Here we are, chapter 4. I am so glad to hear people are enjoying this story. And since you enjoy it, I am more than happy to share a little more with you.

Now, I know I have been updating rather frequently, but I am about to become a whole lot busier. Updates may be a little less frequent. If you are ever concerned, you are welcome to message me anytime with any questions.

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Chapter 4: Following the Color

Riley felt like she was losing it.

It had been two days since she had caught that strange small man. Two days since her trusting personality had cost her the creatures capture. Two days since it had disappeared in the shadows without a trace.

And since then, she'd found no signs of it. She never once heard the scratching sound again, though she listened near every hour for it. She never saw its shadow sprint across the carpet. It was like it had never existed. Riley began to wonder if the incident had even happened at all. The cousins dream argument had returned to her mind. It was seeming more and more like that was the answer, and it was mildly disappointing.

She did, however, receive one clue that may have pointed to the creatures existence. Yesterday morning, as her cousin was preparing for work, a strange look crossed her face. Riley, who had been eating cereal and watching her cousin prep for her day, looked back at her with a look of confusion.

"You know..." Her cousin started, maintaining eye contact with a random spot on the floor. "I just remembered. I saw something weird last night."

The young girls eyes had lit up at the sentence, and she dropped the spoon in the bowl with a clang. "Weird?" She asked, trying not to sound too invested.

"Yeah." Her cousin lifted her gaze to Riley and flipped her golden hair, popping a single bobby pin into the side to keep it from her eyes. "It was while I was outside."

Her cousin always made it a point to check that the gate and shed in their cramped backyard were both locked for the night, even though Riley never opened either of them. It was usually the last thing she did before she went to sleep, so Riley was generally passed out by then. None of their neighbors were night owls, so no one else was ever outside when she did her rounds. Perhaps, the young girl thought, she had seen the tiny creature.

"What happened?" Riley prodded, sitting up straight as her muscles began to tighten with dulled excitement.

"Well." Her cousin grabbed her purse from the table, stuffing her smart phone into a side pocket. "I saw a weird light. I thought it was maybe a firework or a laser thing from the neighbors yard? But it looked like this ring of colored light that began somewhere in the very corner of the yard and spread, even going a little past the fence and into the neighbors yard. Then it was gone, and I didn't see another." She flipped the purse onto one shoulder. "It was quiet, too. I didn't hear a sound."

Riley instantly remembered the colored ripple she had seen days before. It had originated under the tv stand, and was later where she found the creature had been hiding. In fact, now that she thought about it, that ring of color happened to be the same color as the purple flecks of light that made up his strange flesh. Had he been the one emitting the ripples? Why?

But, she thought, if it was him, that meant he was outside last night. Maybe that was why she hadn't seen or heard him! He'd escaped to the yard! Riley tried to act calm and collected, not letting her cousin know that she planned to hunt down the source of the rings. For some reason, she felt she had to keep it secret from her. Maybe she believed that if the cousin knew, she would call the police or something, and Riley wouldn't be able to talk to it again.

So, hiding her true muffled feelings, Riley simply mustered an "Oh. That is weird." And picked her fallen spoon up from her bowl. She pretended to be interested in eating the rest of her cereal, even though she now felt too amped up to eat.

The cousin laughed and plucked her keys from a hook on the wall. "Yeah, I thought so." She mumbled. "Well, I'm off. Remember to call me if you need anything. Bye."

Riley had produced a garbled farewell with a mouthful of cereal as her cousin left the house for the day. She sat and waited, listening for the start of her cars engine followed by the crunching of tires across the pavement and out onto the road. When she was sure that the cousin was gone, she bolted up right and dashed for the backdoor.

She had spent most of that day scouring the tiny yard, searching up and down for the little nervous man she had seen before. But there was nothing. The yard was full of browning grass, weeds, a single tree that never seemed to flower, and an old shed in need of repainting that no one ever bothered to use. There was no little creature of any kind.

Disappointed, she had spent the rest of that afternoon and evening trying to feel something. Something stronger than the weird half-emotions she had been feeling recently. She tried watching her favorite movie to make herself feel happy, but her joy was still muted. She played that game with the level she could never get past, and though she got frustrated, her anger was still weak. It was no use. She couldn't figure out or fix the problem. She needed the help of the creature.

So this morning she had spent apathetically. She needed to catch the creature to fix her problem, but he was gone. She began to think she may be doomed to this condition forever. She sighed and continued to stare at the living room ceiling. She was starting to feel worthless. These past few beautiful summer days she had spent laying on the couch accomplishing nothing. Why did this have to happen, she wondered. Especially with her parents so far away.

Just then, the clock around her wrist flipped to 11:00 exactly. From the corner of her eye, Riley saw it. A ripple of color, the same one she had seen days ago and the same one she was sure her cousin had seen, began to spread silently across the carpet. She sat up in an instant and watched the lavender ring begin to fade. Though she hadn't really been looking, she could see where the point of origin must have been. A single cardboard box sat on the floor beside the tv, a remnant from the move that had yet to be picked up. The origin, she assumed, was between the box and the wall behind it.

With a sudden burst of energy, she leapt from the couch and over to the box. Pausing just a moment as her body shivered with anticipation, she slowly reached out her hands. She didn't have a cup or a trap or anything, but she didn't care. She wasn't about to risk going to retrieve one, allowing the creature to move while her back was turned. Catching her breath, she grabbed the box and basically threw it onto the couch.

Sure enough, there he was. The little creature that she had caught days before. He was dressed in the same tiny clothes, the same soft glow radiating from his tiny figure. He was lying on his side, mouth slightly agape, eyes weakly closed beneath soft purple eyelids. He hadn't moved when the cover had been taken from him. Could it be that he was... Asleep?

Riley wasn't about to take chances. She slammed her cupped hand on the floor on top of him. But surprisingly, he didn't budge. He laid motionless beneath her hand, despite once again being captured. Riley raised an eyebrow and very slowly removed her hand. He still remained totally static, even after she had returned her arm to her side. There was no way he could sleep through that, she thought. She scanned his figure with her wide eyes. If she wasn't mistaken, he looked pale. Instead of the vibrant lavender she had seen the day before, he was a dusty purple gray. Was he... dead?

She felt her blood go cold. He couldn't be dead! He was her only hope of figuring out her problem! She reached out a frantic hand and shoved hard on his side.

The creature let out a quiet moan, almost sounding in pain, as he rolled slightly onto his back. In his new position, she could see his chest heaving. His eyes appeared to move beneath shut lids, and his hands grasped weakly at nothing.

She let out a loud sigh of relief. He was alive. But it appeared only barely. Her muted fear changed to concern and pity. Even though the thing had hid in her home and had betrayed her trust, she felt like she had to protect it. She had some sort of connection with the poor tiny person, and she wasn't going to let something happen to him.

Slowly, making sure he wouldn't react negatively, she reached her hand out one last time. Using her fingers as a scoop, she scraped the carpet beneath the figures torso and raised it into the air. The only moving she felt coming from it was its breathing, and it felt labored and exaggerated. She held him close to her eyes and looked him over, using her free hand to roll him this way and that. There was no clear sign of trauma anywhere on him. Other than his color, he appeared fine. Why, then, was he so weak?

Just then, the long nose on his face began to twitch, and his open mouth gently shut. Using his dwindling strength, he weakly raised his head, his twitching nose picking up speed. His eyes just barely opened, and he pointed his face to the girls third finger on her left hand. He suddenly became excited and agitated. He opened his tiny mouth as wide as he could, bearing his slightly crooked teeth, and he stretched himself as much as possible to bring his face as close to her finger as he could, which was still a bit of a distance. It almost looked like he pathetically planned to bite her finger.

Riley brought her left hand away from the creature and held it to her chest. As he watched it leave, he closed his eyes once again. His energy appeared to run out, and he dropped his heavy head back onto her other hand. He resumed his labored breathing.

Riley, confused and a little shocked, examined her left hand. On her third finger was an insignificant coating of orange dust. She glanced behind herself, looking at the cheese puffs she had left on the arm of the couch. She must've gotten a little of the cheese coating on her hand while she was eating them that she hadn't yet wiped off.

It was then that it dawned on her. The little person was starving.