The Story of a Theif - Hailey Peterson (good books for high schoolers txt) 📗

and made a “BANG” movement. Gun? Gun! He’s got a gun! Where did he get a gun? So we wait. He tromped around for hours, checking and double-checking every room. He came in and checked this room three times, he sniffed as though he could smell us. Until, unsatisfied he left. It was dark when we crawled out from underneath the pallet. Fuji had gotten a small scrape of turkey. The top part of the left breast. It was all white meat. He had stolen some salt from “The Beniky Spice and Salts Shoppe.” We ate like wolfs, scarfing down the tiniest bit. We were still ravenous afterwords. Fuji left, leaving me at the table. He fell asleep his bed. He snores loudly. I think.
I leave the table and go up to my bed room. I slink over to the far corner, opposite my bed. I reach up and grab the unseen rope attached to the roof hatch. I pull it and down comes a a ladder unfolding from the ceiling. I climb up the rickety wooden steps. I pull up the ladder after me. Brrr. Its cold out, should’ve brought my coat. I got over it and sit down on the withered shingles. I prop up my knee and lean against it. I do my best thinking up here. Looking out to the far-off city of bright lights. “Someday I’ll live in the city.” I say with dignity.
“Oh is that so.” Came a voice. My dignity shattered, I turned to face a very snobby Fuji. I shooed him away, but he didn’t budge. “You know I never learned your name, missy.” He paused before saying, “Will you tell me?” I shook my head.
No.
I paused momentarily then, nodded.
Yes...
I swallowed. I opened my mouth and the words got stuck in my mouth. “It’s Ally. Ally Fourtniss.” His frowned. “What’s wrong?” The words passed my flaking lips unwillingly. He shook his head. I kept pestering him. “What’s wrong, you don’t like my name?”
“I just figured it would be something different.” Fuji’s words froze halfway out of his mouth. “I thought...” He shook his head again and said, “Glad your healed up.” My face dropped. I expected more. “Well, Ally, good night sleep well.” He turns and leaves down the hatch. What was that all about? What did he think my name was? I get up, leave, and tromp down into the house. I kick off my boots then slide into bed. I’m asleep before my head hits the pillow.
I awake to the sound of sizzling coming from the kitchen. I walked downstairs without bothering to put on my boots. The smell of roasting pig was so over whelming I almost fell over! “Where did you get that?” I whispered. He didn’t turn his head. He can’t hear me. I said louder, “Where did you get that?” He seemed surprised as he turned his head.
“Oh why hello...... Ally” he threw my name out like it was foul-tasting in his mouth. I sighed. Turning back to the bacon he said, “Stole it from Tom.”
“Huh?” I redirected my attention to him. Scowling he repeated. “I stole the bacon from Tom Gizzerdes.” I turned away and walked to the table. I sat down and put my leg up. I wince. It’s healing, but every time I move it or walk with it, it sends pain up my leg. He brought the freshly cooked bacon. I tried a bit. It was scorching hot, but full of greasy flavor. I looked up. His eyes soften at the look of pain on my face. He apologized, “Sorry for last night, what I did wasn’t right.”
I looked at him, “I wasn’t your fault you were just shocked that I wasn’t what you expected.” I nodded, not quite understanding.
“Come on I want to go steal from Scurvey Peete.” I said without looking up. I played with my bacon and then thinking, scarfed it down. I finished and looked at Fuji. His face was full of inquiry. “You’ll see why everyone in town calls him that after you see him and his store.” I stood up and set both chipped plates in the moldy sink.”At least he has good pasta.” I thought a moment. “Bread too.” He nodded and pulled on his coat.
We climbed the long, skinny rope into the morning light. It was bright and we brought our hands too our eyes to shield them from the sun. As we walked along the roofs I found a loose shingle and kicked it along our way. It fell between the spaces of the houses. I jumped to the other roof with ease. I winced, the pain in my ankle flamed for a few moments, then died down. I turned in time too see Fuji gallop and flop over the gap. He rolled on the top of the shingles ungracefully. I chuckled under my breath and he glowered at me. I rotated and jumped to the other roof. Again he flopped to the ground. I couldn’t help it. My mouth burst and my laughter bubbled out and spread throughout the town. Luckily no one heard me or payed attention too it. We continued on too the market.
We walked cautiously through the market. Gizzerdes’s stall was dark, locked, no one was in sight. As we trotted down the alleyway I looked behind me every five minutes. It was starting to annoy Fuji, I could tell that by the way he gave me hundreds of dirty looks. Finally I managed to stop fidgeting and walk like a normal human. “Dang it.” I say when I see Peete’s store, it was also locked, closed for some unknown reason.
“Hey that stall’s open.” Whispered Fuji. We saunter to the corner and I peer around it. I turn back to Fuji, “Shhh.” I look again. The rotting shack was lifeless. I double-check for any signs of life. In my radar scan I spot Fuji creeping near the house. I start to panic. “Fuji! Get away from there!” I yell-whispered. He just turned and made a face.
Then he made a movement of flapping his wings and pecking the ground. “Bawk!” He said, “Bawk, bawk!” Oooh he’s gonna get it now! I crept toward him and grabbed his arm. “Hey!” he protested. He better be quiet. I drag him across the gravel road to the scratchy greenery nearby. “What was that all about?” He practically screamed in my ear. I want to smack him across the face.
“If Senseless Joe catches you on his yard he’ll torture you until you die a slow and painful death.” I whispered quickly while looking about searching for Senseless Joe. Fuji rolled his eyes at me. “It’s true!” I can’t believe he won’t believe me.
“Ya right!” He said it with a very mocking tone.
“Ya it’s true, he tortures and kills people. Why else do you think we call him Senseless Joe?” I snapped at him, my voices rising.
“Why don’t they just send cops in after him?” He scoffed.
“They DID!” I yelled. “The sent in three cops after him, but they never...” I didn’t need to finish. He knew what had happened.
“GOTCHA!” A gravelly voice shouted. I shivered and slowly turned my head. My eyes struck the most hideous face on the Planet Earth. On the face was a shriveled up nose, two sunken eyes and a mouth, a gruesome, lipless mouth. The face spoke again: “You two will pay for this trespassing.” He grabbed us roughly and dragged us across the dirt and mud that covered, what would be, his front lawn. As he threw open the door with his foot he shoved us in the corner next to a door. Not again.... This can’t happen again! His shack was untidy, dirt and dust covering everything. A sink on a wall under a cracked window was growing mold. A cluster of broken, lopsided cabinets hung on the wall above our heads.
We watched Senseless Joe turn and smile at us. He came over and yanked us onto our feet by our hair. Not the hair again! My scalp is starting to hurt. He opened the door. It creaked open on it’s rusted hinges. He gestured down the stairs. “Ladies first.” His voice squealed. I hesitated and he cracked me over the head with a bat. My vision blurred. I started to see dark spots when I felt a soft push in my back. Fuji was gently steering me to the door. He helped me down the stairs. I could hear the creaking of the wooden steps beneath my feet as I tromped downstairs to the basement.
It was dark and very damp. There was little light. Through the moist air I could just make out a table with many thick, leather straps attached. It was placed to my far right. On my left there was an iron rack with a dozen or so rusted axes, pickaxes, butcher knifes, machetes, spears and more. A deep shiver ran down my spine. It looks exactly the same, just like last time. I thought. Senseless Joe pushed me and I fell against the stone wall. He grabbed Fuji and slung him like a rag doll over his shoulder. He brought him over to the table and began to strap him in. Fuji struggled trying to free himself. Joe struck him across the cheek, his face was bright with red skin in the shape of a handprint. I screamed as Joe walked over to the iron rack and selected a long butcher knife from the collection. It was rusted from the tip to the browned metal hilt. Quick! I think. What did I do last time? Then it came to me. I looked over to the rack. I glanced back at Joe. He was over to the table by now arm poised just above his waist, ready to slice into Fuji’s tan skin. Fuji was thrashing around, but held firm by the restraints. “Keep still Fuji!”
Slowly Senseless Joe turned and growled at me. “Quiet girl or I’ll fix you like last time.” Then he smiled. “Hope your companion suffers like that other boy too.” I felt my eyes widen. I whimpered. Pathetic.
Fuji tried to look up, “What boy? What is he talking about! Why does he say, “Like last time?” Joe shoved him back down on the rough wood. He steered the knife over to Fuji’s arm. With a wild look in his eyes he began the incisions. Fuji began to shriek with horror. Have you heard the expression “screaming bloody murder?” You haven’t seen or heard anything like that until you’ve seen what I have seen. Quick as a bunny I put my foot on the table, kicked the knife from Joe’s grasp and sprung over his head, onto the floor. I grabbed the blade and my head began to sway. The room began to swim. My fingers loosened and I almost dropped the knife. I tightened my grip on the hilt. I stood between Joe and his rack of torture. He grumbled something so low I couldn’t hear it. He turned and started toward Fuji.
“Freeze! Don’t move.” My voice came out so loud and fast that I was startled by it. I raised the knife threateningly.
He turned and growled. “Or what! “You’ll stick me with that knife again?” His face was turning pink. He foot his foot on the table and pulled up the leg of his pants to reveal a sick, bloody scar on his leg. “Will you cut my leg off entirely this time? Or will you cut something else off?” His face was exploding. “I don’t have anything to lose!” I hesitated. My emotions got tangled up in one giant knot. I started to feel guilty for what I had done. Wait.... He’s just toying with you. Get it together Ally! I swung my arm low