Breaking into the bookstore was simple enough… In fact, it was probably the simplest thing she had done in a while. The front door was unlocked, no one was around… It didn’t exactly give her the rush she wanted. Despite that, she still went in and browsed to one of her favorite section. However, up ahead she heard someone muttering to themselves. Quietly she sneaked onto the rafters and looked down below her to see an assistant still putting books away.
(Taylor)
Tabina wanted to say hello to Taylor, her friend (since Tabina was a regular visitor), but rubbing her newly colored head she realized she was Lieanna right now… And from what Taylor was muttering, she didn’t sound too happy with thieves at the moment. Some books were strewn on the floor and they were messed up on the shelves.
“Thieves… Honestly, they couldn’t steal something other than books,” Taylor said bitterly under her breath. “I bet it was a petty one… Or that Lieanna girl. She was supposed to come out again sometime… She already stole from the market down the block. I wouldn’t be surprised if she broke in here while I went to the back for two minutes. I’ve heard she’s a sneaky little scamp, that girl is.”
Although Lieanna would’ve taken it as a compliment, she was rather ‘hurt’ that she was accused of this crime. She loved books. Reading was something that let her escape reality and its troubles for a while. There might be some bad conflicts within the story she was reading, but it was nice to view another scenario, happily knowing it wasn’t happening to you. And anytime she could get away from her problems and go into the world of fantasy was fine by her… Why desecrate her happiness? So, to keep her happiness level up, she moved away from the Mangas and onto the Mystery Section. Quickly, she picked a book out and made it out of the store without being detected. “She’s nice and all, but Taylor doesn’t really notice much,” sighed Lieanna once she was over the other side of the back gate.
There wasn’t enough excitement for Lieanna tonight… She wasn’t ready to go home just yet. Instead, she went off to the park. It was old yes, but it was also abandoned… Especially at night. So, she took a spot near a broken street lamp, settled herself down onto the grass, and began to read her new book.
For a few moments she lay there. The moon overhead providing enough light to read, the occasional bird flying overhead, and the fact that there were no people around made the mood relaxing. For a minute she closed her eyes, taking it all in…
“Taking a nap are we, Lieanna?”
Her eyes snapped open, only to close them in the dazzle of light. The broken street lamp came to life and was shining upon her, her blue eyes reflecting the brightness and her face showing confusion.
(Tabina’s shocked!)
“It’s not safe for a little girl to be out at night all alone,” said the voice. After being adjusted to the sudden light, she saw a tall man leaning on the lamp post, looking down at her with a cold smile.
(Mysterious man)
Tabina couldn’t move. She had never been caught before… Lieanna had never been caught before… Why was this happening now? It hardly counted as a steal…
The man smirked, seeing her face full of surprise and shock as she seemed to be frozen.. “I don’t think it’s very polite of you to just lay there and look like a deer in the headlights,” he mused coldly. “I’d ask for your name… But you’re pretty well known you know.” With a small hallow laugh, he pushed himself from the post and knelt down beside her. “Lieanna the thief. Age: Between eleven and thirteen. Hits: More than forty cities starting a little more to the east. Thievery: Ranging from loaves of bread to priceless gems and beyond… Hunters know these things.” With a kind smile, he put a hand behind her back and brought her into a sitting position. “I’m not going to hurt you,” she said softly. “No one is… Until we reach the station. Then they could deal with you.”
Tabina finally understood what her brain was telling her. She stood up quickly and tried to run, but he grabbed her arm and brought her down onto him with her back against his chest. “Now now, we can’t have any of that,” he said as he wrapped her arms around her, taking her in a tight embrace. “Just close your eyes, count backwards from one hundred, and it’ll all be over soon,” he said in a lulling, drawing voice. She struggled against him, kicking and trying to break her upper body free. But he held a tight hold on her, and it didn’t even seem like he was trying. She didn’t know what he meant by saying all that. She wasn’t going to sleep right now!
“Ray!” the man called over his shoulder. Tabina didn’t know who Ray was, but she didn’t want to find out. She closed her eyes tightly, loosing energy as she tried to break free.
“Tabs.” A softer, more gentle voice came from in front of her. She opened her eyes to see Sean crouching down in front of her. “S-Sean,” she said in just above a whisper as she stopped moving. For a moment, she wondered why she was moving against this man. Sean called her Tabs, not Lieanna… Why did he…?
“I had the weirdest feeling,” he said with a smile. “I thought you were too interested… And you disappear a lot too. I couldn’t take you back the books I borrowed at night because you were always gone… But it’s okay Tabby…”
Tabina didn’t like how nice his tone was… She really didn’t like how he put his hand on her cheek either. “Don’t worry,” he said quietly to her. “It’s going to be okay.”
Tabina made one finally attempt to break free from the man, but he pulled her back a little more, taking a cloth and covering her mouth and nose with it. She tried not to breath in the foul smelling material he put on the cloth, but she had to breath… It was hurting not to. She tried moving her head, but he kept it tight. The world was fading in and out. She looked at Sean through unfocused eyes, seeing that smile blur away. A single tear escaped her before she closed her eyes and hung limply against the man.
(Taylor)
Tabina wanted to say hello to Taylor, her friend (since Tabina was a regular visitor), but rubbing her newly colored head she realized she was Lieanna right now… And from what Taylor was muttering, she didn’t sound too happy with thieves at the moment. Some books were strewn on the floor and they were messed up on the shelves.
“Thieves… Honestly, they couldn’t steal something other than books,” Taylor said bitterly under her breath. “I bet it was a petty one… Or that Lieanna girl. She was supposed to come out again sometime… She already stole from the market down the block. I wouldn’t be surprised if she broke in here while I went to the back for two minutes. I’ve heard she’s a sneaky little scamp, that girl is.”
Although Lieanna would’ve taken it as a compliment, she was rather ‘hurt’ that she was accused of this crime. She loved books. Reading was something that let her escape reality and its troubles for a while. There might be some bad conflicts within the story she was reading, but it was nice to view another scenario, happily knowing it wasn’t happening to you. And anytime she could get away from her problems and go into the world of fantasy was fine by her… Why desecrate her happiness? So, to keep her happiness level up, she moved away from the Mangas and onto the Mystery Section. Quickly, she picked a book out and made it out of the store without being detected. “She’s nice and all, but Taylor doesn’t really notice much,” sighed Lieanna once she was over the other side of the back gate.
There wasn’t enough excitement for Lieanna tonight… She wasn’t ready to go home just yet. Instead, she went off to the park. It was old yes, but it was also abandoned… Especially at night. So, she took a spot near a broken street lamp, settled herself down onto the grass, and began to read her new book.
For a few moments she lay there. The moon overhead providing enough light to read, the occasional bird flying overhead, and the fact that there were no people around made the mood relaxing. For a minute she closed her eyes, taking it all in…
“Taking a nap are we, Lieanna?”
Her eyes snapped open, only to close them in the dazzle of light. The broken street lamp came to life and was shining upon her, her blue eyes reflecting the brightness and her face showing confusion.
(Tabina’s shocked!)
“It’s not safe for a little girl to be out at night all alone,” said the voice. After being adjusted to the sudden light, she saw a tall man leaning on the lamp post, looking down at her with a cold smile.
(Mysterious man)
Tabina couldn’t move. She had never been caught before… Lieanna had never been caught before… Why was this happening now? It hardly counted as a steal…
The man smirked, seeing her face full of surprise and shock as she seemed to be frozen.. “I don’t think it’s very polite of you to just lay there and look like a deer in the headlights,” he mused coldly. “I’d ask for your name… But you’re pretty well known you know.” With a small hallow laugh, he pushed himself from the post and knelt down beside her. “Lieanna the thief. Age: Between eleven and thirteen. Hits: More than forty cities starting a little more to the east. Thievery: Ranging from loaves of bread to priceless gems and beyond… Hunters know these things.” With a kind smile, he put a hand behind her back and brought her into a sitting position. “I’m not going to hurt you,” she said softly. “No one is… Until we reach the station. Then they could deal with you.”
Tabina finally understood what her brain was telling her. She stood up quickly and tried to run, but he grabbed her arm and brought her down onto him with her back against his chest. “Now now, we can’t have any of that,” he said as he wrapped her arms around her, taking her in a tight embrace. “Just close your eyes, count backwards from one hundred, and it’ll all be over soon,” he said in a lulling, drawing voice. She struggled against him, kicking and trying to break her upper body free. But he held a tight hold on her, and it didn’t even seem like he was trying. She didn’t know what he meant by saying all that. She wasn’t going to sleep right now!
“Ray!” the man called over his shoulder. Tabina didn’t know who Ray was, but she didn’t want to find out. She closed her eyes tightly, loosing energy as she tried to break free.
“Tabs.” A softer, more gentle voice came from in front of her. She opened her eyes to see Sean crouching down in front of her. “S-Sean,” she said in just above a whisper as she stopped moving. For a moment, she wondered why she was moving against this man. Sean called her Tabs, not Lieanna… Why did he…?
“I had the weirdest feeling,” he said with a smile. “I thought you were too interested… And you disappear a lot too. I couldn’t take you back the books I borrowed at night because you were always gone… But it’s okay Tabby…”
Tabina didn’t like how nice his tone was… She really didn’t like how he put his hand on her cheek either. “Don’t worry,” he said quietly to her. “It’s going to be okay.”
Tabina made one finally attempt to break free from the man, but he pulled her back a little more, taking a cloth and covering her mouth and nose with it. She tried not to breath in the foul smelling material he put on the cloth, but she had to breath… It was hurting not to. She tried moving her head, but he kept it tight. The world was fading in and out. She looked at Sean through unfocused eyes, seeing that smile blur away. A single tear escaped her before she closed her eyes and hung limply against the man.
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