Your Thief

Two

Edward took the thin boy’s arm and led him from the prison cell. He didn’t want the boy out of his sight. What a strange resemblance. Though the boy was physically much smaller than the convicted murderer in the cell Edward had been visiting, the comparison was striking. A brother, perhaps? It was hard to distinguish his features through many layers of dirt. He had no intention of letting the lad go without asking a few questions, but the prison was hardly the right place to do so.

Before venturing into the prison, Edward had Cecil reveal one of the prison’s original features, which hopefully would prove advantageous to his furtive liberation. It was likely Cecil knew, or could guess, Edward’s intentions, but both men knew that he would not interfere. Too many emotions were at stake.

The boy did not protest as Edward led him from the cell and down the dark corridor. The small guardroom was empty when they arrived, but for a large wardrobe against one wall. The door, partially ajar, revealed a cache of weaponry. The boy shrank to one corner as Edward approached the wardrobe, but rather than brandish the weapons, Edward shouldered the wardrobe over to one side, revealing a rough hole through the thick stone wall.

“In you go,” said Edward, gesturing to the hole and the lightless tunnel beyond. When the boy hesitated, Edward snatched at one slender wrist – marvelling at both the petit size of the boy’s hand and the overwhelming stench that emanated from the lad – and pushed him head first into the passage.

Edward waited a moment as the boy began crawling down the tunnel, and a moment more to avoid any lingering body odours, before following him through the wall. He paused only to drag the wardrobe as best he could towards the wall again, and then began crawling down the musty passage.

 ***

 “Just keep going,” she heard him call out.

The stone was rough beneath her knees, and she was suddenly thankful for the thick cotton britches she wore. There was a grunting sound from behind her, and in a moment she realized the man must have followed her into the tunnel. The tunnel was completely black, and she felt her way along with her hands as she crawled. The scabs on her left hand ached painfully, and soon they were bleeding freely. The stone gave way to hard packed earth, and the crawling became easier. Just as she was about to turn and ask where the tunnel led, the floor opened up and Alice tumbled down into the darkness.

Shaken, bruised, Alice felt her limbs for broken bones. The space was completely dark, and she could feel a firm earthen floor beneath her questing hands. She heard a shuffling sound somewhere above her, and footsteps that could only be the man following her. The footsteps came closer and she felt a booted foot impact her leg.          

The man stumbled and fell, falling over Alice with a crunching blow and landing fully on top of her. She gasped for breath as his heavy body lay prone across her midsection. With a low groan, he pushed himself up on his hands, slowly raising his body. Alice could feel his firm thighs against hers and the taut planes of his chest against her torso, and despite her aching pain and discomfort she felt flustered at the close proximity.

He paused, his broad chest hovering over Alice and his thighs pressed intimately against hers. He shifted slightly and ran one hand up her waist, against her side, and then moved to cup her breast through the rough spun cotton tunic. Heat flared through her body as his lips parted in surprise, briefly, before he hurriedly vaulted from her body.

He felt his way over to the side of the tunnel, and from her position on the floor she could hear him feeling against the wall. There was a rasping sound, and then a low, flickering, golden light bathed her face. Alice squinted against the sudden light. Her entire body ached. She flattened her palms against the ground and tried to move. The world spun lazily as she began to sit up. He was at her side in an instant, crouching next to her in the low light.