Stolen

(17) -- Break-In

East's POV

I had always thought that the best time of day was at the early hours of the morning. When no ones around, and it's just you, alone. No one texting you, no calls, no need to be anywhere or have any responsibilites.

You can drift. If you feel sleepy, you can go home. If you want a cigarette, you can have one. If you want to get high, that's okay too.

There were barely any cars. It was not quiet, but it had a weird, enclosed feeling. Shaded. Secret.

I climbed in through the bathroom window which was left slightly ajar on this especially warm evening. I pulled my rucksack in with me, determined to find something worth taking.

I was glad there seemed to be no dog in this house. Or it probably would've barked by now.

Poking my head through the open crack, a dark corridoor streached out, a few doors open along the length of it. Slipping out, I surveyed the pictures hanging all along the wall. Family photos. A few school photographs too it looked like. Some of a little girl, some of an older boy. Some of them together. A few photos of the whole family.

They seemed happy. I felt myself shrug lightly. Lucky.

To my left there was a staircase that curved slightly as it climbed, valuble pots sitting on shelves all the way up. There was nothing of real value down here, so I walked over to the first step and steadily put more and more of my weight onto it, doing the check I always did. Squeaky stairs were a bitch. Yet this house was okay, so I walked up in the dark, using the light through the open blind. Streetlamps were great in these kind of situations. No torch needed. I slipped the first vase into the bag and grabbed the second one and a small pot and put them in the rucksack too.

I turned, a sixth sence making me nervous. At the top of the stairs stood a little girl.

Oh shit.

My heart raced. My mind spun. Her hair was shoulder length and very blond. Her blue nightdress reached down past her knees.

In my panic, I waved at her. Her eyes widened.

I randomly noticed that the upstairs hallway light was on. My hat wasn't covering my face properly. I just had to hope the girl wouldn't recognise me if she somehow had a photo in court.

If it got that far.

She gripped her teddy to her chest.

I tried to calm her. In a whisper, of course. "Hi."

She blinked and took a step backwards. My rucksack was still in my hands and I began zipping it up slowly as not to make too much noise and stepping down to a lower stair.

Looking at me a little longer before hiding her head behind her teddybear, she didn't cry or speak or scream. She just peaked out, watching me, then covered her eyes again.

From across the hall, I heard her. "Who are you?" Her voice shook slightly.

I swallowed and whispered an honest reply. "I am a bad person coming into your house to take things."

Her reaction was minimal, but her teddy-bear was lifted slightly higher. And then she spoke again. "Please don't hurt me..."

I smiled at her in an off-hand kind of way. "I won't kiddo."

Her blue eyes blinked. She was sweet, something about her face told me. Her blonde shoulder-length hair was brushed, slightly wavey and ruffled from her pillow. Her nightdress had some form of fluffy creature sewn onto the front of it. "Nice dress," I smiled.

As if forgetting what she was wearing, she glanced down. "Oh... Um... Thank you."

"Are you going somewhere? A party?"