1 Chapter One: The Thief

"Boy!"

A nest of pink rustled at the screech, their cheeks becoming red. They hadn't known the man would be back from the market so early. Running was the only thing they could think of doing, running as far as the marked path would take them.

In the child's mouth sat the remains of the stolen goods.

Fresh fruit from the fair off lands of the east slathered across their taste buds as they nervously smacked their lips together. Hurriedly, they wiped at their mouths to try and get rid of any evidence that it had been them who had eaten the stolen food.

"Boy," This time the yelling was closer making their body begin to shake with anticipation. "I know you can here me you little slug!"

Heart pumping they felt a shiver go down their lies, filling their being with absolute fear. A low hum began in their mind as a headache started to grow with his tongue becoming heavy and his tastebuds sour.

Swallowing the lump in their throat, their legs moved by themselves as they ran from the man.

Dying blossoms became crushed from the soles of their sneakers as the child bounded threw the crowded street. From beneath the chatter of hungry shoppers, they heard the grunts of the man's labored breathing.

It echoed in their ears as rain water splashed up from a puddle onto their cheek, marking the dark skin in it's dirty essence. The sludge felt icky and slimey against their skin but they had become to focused on escaping to even care.

They began to push past people as the path became crowded and everyone began to topple over one another in a attempt to walk.

"Watch it brat!" A woman screamed from beneath her shawl, her arms full of clay ceramics. Her scream was only echoed threw the crowd as dozens of agitated glances where given to him.

With a pant they directed their gaze at the woman momentarily and mouthed a apology as they got onto their knees. Dirt covered their wool leggings as they crawled between what felt like hundreds of legs, splinters digging into his hands as they met the hard brick ground.

Thankfully their hair managed to not get caught under anyone's feet, due to certain parts not having reached their mid back yet.

Above them they could hear the man bounding towards them, with the sound of something loud and heavy banging against the ground.

Eyes widening they stayed still and covered their mouth in a attempt to hide from the man in plane sight. Tremors went throughout their body as they felt bodies slide past them, with no one sparing him a glance as they pushed themselves against a nearby wall.

Sweat dripped down their forehead as the heat bared down on their skin and the hotness of the concrete wall sticking to their body.

They knew that they'd have scars later from leaning against it but they knew if they moved just a bit the man might see them. Still the low humming in their mind remained making them feel dizzy.

"There you are you little slug!" Not looking for where the voice came from they stood up and made a run for it, ducking into a area full of food carts and shops to try and avoid his persuer. This was hard as they stumbled over their feet and a fever growing across his body.

That man, that pig was attempting to make him to sick to move and fight him off. And to their horror it was working with the weight of their body buckling and the ground slamming into their ribs.

Labored breaths left their lungs as they struggled to breathe and a loud cry left their lips as something dug into their back. The bastard was stepping on them as if to mark their body as his territory.

"Ngh..." The child grunted with a set of whimpers following afterwards, it was utterly worthless to try and fight the man off now. He weighted a ton with his body being a mess of muscle, lard and body hair.

Sniffling they allowed the man to grab them by the scuff of their head and snap it back so they where eye to eye. Nausea settled into their empty stomach. They where trapped.