The people in the streets crowded around, all looking up.

“What is it?”

“What is it?”

“What are you looking at?”

“I don’t know.”

It was Beth’s special trick. Look up, suddenly everyone is, and they don’t even know what they are staring at. She snuck through the crowds as they pulled her prank for her, slipping her fingers into various pockets and shoving money into her own. It would be a long time before they settled down and noticed the robbery.

“Thief! THIEF!”

Never mind that.

Beth ran, squeezing her nimble body through the crowd. Many turned, bellowed at her, attention diverted from the sky. Before she knew it, all eyes were on her. It was a clever trick, but her rashness had ruined it. Now she had to think fast. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the running forms of armored guards, but mustacioed men holding whips and swords. How could she get the crowd to part?

Fear.

She drew her knife, and they instantly scurried away from her path. Beth sprinted toward a winding path that led into many dark alleyways and many forks in the road. She counted her shadows as her feet hit the cobblestones- five coming close, one lagging behind. It was difficult to maintain her speed; the men following her had much practice and she hadn’t properly stole for a year.

On the road, there were four forks. One was a bustling, crowded market. Another was leading to many alleyways. The third was a group of old buildings, unused, in a wide-open path. The last to a line of houses, homes of people who were hearing the shouts and peeking out of their windows, trying to glimpse the scene.

It was much easier to navigate in alleyways, but she could not judge their distance from the shadows. The far left and right paths were in directions from the sun that made it impossible to use them for reference. She had to take the open path.

“Come and get me!!” She veered to the crowded one. As they followed, she rapidly changed direction. Now she was tiring fast, huffing and puffing like the Big Bad Wolf, minus the energy or oxygen to blow down a house.

The guards were gaining. Their shadows looked menacing. As if on cue, she tripped and fell flat on her face. Beth cursed and rolled over onto her back, then kicked a guard running towards her. She didn’t push herself up; she had no energy. There was a ringing in her ears. Only one guard was down, and five were coming. This would be a difficult battle.