𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒄 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒐𝒓𝒚 | 𝑲.𝑩

0.2

━━━─── • ───━━━

The two children tear down dust roads hand in hand. Laughing loudly, and trying their best to outrun the commerçant from the Upper City.

A young Jacques Archambeau convinced Lucille to short-circuit the locked safe nestled in the back of the women's store, allowing the kids that followed them to grab as much money as they wished to squirrel away for their families to live to see another sunrise.

Jacques didn't know where the other kids had scattered to by now, and to be honest, he didn't really care. After the shopkeeper found them, the twelve-year-old's biggest concern became getting his accomplice out and far away from the fiasco as quickly as he could.

He led her down the broken cobbled streets and old dirt roads, running deeper into the slums. If he could get far enough from the rich side, the city dweller would quickly give up. They always seemed to become too disgusted to care over the loss. 

Gripping the giggling Lucille's hand tighter, he took a sharp turn down another street. When turning back to assess the woman, he quickly realized how determined this particular shopkeeper proved to be. The elderly woman seemed to be keeping pace better than the others they'd messed with from the Upper City had, her heavy cloaks and layers of fabric doing little to weigh her down as she chased the two kids.

He shifted his gaze down to the young blonde—who was now trailing behind him rather than keeping pace at his side—noting her legs were quickly beginning to tire. She was losing steam, fast. He had a plan, a stupid plan, but there was still a chance it would work. 

He had to try.

The boy turned sharp, running back into the oncoming foot traffic, going back up the dust road in the direction they'd came.

Lucille tilted her head in confusion, "Wha- where are we going? Why are we running towards her?" she panicked, through heavy breaths. 

The older boy ignored her, continuing to trudge forward. 

After a few seconds of silence, she began to tug on his arm, still no response. She takes advantage of the grip she has on his hand, sending a quick, sharp shock through the boy's palm.

"Saints!" he shrieked, quickly releasing her hand, "I thought I told you to stop doing that Lu."

"And I thought I asked you a question." she responds, arms crossed over her chest and face drawn into an angry pout. Or at least what she hoped was a scary expression, but she always seemed to be just as intimidating as a puppy.

"I'm going back where we came while she keeps looking for us further down." Jacques replied, irritation coating his words.

"But- that makes no sense... why would we go the same way? Wouldn't she see us? Isn't going forward the best—"

Jacques yanked her arm, cutting her off as he turned down a narrow alleyway, hand quickly covering her mouth once the two were bathed in the building's shadow. 

He smirked down at the seven-year-old, "Well, maybe you're just too young to get it," he taunted playfully, "as I am clearly more mature than you are." Lucille rolled her eyes, and Jacque's grin grew wider at the action, "Everyone knows this Lucille, I am the brains and the brawn. You're just the little—" the boy was quickly cut off by a crackling noise.

Another shock to the same hand. 

He jumped back, rubbing his buzzing hand as he uttered a high-pitched squeal.

Lucille stood a little taller, putting her hands on her hips trying to be as bold as her shy personality and small stature would allow, "I just thought it was better you didn't finish your sentence. All your plans wouldn't work without me anyway." She snapped her fingers to make her point, creating a small spark when doing so.