Oh no.
I waved my hands in the air. “It’s okay! I’m your gnome.”
“Get it, Win!” he yelled back.
What did that mean? Was he still scared? Maybe I should hide again.
Yes. I would hide and try another day.
I turned and ran for the spot behind the cereal box.
Boom!
My nose slammed right into a clear glass jar. Where…? How…?
I turned in a circle. The jar was all around me. Oh no.
Oh no, oh no, oh no.
This was what my family always warned me about. This was why they always said to stay away from hoomans.
But I thought my hooman was different.
He wasmyhooman. Why was he scared of me? Why would he trap me?
Kissy-kissy man’s face came close to my glass prison and said, “Gotcha, little guy.”
I put my hands on my cheeks and yelled, “Let me out!”
My hooman gasped. “Oh my god. Did you guys hear that?”
One of the young ones asked, “Hear what?”
“It talked!”
I yelled, “My hoooomaaaan! Saaaavvvee meeee!”
He gasped again. “Holy shit. The gnome’s talking.”
Kissy-kissy man tilted his head to the side, staring at me. “I only hear meeps.”
“My hooooommaaan! Heeeeelllpp! Save me! Please!”
My hooman’s eyes went wide, and he stepped closer, bending down to look at me. “Why… why can I understand you?”
I smiled at him. “You’re my hooman.”
His eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he fell. Kissy-kissy man caught him, letting go of my prison.
“Oh my god, Miles!” Kissy-kissy man yelled. “Miles, wake up. Please.”
Uh-oh. I needed to help my hooman!
I ran into the side of the glass cup, yelling as I made it tip over. Then I climbed out, ran behind the cereal, and started climbing down to get to my hooman.
My hooman needed my help.
