Family Found

The Thief

The snow blanketed the ground, falling softly, causing a soft layer to cover the terrain, making a serene view for a passerby. One would say it was peaceful and pretty – from the safety of inside, away from the cold and damp. Rarely did Amarillo, Texas get this much snow in years previous, but this November was different. For some reason mother nature decided to be angry enough to send an unexpected wave of cold winter weather in the early weeks of November.

The nearly 16-year-old shivered as he curled behind the dumpster in the alley just behind a local restaurant. He didn't really know the layout of the town. He'd been here for only a few days since running. He took another drink from the can and tossed it into the trash can he hid behind. As he shivered, he felt his stomach growl again. It had been a few days since the boy had eaten. If he didn't find food soon, he feared for the worst in this weather. Finally, after some forethought, he got up and made his way back towards the street, scanning for anyone to beg for food from., his gait uneven and almost painful to watch as he nearly limped towards the main road.

Every person he approached gave the young man a dirty look and just kept walking. Just as he thought he found someone willing to share a bite, or some money, instead just pushed him back into the snow with a dirty growl

"Get your drunken delinquent ass out of the damn streets. Your daddy best tan your hide boy" he shakes his head and bites back into his meal, walking to his car. The boy wiped himself down, still shuddering, switching to his second plan – theft. It wasn't his proudest talent but him and his brother had mastered the art of theft together to stay alive while their father was out drinking or chasing fantasies. He spat on the freezing ground as he walked, angry just at the thought of his father.

Just behind one of the streets in one of the alleys a man parked his old truck. Judging by the looks of it, he was well enough off. He may have a wallet that might have a card or some cash in it. The door opened and an older man stepped out, fixing his cowboy hat, and pulling his coat tighter. He grabbed a wallet and shoved it in his back pocket. Easy enough.

As the man walked towards the general store, the boy clung to the shadows and followed quietly. His eyes still locked on the wallet in the man's wallet. He knew deep down how wrong what he was doing was, but hunger and the need for shelter outweighed any moral compass he had. The man kept walking down the sidewalk, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings, making him an easier target.

Finally, the boy got close enough to him to carefully slip his small, thin fingers into his pocket and withdrew the wallet inside. Just as he retrieved the wallet and turned to make his run for it, he felt a large hand on his shoulder, forcefully pushing him into the snow underneath him. The man over him held onto him tightly.

"I'll only ask you once boy to give that damn wallet back before I get real mean" he said in a low, terrifying voice. He yelped for help almost immediately, causing one passerby to stop and look at the two
"the little shit stole my wallet. I'm just getting it back" the man responded and looked back at the kid, who was using the one arm not twisted behind him to scramble for the wallet currently under him.

"I..I'm sorry sir" he whimpered as he hands it over. "I was just hungry"

The man pulled him out of the snow and studied him, still not removing his hand from his shoulder, keeping him in place. He was thin, dirty and soaked from head to toe, shivering violently as he looked back at the man spitefully.

"Where's your folks, boy? Didn't they teach you some decency?" he pocketed his wallet once again and shook his head,

"Don't have one." Is all he offers.

"You look like a damn mess. You been out here this whole time?" he asked

"About a week," he hiccups. Oh, he's drunk too. Joy. The man bit his lip, thinking about his next step. He could just come back to the store later and drop the kid off at the nearest police station. But that would likely make the boy run again. And with the weather, he wouldn't last another couple days.

"C'mon thievin boy. Get in my truck. I'll give you a warm meal and figure out what to do with you from there" he stood and guided him towards the vehicle.

The boy tried to pull out of his firm hold and run for it, but the man only holds slightly tighter.

"I aint gonna hurt you. If you run, you'll only last another day or two. This cold aint lettin up quite yet" he lifted the kid into his trucked and turned it over to let the warm air hit the freezing child. Once the air is warm and the truck has run for a moment, he starts down the road, towards the exit of town. The drive began silent, the kid just pressed against the heater and muttering a few drunken sentences. Finally, the man broke the almost deafening silence.

"My names Erron, I'm a farmer up here a ways. You got a name, boy?" Erron said, looking over at him.

"No." he hiccupped as he looked out the window, he didn't know the man, why would he trust someone who has basically kidnapped him? Regardless if it were for his safety.

"alright then. I'll call you thief boy till you gimme a name to give you" Erron smirked. He truly gave no shits.

"Ughhhh" the boy covered his face "My name is Dean." he grumbled,

"Ah Dean, good name." He smiled "Well Dean, how old are ya?" Erron turned down a road and accelerated slightly.

"None of you....I'm 15. I'll be 16 in January."

"Okay. And why aint you at home with your mom and daddy? Just mad at your folks for not letting you skip class or somethin else?"

"Something else." Dean replied, still not sure about this Erron man. Erron just nodded and thought for a moment.

"Well Dean, I aint gonna hurt you or nothin. I'll get you a meal and figure what I'll do with you whenever this storm passes. Until then you can get a warm meal in you and sober up. Maybe you'll be more inclined to get your shit straight" He laughed, putting on some music and navigating the snow covered roads. 

Little did Dean know this was going to be possibly the beginning of a new chapter of the rest of his life. 

Authors Note: Hope you all liked the first taste of this story. I have been working on this for a minute while not being active online and have a story map so I can keep up with biweekly posting (Maybe weekly depending on if I can swing that and work) 

Please leave comments and ideas for me for this or future works :) 
Ash