Then as he looked around, he caught a glimpse of someone standing by another dark alley.
Location: London
Setting: Early 19th century
Morning in London was the usual hustle and bustle. Wealthy men dressed in pure linen, sat in posh carriages whilst poor beggars were seen roaming the streets salvaging whatever little they could find in the trash cans. Ladies were clad in their morning dresses and they strolled along the streets, buying the household items. The streets of London were cluttered, and there was barely enough space for the horse carriages to pass.
Suddenly, a mob of people could be seen flocking towards a newly opened stall with discounted items on sale. As the crowd rushed past, two figures emerge from an alley into the light. Both of them were fine lads of around the same age. The taller lad wore a brown coat a few sizes too big for him, and also wore a black top hat. A smug-look began to appear on his face as he walked out into the street towards the mob of people at the stall.
The other lad was slightly shorter. He wore a dark blue leather jacket and a magenta hat. The clothes on both lads were not in very good condition as they were a little worn out in certain spots. From the manner in which the taller boy walked and held himself, it was evident that he was the leader among the two.
" Charley, let's go." He said. Then the boys trodded towards the crowd.
The leader walked casually behind an elderly gentleman and stealthily reached his hand down into the pockets of his trench coat. His accomplice, also followed suit and reached his hand into the other pocket.
The leader nimbly slipped his hand into the victim's pocket and straddled his hand around it, desperately trying to find something to pocket, but his effort was in vain. all he could feel at the depths of the pocket was the silky material that the coat was made of. There was absolutely nothing. Charley looked up at him and had a puzzled expression on his face. Charley mouthed some words at him '" There's nothing!"
The leader turned his head, puzzled. Then as he looked around, he caught a glimpse of someone standing by another dark alley. He squinted his eyes and saw another lad, tossing a gold watch triumphantly into the air with his right hand, while flashing a leather wallet in his other. The leader realised that there was another pickpocket in his presence. This other lad was clad in clothes no better than the two of them. He wore a dirty long-sleeved, baggy white shirt that had yellow stains and stitches in worn-out places. Over this loose shirt, he wore a brown vest, and also a baggy pair of trousers. This lad had a triumphant smirk on his face. Under that hat, his face was barely visible, except for that wry smile of his and the glint in his eyes.
" Pickpockets! Pickpockets!" Someone from within the crowd yelled.
"Get 'em those pickpockets! "
At the sound of that, the leader snapped back to his senses and ran as quickly as he could away from the scene. However, when he turned back to glance at the pickpocket, he was gone like the wind. The civilians were right behind them. Both Dodger and Charley ran as fast as their legs would carry them through the busy streets of London.
" Pickpockets! After them!" Someone yelled.
" Here! Over here! They ran this way!" A plummish middle-aged lady yelled as she pointed in the direction Dodger and Charley ran.
" Dodger! What d'you we do now?" Charley followed closely behind.
" Run!" Dodger, the leader replied. Both of them sprinted as fast as they could. However, the people were hot on their heels.
Dodger skilfully weaved in between the throngs of people and managed to avoid the Traps all the way until he saw an opening. They panted heavily as they ran for their lives. Dodger swiftly darted into a secluded and dark alley. He continued running but yelled back " Charley! You with me?" He continued running, expecting an answer from his mate, Charley Bates. But when he heard nothing but his lonely footsteps behind him, he turned around.
(Hey everyone. Firstly, I would like to say thanks to The Sugarfaerie for her helpful comments. I will work on it (: Please Read & Review! I know that I've posted this chapter before as a new story. And then I just realised that you could write chapters. Forgive me. This is my first fanfic. So I'm re-posting it with chapters this time. And I've written a detailed prologue to go with it. Enjoy!)
Cheero