Storytelling Week 11: Stealing for Love

A shot gun I picture when I wrote this story. Source.

POW POW POW is the sound I hear as the bullets are discharged from the store owner's gun. This wasn't the first time a gun has been pulled on me but it is the first time to actually be shot at. Normally the gun is just brought out to scare me. I was too relaxed tonight, I need to do better next time.

When your hungry you do what you have to do for food especially when your mother is a drug addict and my little brother is crying because he is hungry. I'd move heaven and Earth for my little brother Ryland.  I try to keep him out of the house away from her but when I have to go get food, I leave him at home so he doesn't get in the way.

I know what you're thinking, "why don't I get a job?" Well I have one, but it doesn't pay enough to get food all the time. Ryland was hungry so I ran to a convenient store grabbed a few things but not before the store owner saw me steal the food and start to shoot.

I can hear my mom screaming at Ryland outside of the house. He's too young to be putting up with her bull crap so I take off running inside to diffuse this situation. Apparently she thought he was doing his homework too slowly, which is funny considering she is a drop out that didn't bother finishing because she was already addicted to drugs. After I send her away and feed Ryland, I help him with his homework and get him ready for bed. You're probably wondering where our father is? Yeah well get in line because I want to know the answer as well. Mom won't tell us who he is.

The next day, I walk into the kitchen to be stopped by several police officers sitting at the table. Crap, I think they are here to bust me for stealing. I'm taken by surprise when they say they here because they want to investigate for child neglect. I don't want them to arrest mom. While sometimes I think she is Satan reincarnated, she is the reason my brother and I get to stay together. I lie my ass off to the police about what happens in our house hold. I can take care of Ryland until he is older.

Once the police seem satisfied with what they have heard, they leave and I go hunt Ryland down to feed him. At dinner he tells me everyone is laughing at how old his shoes are. I mentally put it on the list of things he needs.

I went to the grocery store with what little money that I had on Friday. On my walk to the store I saw a beautiful pair of shoes I know Ryland would love. I'm 25 dollars too short to buy them. So I go to what I know I have to do if I want him to have them.

I went into the shoe store, found Ryland's size, hid them close to the door, and set off to make a distraction. I "tripped" over my own feet, hit a shelf, and knocked the whole thing down sending shoes flying. As the store owner checks on me, then the other costumers, I make my way for the door, grab the shoes and take off running. I hid the shoes before I went to the grocery store.

On my way home, I grab the shoes, groceries in hand, and take the long way that doesn't go near the shoe store. The light in Ryland's eye when he sees his new shoes is the reason I will steal if I have too. His happiness means the world to me.

Author's Note: I had to take sometime to think how I could use the story The Story of The Summoner. In that story the summoner decides to steal money from who ever he can. On his journey, he meets a man. After questioning the man of his identity, the summoner finds out that he is really the devil. The two agree that they will steal everything they can from whoever. I knew after reading this story I had two elements to work with. Stealing and the Devil. I used stealing as the main element in my story. I bet you noticed that my character didn't have a name. I noticed that about half way through and decided to leave it that way. I wanted him to have motivation for his stealing rather than out of greed. You might have noticed I referred to his mom as Satan. I tried to have him have his own devil in his life. I liked writing this story. Stories like these make me want to keep writing and make t story more elaborate. I just somewhat let it flow rather than planning it out. Let me know what you think!\

Bibliography: The Chaucer Story Book by Eva March Tappan (1908).