this little man had just stolen something. He deserved a little bit of pranking.
“He’s the one. Which stone should I use first?”
“The one with yellow stripes.”
I removed the sack from my pocket and opened it on the palm of my hand. A blue stone with red speckles sat next to a milky one with yellow stripes. I pinched the yellow striped one and walked over to the shady man, who was now standing next to an apple cart. He asked the salesman to grab a jar of apple cider from behind him and used the opportunity to stuff an apple into his pocket.
I moved closer as he rejected the cider. “Never mind. I thought it might be something spicier,” the thief said. He glanced at me and moved to the next cart.
I followed, with Mark close behind me. I pinched the stone harder between my fingers and moved in on the criminal. He glanced back at me and narrowed his eyes before moving to the pomegranates. I moved next to him and reached for a pomegranate. I dropped the stone on the back of his hand. He jerked his hand back, but the stone had already dissolved by the time he brought his hand to his face.
He rubbed his palm and glared at me.
“Sorry, just grabbing one,” I said, keeping my eyes on him, waiting for the stone to do its thing.
He stopped rubbing his hands and a glazed look washed over his eyes as his hands slumped to his sides. I set the pomegranate back on the pile and waved my hand in front of his face. He didn’t blink.
Mark moved next to me and leaned in front of the vacant-looking man. He studied the man’s face, then shrugged, reached into the man’s jacket and pulled out his wallet.
“Let’s see who this guy is.”
“How long will he be like this?”
“You made the stone strong enough to last for a few minutes.” Mark opened his wallet and looked through it. “Look.” He fanned a thick stack of hundred-dollar bills. “Mr. Ralph Lafferty doesn’t appear to be starving.”
“What should we do with him?”
“I think Mr. Lafferty here should pay for what he’s taken, don’t you?”
I nodded and looked over at the man sitting behind the apple cart, leaning back with his arms crossed, watching another person pass by.
Mark walked over to him. “Excuse me,” Mark said.
The apple vendor stood up from his chair and sighed. “Yes?”
“Sir, the man over there forget to pay for an apple. He’s mighty sorry, and he wanted me to give you this.” Mark held out a hundred-dollar bill.
The man’s face shrank as he inspected the bill. “An apple is only a dollar. I don’t have change for a hundred.”
“Keep it.”
“You serious?”
“As a heart attack.”
“Tell him thanks. He comes here all the time, but never buys anything. I just thought he was some cheap bastard.” The man regarded Ralph with a wave.
“Listen,” I said. “That man’s been taking fruit from you and probably all the other vendors for a long time. Mark, give him all of it. Divide it among the other vendors here, okay?”
He shrugged and pulled the stack from Ralph’s wallet, then handed it to the skeptical vendor.
“Who are you kids?”
“Just trying to help out. We’d better get going.” Mark nodded his head.
“Just don’t ever let that man back here again, and warn the others,” I said.
The apple vendor pulled each bill from one hand to the other as he counted them. I wasn’t sure if he heard me or not, or maybe he didn’t care. A couple thousand dollars might buy you a lifetime stealing permit at a farmer’s market. He was transfixed by the stack of money.
Mark rushed to Ralph and stuffed his wallet back in his jacket. He laughed and jogged to the street. I caught up in a second and we headed on our way. I took a deep breath and grabbed his hand this time. I couldn’t believe we’d actually done something with the stone that felt good. That scumbag Ralph had been stealing from those poor people for who knew how long and for only the thrill of it. What a sicko. I glanced back right
“He’s the one. Which stone should I use first?”
“The one with yellow stripes.”
I removed the sack from my pocket and opened it on the palm of my hand. A blue stone with red speckles sat next to a milky one with yellow stripes. I pinched the yellow striped one and walked over to the shady man, who was now standing next to an apple cart. He asked the salesman to grab a jar of apple cider from behind him and used the opportunity to stuff an apple into his pocket.
I moved closer as he rejected the cider. “Never mind. I thought it might be something spicier,” the thief said. He glanced at me and moved to the next cart.
I followed, with Mark close behind me. I pinched the stone harder between my fingers and moved in on the criminal. He glanced back at me and narrowed his eyes before moving to the pomegranates. I moved next to him and reached for a pomegranate. I dropped the stone on the back of his hand. He jerked his hand back, but the stone had already dissolved by the time he brought his hand to his face.
He rubbed his palm and glared at me.
“Sorry, just grabbing one,” I said, keeping my eyes on him, waiting for the stone to do its thing.
He stopped rubbing his hands and a glazed look washed over his eyes as his hands slumped to his sides. I set the pomegranate back on the pile and waved my hand in front of his face. He didn’t blink.
Mark moved next to me and leaned in front of the vacant-looking man. He studied the man’s face, then shrugged, reached into the man’s jacket and pulled out his wallet.
“Let’s see who this guy is.”
“How long will he be like this?”
“You made the stone strong enough to last for a few minutes.” Mark opened his wallet and looked through it. “Look.” He fanned a thick stack of hundred-dollar bills. “Mr. Ralph Lafferty doesn’t appear to be starving.”
“What should we do with him?”
“I think Mr. Lafferty here should pay for what he’s taken, don’t you?”
I nodded and looked over at the man sitting behind the apple cart, leaning back with his arms crossed, watching another person pass by.
Mark walked over to him. “Excuse me,” Mark said.
The apple vendor stood up from his chair and sighed. “Yes?”
“Sir, the man over there forget to pay for an apple. He’s mighty sorry, and he wanted me to give you this.” Mark held out a hundred-dollar bill.
The man’s face shrank as he inspected the bill. “An apple is only a dollar. I don’t have change for a hundred.”
“Keep it.”
“You serious?”
“As a heart attack.”
“Tell him thanks. He comes here all the time, but never buys anything. I just thought he was some cheap bastard.” The man regarded Ralph with a wave.
“Listen,” I said. “That man’s been taking fruit from you and probably all the other vendors for a long time. Mark, give him all of it. Divide it among the other vendors here, okay?”
He shrugged and pulled the stack from Ralph’s wallet, then handed it to the skeptical vendor.
“Who are you kids?”
“Just trying to help out. We’d better get going.” Mark nodded his head.
“Just don’t ever let that man back here again, and warn the others,” I said.
The apple vendor pulled each bill from one hand to the other as he counted them. I wasn’t sure if he heard me or not, or maybe he didn’t care. A couple thousand dollars might buy you a lifetime stealing permit at a farmer’s market. He was transfixed by the stack of money.
Mark rushed to Ralph and stuffed his wallet back in his jacket. He laughed and jogged to the street. I caught up in a second and we headed on our way. I took a deep breath and grabbed his hand this time. I couldn’t believe we’d actually done something with the stone that felt good. That scumbag Ralph had been stealing from those poor people for who knew how long and for only the thrill of it. What a sicko. I glanced back right
Similar Books
