Tahlia Pistemalis

Steal of the 31st Century

As she passed me by, a glint of silver caught my eye. In times like these a glimpse of metal is often attributed to a blade, but as my eyes adjusted I realized this was not a weapon. But a small heart shaped locket adorned her neck. A show of wealth that was dangerous in this damned city, what followed was an effortless wave of fingers and it was no longer on her neck but safely in my pocket. Silver like this could feed a man for 10 years, so it was a justified steal. My pockets light, imagining how heavy they will be after flipping this steal at O’Malley’s, a local antiques dealer which was a front for their main business, moving rare and precious items – and often stolen items. As I skipped up the steps, dreaming of the meal I will be able to buy later this evening I was greeted by the usual suspects. Al the big boss and his two brothers and business partners Frank and Joe, a trio who looked like they could scare the stripes off a tiger. But to me they were kittens, always having cash ready for me after a score. Al looked up from the counter “Hey Knuckles, what have you got for me today?” a nickname he gave when he first witness my pickpocketing prowess. “Something special today Al, bit of silver I think” I gleamed, he motioned me forward intent on viewing the goods his eyes lighting up at the sight of the heart shaped pay-day. “looks like you’re in for a good feed tonight boy, If the tests pan out I reckon you could be in for a good 10000 cut here, the price of silver has sky rocketed in the past couple of years” he twirled the necklace in one hand as he prepared the test in the other. As he performed the test his eyes became more and more intense “where did you get this boy?” he queried. “I stole it off the neck of a girl in the town square” I replied my feelings of hope depleting and being replaced with a sense that I may have picked a worthless score. His look intensified before he added “Well it isn’t silver, it is white gold” he finally revealed. Which left me more confused than earlier “what is white gold?” I wondered audibly “well my boy all you need to know is it is so rare it is worth 10 times the amount of silver” Al grinned as he slipped the priceless piece of metal in his pocket, and nodding to his brothers which who now had me flanked. Al moved from behind the counter, his gaze set on mine “you will forget about this find if you know what’s good for you boy, you wouldn’t know what to do with a score this big” he smirked and in that moment I knew my play, I would have to provoke him to get him in closer “ still don’t think it will be enough money for you to get your wife back from the young thing she left you for” I responded before he promptly followed with a gut wrenching punch that had me keeled over. “Check his pockets, you never know with his fingers” Al said as Frank and Joe moved in checking each of my pockets before giving Al the ok. “I’m feeling generous tonight so I will let that comment slide” still half bowed I turned on my feet and quickly out the door. I moved swiftly trough the dimly lit streets before curling my tongue and dropping the easily lifted piece of jewellery into my hand and then into a hidden pocket on the inside of my jacket. Al isn’t a stupid man he didn’t trust my hands around him but he never expected the boy he coined as knuckles to work without his hands. It wouldn’t be safe to head home now, if one could call the 4 x 4 pod I resided in a home. Although the government has pretty much abolished homelessness by creating these pods that homed the cities less fortunate the compounds they were often hotspots for crime, and after being built almost 200 years ago they were suffering the effects of time. Better to say goodbye to that life now and never look back, all I got to do is lay low and find a fence for this life changing locket.