THE GOLDEN LOCK

Chapter 11: Sewage

I tried to keep up with him but the bag is more heavier than I remember it to be.
"Hey!" - I tried to call him.
He ignored me and continued to run.
I lost him from sight and got to a dead end. Where could he possibly have gone? There's no way he climbed up this building with his bare hands.
Something grabbed my leg and dragged me down a sewage. My scream echoes within the dark cave and I land on top of something. Or someone.
"Could you get off of me?" He said touching my waist.
I felt my cheeks blush and immediately got up.
"What do you really have in here?" I heard him opening my bag that had fallen somewhere nearby.
Everything was dark so I couldn't see where he or the bag were.
"Don't open It!" I said while searching the floor for the bag. There was water all over the place which made it difficult not to slip and fall.
But it was too late. As soon as I heard him opening the zipper a light went on and I saw him holding a gold bar.
"Why do you have this?" He looked at me with a raised eyebrow and a smirk on his face.
"Put it back" I went to him and tried to retrieve the gold bar but his grip was stronger.
"Not so soon, little thief" he grabbed my arm with his other hand and pushed me into the nearest wall.
Now I could see the green in his eyes had some specks of gold around the irises.
He had a light on top of his head that was almost blinding me.
"Who are you and why do you have so much gold with you?" He asked me while looking at me with a cautious face.
"I...I can't tell you" I said trying to move my arm but his grip was too tight.
"Yes you can and you will" he was smiling now. Perhaps he likes to be challenged. Good thing that I like a challenge.
"Or else...?"
Suddenly everything went dark again and I was left alone.
What is he doing?
I got down once more to try to find the bag, careful as to not make much noise.
I touched something that felt like the strap from the bag.
But it wasn't.
I felt a cold pointy thing in my neck and I knew he was pointing a knife at me.
"Are you ready to tell me?" He whispered in my ear.
I smiled despite knowing he couldn't see my face.
Since I was little, my father had taught me how to defend myself, especially from the bad and drunken men that roamed the streets of this city.
He had given me my first knife when I turned twelve and showed me everything I needed to know when I found myself in situations such as this one.
We had trained together day after day in an apartment my father had been able to rent for a few months before we got kicked out.
Even though I haven't done this in a long time, the movements came to me naturally as though I was still training with my father.
Although I couldn't see a thing I found his hand that was holding the knife and twisted it, pulling him over me.
He landed on the ground with a thud and a groan and I took the knife from his hand holding it to his throat.
"Give it back to me while I'm asking nice-"
The light went on once more and I find myself on top of him while he's grinning like an idiot.
"What? Am I too pretty that you're at a loss for words?"
I sigh frustrated and while he laughs I grab the golden bar from his hand, grab the bag and take off.
I almost fell two times because of the water on the floor. He shouted and I heard him run after me.
We were in a long corridor that led to an opening where I could see three passageways.
I took the one on the left and tried to run as lightly as possible.
But I had taken the wrong path. At its end there was an opening that led to a big fall. Down there was a pool where all the sewages led to.
"Now you can't escape, little thief" he caught up to me and his smile was long gone.
I guess he got fed up with this challenge.
My feet were planted on the ground. I had nowhere else to go. But I couldn't just give up everything me and my father had worked for with our lives.
I tried to reach for the knife but I guess it got lost along the way when I ran here.
"Looking for this?" He took the knife from his pocket and came closer to me until I was against the wall.
"Please just give me that gold bar and I promise I will let you go, little thief"
He was pointing the knife at me again and I could see his tattoo.
"Where did you get this?" I asked looking at his wrist.
"Changing the subject, are we?" His grin came back and my heart betrayed me by beating a little too loudly.
"Just tell me where you got it and... I'll give you the gold bar"
Of course I was lying.
"Well, that I can't tell you"
"Well, then I guess I can't give you this" I smiled back at him while shaking the gold bar in my hand.
He laughed and let me go.
"It's... a friends' thing"
"I need more than that" I crossed my arms.
"I'm part of a group that..." He hesitated and rubbed the back of his head.
"Yes...?"
"I can't tell you more" he sighed frustrated.
"That's nothing!" I say a little too loud. My voice gets carried along the dark corridor.
"It's not like you gave me much answers! Why are you carrying this amount of gold, little thief?"
"I'm not a thief!" This time I really screamed.
"Well, it looks like it!" He screamed back.
Our voices get muffled by a strange noise coming from deep in the corridor.
"Oh no" I heard him say.
"What?"
"JUMP"
Suddenly a big wave of water came in our direction and expeled us from the passageway.
I was falling for a few seconds and then I hit the water.
Swimming wasn't my best quality and it became harder with a bag full of gold.
When I broke to the surface I saw him getting to the other side where there was a platform that led to another passageway.
For an instant I thought he would just abandon me and leave me here to die but he was screaming at me.
"Come here!"
I did as he said but then I noticed that my hand was empty. The gold bar had gotten away.
I swam farther from the platform trying to look for it.
Surely a gold bar would be easy to spot in sewage water.
"What are you doing?" I heard him yell.
I was getting tired and the bag was starting to drag me down but then I noticed something sparkling not far from where I was.
I swam in its direction and saw the gold bar getting carried away by the water.
"Are you crazy? You're going to die in there!"
I ignored him and continued to swim. I was almost there.
He jumped in the water and got to me in no time, grabbing my arm.
"Let go of me!" I tried to break free while also trying not to get the gold bar lost from view.
"Its useless, little thief"
As I saw the gold bar disappear in the water, I heard father's voice in the head.
Protect this with your life. When I get out of prison I'll meet you and we'll run away from this place with the gold. We'll live a new and better life I promise you.
I felt a tear running down my cheek despite being wet all over.
"Come, let's get you out of this dirty water"
He took the bag from me and for some reason I knew he wouldn't run away with it.
As soon as we got to the platform he helped me get up and gave me the bag.
"I know this is important to you as you almost got yourself killed for just that one gold bar but why is it so important?"
"I-"
"What is the meaning of this?"

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