THE GOLDEN LOCK

Chapter 2: Blood

'Don't look at me. Don't look at me. Don't look at me.'

The Guy opens the Trash Bin and throws the trash bag into it.

He walks back into the restaurant, whistling, and closes the door behind him.

I got up but I didn't even have time to think of running as someone shouted from the street.

The trash bin was too small for me to hide inside.

As the police get closer my panic grows.

I look at the door leading to the restaurant where the guy had come out of.

"There! I see something!"

There's no time to think. I ran and tried the handle. To my surprise the door opened and I ran inside just as the men ran past.

I leaned on the door to listen.

"It's nothing! Keep looking!"

I let out a relieved sigh and looked at my surroundings.

From what I can see, I'm in the kitchens of the restaurant.

The lights are all out which means it must be closed.

I took a step carefully to not bump into anything and put my hands in front of me.

They land on a cold surface, covered in dust. Or flour.

I touch something crispy and as I let my fingers slide along it, I find something grizy.

I smell my finger and immediately, I feel my mouth watering.

Without thinking, I licked my finger.

I moaned.

'Pizza'

I hadn't eaten that in years. The last time I did was on my twelfth birthday when Papa somehow managed to pay me one.

He knew it was my favourite food.

Tears fill my eyes as I take a bite at one slice.

I took off my mask and started to eat another slice.

I felt the cheese melt inside my mouth and some minutes after the pizza didn't exist anymore. It was all inside my stomach now.

They must have made it to someone and then they cancelled their order and it was left here.

Despite the cold I still felt because of my wet clothes, at least my stomach was warm with new food.

I tried to find more lost pizza's but then I heard someone coming.

I tried to find the door but everything was dark and ended up bumping into a wooden closet.

The person was getting closer so I opened the closet, threw the bag and then hid inside, closing the door the moment he came in. It was the guy with the trash bag from earlier.

He opened the door and left, locking it.

'Dang it'

Now I was trapped inside this restaurant.

I'll have to leave as soon as the first person arrives and hope that I will not be found.

Meanwhile, I should rest.

And that wasn't difficult to do. With my stomach full and the warmth of the closet and the blanket I found inside it, sleep came in a matter of seconds.

I woke up with the light coming from a window inside the kitchens directly into my eyes.

I looked around me and it took me some seconds to remember where I was.

'You're inside a closet of a restaurant'

I grabbed my bag and opened the closet.

Someone was here. I could see lights coming from the other room.

As silent as possible, I Sneaked into the door and put my hand on the knob.

"You there!" A man called from behind me.

I froze in place.

"Look me in the eyes when I'm talking to you!" He shouted.

Slowly, I turned and hid the bag behind me.

"Hello sir, I was um...I was-"

"You're late, that's what you are, girl!" The man said.

I looked at him confused. What was he talking about?

"You were supposed to arrive here one hour ago!" He explained.

Did he thought I was-

"If you want this job, you have to arrive on time, understood?"

Job? He thought I was his employee?

I opened my mouth but then closed it. What was I going to say?

'Sorry, I'm running from the Police oh and I just slept inside your closet, I'm not here to take any jobs,'

He was certainly going to call the Police and I would be put in jail, which means bye bye gold.

If I think about it, maybe it would be best to pretend I was working here until the Police stopped their patrols and father told me his next order and some money would do me good if I would have to leave this city.

No one would suspect a restaurant employee to be a runaway.

"So? What are you waiting for?" The man asked, clearly impatient.

"Um..yes, I'm so very sorry for being late! It won't happen again!"

"I sure hope not, or your future in the Zilini's restaurant is at stake!"

"Yes, sir!" I said.

"Call me Zilini, Chef Zilini, er...and what's your name girl?"

"Mel...-" I couldn't risk anyone knowing my real name. It's a thieves thing -" Mel, my name's Mel,"

Short for Melinda, but he doesn't need to know that.

"Well then, Mel, chop chop. What is that that you're holding?" Zilini pointed at my bag.

I felt goosebumps in my arms but not because of my clothes that were all dry by now.

"It's my um...my training bag, I've just got off my training and-"

"I don't care, put it elsewhere and start working! You're serving the food today and you must know that our first priority is our clients satisfacted stomachs and smiles,"

I nodded, still surprised at how easy it was to fool him.

"I mean It," he looked at me with a cold stare and I nodded again.

"Now go Change into your uniform," he points to the wall where a green apron and a black trousers and t-shirt are hanging from a hanger.

I wait until he leaves and start looking for a good place to hide the gold.

Somewhere where no one, not even Zilini, would think of to look at.

Somewhere like...there!

I Crouch in front of one of the many stovens there are in the kitchens and shove the bag under it where there are more webs than in an attic.

'Perfect'

I wash my hands and under my fingernails and notice the dirt being washed down the sink. When was the last time I had washed my hands? Or taken a Bath?

I wonder how Zilini didn't notice the smell my clothes had.

I grabbed my uniform and went to find a bathroom where I could change.

When I opened the doors of the kitchen, someone was already coming in and one of the doors hit me in the face.