"Shhh..." He said.

           Beats of silence drifted in the air like smoke.

           "Shhh..." He repeated.

           "How much longer?" The little girl asked.

           "It's almost time." He whispered into the ear of his little sister, "Now you wait here...  don't go anywhere."

           "I won't."

           Silently, the boy crept away.  He checked his right to see if anyone was there.  Then, he looked to the left for just the same.  Like a spider gliding across the air, he silently crept into the house.

           Clark Leary was a 13-year old boy.  Although most boys his age were still in school, he had dropped out to take care of his little sister.  He took her from city to city, mugging innocent pedestrians as they walked by the "lucky spot".  However, that day he was going for a bigger prize, the Lindenburg mansion.

           As the snow touched the pavement, Clark crept from corner to corner until he made it in through the back.  As soon as he got through the back door, he let out his breath.

           His eyes dashed around the room, quickly glimpsing at the treasures that would soon be all his.  He didn't have much time so he had to act quick.

           Quietly and unnoticed, he bagged anything in the room that seemed useful and crept towards the kitchen to do the same.

           Checking before to see if it was vacant, he made his move into the kitchen.  He crept along the walls, trying to match his shadow as he took everything that was left inside the kitchen.

           "Hello." She said.

           At first Clark thought he had imagined it.  He froze like a statue.

           "What's your name?"

           Suddenly, he snapped his head around to see the girl.  Quickly, he reached into the back pocket of his shorts and pulled out a knife.  He pointed it towards the girl, threatening to take her life, but she didn't seem scared.

           The girl, with long ebony hair, smiled at him.

           "Don't you dare move or I'll kill you." Clark said without hesitation.

           "Would you like to stay for tea?  I'm having teatime right now.  Would you like to join me?"

           Clark lowered his knife, "...teatime?" The word almost seemed absurd, "I'm sorry, but I don't have time for something like that."

           "Won't you please?" The girl said again.

           "I'm sorry, but I have to go now." Then Clark took off.

           "Wait!" Clark stopped, "Mr. Robber, won't you stay a little longer?"

           All that was going through Clark's mind was how stupid the girl was.

           "Let me look into your bag." The girl walked over and took one side of the brown potato bag and peered in, "Eeww, you took all of the nasty stuff.  Lemme give you the yummy stuff."

           The girl took the bag and turned it upside-down, watching all of the food tumble out.  Then, she brought it to the refrigerator, dumping in almost anything that her arms could grasp.  As Clark watched her, he noticed a comb with shells tied onto it holding her hair together.  She had a small dress on that was probably forced onto her by her parents. 

           Once the bag was full, the girl returned it to Clark.

           "Is that all you need?" the girl asked innocently.

           "I-I'm fine..." The boy stuttered.  Then, he attempted to take off a second time but the girl pulled him back.

           "Wait!  Let me give you one more thing."

           The girl with golden hair quickly ran into the other room.  The smart choice for Clark was to escape at that very moment.  The girl could have been running to get her parents and capture him.  But for some reason, Clark couldn't leave.  There was something inside him that was forcing him to stay.

           Just then, the girl returned, but with a flower in her hand.

           "These are lilies.  They're my favorite," She handed Clark one, "You keep one of them.  They're very pretty.  Keep it for ever and ever."

           Clark hesitantly took the flower from her hand.  After that, he attempted to leave for the third time and he succeeded.  The girl smiled one last time at the robber who left her.

           The only thing Clark remembered the girl as was the crazy girl with dark black hair, and the shell comb that held her hair together.

                      The Lamplighter - Anyone, But Her.

           The snow fell down from the sky just like it had on the night eight years ago.  It was the same gloomy night that fell upon him back then.  A gloomy night that could change everything in the blink of an eye.

           "Why am I thinking about this now all of the sudden," Clark shook his head, trying to get his flashback out of his head.  All that needed to concern him at the moment was his job, assassinating Mr. Carnegie.

           Like a shadow, he crept to the outermost wall, peering over the alley.

           "There you are Mr. Carnegie, dealing illegal drugs in a place where you thought no one could see you.  Well... sorry to say this, but you thought wrong."

           Clark lodged his gun in a hole in the wall and aimed it down towards his head.  He learned long ago that if shot through the head, they would die instantly without making a sound.

           Finally, all the waiting was over; it was time.  He had done this so many times that his heart no longer exhilarated when he thought about killing someone.  It was as casual to him as walking.  When he first started, he couldn't keep the gun still.  But since then, he never missed.  Missing was never an option for him.

           Then, he closed on eye and aimed at the target with the other.  Pulling his finger along the trigger, he was ready to make the shot.

           Just then, the little girl from eight years ago returned to capture his mind.  Just as he pulled the trigger, the gun shifted from place, shooting the target in the shoulder.

           "Shit," Quickly, he hid behind the wall, banging his head against the wall for his stupidity.

           "Master Carnegie! Are you alright!" He heard one of the men say.

           "I saw it!  The sniper was from up there!  In that building!"

           "Shit!" Clark repeated.  Grabbing his gun, he crawled off the top of the building, hoping to have been unnoticed.  As he crept back down into the empty office building, he could hear the voices of the security yelling to one another.  At that time, business and technology was rapidly growing, and so were small businesses.  Many office buildings were made and they lived for a short while, but they were abandoned just as quickly as they were made. 

           Making sure he took another rout out than the way he took in, he fled down from floor to floor until he reached the base floor.  He could see the tormenting shadows pace along the walls, ready to shoot him at sight.  But then again, he couldn't be shot if he shot them first.

           Waiting till they were directly in front of the doorway, he dashed out and show the two guards with a single bullet.

           Making sure he didn't forget to mug them, he quickly sprinted out of the alley into the main streets of Lindenburg.

           The roads were covered in snow, but with the new automobiles coming out, there were tracks in the snow.

                      ***

           "...And now, now you say that you love me." Vivien sang as she mimicked her fingers with the piano that played the keys for her.  She claimed she could play the bass and the saxophone as well, but her father put professionals to back her up as a precaution, "Well, just to prove you do.  C'mon and  cry, cry, cry me a river, cry me a river 'cause I had cried a river all over youuuu.  So you can cryyy me a river, 'cause I cried a river over you."

           Then, as Vivien stood up and bowed, the audience clapped out of politeness.  Sadly, if she looked closely, she would have noticed the relieved faces of everyone in that jazz club.  If it were up to the public, they would never have let Vivien on stage, but since her father owned the club, he wanted her to sing for his club.  It was originally called the Harry's Club, but a nickname given by the townspeople was the Harpy's Club.

           As she left the stage, the jazz band took back the stage.  She walked out the back door to her dressing room, thinking it was another successful show.

           "Oh look, it's snowing again..." She walked towards the busy streets, watching the snow fall onto the ground like puffs of cotton.  As the jazz music drifted out from the club windows, she sighed.

           Suddenly, she was abruptly pushed over.

           "Oh excuse me miss," A man said.

           "What?  Oh EXCUSE you!" Vivien said, hitting her bag on the man, "Can you at least WATCH where you're going?!"

           Vivien recognized the man as the poor lamplighter.  She always laughed at him because he had such a low job while she had a high-paying job at the club.

           "I'm very sorry miss."

           "You'd better be sorry.  Now don't you be touchin' me again." Vivien spat back.  Bad-mouthing the man, she walked to the dressing room.

           "Who does he think he is..." Vivien exclaimed as she closed the door behind her, "He just wanted to touch this..."

           Trying to reach her back, she untied her dress that had been suffocating her during the entire performance.  As she let the straps fall from her shoulders, the rest of her dress came off from her body.

           Ring. Ring. Ring.

           Vivien glanced at the phone, but she had no intention on picking it up.  The answer machine had to wait three more rings before it could pick up a message, but when it did, Vivien's sister Victoria spoke over the phone.

           "Vivien, I have exciting news to tell you.  If you're there, please pick up."

           Vivien, feeling a psychic calling to pick up the phone, answered Victoria's urgent message.

           "Good evening Victoria."

           "Oh good evening.  How was the show?"

           "Good.  And how was your dinner party?"

           "It was a kick in the can.  Johnny Nock proposed to me."

           "My my, well you've got yourself some big cheese there.  Congratulations, you hit it big."

           "Oh would you stop that.  I'm not marrying him because of the cash, I'm marrying him because we both love each other.  And is that really the first thing you can say?  You didn't even stop to ask if I said yes."

           "Well, what else am I supposed to say when you keep boasting."

           "Excuse me?"

           "Just because you're the older sister, you think you have everything don't you.  Well go ahead, boast all you want."

           "It was a bad show wasn't it."

           "Don't try to put this on something else."

           "Well I'm sorry you're always so bitter, I really am.  I try to help you, but you just can't see it can you.  You're always telling me that you're looking for a handsome guy to sweep you off your feet, but I'm different.  I know that Johnny can take care of me when we get married, and that's all I need.  Some day, you need to get off your butt and start working.  I'd be surprised if you ever got a man."

           Suddenly, she heard the door open and close.  Her eyes shot open.  Maybe it was just the wind.

           "Vivien... are you there?"

           "Y-yeah...  I'm here." Cautiously, Vivien looked behind her.  There was a man leaning against the wall trying to catch his breath.  His eyes were closed, but his mouth was wide open, grasping the air in the room.  She could see his chest move up and down, just as rapidly as the breaths he took.

           The first thing that came into Vivien's mind was to scream. So she screamed.

           "Vivien... look I'm sorry.  Vivien?  Are you alright?  What was that I just heard?"

           Clark dove towards Vivien.  Screaming, but falling at the same time, Vivien was pushed backwards, falling onto her buttocks.  Clark, holding a handful of Vivien's dress in his hand, heard a loud tear as he landed on top of her.   Immediately, he covered her mouth.

           He's a rapist, thought Vivien, trying to break free from the man that was on top of her. He's one of those perverted rapist that like to follow girls into their dressing rooms.

           In a quick motion, she jabbed her knee up to hit Clark right between the legs.  He whimpered in pain as Vivien stood up.

           "HELP ME!!!" She screamed, "SOMEONE'S-"

           Just as quickly as before, Clark shot up and covered her mouth, treating her like a hostage, "Hide me." He demanded. 

           "Why SHOULD I?!"

           "Hide me." There was a tone of seriousness in his voice that made Vivien cooperate.

           Just as Clark had expected, a loud pound on the door burst into the room.

           "Hurry, hide in the closet."

           In less than a second, Clark hid in the closet and Vivien answered the door.

           "Excuse me, I'm changing..." She said as if she had just woken up.  She had the door ajar, so they couldn't see what was inside the room.

           "Excuse me Miss Vivien.  Your sister just called us, telling us you were in trouble." The security guard addressed, "We saw someone run into your room.  If he is hiding in there, we advise you that you turn him over as soon as possible.  He is very dangerous."

           Vivien rolled her eyes.  Her father's security guards were always too overprotective. "There's no one in here...  I'm changing... I wouldn't change in front of someone."

           Clark tried to see what was happening through the crack in the closet.  He was watching the girl with the long black hair and a dress her father forced her to wear decide his fat, right before something fell on top of his head blocking his view.  Meddling with it to prevent it from suffocating him, he could feel straps and two cups that felt as if they could each hold a gallon of water.

           "We'll ask you again miss.  If you are hiding him in here, we would ask you to bring him to us.  He is very dangerous."

           "exCUSE me...  Are you ACCUSING me of something?  I have never been mistaken for a patient woman, and if there was someone here I would send him over right away.  I could even let you search the place, but I'm undressed right now.  Now can you leave and return me my privacy?"

           "We're sorry to bother you miss." The security guard said.  Then, Vivien slammed the door at them.

           "Do you think she's hiding him?" His partner asked him.

           "She's probably not."

           As the two retreated back, they gave their reports to Master Carnegie and his brother.

           "It seems he's on the run." Peter said as he received the reports from the security guards.

           He turned to his older brother, being bandaged on the shoulder, "We can't let anyone see what had just taken place today."

                      ***

           Vivien looked left and right and noted that the area was clear.  Then, she went back to her stand-up closet.

           "It's clear."

           She opened the door and saw Clark with her bra tangled on top of his head.

           "You PERVERT!!!" She screamed, slapping him in the face.  After that, he got her underwear out of the way.

           "I-I'm sorry... it was an accident..." Still, all he could really think about was size.

           Crossing her arms and turned the opposite direction, Vivien asked, "So who are you anyway?"

           "I'm a mugger." Clark said humorously.  He wasn't lying, he was just working around the truth.

           Vivien looked over her shoulder suspiciously, "A mugger huh?  So are you trying to steal my clothes while you're at it?  What gives me any reason to not call those guards back to arrest you?"

           "I swear, I wasn't trying to do any harm." Acting was one of the many tasks a sniper had to take, "They started chasing me afterwards, and I had nowhere to go."

           "Hmmm?" Vivien moved up closer to Clark, looking at him straight in the eye.  Clark looked just as clueless as Vivien had when he first entered the room.  He searched her inquisitive facial expression to try and predict what would happen next.

           "I have an idea."

           "....." Clark had no reason to say anything.

           "I've decided." Vivien stood up and spoke in a cocky way, "If you be my boyfriend for one day, I won't turn you in."

           Clark had to restrain himself from laughing, "Are you joking?"

           "Do you want me to turn you in?"

           "I could shoot you if I want to."

           "SECURITY!!!!" She yelled at the top of her lungs.  She took off for the door to yell out once more, but Clark pulled her back.

           "Okay okay, I'll do it." Clark agreed, having no real intention of doing so.  He was just playing along with her game until he could get back into his.

           "Good.  Well, tomorrow I'm supposed to have tea with my sister, but I want to bring someone along to show her.  You'll just be my boyfriend-for-a-day."

           Something about her voice seemed utterly familiar to Clark.  He was sure he hadn't seen her before, so it would be pointless to ask if he had.  He quickly dismissed the thought.

           "After that, I'll never bother you again.  How about it?"

           "Sure, but you're not keeping me in here the whole time."

           "...well... yeah...  I guess that won't work out... well I'll bring you food..?"

           "....I have places that I have to be at..."

           "Okay okay, but you have to promise me that you'll meet me back here tomorrow afternoon."

           Clark smiled, holding back his laughter.  He was surprised at how naïve the woman in front of him was.  She was 22 years old, but she still had the attitude of a little girl.  She should know that making a promise with a mugger, who happened to be a sniper at the same time, could never keep it, "I promise."

           "Okay.  Dress in something appropriate."

           The cold air blasted into the room when Vivien held the door open.  Clark, while fixing his coat, exited the dressing room, never intending to return.

           "Oh yeah, I forgot to ask you your name!" Vivien yelled back.

           Clark looked back at her.  He debated whether he should tell her his real name or not.  He figured it wouldn't do much harm, "It's Clark."

           "My name's Vivien."

           Clark waved his last goodbye to her and took off.

           Vivien sighed as she walked back into the dressing room, "What am I going to tell Victoria when she asks me how I found him.  Oh how about "I found him off the street".  That sure sounds impressive...  I should make up a story."

           She looked at the torn dress she was holding in her hand and let out another heavy sigh, "I guess I can't wear this anymore."

           Dressing in something casual, yet warm enough for the weather, she got one of her father's escorts from the club to drive her home.  Riding in the new automobiles was a luxury to many people but Vivien was too blind to appreciate it.  New and faster motors that ran more quickly than any horse and carriage could was of little interest to her.  All she cared about was getting home as soon as possible.

           She had an entire mansion built just for her on her sixteenth birthday from her father, attended with maids, cooks, and a dog that she would soon learn to spoil.  She returned late from the club, so everyone was already asleep when she arrived.  She dismissed her driver and resorted to her wait in slumber for the next morning to come.

           When the sun came out the next day, Clark rose from the dusted area on the floor he called his bed.  He was lucky enough to see the light of another day since he had almost been caught the day before.

           "Today's another day... I can't waste any time." He mumbled to a gun bullet that he kept beside him in a red handkerchief.

           Clark was tired and groggy, but he forced himself to get up.  Like he just told himself, he couldn't afford to waste any more time.  Leaving from city to city, he grew accustomed to traveling during the nighttime and hiding beneath the shadows of daylight.  He had no plans of staying in Lindenburg for any longer than necessary, but he got caught in a sticky situation that stalled his plans.  Leaving during daylight was risky, but it was his only option.

           He gathered his only two belongings, his gun, and a glass case with his harmonica, a withered flower, and a fired bullet.

           "Shit... they're damn persistent..." Clark cursed as he looked down at the streets from his hideout.  Already were the security guards pacing around the streets, simply waiting for their prey.

           "Well I can't shoot them because that'll cause too much commotion...  My best choice is to somehow sneak out through the back.  If I can get my way into the busy streets, I might be able to throw them off."

           Doing just as he had planned, he escaped through the back door.  He hoped for the slightest chance that the two guards wouldn't notice him, but they died, and once they had they began chasing him.

           Clark didn't panic, nor did he run, or else he would have been labeled unmistakably as the sniper.  Instead, he acted as a normal civilian and casually entered the main streets of Lindenburg.

           What he had just done was buy himself time to think.  By hiding himself inside a crowd, he opened himself up a few options but not many.  Knowing the guards were still following him from the other end of the crowd, he picked up his pace.

           Turn left?  Turn right?  Just keep going straight?  Clark was ashamed he hadn't taken time to get familiar with the city.  The Carnegies were so rich that they could buy Lindenburg itself with the money they had if they really wanted to.  They probably had a guard stationed at every corner, every junction, and every alleyway.  Assassinating the head of the Carnegie family was a risky task, but he decided to test his luck.

           Just then, he caught a glimpse of his savior, Vivien.  He planned on never seeing her again, but as he saw her walking amidst the pushy crowd, she instantly became more precious then gold.

           With his eyes only on one target, Clark made his way through the crowd to get his way to Vivien.

           "Vivien!" He yelled, but she didn't hear him.

           As he finally caught up to her, he pulled her by the shoulder and faced her.

           "Hey, it's me, Clark.  I need you to hide me again."

           "...excuse me?  Have we met before?" Vivien uttered.

A/N: Ahh, I hope you liked it.  It's been a while since I've done something like this.  After writing All of us Within, it's hard switching from hardcore angst to romance.  I keep itching to make my characters kill each other, do evil things and die lol (okay maybe that wasn't so funny).  Well, please give me feedback, it's very helpful.  I've been trying to create the early 20's atmosphere, but if you didn't catch that... well make sure you tell me so I can emphasize on it more.  Well, I hope you stay for the next chapter.  Since it's summer, I'll have a lot of time to finish it.  Okay, now I'll shut up and turn the time for you to talk.  1.. 2... 3.. Review!