Alice sat on the stump, her legs tense and her hands gripping the rough wood beneath her. She felt her heart thudding in her chest as she waited for Leila to begin, her mind racing with anticipation. She needed answers, needed to know what had happened to Jordan, and why everything had gone so wrong.

Leila took a deep breath, her tiny chest rising and falling, before beginning her story. “It all started yesterday… when you and Jordan were having your picnic,” she began. “I was nearby, just watching, trying to stay hidden and maybe grab some food when neither of you were watching, but Jordan noticed me. I guess I wasn’t as sneaky as I thought I was.” She gave a small, sheepish smile. “I have a keen sense of hearing and heard Jordan make up some excuse to you… you remember, right? He told you he had to go say hi to someone he knew who worked at the park.”

Alice nodded slowly, her mind flashing back to that moment. She had been on her phone, reading some news about her favorite band, only half-listening to Jordan. She remembered watching him run off, wondering where he was going but dismissing it quickly, distracted by her own thoughts.

Leila continued, “While you were on your phone, Jordan followed me into the deeper part of the forest. I tried to hide, but he cornered me… he grabbed me, held me in his fist, and demanded to know who I was and why I was lurking around. I… I panicked. I used my magic to shrink him down to my size, turned him into a tiny Fey like me.”

Alice’s face went pale, her breath catching in her throat. Her mind replayed the strange encounter from the day before—the tiny creature she had held on the picnic blanket, the one she had fed a chip to, the one she had tried to communicate with using the notebook… “No…” she whispered, her eyes widening in horror as the pieces clicked into place. “No… no way…”

Leila nodded, her expression somber. “Yes, Alice… that little creature was Jordan. He was right there with you, trying to stay silent, trying to do what I asked him to do.”

Alice could barely register what she was hearing. Her heart raced, a mix of panic and disbelief flooding her senses. That tiny little guy… that was Jordan? She’d held him in her hands, so close, and hadn’t even realized it. She felt a rush of emotions—guilt, confusion, fear—swirl inside her like a storm. She took a shaky breath, struggling to steady herself. “But… why?” she managed to ask, her voice breaking slightly. “Why didn’t he just… why didn’t he ask me for help? I’m his best friend… I would have helped him…”

Leila sighed, looking up at Alice with a pained expression. “I asked him to keep quiet,” she explained. “I wanted him to bring back a piece of chocolate… for my little sister. She’s very ill, and she can’t see the outside world like we do. I thought it would cheer her up… make her feel like she wasn’t missing out. I also wanted him to stay silent to protect my village, to keep the existence of my people a secret. I didn’t think it would be… so hard for him. I didn’t realize how much he cared about you, or how much it would embarrass him to stay quiet in front of you.”

Alice’s head was spinning, her hands trembling slightly as she gripped the edge of the stump. “I don’t care about any of that right now!” she snapped, her voice raw with panic and worry. “Where is he, Leila?! Where’s Jordan now? Is he here?”

Leila’s face fell, a look of deep regret crossing her tiny features. “I… I’m afraid Jordan got grabbed,” she said quietly. “By a mother and her daughter that were visiting the park. He helped me rescue one of the younglings but got captured in the process... They took him home… they thought he was some kind of animal to keep as a pet...”

Alice’s heart stopped for a moment. “A… a pet?” she repeated, her voice barely more than a whisper. Her mind raced as panic surged through her, her breath coming in quick, shallow gasps as tears welled up in her eyes. “Oh my God… what are we going to do? How are we going to get him back?” 

Leila held up her tiny hands, trying to calm Alice down. “Please, calm down, let's try and work with what we know” she said gently. “They both have blonde hair, and I overheard the mother saying something about her daughter’s hamster dying not long ago. Maybe that’s a clue…”

Alice’s eyes widened, and suddenly, a memory flashed in her mind. Blonde hair.... Emily… she had mentioned something earlier today about running an errand for her mom, who had told her it was important. Her mind raced, everything clicking into place with a jolt.

“Emily,” Alice murmured, her voice trembling with realization. “Her mom… she must have found Jordan for Emily's little sister to keep… I-I can't be entirely sure but it has to be him, it happened not long before the last class, that's around the time you got separated from Jordan!”

Leila’s eyes widened as well, nodding. “That’s it! Then we know where he is!”

Alice stood up from the stump, her legs shaking but her resolve strengthening. “I’m going to Emily’s house,” she declared, her voice filled with determination. “I need to get him back. I can’t leave him there, not like this.”

Leila nodded in agreement. “I’ll come with you,” she offered. “We’ll find him together. I recovered some of my magic during the night… just enough to help.”

Alice gave a determined nod, feeling a rush of hope in her chest. “Thank you, Leila,” she whispered. “Thank you for telling me… and for helping.”

With that, Alice turned and started walking back through the forest, Leila perched on her shoulder, her tiny figure filled with resolve. Alice’s heart pounded with urgency, but also with newfound determination. She was finally on the right path, finally closer to finding her best friend and bringing him back where he belonged.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jordan sat miserably in his new "home," which felt more like a prison than anything else. The metal bars of the hamster cage surrounded him, offering little room to move, while the hay-covered bedding beneath him poked at his skin. He stared up through the bars at Maria and Emily, who were discussing his fate just a few feet away. He strained to hear every word, fear twisting in his stomach.

Maria had a thoughtful look on her face as she glanced at her daughters. “Alright, I've made up my mind. Emily, I think you should keep him in your room for the time being,” she decided. “A hamster is one thing but Molly’s a bit too young to be responsible for a creature this tiny, especially when we don’t know what it actually is.”

Molly, standing beside her mother, immediately pouted. “But Mom, I want to keep it in my room!” she whined, stamping her foot a little. “I promise I’ll be careful!”

Maria shook her head firmly. “No, Molly. You’re not ready to handle it by yourself. And that’s final.”

Jordan let out a silent sigh of relief. At least he wouldn’t have to endure being handled by the youngest member of the household. He had feared what Molly might do if she had free reign over him—her playful curiosity could easily turn into something far worse for him. However, now he had to deal with Emily, which wasn't much better.

Emily seemed fine with the decision, shrugging slightly. “Sure, Mom. I don’t mind,” she said, giving a small smile. She walked over to the cage and looked down at Jordan, who immediately felt a surge of nervousness. His body tensed up as he looked up at her, her face so much larger and more imposing from his tiny perspective.

Emily seemed to find his skittishness amusing, her lips curling into a slight grin. "Wow, you really are jumpy, aren't you?" she remarked, her voice teasing as she bent down to grab the cage by the handle on top. As she lifted it up, Jordan lost his balance, the sudden movement causing him to fall back onto the bedding with a soft thud.

Emily giggled at his clumsy tumble. “Oops, sorry about that,” she said, not sounding particularly sorry. “I’m not used to handling such frail little creatures” she giggled.

Jordan’s heart pounded as he tried to steady himself. He didn’t like the sound of that—"frail little creatures." He had never really understood Emily’s personality; she was something of a mystery to him. At school, he had sometimes caught her staring at him when he hung out with Alice, but he could never figure out what she exactly wanted from him. And now, here he was, at her mercy unbeknownst to Emily, trapped in a cage, with no idea what she would do next. He hoped she wouldn’t try to hurt or embarrass him.

Emily carried the cage over to her room, the world outside a blur of motion for Jordan. When she reached her room, she placed the cage on her bed and let out a small sigh. She kicked off her shoes and flopped down on the bed with a soft bounce, her legs crossing in front of her as she settled into a relaxed, barefoot position. Jordan couldn’t help but notice her large feet, now just a few inches away from the cage. He stared at them for a moment—small, well-formed, with pale skin and toenails painted a light pink. He hated himself for noticing, for even thinking about it, but between Alice and this, he was starting to suspect he had some sort of special interest he wasn’t quite ready to explore.

Before he could think any further, Emily’s voice snapped him out of his daze. “Hey, little one,” she called out, her tone curious and slightly amused. “You’re a really interesting-looking creature, you know that?”

Jordan’s head shot up, his face heating up with embarrassment at having been caught staring. He quickly looked away, hoping she hadn’t noticed. But Emily continued, her brow furrowing slightly. “Mom’s right, though… You look a bit too human to be a bug or any other kind of animal.”

Jordan felt his blood run cold. He’d been trying to keep as still and quiet as possible, hoping that if he played along, he’d be left alone. But Emily was pretty observant, and she seemed to be figuring things out a little too quickly for his comfort. He watched as her eyes narrowed slightly, as if she were putting together a puzzle in her mind.

“Hmm,” Emily murmured, leaning in closer, her face now just inches from the cage. “What are you… really?” she asked, her voice softer, almost conspiratorial. “You’ve got a tiny body, but your eyes… your expression… it’s like you understand what I’m saying.”

Jordan’s face went pale, and he swallowed hard, trying to maintain his composure. He had to stay calm, had to keep silent, just like Leila had told him. But it was getting harder by the second. Her family didn't catch on but Emily was no fool, and she was getting closer to the truth than he would have liked.

He pressed himself against the back of the cage, trying to make himself as small as possible, hoping that if he just stayed still, she might lose interest. But Emily’s eyes were sharp, and her curiosity seemed to be growing by the second. He felt like she was going to catch on any second now, and if she did, he'd be in even more trouble than he already was.

Come on, Leila, he thought desperately, I really need that help right about now.