The Art of Stealing a Heart

Chapter One

Blood dripped down from her fingertips and onto the tile floor. She wiped them on a stray dish towel and stopped to listen for her partners. If it weren't for the moon, the darkness would have hidden the red stain on her hands. The body of a little boy laid on the floor, his neck was slit with extreme care and experience. She quickly dropped the knife in a bucket filled with bleach. It wasn't like they hadn't killed before. In fact, it was a routine.

When she heard footsteps, she turned to see the youngest vigilante in their group. Claire was like one of those dogs you rescue from the pound because you feel sorry for them. Not because you wanted them, but because their conditions were so terrible that you just had to help the animal. The red-head dropped another knife into the bleach with a small smile.

Her mother had left her when she was only five, and her father had died from a fatal car wreck when she was sixteen. It was a sad memory for her, but she managed to bring laughter and smiles to the group. She was their personal clown and Claire didn't mind one bit. She bound into the pantry and opened her backpack.

The next to come down the stairs was the only man in their group. Well, he was so flamboyant sometimes that it was almost impossible to tell he was a guy. Even when they were doing their job, Casey wore nice jeans and a t-shirt, most of the time topping it off with a scarf or something nice. He cocked the pistol in his hands and let out a sigh. They placed a silencer on it, so that way it would make no noise when it was shot.

The sound of a muffled yell made us all cringe. Then, down the stairs came Isabella and Alana, their golden locks bouncing as the approached us. Both of them were siblings, only sharing a two year difference. Alana, being the youngest out of the two, was often disregarded within the group. However, Claire and her both shared a fondness for pulling pranks on the others. It seemed to both keep them occupied and get revenge on the others for ignoring them.

"The mother was hiding in the closet." Isabella spoke quickly, her French accent only highlighting her aggravated tone. "She called the cops. We need to move." 

"I'll fire up the truck." Casey bolted out the front door, Alana and Claire following him close behind.

"Let's dump the bleach, Genesis." Isabella looked at the slender woman before her.

Last, but not least, Genesis Swan. She was the leader, and often posed as the mother for all of her friends. To any person who had never met her before, she'd look perfectly responsible. Well, she was responsible, but not in the proper way. Unless you believe that stealing things and murdering people was proper. Even in sticky situations, she always managed to keep her head. Not for herself, but for the others.

"Take it." Genesis handed Isabella the bleach. "I need to scan the house and make sure we haven't missed something."

"Hurry." That was the last thing she heard before bolting upstairs.

All the electronics had been taken from the bedrooms, along with the jewelery and some clothes. When she spotted a stray wallet, she grabbed it and headed downstairs once more. She met Isabella out front and they spotted police cars coming around the corner. In a wild frenzy, they both leaped into the back of the truck and Casey punched the gas.

When they were in the safety of a forest back road, a few of them let out a holler of success. Isabella opened the small window and poked her head into the cab, leaving Genesis to herself. She sighed as the wind lashed at her cheeks. It felt as if nature was scolding her for preforming such a heinous act against innocent people. She let out a soft sigh and opened the wallet she had taken.

There were a few credit cards that appeared to be active, which would come in handy. She gently took the ID out of one of the sleeves. It appeared to be the father's wallet, because the photo was of an middle-aged man with blonde hair and brown eyes. She slipped it back inside the wallet and shoved it into her pocket. The truck drove down a winding road that seemed to go on for miles.

"I can't wait to celebrate." Isabella's voice startled Genesis into looking over at her. "We'll actually be able to eat good for once, seeing as Claire stole half of their food."

"Yes." She responded, a small smile gracing her features. "I can almost taste the canned ravioli and hot dog buns....."

"Oh, shut up!" Isabella laughed and punched her shoulder.

Being opposites seemed to work with the eldest two. Isabella was loud and flirtatious, always going out of her way to mooch others out of money and food. Genesis was an intellectual with a bottle of emotions she kept tucked away in her heart. As the car pulled along side the road, the two recognized the beaten path into the woods they had created.

The group hopped from the truck and paraded into the woods with their heads held high. Claire took the lead, skipping happily in her torn up sneakers. Casey threw his scarf over his shoulder and dropped back beside Isabella and Casey. Genesis sped up so that she entered the clearing first. Everyone stopped behind her, looking forward nervously. Suddenly, a black shadow leaped down from a tree branch.

"Jesus Christ!" Casey gasped and clutched his chest.

"You were almost caught." Sable's voice held an edge of worry. "Were any of you harmed?"

"No." Genesis dipped her head. "I apologize for frightening you, Sable."

Sable was someone not many talked about wilingly, but when they did, they told tales of darkness. She used to be a young girl with hopes and dreams. However, the death of her father took that away from her. When she met Genesis, it was at an all but abandoned park. When no one came and to look for her, Genesis dragged Sable into the woods. Then, they founded the group by finding the others later on.

"What did you manage to find?" Sable leaped back into the tree.

"Food!" Claire took her backpack off. "Enough to hopefully last us a week!"

"We should celebrate." Isabella smiled. "It'll be a full moon tonight, so we could party by the moonlight. Didn't you say that you stole that IPhone?"

"I did." Casey held up the glimmering white phone with a smile. "It's got some good songs, too."

"Great." Genesis looked towards her companions. "Let the feasting begin."