Dragoln's and KZ's Short Stories

Someplace better

He kept absolutely still as the footsteps got louder. Shoulder compact, eyes down, hands flat side by side.

Just outside the wardrobe were the stern men in blue, slowly sweeping the entire house - looking for a criminal.

It was never Joseph Lavinder's plan to get into this sort of career path since he was 6. Ever since then, the thrill of the game had led him to plan and steal priceless artefacts around the world.

Holding his breath, Joseph clenched his fists as he heard the footsteps stop right in front of the door. The slow heavy breaths of the man were audible as Joseph closed his eyes and hoped for the best.

Sweat beaded down his face, waiting for the inevitable to occur; it was going to be any moment now. In a single moment for the policeman to rip the door open to reveal his panicked face.

Hundreds of thoughts and feelings raced through Joseph's mind but the biggest one of all was regret. You see, he had never dared to tell his parents about his secret late-night activities. With a little kiss on the cheek, they would send him off to a good night's sleep without knowing the truth.

Joseph didn't want to see the disappointment written all over their faces when they found out what he had been doing all these years.

Back then, when they were living in poverty, he had to use his talents to scrape up all of the cash and money he needed to secure food. It was only now that his love for the adrenaline and the thrill would get him caught. Perhaps he knew it was going to happen eventually.

Hope was not all lost yet; Joseph hinged his entire freedom on the small window of escape.

When the man leaves, he would quickly dash to the open window and jump out onto the bushes below. Sure, the boards would creak and alert the police of his existence but it didn't matter as long as he escaped right?

Tap. Tap. Tap.

With each step, the man's footsteps got lighter and lighter like he was floating away. Abruptly, Joseph shoved the wardrobe door open so hard he almost thought it cracked upon hitting itself. He didn't waste a second as he darted to the nearest open window... Or what should've been an open window.

Right across the room was a man, wearing an officer's uniform. Although quite plump, a gun was pointed squarely at his face as the policeman's hand rested comfortably on the trigger.

"Don't. Move." The man's teeth were bared like a predator threatening his prey; the very life of Joseph was in his power. It was dark, pitch black so the policeman couldn't see anything other than a vague outline of a person.

Joseph was a statue. Face frozen and arms stuck in a tender, uncomfortable position. He tried his very best to suppress a gulp as concentrated terror bubbled up from his stomach and into his mouth.

The image of a gun pressed right against his forehead zapped the will to resist completely; it was an image that would be forever engraved in the poor boy's mind, soaked in fear and anguish.

As another woman, in a police uniform, came through the door - she took a second to examine what her colleague was doing. After she turned on the lights to see properly, the sight was apparent.

"Jerry? What are you doing? He's just a kid!" Her voice came off as scolding and harsh in response to Jerry's violent action; much too loud for Joseph's sensitive ears to bear.

Despite using all of his strength to hold it, two tears managed to slip out of his control - barrelling down his face. An uncomfortable, stressful feeling bloomed inside his brain as the world unfocused into shapes and blurs. Everything seemed to turn as the world spun.

Much too preoccupied to notice the surroundings, Joseph felt faint as his breath quickened even faster.

Seeing the kid, no older than 14, Jerry slowly withdrew his gun.

"Sweetie? Are you alright?" Glaring harshly at Jerry, the woman sympathetically placed her hand on Joseph's shoulder.

Looking up at the woman, Joseph asked confused, "You're not here to get me?"

"Oh? Why would we? You should know that there is a dangerous man here. Where are your parents? How did you get in here in the first place?" Her hands gestured to the cobwebs growing on every corner of the abandoned home.

Wiping his tears, Joseph lied about something he knew he was going to regret. "I... ran away from home. This was the only place I could find." The last thing he wanted the police to find out was that priceless jewel he had snuck somewhere on his person.

"Don't worry." As she signalled Jerry away, the woman spoke with a smile. "We're here to help."

"Excuse me, but, where are your badges?" Joseph just noticed as his vision cleared up from the mortal angst of death.

Checking her watch, the woman answered casually, "We left them in the car."

The words made Joseph's blood run cold.

Now it all made sense. As subtle as he could, Joseph's eyes peaked to the side without moving his head. Just outside the window, he could make out a body pooled in red on the floor - stripped of a certain jacket and hat.

"Come with us." The woman's words were hinted at with a sinister grin. "You've had no idea how long we were looking for you and your skills Joseph Lavinder. From now on, you're going to work with us. Someplace safe-" Her last word dripped with sarcasm. "-Someplace better."

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Author's Note

Thanks for reading, if you enjoyed then you should check out KZ_The_Sword 

So you can see out her side of the prompt!