A Divine Practice

Chapter One: Marked

Act casual. Be calm. Don't make eye contact. Be invisible. Scan surroundings. Look for the people who are distracted. There, that vender is about to make a sale. Just walk by and grab some apples.

Walk.

Grab.

Walk away.

Typical day. Rather boring with no one to talk to. Ok, I thought, good load. I started to walk back the way I had come. That's when I noticed it. It seemed so familiar, so beautiful. I wanted to hold it. I needed to hold it.

I walked over and tentatively reached out to touch it. As soon as I grabbed it, it burned me.

I shrieked and it fell to the ground. The vender looked at me angrily.

"THEIF," he shouted.

I ran, it's what I do best. He followed but soon fell behind.

"I'll get you punk," shouted the very angry very sweaty jewelry vender.

I stopped in an alley and put the apples in my bag with the other things I had gotten. I wasn't surprised when I noticed a burn on the palm of my hand. I, none the less, swore when I saw its severity. It would most defiantly take a while to heal and I wouldn't be able to do as much as usual with an injured hand. I then ripped a strip off of the bottom of my pants, poured some cold water over it and tied it around my burn.

Days of 'shopping' had gotten harder since my green-eyes had disappeared. He wouldn't have just up and left me, I mean us, like that so a disappearance is the only explanation.

The run back was a slow one but still I bet the two miles took no more than 14 minutes. I always was the one chosen for 'shopping' duty because I'm the fastest and the sneakiest. Today was one of those rare occasions where I was seen. I wasn't worried though, my face was concealed by my trademark black hoodie. I still, however, would not be going back to that marketplace anytime soon.

I arrived at the warehouse. Boarded up windows, half caved in roof, and a moldy rotting smell is what makes up the place we all have come to call home.

I knocked on the door and said my name, Chris, and the door opened. It was Denny, we call him Denny for short because the name we gave him is Dentists' Boy, due to the unexplainable way his teeth always stay pearly white.

"Chris, finally your back," he exclaimed," what did ya get for us this time?"

"I got 20 apples, 10 bananas, one small watermelon, 2 very squished loaves of bread, AND one very large bag of trail mix." I replied as he took my load from me and unzipped the backpack to see for himself.

He whistled then said, "quite a load."

"That's why she's the best," I jumped at the sound of Domonic's voice, he was the selected leader of our little group, and the only one of us who was my age (17), now that my Green-Eyes was gone.

"Except for Allen," I snapped back feeling protective, and turning to face him.

The smile he wore was crooked and looked like more of a smirk. His overgrown sandy brown hair was falling into his eyes. He had very tan skin and a lean build. He didn't look very muscular but he was. His face was squarish and he had a set jaw. I met his intense dark blue eyes eyes when he responded.

"Oooh is someone touchy because her boyfriend but on a little disappearing act? You know I can make you forget about him," he whispered stepping toward me and taking a hold of my waist.

"As tempting as that may be," I said through clenched teeth, voice dripping with venom, "like you said, boyfriend."

He released me and stepped back but didn't lose his cockiness when he he said, "not anymore," then walked away.