The Magic Thieves

Darkness.

I was in darkness trying to see the persons in the light.

Orange light shone on the men huddled together. I knew what they looked like. I knew they'd seen my face too. That didn't stop me from chasing after them.

Behind me a trash can cover cluttered to the ground. I turned and scanned the darkness.

Adjusted to the light, my eyes took several seconds before spotting the rats.

I turned back to the men. They were looking right at me. I held still and waited. They looked around.

"Must be them rats again." The green haired man spat. They all nodded and returned together, forming their tight circle.

My eyes hurt. The adjusting to the dimness and the brighter area was painful.

"Think it'd change back?" The red haired one asked and I saw him lean forward, finally revealing what they were looking at.

It was a mail box.

A big blue mail box that was bolted to the spot.

Were they high?

The blue haired one look at him skeptically. "You sure this is one?"

The red haired one nodded. "Positive."

They shoved and pulled and kicked the box.

I stood there trying not to burst out laughing. They were fighting and trying to remove a mail box.

As quickly as my laughing started, it ended.

The mailbox began to change shape. Not from the pounding and shoving. The box turned into a boy.

His skinny arms and legs appeared first, the legs of the mailbox turning into fingers and then shrinked. As this happened, he toppled sideways as he got the last shove.

The men's eyes lit up and they cheered.

"The mail bin really is a boy." The red haired man exclaimed, attesting that he hadn't expected it, even though he'd been the one who believed it.

Soon the boy on the ground morphed and he stood. Barefoot, blue sweater, shorts and a bushy head of hair. The skinny boy stood only as tall as the shortest man. He raised his fists, his legs looking unsteady and his face covered in fear.

"We got another one." The red haired man sounded like a child who'd just been given a puppy.

The blue haired man smiled at him. "You get to keep this one, Glob." The red haired man clapped his hands and snatched up the boy.

They turned to walk off when a sound came from behind me. I turned this time to see that one rat had jumped out and landed on the trash can cover, followed by a soda bottle.

"Go check that out." The blue haired man instructed the green haired one.

I stood still and held my breath as he got closer.

The green haired man looked around but his eyes weren't directed to the ground. "Who's there?" He called and waited.

I could feel my mouth becoming dry, my head was started to feel like a balloon.

He waited.

I could feel my face go red.

He waited.

My body was leaning and I was starting to see darkness dancing around the orange light.

He finally nodded. "Ain't nothing here!" He called back to his friends, turning to go.

I gave up. I gasped and inhaled a deep breath, released it just as quick and noisily and inhaled another. When there was finally a good flow of air in my lungs, I looked up and found his two big eyes looking directly into mine.

He turned to his friend briefly. "It's the boy!"