Topic: Nothing Ventured

Michael Parker

Date: 2010-12-24 03:06 EST
((deleted by author))

Kendall Bree

Date: 2010-12-25 01:07 EST
The corner of the ledge was sharp. It dug through her pants into her knees. She twisted to brace her foot against the corner, slipped and scrambled until she had back her balance. Her bitten-off nails went white as she grabbed the frame. Parker looked up quickly, she grinned down at him. She was too high up for him to pull back down, now. She'd show him she could do this, that she was smart enough. Then he'd stay, or take her with him next time he left.

The latch on the window stuck and then released. Yesss. She swung the window open and slithered into the room. Her eyes popped. Wow. Everything in here was awful clean and there was a lot of sparklies inside the display cases. And it was warm, even though there wasn't anyone even here. Her stomach growled and she jumped at the noise.

Had to hurry, Parker said, so she darted over to the doors that lead outside. There was the chain, and there were the holes that the chain went through. She scowled at the holes and stood up on tiptoe, reaching. She could just barely touch the edge of the chain with her fingertips. The holes were too tall. She looked around the room and spotted a stool, dragged it over with a scrape of wood on wood.

Okay. She climbed up on the stool, pulled the chain until the lock was near the opening where she could reach it. It rattled and she bit her lip. Had to be quiet, Parker said, like a little mouse. Only the mice were actually pretty noisy, so maybe the noise was okay. She took the little pieces of metal he'd made her practice with in one hand and shoved her arm through the hole in the wood.

It scraped her wrist. She squinched up one eye and bit her lips while she reached for the lock, concentrating hard. Parker had made her practice over and over and over again on another lock. It wasn't the same as the one on the door, but it was close. The little twists of metal she used to pry the tumblers and turn the lock weren't real lock picks, not grown up lock picks, but Parker said that was "cause if the Watch caught her with scraps they couldn't do anything but the lock picks would be bad.

She had to lift with one bit, and twist with the other. She scowled with concentration, both eyes shut, while she fiddled the lock. It was taking too long. She hadn't taken this long when she'd been practicing. If she didn't do it right, he would leave again because she wouldn't be good enough.

The lock clicked, clunked, and the sturdy rounded crossbar popped open. She pulled back her hand and had to jump up to reach the bolt lock " the silversmith had put it at his own shoulder height when he installed it. She grabbed the door handle, jumped up as high as she could, and hit the lock back. There!

The store was open.

Michael Parker

Date: 2010-12-31 01:32 EST
((deleted by author))

Kendall Bree

Date: 2011-01-04 23:03 EST
"You aren't taking her out on a job, Parker." Her momma's voice was furious and edgy. "It's too dangerous " I won't let you!" They were arguing again. Every time Parker came to visit, her momma argued with Parker. Kendall frowned at the twists of bent metal and the practice lock in her hands, crouched up against the wall outside the bedroom. Twist like that, and feel really hard for the little click, only don't turn it too far until all the little clicks are up " Parker showed her that, and she was practicing hard.

"C"mon, Eleanor. The kid's got a knack for this stuff, and there isn't a Watchman out there that'd pick her up anyway. Just this one job, El, and we're made, set for life." That was Parker, on the other side of the thin wall. He must"a been smiling, "cause he always sounded pretty when he smiled. "C"mon, just the one job, and we'll go Flying." Kendall scowled at the lock in her hands when it clicked open. She still wasn't fast enough.

"Well -" Her momma hesitated. "Flying high?"

"Sure."

The door opened and she looked up from her crouch, smiled up at Parker when he came out and crouched down next to her. "Guess you heard that, huh kid?"

"Yeah." She stuck her tongue into the space where her front tooth had been, shut the practice lock back up again. "I can do it, promise I can Parker."

"Then we got some money to make."

Now she was working on the lock of one of the glass cases while Parker scooped the metal stamps into the canvas bag across the room. She crouched behind the counter and tried to be extra-special quiet, "cause this wasn't one of the displays Parker wanted her to open. But there was a necklace in there with a pretty running horse on it, and momma really liked horses and unicorns and stuff.

The lock on this case clicked open " and this time something different happened. Lights turned on in the closed shop and there was a shrill, high-pitched wailing. Kendall looked up startled and wide-eyed with the necklace dangling from her hand. "I didn't mean to!"

"Time to go kid."