The Final Price For Thievery

"Thanks a lot, Zeke."

"Oh, so now it's my fault, is it?"

"This was all your idea in the first place!"

"If it wasn't for your fumbling fingers, we wouldn't be here!"

"And if you hadn't thought up this ridiculous scheme we definitely wouldn't!" My partner-in-crime Darius's voice rises in volume as we are led down the dimly-lit hallway.

"You could've said no! This is as much your fault as mine!" I wince as the back of my head gets rapped for talking too loud. Darius gets a good smack too, though, so that puts a smirk on my face.

"You're lucky my hands are behind my back," Darius snarls under his breath, "or they'd be around your neck right now."

"Your hands are the least of my neck's worries," I mutter as we are shoved into a stone-walled cell.

"Enjoy your night, boys," the man locking the cell says with a sick smile. "It may very well be your last."

"Yeah, like I need that reminder." I sigh as I turn around to Darius's furious face.

"Listen, I'm-"

"No, Zeke, you listen! I can't believe I ever trusted you! The one time -one time!- I tag along on one of your little excursions, we get caught! I'm no thief, Zeke! This is all your fault!"

"Yeah, I know-"

"No, no you don't know! You have no idea! I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you and your- your stupid little stealing problem!"

"Alright, first of all, I do not have a stealing problem. And you'd steal too if it's the only way you can survive! Just because you don't have to worry about whether or not you'll be able to feed you or your sister doesn't mean everybody is as well off as you!"

"Well-," Darius starts yelling back, and then falters. "You- I didn't know- you have a sister?"

I look down at the damp, rutted cell floor. "Yeah. Little Olivia. Probably the only person who'll notice I'm gone tomorrow." I slide into a sitting position, leaning my head back against the cold wall and closing my eyes. It's quiet for a few minutes, then:

"Zeke?"

"Hmm."

"I'm only fifteen... I don't want to die yet..."

I snort and open my eyes to look at Darius sitting across from me. "They're not going to kill you, you idiot."

"They're not?"

"Course not. They've only caught you stealing once. You'll just lose a finger or two."

"Oh. Ouch."

"Doesn't hurt too bad." I shift my weight, trying in vain to get comfortable. I've only just closed my eyes when Darius interrupts my thoughts once again.

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Well, what's going to happen to you tomorrow?"

After a few moments, I sigh and raise my right hand. It's missing two fingers. "I'm a third time offender. All I've got to look forward to is a noose."

"But... you're only a year older than me."

"Yup."

"They can't kill sixteen-year-olds."

"They can if you've robbed the admiral's house. Six times."

"Six times? Really?"

"Yeah. Got caught the first two times, but I managed a few more raids before that last one."

"But wouldn't it be harder to pick locks with fewer fingers?"

"You'd think so. But they never caught on to the fact that I'm left-handed."

Darius shares a laugh with me. "You always stole from the admiral's house. Always wanted a challenge, didn't you?"

"Well, not always, but his cook's blackberry pies are to die for." The smile instantly drops from my face at my unintended pun. The dungeon is filled with a long awkward silence, eventually broken by light snores coming from my cellmate. After a while I am lulled into a fitful sleep as well, and awake later to the sound of keys in the cell door.

"Are you ready?" Darius whispers.

"Of course not." But it isn't like I have a choice.

"Ezekiel Cornelius Aleksander Robertus." I roll my eyes as the guard at the door barks my ridiculously long name. Before I stand up, I turn to Darius.

"Take care of Olivia for me, will you?" I try to keep my voice from quivering. He nods, and I smile gratefully at him one last time before following my escort down the hallway.