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Authors: Peter Boland
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scrapes and scuffles of a fight kicking off.
Lena knew she should stay put, but fights had a gravitational effect on her. Adrenalin squirted into her veins and she found herself standing around the corner, transfixed by the sight of Seb with Mack in a headlock. Mack’s face was going as red as sunburn, but then he pushed Duff back into a shelf of cereal. Boxes tumbled all over them as they kept on fighting. Lena couldn’t believe how real they were making this look. The two shopkeepers pushed past her, leaving a stinky wake behind them, which worked like smelling salts on Lena. She wasn’t supposed to be spectating, she was here to rob.
The two men tried to prise Mack and Seb apart. Their feet skidded on the floor and their hands grappled with the two boys, as the four of them careered all over the shop, slamming into things. Lena backed away, keeping hers eyes fixed on the scuffle. When she was out of view, she ran behind the till, grabbed the collection box and ran for the door. She had only taken a step when she was violently yanked back. Lena thought someone had grabbed her. She spun round ready to throw fists. There was nobody there. The collection box had halted her escape. A thick metal chain was attached to its base, the other end was padlocked to a bracket on the counter. Lena pulled and pulled but the box was definitely staying where it was.
She went behind the counter to see if there was anything to prise it off with. The only thing she could find was pair of scissors. She dug them into the counter to try and lever off the bracket, but it was bolted on too tightly. The struggle was still going on behind the aisles, getting louder all the time, but it wouldn’t be long before the shopkeepers got the better of Mack and Duff, and threw them out or called the police.
In desperation, Lena yanked and yanked at the chain, but it stayed put. She pulled it so hard that it lifted the whole counter, making everything on it jump up for a split second, including the till. In that instant, something caught her eye that shouldn’t have been there. A bright shiny access key poked out of the cash register. Shop keepers usually took this with them to stop people opening the till when they weren’t behind the counter. But in all the confusion these two had left it behind.
This new information sped through Lena’s brain. She dropped the collection box on the counter, this didn’t matter now. The buttons on the cash till stared back at her. Lena couldn’t figure out which one to press so she started hitting all of them randomly with her fists. Nothing happened apart from ridiculously large numbers appearing on the display. Lena banged her fists harder and quicker until there was a pleasing ‘ping’ sound. The cash tray obediently slid out nudging Lena in the stomach. It was more money than she had ever seen. The little compartments were stuffed with cash and the sight of it hypnotised her temporarily. Lena raked her hands over the till tray, grabbing as many notes as she could and stuffed them into her pockets. When they were gone she went for the coins as well. The money was pushed into every pocket she had.
A few coins fell on the floor. She thought the shop keepers would hear it and return, but the sound of the two boys fighting masked any noise she was making.
When no-one came, Lena gained confidence. A stealing frenzy gripped her like a fever and she desperately looked around for anything else she could take. Behind her were shelves of spirits. They’d need something to celebrate with when she rejoined the gang. Scanning quickly along the rows she found the most expensive one. It was a bottle of Scotch with an unpronounceable name. She put her fists around the neck and pulled it off the shelf, holding it tight to her chest. Then she walked quickly out of the shop with her head down, resisting the urge to look at the scrap going on down the aisle.
When she was clear of the shop, Lena sprinted as hard as she
Lena knew she should stay put, but fights had a gravitational effect on her. Adrenalin squirted into her veins and she found herself standing around the corner, transfixed by the sight of Seb with Mack in a headlock. Mack’s face was going as red as sunburn, but then he pushed Duff back into a shelf of cereal. Boxes tumbled all over them as they kept on fighting. Lena couldn’t believe how real they were making this look. The two shopkeepers pushed past her, leaving a stinky wake behind them, which worked like smelling salts on Lena. She wasn’t supposed to be spectating, she was here to rob.
The two men tried to prise Mack and Seb apart. Their feet skidded on the floor and their hands grappled with the two boys, as the four of them careered all over the shop, slamming into things. Lena backed away, keeping hers eyes fixed on the scuffle. When she was out of view, she ran behind the till, grabbed the collection box and ran for the door. She had only taken a step when she was violently yanked back. Lena thought someone had grabbed her. She spun round ready to throw fists. There was nobody there. The collection box had halted her escape. A thick metal chain was attached to its base, the other end was padlocked to a bracket on the counter. Lena pulled and pulled but the box was definitely staying where it was.
She went behind the counter to see if there was anything to prise it off with. The only thing she could find was pair of scissors. She dug them into the counter to try and lever off the bracket, but it was bolted on too tightly. The struggle was still going on behind the aisles, getting louder all the time, but it wouldn’t be long before the shopkeepers got the better of Mack and Duff, and threw them out or called the police.
In desperation, Lena yanked and yanked at the chain, but it stayed put. She pulled it so hard that it lifted the whole counter, making everything on it jump up for a split second, including the till. In that instant, something caught her eye that shouldn’t have been there. A bright shiny access key poked out of the cash register. Shop keepers usually took this with them to stop people opening the till when they weren’t behind the counter. But in all the confusion these two had left it behind.
This new information sped through Lena’s brain. She dropped the collection box on the counter, this didn’t matter now. The buttons on the cash till stared back at her. Lena couldn’t figure out which one to press so she started hitting all of them randomly with her fists. Nothing happened apart from ridiculously large numbers appearing on the display. Lena banged her fists harder and quicker until there was a pleasing ‘ping’ sound. The cash tray obediently slid out nudging Lena in the stomach. It was more money than she had ever seen. The little compartments were stuffed with cash and the sight of it hypnotised her temporarily. Lena raked her hands over the till tray, grabbing as many notes as she could and stuffed them into her pockets. When they were gone she went for the coins as well. The money was pushed into every pocket she had.
A few coins fell on the floor. She thought the shop keepers would hear it and return, but the sound of the two boys fighting masked any noise she was making.
When no-one came, Lena gained confidence. A stealing frenzy gripped her like a fever and she desperately looked around for anything else she could take. Behind her were shelves of spirits. They’d need something to celebrate with when she rejoined the gang. Scanning quickly along the rows she found the most expensive one. It was a bottle of Scotch with an unpronounceable name. She put her fists around the neck and pulled it off the shelf, holding it tight to her chest. Then she walked quickly out of the shop with her head down, resisting the urge to look at the scrap going on down the aisle.
When she was clear of the shop, Lena sprinted as hard as she
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