I sprinted through the darkened streets in terror.

  The new moon shed no light. The runed-glass between the cobblestones sputtered faintly — barely a charge left over from the previous night’s darkness.

  They told me it would be ok, I screamed internally, my breath tearing through me in ragged gasps.

  I couldn’t slow down though.

  That thing was still behind me. I couldn’t see it, but I knew it was there.

  I sprinted down an alley, my tail flailing uselessly behind me. Hopefully it would be narrow enough to buy me some time.

  I risked a glance back.

  Still too dark to see. But the alley itself? Darker than it should have been — something blocking what little light came from the street behind.

  I looked up.

  Into the yellow eyes hunting me without mercy.

  I turned to keep running, but the moment cost me dearly. My hunter latched onto my tail and ripped it clean off.

  I screamed, but I didn’t stop.

  No time to stop. No time to think.

  The chase dragged on, my legs burning, tears of exhaustion making an already treacherous night even more difficult.

  Please let me be going the right way, I sobbed to myself. I had memorized the route. I just hadn’t expected to trace it while being hunted.

  My next turn - a dead end.

  NO!

  I whipped around, heart in my chest.

  But it was too late.

  My pursuer had me blocked. All eight feet of him.

  Cold.

  Calculating.

  I smashed myself against the wall, the stone cold and rough and squeezed my eyes shut.

  I had only one thought.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  I hate Asset Procurement.

  Then the wall buckled - tiny hands yanking me through.

  The last thing I heard was Officer John’s voice screeching:

  “STOP!”

  …Honestly? I had forgotten he sounded like a mouse.

  ———-

  Molly, Marlo, Jeff, Jim and Joe all crowded over me, cheering and hollering.

  “That was so good Beeg!” Marlo was saying, his eyes wild. “You were a huge hit!”

  “What?” I gasped, still trying to catch my breath.

  “Everyone loves you Beeg!” Joe crowed, slapping me on the back.

  “Wait...what do you mean?” I spluttered, pushing the lunatics off of me so I could get some air.

  “Everyone screams extra loud when they see you, and oh boy was that bugbear Officer mad! The louder they are, the more they like you,” Jeff said with a smile, his ridiculous nose as distracting as ever.

  Every goblin in this store is absolutely unhinged, I screamed to myself.

  And I stay. I freaking stay. I’m completely crazy, I realized.

  “That’s not how..” I started, before giving up.

  “They got my tail,” I said instead.

  Molly looked at me in confusion. “You never had a tail, Beeg,” she responded kindly, as if talking to a moron.

  I sighed. Who knows. Maybe she was right.

  “It’s a stuffed tail Molly. You literally pinned it to my backside. I know it was fake.”

  “Right,” she said, “So it did exactly what it was supposed to do, distract and buy you time,” she finished matter-of-factly.

  “Molly…it’s a stuffed tail. They are going to know it is fake now,” I responded in exasperation.

  Seriously, these goblins.

  Molly looked at me like I was stupid. “Beeg, everyone with half a brain already knew it was fake. It stuck straight out. You didn’t actually think it was a good disguise, did you?”

  Well…I…

  Jim snorted.

  I glared back.

  “Don’t worry Beeg,” Marlo cut in. “As long as you don’t get caught, it’s a-okay” he finished with a thumbs up and a smile.

  I groaned.

  I wanted to…be something more. The delivery with It had shown me something I never knew was a possibility for me.

  Dignity.

  I sighed.

  “Now I’m just a criminal,” I muttered.

  “Oh, don’t worry Beeg!” Molly laughed, “We don’t actually take stuff from anyone important - it won’t matter if they know who you are or not! Because they don’t matter!” She reassured me, somehow, with the most convoluted logic I’d heard yet.

  I was not reassured.

  “That’s…that’s not the point,” I said, somewhat mystified.

  “We are goblins Beeg,” Joe cut in, “Don’t over think it.”

  “But I am not a goblin,” I huffed.

  They all drew up short.

  As if genuinely confused. Like they had forgotten I wasn’t a goblin.

  “Well…I finks you’d make a great goblin,” Jeff mumbled, picking his nose.

  I…just couldn’t bring myself to accept that as the compliment it was supposed to be.