The Unwitting Thief

Chapter 1c - Defeat

Eventually his body could withstand no more, and Thomas fell against a lamppost, where he leaned over and emptied his first meal in days onto the floor. He stared at the miserable heap and felt like crying.

Malicious laughter filled the air, and his senses went wild as he spun around to face it's owner.

Across the street, a boy sat on a short wall, his back pushed up against the house that owned it, his long legs stretched out and lazily crossed in front of him. He was skinny, but in a wiry way that made him look dangerous. His face made him look the same age as Thomas, but there was a confidence about him that made him seem even older. The boy jerked his head back, which flicked his shiny, black hair out of his face. His eyes were a dark shade of brown that could have passed for black, and he was staring down at Thomas with them, laughter still playing on his lips.

"Not having a good day are you?"

Thomas didn't reply. He could barely breathe, and his muscles were trembling, so he couldn't run. His free hand clenched at his side, and he resisted the urge to spit, to erase the foul taste that lingered in his mouth.

The boy hadn't expected a response. He leapt off the wall and landed gracefully, his long coat swept out behind him with a flare.

Thomas took note of the dark grey, fitted clothing that emphasised his lean physique under the floor length black coat. There were pockets everywhere, and Thomas was almost sure he had seen a knife in his belt before the coat fell back to hide it from view.

The boy walked towards Thomas and loomed over him. "You're going to have to try harder than that next time."

He snatched the bread from Thomas's hands, and, though Thomas wanted to resist, there was something screaming inside him just to let the bread go and get as far away from this boy as quickly as possible. So, instead, he cringed back feeling beaten and very much alone.

"Be seeing you soon, Slumrat." With a final smirk, the boy spun on his heel. His coat snapped with the movement and slapped Thomas across the face.

Before Thomas had a chance to recover, the boy had disappeared, probably down one of the many side streets. It didn't matter who he was, or where he had gone. Thomas had lost his breakfast and his sisters, and for what?

He had been pegged as a thief in the middle of town. If they identified him, he'd lose his job for sure. Then his family would be in some serious trouble, even worse than they already were.

Thomas let his tears run freely, as he trudged towards home, accepting his fate. Even though the day had only begun, he knew that his was well and truly over.