CHAPTER 5: Just Waiting For It

      This morning we have coffee. I stare down at it, thinking about my dream. I haven't had coffee before... have I? But the smell brings back that dream so vividly... I hardly ever dream, not like that. I usually only have stress-fueled nightmares, being chased by a giantess, not being able to save everyone... but this dream felt like a memory. There was a wash of emotions that weren't fear for once. I shake my head.

       The coffee is delicious, like I knew it would be. I'll have to ask Naomi for some when I get back.

    "Miranda gets discounts on them cause she works at the pet store," Jeff says. "Apparently it's expensive to produce stuff our size. Who would have thought."     "Sounds like a bullshit marketing scheme to me," Zero says and downs his coffee in one go. He offers up his eggs to Beta. She scowls, but takes them anyway.

    "You can't just eat bacon and coffee all the time. You need other things in your diet."

     "HELLO, LITTLE ONES," Miranda says as she enters the room of her home our house resides in. "GOOD NEWS."

     "Oh snap," Jeff says, wiping his face and rising. "This sounds like the part where she tells us someone has gotten picked."

     "Someone got picked?" I saw, following him.

     "Yeah. Miranda takes care of us in here so that we can be adopted. A lot of the people came here sick from the store. Instead of returning them, she nursed them back to health. And she took us in after we got rescued off the street."      "Return them? Where do they come from anyway?"

     "Do you see that up there?" he says, pointing to a black object outside the case. "It's a camera. Apparently Miranda has a website where anyone can log in and see us live. They can choose which of us they want."

     "Oh."

     We all gather on the front lawn, her face filling the sky. She scans the crowd, her eyes darting between us. "AH. THERE YOU ARE," she says, and reaches into the case. Everyone takes a step back as the massive hand rushes toward us. Gently, they close around a figure.

     Jeff gasps as the giant fingers engulf him. His face is a mixture of surprise, excitement, and a tinge of something else. Regret? "I- okay," he says, rising upwards, "Goodbye everyone, I just want to say..." but his words are lost as he disappears into the distance.

       "TODAY IS YOUR DAY," Miranda says to him as she walks away. "I'M GOING TO TAKE YOU TO YOUR NEW HOME NOW."

     We remaining all glance at each other, mixed faces of happiness, acceptance, and disappointment as we slowly return to our lives. Eventually all that is left is myself, Beta, and Zero.

     "Well, that's that," Zero says.

     Beta sighs. "I think I'll miss him."

     Zero nods solemnly, squinting. "I guess we're all just waiting for it to happen to us."

     "No," I say, "In six days Naomi will be back, and I'm sure she'll take you in with me. Or at least, you'll be able to stay here with Miranda and we'll come visit. I'm sure when I talk to them they won't let some stranger take you away."

     "That will be amazing," Beta says. "We won't have to worry about anything, ever again..."

     We let that sink in for a few minutes, staring silently at the glass walls of the case.

     "I'm bored," Zero says.

     A thought strikes me. "Maybe we could..." I start, but I see a knowing grin spread across Zero's face.

       "Way ahead of you, bro."

     "Oh no," Beta says, "Really?"

     I look at Zero quizzically.

       He shrugs. "I've been looking at a way out of here. There's a fake panel in the ground behind the house. where the power cords get plugged in for the lights and everything. Beta doesn't wanna go, but you and me could unplug one of the cords and get through there..."

     "I didn't want to help you because you'd get caught and you'd get in trouble, or worse you'd get your dumb ass killed!" Beta says.

     Zero crosses his arms and shrugs, pouting.

     I ponder for a moment. "Yeah... I think I'd be down to stretch my legs a bit. But Beta's right, I mean..."

     Beta crosses her own arms, scowling. I'm about to tell that I won't go, when she says, "I'll go."

     "Huh? You don't have to," Zero says hastily. "We didn't ask-"

     "I know you didn't ask," she says. "I'm going."

     I grin. "Okay! Shall we?"

     "If you get in trouble, it was your fucking idea," Zero says, walking towards the back of the house.