up at the dragon, meeting her eyes in a defiant challenge. If she was going to kill him now, then he wasn’t going to go down without a fight.

For several long, pounding heartbeats, they stared at each other, both unwilling to look away. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife, and the air seemed to hang still. Very little moved in room. Ezekiel’s chest rose and fell with ragged, uneven breaths. His arms trembled slightly, tight with anticipation. The dragon remained very still, her scaled chest barely shifting under her breathing, her eyes hard and critical. He expected her to snarl, or jump at him, but she simply stared. After what seemed like minutes of unmoving silence, the dragon blinked slowly. When she opened her eyes, they were no longer hard or spiteful. Ezekiel watched as her expression softened: her brow furrowed in concern, her mouth formed a little frown, and her eyes grew distant as she gazed sadly at the human. Her features visibly relaxed as she took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry, Ezekiel. I… I didn’t think about how you must have felt. You’ve been afraid and alone for all of this time, and I’ve been nothing but insensitive,” she sniffed, looking away from him. Ezekiel thought he could hear regret in her voice. “If you don’t want to talk to me anymore, I would understand completely. You can leave, if you like; I won’t stop you.” She stared down at her hands, pointedly looking away from the human.

Ezekiel looked up at her in disbelief. He had just screamed an angry challenge at the dragon, and she was letting him go? He didn’t know what to think. Could she be trying to trick him, letting him almost get away before snatching him up again? He glared at her suspiciously, but looking up at how sad the dragon looked, Ezekiel couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for her. Her apology seemed genuine, and after what he had said, Ezekiel couldn’t help but feel guilty. In retrospect, she hadn’t done anything to warrant any fear, aside from snatching him off the pantry shelves, and he had treated her like a monster. As he looked up at the dragon, all he could see was a sad girl who wanted a friend. All of the tension and anger that had built up inside his body flooded out of him as quickly as it had appeared, leaving him feeling hollow and exhausted. His fists unclenched to hand limply at his sides. Unsure of what to say, he sat down silently and twiddled his thumbs, waiting for the dragon to notice him. After about a minute, her eyes flicked briefly to Ezekiel and back down again.

“You’re still here,” she observed flatly. She didn’t look at him.

“I am,” Ezekiel responded in the same tone. Neither were eager to initiate a conversation. The silence stretched, growing thicker in the room. Eliza stared down at her hands while Ezekiel looked restlessly about, eyes randomly flicking from the textbooks on her desk to an assortment of stuffed animals stacked neatly in her closet to shelves covered with miscellaneous items. Eventually his eyes rested on a framed photo on the dragon’s nightstand. It was a picture of Eliza and her family celebrating with a bunch of other people.

“That’s my graduation photo,” Eliza explained. He looked up to see that the dragon had followed his gaze to the picture. “I graduated from high school about a week ago. Do… Did you go to school, where you’re from?” She asked tentatively, glancing sidelong at Ezekiel.

“Yeah, and I was about to graduate too, until…” He trailed off as he realized that he would have graduated around two weeks ago, if he had been there to take his finals. He scowled, frustration bubbling in his chest.

Eliza winced. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up a touchy subject.” She looked down, discouraged.

“Who’s that in the picture with you?” Ezekiel asked, hoping to avoid another awkward silence.

“Um, let’s see,” Eliza mumbled as she took the picture off the nightstand and set it on the bedspread. Up close, Ezekiel saw close to a dozen dragons smiling around Eliza. “That’s Mark, one of my siblings. You’ve seen him before, right?” She pointed to a tall yellow dragon. Ezekiel nodded. She pointed to several other dragons Ezekiel recognized, some of them larger than the others, all of them larger than Eliza. “On the right, that’s Abigail, Philip, and Diana. On the left, that’s Eric, David, and Julius, and those are my parents,” she finished, pointing to the two large dragons in the back.

“Are they all your siblings?” Ezekiel asked, stunned. It looked more like a crowd than a family photo. Eliza nodded. “That’s crazy!”

Eliza chuckled. “This isn’t even my whole family. I have two older brothers who have moved out already. These are just the ones who could make it.”

“That sounds like it could get a little crowded. Why are they all so much bigger than you?” Ezekiel asked. Some of the others were several times her size, standing on four legs instead of two.

“They’re not that much bigger than me,” Eliza complained. Ezekiel raised an eyebrow at her, a smile sneaking onto his face. “Okay, so they are quite a bit bigger,” she admitted. “And they certainly don’t let me forget it. I’d like to think it’s only because I’m the youngest, but Mark is my age and he’s already taller than me.” She pointed at the yellow dragon next to Eliza in the photo. Mark was the closest to Eliza’s height, and he still stood a full head taller than her.

She frowned thoughtfully. “I know I’m going to get bigger, but I don’t want to be the ‘baby sister’ forever. I’d like to be bigger than some of them, but so far, that doesn’t seem like it’s going to be the case.” She smiled sadly.

Ezekiel shrugged. “Well if it’s any consolation, I think you’re pretty big.” He grinned up at her.

She returned his smile. “I guess that does make me feel a little better,” she conceded, brightening. “Speaking of which, do you have a family?  If you don’t mind me asking,” Eliza continued quickly. “I would understand if you don’t want to talk about that sort of thing.”

“No, it’s alright,” Ezekiel responded easily. Having a casual conversation was comfortable, and for the first time, Ezekiel started to relax. It had been a long time since Ezekiel had experienced anything as familiar. “I don’t have any brothers or sisters, and my parents died in a car accident when I was little-”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Eliza apologized. “I didn’t mean to bring up any bad memories.”

“Forget it, it’s fine,” he said dismissively, waving her comment off. “It happened when I was still a toddler, so I don’t remember them much. Since then, my aunt has been taking care of me like I was her own kid. She’s taken care of me for so long, I think of her as my real mother.”

“She sounds nice,” Eliza commented.

“Yeah... “ Ezekiel smiled nostalgically. “I miss her. She’s probably worried sick about me right now. I’ve been gone from home for so long now.”
“How did that happen, by the way?” Eliza asked. “Like, how did you show up in our house, of all places?”

“It’s kind of a long story, if you’re willing to hear it.” The dragon nodded eagerly, settling down onto the bed in front of him. He took a deep breath and began from several hours before he had journeyed into the forest, briefly talking about his world and how everything was smaller there, or at least scaled to his size. He talked about his aunt, his home, his school, and a general description of his daily life, while Eliza asked an occasional question for clarification. Ezekiel paced around on the bedspread as he talked while looking up at the huge dragon, who listened intently to his every word. He continued on to recount his ordeal with the mysterious flash of light, and how he had suddenly ended up in Eliza’s home, in a foreign and oversized world.

“And I have been living in the wall ever since,” he finished, sitting down on the soft bedding with an air of finality. It felt good to talk after such a long period of solitude and silence. He had almost began to forget what his own voice sounded like.
Eliza silently tapped her chin with a claw, taking a moment to take it all in. “Huh,” she mused, staring into the middle distance. “That’s quite a story.”

“It’s all true, I swear,” Ezekiel insisted. It did sound a little ridiculous, now that he had said it all aloud. “After that, I’ve been sneaking back and forth from the wall and the pantry, pilfering the little food I’ve needed to survive.” He tried to make it sounds as harmless as possible, but there aren’t a whole lot of nice ways to say ‘stealing.’

Eliza didn’t seem to mind. “Oh, I believe you, little guy. I was just wondering what that flash of light might have been…” Her eyes drifted away, lost in thought. After a couple seconds, she shrugged. “Well, I got nothing. I could ask my dad about it tomorrow.” Ezekiel began to protest, but Eliza cut him off. “Don’t worry, he’s a nice guy. I’m sure he’ll be happy to help,” she assured him.

“Well, if you’re sure…” Ezekiel said doubtfully. He had only seen her father a handful of times since his arrival, but the huge gold dragon was intimidating.

“I’m sure. And speaking of tomorrow,” Eliza yawned, looking at the digital clock on her nightstand. “It’s getting pretty late, and I’m pretty tired. How about we hit the hay for tonight?”

“Sure,” Ezekiel replied, yawning in response. He paused, looking around the room. “Umm… not to be a burden, but where am I going to sleep? I don’t mind sleeping on the floor,” he commented. Sleeping on carpet would be a huge step up from the cold ground inside the walls.

“What? No, you’re not sleeping on the floor. And although I’m not against sharing a bed, I wouldn’t want to accidentally roll on top of you while I slept. Hmm…” She tapped her chin thoughtfully, looking around. “Ooh! I know!” She exclaimed, leaping off the bed heading to her small closet. Ezekiel watched as she fiddled with a few items she had laying around, trying to get a peek at what she was doing. After a few moments of tinkering, she emerged from her closet with something in her hands. “Tada!” She proudly produced a shoebox with a small blanket lining the bottom, forming a makeshift bed. She had even taken a tissue and carefully folded it into a tiny pillow for him. “It isn’t much, but it sure beats sleeping on the floor,” she held it for Ezekiel to see. “Well? Do you like it?” She asked excitedly.
Ezekiel shifted uncomfortably. He had something that he had wanted to get off his chest for a while, but he was struggling to put his thoughts into words.

She frowned down at the human, noticing his discomfort. “Hey, if you don’t like it, I can find something else. It’s no big deal, really.” She set the shoebox down on the nightstand.
“No, it isn’t that. The bed is great, and I’m really thankful. It’s just that I-” Ezekiel opened his mouth to speak, before shutting it again. He stared at the bedspread, finding it easier to think without looking directly at her.

“I would like to apologize, for what I said before.” He looked up at her before continuing. She looked surprised, but she let him continue. “The things I said to you were rude and unkind, and you didn’t deserve any of that. I hadn’t realized how angry I had felt…” He scratched the back of his head nervously, looking away sheepishly. “Well, none of it should have been directed at you. I was scared and stupid and quick to judge you, while you’ve been nothing but nice to me. The things I said were awful, and I’m really sorry. I hope that I can do something to make it up to you.” He smiled, trying to seem sincere.

Eliza beamed down at him for a moment before quickly scooping him up in her claws. Before Ezekiel knew what was happening, she had gently pressed him to her chest, holding him in a colossal hug. Ezekiel couldn’t help but blush in response to the unexpected embrace.

“Oh, you are just the cutest little thing!” The dragon squealed in delight. “Of course I forgive you, little guy. And as for making it up to me, think nothing of it. As far as I’m concerned, you don’t owe me anything.”

“Are you sure?” Ezekiel gave a slightly muffled response. Being pressed against a dragon’s chest made it slightly hard to breath. “You’ve offered me safety, food, and a place to sleep, and I’ve haven’t done anything to deserve it. Isn’t there something I can do in return?” Ezekiel asked hopefully. It bothered him that she was so quick to let it go, and he didn’t want it to be hanging over his head in the future.  

Eliza hmmmed thoughtfully, the sound vibrating through her chest and Ezekiel’s whole body. “Well, if you insist, I guess you could just owe me one. That okay?” She suggested, still happily holding the human against herself.

“That’s fine, I suppose,” Ezekiel said, frowning. Simply owing a favor to the dragon wasn’t what he had in mind, but it was better than nothing. He did his best to enjoy the hug, despite his limited movement. After a few seconds, Eliza gently deposited Ezekiel in his makeshift bed on the nightstand. Ezekiel awkwardly made himself comfortable, laying down on the layered blanket while Eliza went to turn off the light. It was surprisingly comfortable for something Eliza had just thrown together, but Ezekiel figured that anything would seem comfortable after almost a month of sleeping on nothing but the floor. Ezekiel watched as Eliza’s vague form moved to her bed in almost total darkness, thinking that she could probably see better in the dark than he could. Her blue eyes reflected light so well, they seemed like two floating orbs of blue light as she walked to her bed. As she sat down, she turned to the watching human.

“Goodnight, Ezekiel,” the dragon said drowsily, laying her head against the pillow. The two blue lights winked out as she closed her eyes. Ezekiel lay back against his tissue-pillow, his eyes wide open, listening to the dragon’s breathing. He quietly stared into the darkness until the dragon’s breathing pattern slowed down and became softer, more rhythmic. Only until after he was completely sure that she was asleep did he began to plot out his escape.

It would be easy, he thought to himself. Even if she was a light sleeper, Ezekiel had long since mastered the art of moving stealthily. He could silently climb down the nightstand, and the carpet would soften the sound of his footsteps until he made it to the door. Then, it was a simple matter of sliding under the door and making his way through the house, back to his little hideaway. He could gather the meager belongings he still possessed: a tattered backpack, his useless cell phone, maybe a day’s rations, and a water bottle. Finding an exit would be trickier; he couldn’t fit under the front door, so he would have to find a window that had been left open or unlocked. He had no doubt in his mind that he could safely be out of the house by morning. Even as he was thinking, his heartbeat quickened, his body readying itself for action. If he wanted to escape, now would be the best time to do it, when only one of the dragon’s knew about him.

But… Ezekiel looked back to the dragon, sleeping peacefully next to him. Eyes now adjusted to the darkness, Ezekiel stared for a long time at the dragon, considering his options. Eliza said that she wanted to introduce him to her family the day afterwards, and the concept terrified the little human. Meeting one dragon was enough to almost give him a heart attack; he wasn’t sure if he was ready to meet an entire family of them yet. But what if she’s right, and they like you, what if… He lay back against his pillow, searching the darkness as if it could give him the right answer. If he stay with the dragon, he’d be risking everything, putting his life on the line. But for the chance of acceptance, isn’t it worth it? Frustrated, Ezekiel pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes. Why was it so difficult to just get up and leave? He didn’t need anyone helping him. He had survived by himself for sometime now, living alone without any strings attached. He was always ready to pack up and bolt out of the house as soon as he was discovered, yet now that the opportunity had presented itself, he was hesitating. Why bother to change a system that’s obviously working? Why take the risk at all? If he stayed, he’d be putting his life in the hands of a stranger he had only just met.

But looking back at the sleeping dragon from his tiny homemade bed, he couldn’t bring himself to leave. Despite all of his planning, all of his preparation for the day to come where he would leave this house and try to survive elsewhere, he wasn’t able to follow through. Eliza was certainly nice to him, but more than that, she was kind to him, something that Ezekiel hadn’t felt for a long time. And as he sat brooding on his blanket-bed, he realized that he had missed it more than he could have possibly imagined. It had been weeks since he had a pleasant conversation, but after his few hours with Eliza, he realized that he ached for it. He longed for the feeling of having someone to talk to, of knowing someone would be there to listen to your dreams or your sorrows. He crave the feeling of having someone who would enjoy his company as much as he enjoyed theirs, and would miss him when he left. More than anything, he was truly desperate just to have someone else in his life that he could talk to.

Over the past few weeks, he had thought of the dragons as unfamiliar, foreign creatures that should be avoided, and in that way, he had been truly alone in the world for almost a month. But now the dragon was giving him an opportunity to leave all of that behind. She was offering him something that he needed more than anything else right now: to be his friend. He was still afraid of meeting her family, but he wouldn’t go back to living alone. He couldn’t. He had an absolute, feral need for someone to talk to. Eliza had given him a taste of companionship, and now that he had remembered what it had felt like, there was no way in hell that he was going lose it again.

He lay back in his bed, determination beating in his chest like a drum. He was going to meet her family tomorrow, and he was going to be ready for it. He was going to be polite, well-spoken, and stand up straight. He would show them how he was fun to have around, and if he could, he would make them laugh. He would do everything in his own power to make a good impression, and he would go the extra mile to make it happen. And no matter what happened, he would be content with the fact that, in his brief time on this strange planet, he had made at least one friend.