EIFFEL

Chapter 1 - Luc

The sky was a soft grey, street lamps illuminating the cobble stone pavements. Light drizzle dampened Luc's clothes and the roof he was perched on was slick with rain water. He straightened his top hat which had almost slid of his head in the climb. Lee would have done that part better but he was almost as skilled as her now. It didn't matter though. It was his time to shine. The pickpocket tiptoed carefully to the edge of the roof, trying not to slip off in the process. He looked at the dark streets below with many promising victims bustling through the alleys and main roads. His eyes found themselves flickering from person to person, trying to find the perfect target. Would he choose the woman clad in black, clearly a mourning widow but rich enough to buy a wardrobe in silk and lace? What about the merchant, selling apples and oranges who could be too distracted to notice a few missing fruits? He contemplated his options, knowing that he couldn't afford to go without stealing tonight. Then his gaze rested on a man in a long black tailcoat, idly swinging a leather pouch seemingly full with a heavy substance. Luc had seen that soft bulge countless times, allowing instinct to tell him what was inside that bag. Money. And lots of it at that. Surely he wouldn't notice if a few coppers went missing. Luc looked from the widow to the man, wondering who to choose. The merchant wasn't an ideal contender anymore. Luc had been caught by this particular street vender multiple times and had the scars on his back to prove it. The man with the pouch suddenly began to move, heading towards a small alleyway. The perfect cover. The perfect opportunity. It was now or never. Luc ran across the rooftops, placing toe before heel to keep himself from stumbling. Lee had taught him this trick in the first weeks of thievery, after he had fallen off a roof for the seventh time. Mr Tailcoat was now out of sight but Luc knew these streets better than he knew himself. He took a quick glance below him, saw no one was watching and leapt gracefully off the roof. It wasn't particularly high up and Luc was used to the impact on his feet that accompanied the ground. He allowed himself exactly three seconds to regain his balance, looked around once more, and vanished into the night.

Luc strolled down the open street, acting as if he was simply out for a walk. The Parisian weather wasn't exactly fine this evening but Luc had taught himself to blend into the crowd. No one remembers the woman draped in rouge shielding her hair with a parasol and no one notices the small children playing in the gutter. They are simply not memorable. They simply just belong. The tall boy in a top hat brushing past you wouldn't be an exception. Unless, of course, you noticed the slight shift in the weight of your pocket. Luc slipped the coins into a pouch that was hidden in his right sleeve. That rich couple over there wouldn't notice. They were too wrapped up in a conversation about the latest party, trying to get their daughter to join in. Luc traipsed away, preparing to dive back into the throng of people but something stopped him. He turned around and stared back, large blue eyes piercing through his soul. Luc felt beads of sweat gathering above his forehead. The daughter of the opinionated pair. Her blonde hair trailed in the wind, dusting her face. Freckles splashed her small upturned nose and pale cheeks. She wore a sapphire blue dress with lace fringes and short, gauzy sleeves that did nothing against the bitting cold. Suddenly, Luc realised two things. The first was that he thought this girl was very pretty. The other, was that she was about to rat him out. 'Merde,' Luc muttered under his breath. He could not get caught today. The girl was still staring. When was she going to leave him alone? 'Come along Isabelle.' The girl's mother said, eyebrows creasing in frustration. They were probably in a hurry and so was Luc. The girl, Isabelle, looked up at her mother then back at him. She seemed to hesitate for a moment. Then, without a second glance, marched towards her father who had raced ahead, her mother trailing behind them. Luc almost cried with relief. If it had been any other day, maybe he would have followed Isabelle home, waited till her parents were asleep. Then he would knock on her window and ask if she wanted an adventure, wanted to see Paris at night, when stories wove themselves into the stars and mysteries hid behind the fog. He'd invited a few people to join his moonlight escapades but he hadn't done it in a while. He didn't want to think about the last time- someone bumped past him, snapping him back to attention. Luc cursed himself; Mr Tailcoat was probably on the other side of the city by now! He picked up his pace, barging past people in his path. The alleyway was empty but it only led two ways. Luc ran down the narrow alley and took a left turn. If he was correct, the man was heading home. He was clearly rich if he could afford to wave that purse around without nervousness lacing through his features, instead looking entirely at ease with the possibility of someone snatching it away from him. He would be blissfully unaware that Luc was about to do just that. The soft spray of rain began to become heavy, making Luc wish that he had nabbed that woman's red parasol. He walked faster, glancing around the area as he marched down the road. Huge houses towered above him with wide doors and ornate bronze knockers. Potted plants lined the windowsills, distracting the rich residents of Dove Street from the black soot that stained almost every house, soft music coming from the large white one on his left, a party no doubt. Luc strained his eyes, trying to see if the man was inside, sipping golden champagne and dancing with wealthy bachelorettes, but no such luck. He had disappeared. Luc turned to go home himself when something moved in the corner of his eye. He spun around just in time to catch a glimpse of the end of a tailcoat disappear down a side road. Bingo. He ran through the street, trying not to slip on the wet cobblestones and dashed onto the route that the man had taken. There was no one but them now, everyone inside to shelter from the crying heavens. Luc slowed down and darted into the shadows. Invisibility was key. He couldn't be noticed and risk getting caught for the second time that night. He flattened himself against a wall, grime beginning to dampen the back of his torso as he pressed himself to it. He blinked away the rainwater that dripped into his eye and tried to take in his surroundings. There was only one house at the end of the road. It was a light blue, or used to be, with soot clinging to the walls slightly more than usual. Rain poured through the gaping hole that used to be considered a roof, rotting wood showing through the peeling paint. It was clearly abandoned. But the man was heading straight for it.