Disclaimer: I do not own the idea of The Borrowers. I am also not completely insane. Only slightly, I swear.
A/N: I am a dollhouse miniaturist. That is, I recreate historical (or modern!) scenes and households in 1:12 scale, in the form of a dollhouse. Look it up online, (using 'dollhouse miniatures' as a keyword, for example) it's the best hobby in the world, incorporating all crafts that exist!The Borrowers are often thought about by miniaturists. It's part of the Miniaturist culture. Miniaturists often make their miniatures out of household scraps, just like the borrowers do. We often dream of them, and how wonderful it would be if our dolls were alive, or if Borrowers were real and living in our walls, or under our floorboards. Miniaturists usually have very active imaginations.
Miniaturists are also infamous for having a LOT of scraps of 'things that might just come in handy some time in the future' lying around the place, waiting for use. And then when we want them, we are hardly ever able to find them. We also often have unmade furniture kits lying unused in boxes under our craft tables, waiting for us to have time to put them together, or for us to have the perfect project for them to go in. We also have general miniature accessories and craft supplies, which we bought because it was a 'bargain' or 'it will be fantastic for something, but I'm not quite sure what yet!' They also, quite often, go missing. Where do they go? The Borrowers? It's a love/hate relationship with them!
I'm dedicating this story to all the dollhouse miniaturists out there!
I know you're down there listening. I've seen you. Did you think that I wouldn't notice? Maybe most people don't, conditioned as they are by TV and the media, and lacking any imagination, any belief in what is not 'normal'. I however, still have a very active imagination. Enough that I can't just pass this off as coincidence. How can people not have noticed you, even though you must have been around throughout the centuries, right under our noses?
You've been outed. Someone knew about you, knew your exploits, and wrote about them. I bet that made you panic, made you hide more carefully until most of the hype died down. And then again for the movies. Of course, not everyone is quite so quickly distracted. And not everyone will pass it off so easily as fiction. I've seen too much evidence. I know you're there, I've seen you out of the corner of my eye. I've noticed small things go missing. I'm a miniaturist you see. I'm sure you've noticed that I am. Being a miniaturist, you may not have realised, means that I pay attention to small things. And usually… well, half the time, I can remember where I put things. Especially if it is my rather expensive 1:12 scale miniature crockery. Hoping I'll pass it off as my own absentmindedness is not going to work this time mates. Oh No. This time, you are going to give it back. You have until tomorrow to give me back the crockery, the miniature printed books, the ornaments, the spare light bulbs, the chair kits I know you 'borrowed' and put together in your home under the floorboards, syphoning off my wood stain and some white glue to do it, and whatever else you may have taken of a similar nature.
What happened to the Borrowers of old who made their furniture out of bits and pieces, for example, bar stools out of corks and pins and scraps of fabric? Oh wait, you must have taken things like that from me too, because I'm sure I'm missing some of my nice finely woven pieces of fabric I was planning to dress miniature dolls with. It 'hangs' well, you see, rather than sticking out like the harsher fabrics do. That must be why you want it too. It seems we have the same taste in small print fabrics.
So, Borrowers. Please give them back. I'll even give some things to you… if you're good. I do like you. Just please stop borrowing things I am still very attached to. Give them back. Remember I have a vacuum cleaner. And I know where you live.
I hope I see you again. Sorry for the harsh tones. It's just I've got so many projects to do.
Oh. And one more thing… (I hope you're still listening to me.) I don't suppose you'd be interested in moving into my dollhouse? I promise, I won't tell anyone! I've just always wanted some real little people in it…
…
…
No? Oh well. No harm in asking.
fin
Now you're at the end, click the little button and tell me what you think of my story!
