literature

TheBorrowerArrietty2: Chapter 07

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Sho was always very nervous about Arrietty, now that she had the freedom to do whatever she wanted. He was always afraid that she might run away from him, or Haru might catch her, or she might hurt herself. And it did not reassure him at all when he arrived home to see Arrietty lying face first on his desk, unmoving. "Arrietty?" No response. His heart began to race. "Arrietty?!" He dashed over and gently flipped her onto her back. She groaned slightly, but made no other sound. He felt her forehead with his pinkie, and discovered that she had a fever. He prodded her gingerly, trying to wake her up. She did not move. Sho was growing frantic now. He couldn't give her medicine, nor could he leave her like this. He shook his head, trying o clear the anxiety that had clouded his mind. First of all, he had to take her somewhere comfortable. He picked her up carefully and gently set her down on her little bed. Her face seemed to relax a bit as her head sank softly into the pillow. Sho tore a small piece of a paper towel and soaked it with water from the bathroom. He folded it into a tiny rectangle, and set it on top of her forehead. This was the most he could do. With a final glance at the ill borrower, he turned toward his desk and began to work.

Sho returned to his room after dinner with his aunt, whispering, "Arrietty? Are you awake?" He didn't hear her reply, but he heard her nearly inaudible breathing. He slowly opened the little house, and saw that she had changed into her house clothes and she had fallen asleep reading a book. The book sat on her lap, rustling when Sho drew nearer. Upon hearing the pages flutter, Arrietty slowly opened her eyes. She smiled a little, and then said hoarsely, "Sorry that I made you worry. I'm okay now." Sho almost sighed in relief, but then caught himself. His breath could blow the book away. Sho offered his hand, to which Arrietty slowly crawled out of her bed and staggered toward. She fell into his palm, and he gently cupped her with his other hand. Sho set her down on his homework, and Arrietty painfully sat down. "Are you sure you're okay?" "I should be fine. If only I could find some herbs…" Sho sat down on his chair, and laid his chin on his arms. "What herbs?" Arrietty coughed a bit, then replied, "I've been like this since I was little. Every now and then I would get sick, but one special herb would always heal me. It looks a bit like a maple leaf, except a lot smaller and it has a bit of red. It's… a special remedy that only borrowers know of." Sho listened intently, then slowly asked, "Do you want to go find it? I can carry you out and you just tell me where I should look." Arrietty perked up a bit at the idea, eyes shining. Sho looked outside his window, and commented, "The sun is still out and bright. We have time." Arrietty coughed several times before agreeing. Sho began to tuck her into his chest pocket, but Arrietty insisted that she stand on his shoulder like before so she could see. Sho began to object, but Arrietty made it clear she was going to stand there even though she was sick. Finally giving up, he outstretched his arm and she slowly climbed to his shoulder. He glanced at her, and she nodded. Sho walked on pins the entire trip down the stairs and out the back door. Haru was in the kitchen, cleaning up the dishes. Sho's aunt was in her room, reading the newspapers. No one noticed the boy and the little girl atop his shoulder creeping toward the forest. Arrietty coughed a little bit more violently, until tears streamed down her face. "Are you alright, Arrietty?" She shuddered a few times, then said weakly, "Let's hurry. Set me down in that patch of grass." Sho obeyed without question, and carefully placed her frail body on the ground. She began her little search for the mysterious herb that had cured her before. She surveyed the area for a few moments, then turned to Sho, "They aren't here. Take me a bit deeper into the woods." Again, he placed her in a small patch of grass where she'd look for the herb, always in vain. Finally, Arrietty found one small leaf, and she joyfully showed it to Sho. "We'll need a few more, but this is how they look like." "Why don't I also help you? Now that I know what they look like." Arrietty nodded, and he bent down and began his search for the herb. The two peculiar pair roamed the ground in search for the herb. Sho found two more of the herb, and was probing for a third when he heard Arrietty shout. Arrietty had wandered quite a distance from Sho, and she had accidentally slipped down a small ditch that was equal to a cliff to a human. She tried to stand up, but her right foot was badly broken. She collapsed under the pain, and started shouting for her only hope. "Sho! SHO! Help me!" Sho dashed through the woods, trying to locate where her voice was coming from. Her tiny voice rang in every direction in Sho's head. "Where are you?" He shouted. Arrietty's leg was hurting more than ever, and she didn't think she could hold out much longer. "Sho! I'm here!" She drew out her 'here' as long as she could, but it didn't help. Her voice grew worse and worse until her cries were barely whispers of pleading. Sho frantically searched the ground on all fours, but he simply could not tell where her voice was coming from. He was about to call the police to have them help when his furry tabby, Neiya, dashed toward him. The cat had not been around for most of the time, and Haru suspected that it had gotten lost in the woods. The tabby was all too happy to see Sho. Sho pulled it away from him, and continued his search. He was glad to have it back, but he could not forget the already sick Arrietty. Arrietty shouted with her final gasp, "Sho!" The Neiya's ears perked up, and Sho knew it had heard her as well. The cat slowly padded its way toward the small ditch, and the last thing Arrietty remembered before she passed out was the cat peering at her. Sho ran over the where the cat was, and saw Arrietty. Her right foot was swollen and red, and he knew she had broken something. Turning to the cat, he ordered it, "Stay here and watch over her." Neiya stared back, and Sho dashed back into the house. He grabbed his notebook and her pillow and ran all the way back. He heard Haru asking him what he was up to, and he shouted over his shoulder, "I found a cool leaf." The cat had not budged, and Sho patted it on the head. With the slowness and steadiness of a surgeon's hands, he lifted Arrietty onto his notebook and placed the pillow under her right foot. He glanced around, a picked up a curiously flat leaf and placed it on top of Arrietty. Then, with hesitation, he shouted into the dark, "Spiller! I need you immediately! Please!" and he carried the injured borrower slowly back to his room.

He set his notebook on his desk, and locked the door behind him. Spiller was already at the window, and Sho quickly opened the window for Spiller to enter. He took one look at Arrietty, and glared at Sho. "What happened?" Sho took the herbs out of his pocket and showed them to Spiller. "We were looking for these. Arrietty had gotten sick. She fell into a ditch, and broke her foot. My cat helped to find her." Spiller stared at him a bit, then nodded. "I believe you." He dashed over to Arrietty, and examined her leg. Sho sat quietly beside, watching anxiously like a mother waiting for news of her children. Spiller, turned around, and Sho immediately began to ask. Spiller interrupted him, "I can't fix her foot. I don't know how to. Her dad does, but I do not believe he would want for you to be around. Sho, angered, interjected, "I don't care if he doesn't trust me. Arrietty is hyrt, and I need to help her. Take me to their new home. I will wait in a clearing so I don't know exactly where it is. Tell Pod to beoieve me for once. Bring him to me, and I can get back faster than you can fly." Spiller looked nervously to Arrietty then back at Sho. Sho picked up his notebook and said to Spiller, "I will let Neiya keep an eye on her. It helped us twice before, so I trust it with my heart." Spiller's hair stood on end, but he agreed. Sho carried the notebook outside and placed it where he had found her. The tabby crept near, and Sho said to it strictly, "Keep her safe. I will be away." The cat licked its paw, and Sho said firmer, "Understand?" The tabby grinned and gave a little nod. It sat down and did not budge. "Let's go. Tell me where to go." Spiller hopped on Arrietty's usual perch, and he pointed deep into the forest. "Go to where you said goodbye to her, and follow the stream." Sho took a deep breath, and plunged into the setting sun.
Disaster strikes as the tiny borrower becomes ill from a childhood sickness.

[UPDATE: The cat's name is Neiya (not sure how to spell though)]

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coalwhite's avatar
Niya* is how you spell the cat's name