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Description
Sho was stepping out of his aunt's car. He held Arrietty in his right hand. She was lying down, eyes closed and smiling. Sho whispered worriedly to her, "Are you okay?"
Arrietty grinned tiredly and replied, "I'm fine. I'm just really tired. Can I sleep for a while?" Sho nodded. She sighed, and slowly relaxed. Sho turned around to close the car door. He walked on a sidewalk that led to a tall building. He climbed up some stairs carefully and slowly so as to not wake the sleeping girl. He glanced down, and she wasn't there. He gasped, and look around him. Did he drop her? If she had fallen from his hand, she would surely die. But there was no sign of her blue dress. He ran down the stairs, but he couldn't see her. He looked back at the sidewalk, which began to crumble behind him. She wasn't there. He ran towards the car, which was fading away. She was nowhere to be found. He shouted her name over and over again, but she did not reply. Slowly, everything around him turned black until he was in the vast emptiness of space.
One star shone, and it whispered to Sho, "Goodbye, Sho." He tried shouting something, but he couldn't make a sound.

Sho woke with a start. Tears were streaming down his face, and his shirt was all sweaty. Arrietty stood in her home clothes beside his bed, a worried look on her face. Sho looked at her for a second, then sighed a breath of relief. Seeing that he was alright, Arrietty relaxed as well. "You scared me half to death, Sho. You were shouting my name." Sho turned red. "I'm sorry. I had... A bad dream. Did I wake up anyone else?" "I don't think so." Sho laid back down on his pillow, which was soaked. His breathing was still heavy, so Arrietty jumped onto his bed and leapt onto his pillow. She whispered sweetly into his ear, "It's okay. I'll always be here." Sho smiled, and went back to sleep. Arrietty slowly walked back into her house, glancing backwards to make sure he was really alright. She had been woken up from her sleep when she heard Sho hoarsely whispering her name. Then, his cries grew louder and more desperate, and he had begun sobbing. She had initially thought his heart was failing him, but when he began to cry she knew he was just having a nightmare. She clambered into her bed, and thought to herself that she'd find out what his dream was about tomorrow.

When she woke up, Sho had already left for school again. On his desk, he left a note to Arrietty. I'll explain everything when I get home. Wait for me out in the garden. I hope that isn't too long of a walk for you. Arrietty sighed, folded up his message, and dropped it into the trash. If his aunt or Haru had seen that, she'd be in big trouble. She waited for him in the garden for the whole day, picking flowers and fragrant leaves while humming her song. She was wearing her blue exploring dress, and she was nearly invisible among the brightly colored flowers. When Sho returned home in the afternoon, Arrietty knew something was up. He looked exhausted, and his eyes were somewhat dazed. He slowly made his way up onto the little hill where Arrietty was. He sat down tiredly and sighed. She cautiously asked, "What's wrong?" "I don't know. I just feel so sore right now..." He looked at her, and seeing her in the same dress she wore in his dream, he remembered that he needed to tell her about it. He explained what he could remember about his nightmare, and how he had woken up to see her. Arrietty listened intently, knowing that this showed he really cared. Normally, she would laugh, but she knew that this time it just wouldn't be right. Sho sighed when he finished retelling the story. Arrietty nodded her understanding, and presented the collection of flowers she had collected to him. He smiled, and extended his hand to accept her gift. Arrietty's smile turned into a frown when she touched his hand. "Sho, are you having a fever? Your hand is so warm! Give me your forehead." Sho reluctantly leaned forward toward her. She touched his forehead lightly, and practically shouted at him, "Your forehead is burning hot! You better go in and tell Haru." Sho felt his own forehead, and realized that he had been sick ever since he had arrived at school. Arrietty continued her scolding. "It must've been your clothes. You were sweating so much and your shirt was all wet, and you didn't bother to change out of it before you slept. I think you caught a cold, Sho."
He nodded, and offered to carry Arrietty back inside.
"No, you go and tell Haru. I'll get back without trouble. Now hurry, before it gets too serious." Sho gave her a weak smile, and walked toward the house. Arrietty watched him go indoors, before sighing and making her way into his room. She navigated through the dense forest of weeds and grass, climbed up the vine that she had memorized, and over the hot roof. She slid herself under the window, and trekked to her house. Right after she entered her living room, Sho's door opened and Haru rushed in with him following. She watched the chaos and fuss for a while until Haru had left. She slowly crept out the back door, and clambered over to Sho. He smiled at her when he saw her, and said, "You were right. I have a fever." Arrietty frowned, scolding him, "This isn't a time to laugh. I am still worried about your heart." Sho saw that she had really been scared, and he quickly apologized, but he kept his smile. "Then why are you still smiling? Stop it!" He kept the corners of his mouth curling upwards in a silly manner, and soon Arrietty was smiling with him. Sho finally spoke. "Remember when I told you that I wanted to protect you? Well, when you were fussing over me out in the garden, I remembered it. How ironic this is; you are the one that is caring for me." Arrietty laughed cheerily, also remembering that time. She nodded, and then told Sho to get some more rest. Sho reluctantly agreed, and he slipped under his covers.
Arrietty whispered good night into his ear, and he whispered it quietly back. With that, she slipped into her house, and sat in the dining room. She sighed, and gave herself a sad smile. She was only a tiny person, barely human, and yet here she was, caring for a boy many hundred times her size. She didn't know why, but she felt that she was supposed to somehow. She slipped under her covers and was about to fall asleep when she heard Sho whispering for her. She shot out of bed and out her front door, and looked anxiously at him. Sho's expression was apologetic as he asked, "Oh, did I wake you? I'm sorry."
Arrietty breathed a sigh of relief as she replied. "No, I was awake. What's the matter?"
Sho turned to face the ceiling, and whispered, "What are we?"
"Huh?"
If he could turn red in the dark, he did so now. "I mean,… uh, are you my friend?"
Arrietty started to reply, but stopped. Her eyebrows relaxed and her eyes softened, and she replied, "No, Sho. We aren't just friends."
Sho paused, as if waiting for her to continue. Seeing as she did not, he asked, "Then what are we?"
"I guess… we're like siblings, Sho. Not by parents or adopting parents. We are siblings in our emotions and feelings."
Sho remained silence as he repeated her words in his head over, and over, and over again. The silence grew uncomfortable, and Sho whispered with care, "I promise that I won't ever treat you as a pet, even though it is my instinct."
Arrietty grinned slightly, and said into the darkness, "Thank you, Sho. Now you'd better sleep, or else you may stay sick for a long time."
"Good night, little Borrower."
"Good night, big Human."
The faint click of Arrietty's front door echoed into the night, and for once Sho felt at peace with himself.

Description
Sho was stepping out of his aunt's car. He held Arrietty in his right hand. She was lying down, eyes closed and smiling. Sho whispered worriedly to her, "Are you okay?"
Arrietty grinned tiredly and replied, "I'm fine. I'm just really tired. Can I sleep for a while?" Sho nodded. She sighed, and slowly relaxed. Sho turned around to close the car door. He walked on a sidewalk that led to a tall building. He climbed up some stairs carefully and slowly so as to not wake the sleeping girl. He glanced down, and she wasn't there. He gasped, and look around him. Did he drop her? If she had fallen from his hand, she would surely die. But there was no sign of her blue dress. He ran down the stairs, but he couldn't see her. He looked back at the sidewalk, which began to crumble behind him. She wasn't there. He ran towards the car, which was fading away. She was nowhere to be found. He shouted her name over and over again, but she did not reply. Slowly, everything around him turned black until he was in the vast emptiness of space.
One star shone, and it whispered to Sho, "Goodbye, Sho." He tried shouting something, but he couldn't make a sound.

Sho woke with a start. Tears were streaming down his face, and his shirt was all sweaty. Arrietty stood in her home clothes beside his bed, a worried look on her face. Sho looked at her for a second, then sighed a breath of relief. Seeing that he was alright, Arrietty relaxed as well. "You scared me half to death, Sho. You were shouting my name." Sho turned red. "I'm sorry. I had... A bad dream. Did I wake up anyone else?" "I don't think so." Sho laid back down on his pillow, which was soaked. His breathing was still heavy, so Arrietty jumped onto his bed and leapt onto his pillow. She whispered sweetly into his ear, "It's okay. I'll always be here." Sho smiled, and went back to sleep. Arrietty slowly walked back into her house, glancing backwards to make sure he was really alright. She had been woken up from her sleep when she heard Sho hoarsely whispering her name. Then, his cries grew louder and more desperate, and he had begun sobbing. She had initially thought his heart was failing him, but when he began to cry she knew he was just having a nightmare. She clambered into her bed, and thought to herself that she'd find out what his dream was about tomorrow.

When she woke up, Sho had already left for school again. On his desk, he left a note to Arrietty. I'll explain everything when I get home. Wait for me out in the garden. I hope that isn't too long of a walk for you. Arrietty sighed, folded up his message, and dropped it into the trash. If his aunt or Haru had seen that, she'd be in big trouble. She waited for him in the garden for the whole day, picking flowers and fragrant leaves while humming her song. She was wearing her blue exploring dress, and she was nearly invisible among the brightly colored flowers. When Sho returned home in the afternoon, Arrietty knew something was up. He looked exhausted, and his eyes were somewhat dazed. He slowly made his way up onto the little hill where Arrietty was. He sat down tiredly and sighed. She cautiously asked, "What's wrong?" "I don't know. I just feel so sore right now..." He looked at her, and seeing her in the same dress she wore in his dream, he remembered that he needed to tell her about it. He explained what he could remember about his nightmare, and how he had woken up to see her. Arrietty listened intently, knowing that this showed he really cared. Normally, she would laugh, but she knew that this time it just wouldn't be right. Sho sighed when he finished retelling the story. Arrietty nodded her understanding, and presented the collection of flowers she had collected to him. He smiled, and extended his hand to accept her gift. Arrietty's smile turned into a frown when she touched his hand. "Sho, are you having a fever? Your hand is so warm! Give me your forehead." Sho reluctantly leaned forward toward her. She touched his forehead lightly, and practically shouted at him, "Your forehead is burning hot! You better go in and tell Haru." Sho felt his own forehead, and realized that he had been sick ever since he had arrived at school. Arrietty continued her scolding. "It must've been your clothes. You were sweating so much and your shirt was all wet, and you didn't bother to change out of it before you slept. I think you caught a cold, Sho."
He nodded, and offered to carry Arrietty back inside.
"No, you go and tell Haru. I'll get back without trouble. Now hurry, before it gets too serious." Sho gave her a weak smile, and walked toward the house. Arrietty watched him go indoors, before sighing and making her way into his room. She navigated through the dense forest of weeds and grass, climbed up the vine that she had memorized, and over the hot roof. She slid herself under the window, and trekked to her house. Right after she entered her living room, Sho's door opened and Haru rushed in with him following. She watched the chaos and fuss for a while until Haru had left. She slowly crept out the back door, and clambered over to Sho. He smiled at her when he saw her, and said, "You were right. I have a fever." Arrietty frowned, scolding him, "This isn't a time to laugh. I am still worried about your heart." Sho saw that she had really been scared, and he quickly apologized, but he kept his smile. "Then why are you still smiling? Stop it!" He kept the corners of his mouth curling upwards in a silly manner, and soon Arrietty was smiling with him. Sho finally spoke. "Remember when I told you that I wanted to protect you? Well, when you were fussing over me out in the garden, I remembered it. How ironic this is; you are the one that is caring for me." Arrietty laughed cheerily, also remembering that time. She nodded, and then told Sho to get some more rest. Sho reluctantly agreed, and he slipped under his covers.
Arrietty whispered good night into his ear, and he whispered it quietly back. With that, she slipped into her house, and sat in the dining room. She sighed, and gave herself a sad smile. She was only a tiny person, barely human, and yet here she was, caring for a boy many hundred times her size. She didn't know why, but she felt that she was supposed to somehow. She slipped under her covers and was about to fall asleep when she heard Sho whispering for her. She shot out of bed and out her front door, and looked anxiously at him. Sho's expression was apologetic as he asked, "Oh, did I wake you? I'm sorry."
Arrietty breathed a sigh of relief as she replied. "No, I was awake. What's the matter?"
Sho turned to face the ceiling, and whispered, "What are we?"
"Huh?"
If he could turn red in the dark, he did so now. "I mean,… uh, are you my friend?"
Arrietty started to reply, but stopped. Her eyebrows relaxed and her eyes softened, and she replied, "No, Sho. We aren't just friends."
Sho paused, as if waiting for her to continue. Seeing as she did not, he asked, "Then what are we?"
"I guess… we're like siblings, Sho. Not by parents or adopting parents. We are siblings in our emotions and feelings."
Sho remained silence as he repeated her words in his head over, and over, and over again. The silence grew uncomfortable, and Sho whispered with care, "I promise that I won't ever treat you as a pet, even though it is my instinct."
Arrietty grinned slightly, and said into the darkness, "Thank you, Sho. Now you'd better sleep, or else you may stay sick for a long time."
"Good night, little Borrower."
"Good night, big Human."
The faint click of Arrietty's front door echoed into the night, and for once Sho felt at peace with himself.