I didn't know exactly what I saw when the attic opened up. Whatever it was ran back into the dark when it saw me. I thought I caught the flicker of a text box over it before it vanished.

  I felt Twigg clench the back of my shirt.

  "Ope. I think I just saw your problem."

  "Oh? Do you think you can handle it honey?" Miss Jenkins looked up at me worriedly.

  I gave her a reassuring smile. "I don't think I'll have any issues."

  With that I started up the ladder. The rungs creaked under my weight one at a time. When I pulled myself through the opening I unclipped the small flashlight from my belt, clicked it on, and swept it around the space.

  It was bigger than I expected. Packed with the particular density of old people stuff — a standing mirror draped in a sheet, towers of boxes furred with dust, shapes under tarps that could have been anything. I was glad I didn't have asthma. Someone with a dust allergy would not survive this room.

  I swept the light down to the floor in front of me, looking for tracks.

  The dust hadn't been disturbed in years.

  Huh.

  I take a breath. Ok Reid. You got this. I climb all the way in, my hand leaving the first print on the ground in here in who knows how long.

  It was quiet. Almost eerily so. I let the flashlight lead the way and moved deeper into the room, the floor creaking under every step.

  Twigg's head poked out from the back of my jacket.

  "Did you see that?"

  "Of course I saw it." I loud whispered back. "What was it?"

  "Not sure. I sensed it but didn't see it." They climbed all the way out and settled onto my left shoulder, eyes moving through the dark.

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  I thought for a second.

  If it's a Wix maybe I can reason with it. Worth a shot.

  I held my hands up slow, palms out.

  "Hey. I don't know who you are but I'm Reid. I'm only up here because Miss Jenkins downstairs is worried there's a trapped animal in her attic." I kept my voice low and even. "I just happen to also be a Perceiver."

  The attic stayed quiet.

  I waited to see if anything would happen. Flashlight steady, hands still up, trying to look as non threatening as a guy in a Hexxit Pest shirt and jacket realistically could.

  Nothing.

  I was starting to wonder if I'd imagined the whole thing when something shifted in the dark near the far corner. Not coming closer. Just repositioning. The way an animal moves when it wants a better angle without committing to being seen.

  I didn't move.

  Another shift. Closer to the boxes on the left now. Whatever it was it was circling me without me being able to track it.

  Then a voice came from somewhere I couldn't pin down. Small and cautious and in something that was definitely not English.

  Twigg went very still on my shoulder.

  "What'd it say?" I barely moved my lips.

  "It's asking if you're actually a Perceiver." Twigg murmured back, their Jersey accent dropped almost to nothing. "Or if you're something that learned the word."

  That's a distinction I hadn't considered.

  "Tell it I'm actually a Perceiver. First week honestly. Still figuring it out."

  Twigg spoke. The sound that came out wasn't Jersey accented English. It was something older that sat differently in the air of the attic. Like it belonged here more than I did.

  Silence.

  Then the voice again from the dark. Twigg listened.

  "It wants to know about the Treesqueak on your shoulder."

  "What about them?"

  "It wants to know if the contract was willing."

  I paused. Looked at Twigg.

  Twigg looked back at me with an expression that was extremely difficult to read on a bark textured face.

  "Mostly." I said carefully.

  From somewhere near the covered mirror something small and solid stepped into the edge of my flashlight beam and stopped.

  At the edge of my light stood what I could only describe as a realistic, if legally distinct, version of Captain Caveman from the old Hanna-Barbera cartoons.

  Dark brown hair covered its torso so completely it didn't appear to have one. Just arms and legs sticking out from a mass of fur, and somewhere in the middle of all that, two eyes and a nose peering through at me with an expression I couldn't quite read.

  Floating above its head was a black and white text box.

  Name: N/A

  Pukwudgie — ground level wixborn

  Bond: None

  Skill: N/A

  We looked at each other for a moment.

  "Huh." I said.

  Twigg said something in that older language.

  The Pukwudgie said something back.

  "It wants to know why you're still holding your hands up." Twigg translated.

  I looked at my hands. Still raised. Palms out.

  I lowered them slowly.

  "Fair point."