Influences of Stars

Chapter 3

"I'll not do it. Stealing is a sin and if we're caught, we shall be shamed before the entire town!" said Charis as she dragged along behind them, her slow steps an attempt to keep her friends from rushing on forward.

"That's what shall make it all the more exciting," said Constance. Her pace never once altered. She didn't even bother turning back to look at Charis as she knew she would always keep herself with them regardless of how much she feared what they did.

"We'll not steal it. I promise I'll return it afterwards and I'll do it alone so you won't be in further risk of getting caught," Tibby said. Hopefully that would ease her worries a little. Anyway, the winter months made the days fleeting, so soon it would be dark and Tibby could hideaway in the shadows.

However, Charis couldn't stand to be a part of any of it. Therefore, she turned to the one person she knew often shared her sentiments in a final attempt to find reason. "Theo, tell them!"

"Perhaps we oughtn't steal. Someone might find out before we've had a chance to return it and then panic. I don't want anyone to worry," he said, including Charis in his last appeal.

"Stop being such a baby," Tibby said. When he looked over at her with disapproval, she gave such a lightened smile, utterly uncaring of his disapproval, then jumped around him with her arms fluidly swaying around, saying, "The moment I become a thief, I am quicker than you could imagine! I'm like a magpie!" And her disposition was so unburdened that Theo couldn't help but smile in spite of the worries that still burrowed in his chest. He had been swayed.

Constance then reached out her hand for Charis. "You don't have to do anything. Just observe and then you'll see how fun it is, but you won't have actually done anything wrong yourself." She used her sweetest voice, the one she reserved only for Charis.

"May I just watch as well?" Theo asked.

"Absolutely not. Hasn't Tibby already told you off for being a baby?" Constance said, dropping her sweetness as she turned on him.

Theo dropped his arms in defeat and as Charis squeezed his hand to comfort him, Tibby laughed and felt a sudden inclination to embrace Constance. She had such a knack of being so funny without any intention, even if it was at the expense of poor Theo.

They reached the church. It seemed bigger than usual, perhaps because it contained either a veritable thrill or a horror rather than its usual mundanity. They looped around the back, their feet pressing against the grass beneath them as softly as they could manage. They stopped before the back door, but it wasn't that which they intended to go through. Besides it was an old oak framed window, it's latch rusty and broken. No one fussed about such things for it was so small that no one would ever be able to fit through. No one except children, of course, and what would children be doing sneaking into the church records office?

"Tibby. You're the strongest, so step on us now and once you're inside, you can pull us up."

"I'll be able to pull you up as well!" Theo said.

"So you would, Theo," Tibby laughed as she hoisted herself up from Constance's bent knee (which was covered with Theo's jacket to protect her dress from the muddy shoes).

Once they were all inside, Constance lined them all up and stood before them, ready to give her orders. Tibby kept on having to suppress her giggles whilst the other two shuffled in discomfort, keen to finish this as quickly as possible. "We must disperse and search. Whoever finds the..." She trailed off, her head turning to the doorway.

"Finds the...?" Tibby asked. However, soon her interest in what they were supposed to be doing disappeared as well as behind the door caught her attention too.