The Impossible Love

The art of being a pick-pocket

As I run through the busy streets of Redam I feel a sense of familiarity as I take the chance to... make some extra money for the people of Redam.

Damn these skirts; if only women were allowed to wear trousers as the men do, instead of tight corsets and long, unhelpful dresses; then I could disappear without a trace in a second.

My day to day job is working at a small bakery in town but I steal for extra income, I don't like doing it but it provides for me and Beatrice and my friend Cici's family. Cici works with me but she is in a family of five so her small monthly earnings are not enough.

My younger sister is all but twelve and already helps out at the local market. Our parents went missing in Umburi when I was of just 8 years and she was of 3 and I have had to raise her. We have only the bare minimum but it's enough for us.

The wonderful smells from the market fills my nose with delicious sents of hot chocolate and gingerbread from the vendors lined up in the square.

I know which streets lead to where and which streets are hidden enough for me to run into to escape the guards.

I was sloppy with one of my steals and they saw me. I'm getting rusty at this, but at least my face is still covered.

Redam is nothing like my real home but it's still my 2nd home. Well really it is my third.

Nikita is running at my heels yapping. She's always liked running away from the guards. Even I have to admit it is funny how easily they get mad at me when they never catch me, every more so as I am a girl who is expected to stay at home and care for her husband and push out a hundred and one massive babies, create fine embroideries and join the ton in each season not run around pick pocketing the wealthy mamas who just want their daughters sold off as soon as possible.

This year was meant to be my first season, I would join the other girls as I come out in society. I sometimes wonder what my life would turn out to if my own mother had not ventured out into the desert.

My sister has taken it upon herself to train for her coming out where she will try to find a husband, she believes it to be the perfect plan and even has a dowry for herself saved up of a mere £300.

When me and my sister moved here from our country of origin, Alea it was the hardest decision of my life.

There are six countries, all of different landscape and culture.

My country, Alea is the country of rainforests we are located by Mexico, and I miss it and my extended family every day. There there is corset wearing and

Redam, the country I'm residing in now is the Urban City country (like London).

Then there's Umbani- the country of deserts located all over the main continent where my parents went missing, Vetana- country of glaziers located by the North Pole, Foria- country of forests located in Germany and lastly Colania- Country of mountains based by Scotland.

As I run, checking behind me smiling, I put the wad of cash in my bag. My sister calls me the female Robin Hood. I guess it's not far from the truth though it's just my tactic. If you steal small amounts at a time from the rich, they don't notice. If I see someone struggling on the streets I'll always give them one of my small bags of coins.

The Guards Chimera - Part Lion, eagle and snake - is starting to catch up to us so I do the oldest trick in the book.

Me and Nikita split on Queen street, confusing the stupid guards who maybe share a brain cell between them.

Nikita is a wolf who lives in the forest with my sister and I, we found her abandoned next to a lake and decided to take her in.