I crept through the house agile on my feet.
I wore fuzzy sucks for this mission, yes I was totally smart, I didn't want my bare feet smacking on the floor.
I tiptoed down the stairs and past the game room towards my targeted area.
I smiled at the sound of snoring from the living room, the time has come, I think devilishly.
The kitchen was rustic and old but classy and beautiful, with a beautiful kitchen with beautiful tiles and stainless steel pots above the island hooked on racks.
The smell of cookies wafted through the air.
My eyes spied my target. Yessssssssss, I am very skilled at sneaking food, not to brag.
The cookies are just out of the oven sitting on the stove. Yes, I will probably make myself fat by how many cookies I'll eat.
Reaching over the stove I reached towards the fattest cookie I could see. She was a thickie all right.
My hand hovered over the cookies.
SMACK!
"Shit, Grandma!' I cried, cradling my hand into my chest. My hand stinging.
"Get your damn hands off my cookies!" She snapped, hitting me but with the wooden spoon, she had just smacked my wrist with.
"You already ate all of my last batches! Your worst then Grandpa!"
Her white bouncy hair shook as she wavered the wooden spoon I've learned to fear. I remember that spoon fairly well from childhood, either from baking with it or being spanked with it.
"I had to test them, Grandma! They could be poisoned."
"That's what you said last time and then you ate the whole batch!" Her voice thick with an Italian accent, her lips that had red lipstick on smacking together as she talked vigorously.
I put my hands up in surrender, looking down at her, Grandma was significantly short like shorter than me, and I thought I was short. Ah, how gravity makes you shrink when you are old.
"I thought you were asleep? Whe--"
"I was not asleep! That was definitely not me snoring in the living room, that's your father and grandpapa. I was sitting in my rocker crocheting, peacefully I might add until I see this little sneak trying to swipe another cookie!"
"And don't swear! You sound like a drunken sailor." She snapped.
"But you just said damn." Firing back.
"Yeah, but I have a husband and I don't have to act polite anymore." She said with a grin before pushing me out of the kitchen.
"Now, I say you go check out the market. You know what I mean?" Wigging her eyebrows as she stuffs money in my hands.
"I am not chasing boys grandma! If anything they should be chasing me." I say with a huff as she just chuckles patting my back.
"Get cleaned up and actually live for once, get outside breath!" She said beaming.
Am I dirty? Why would I need to clean up? I'm just in a pair of sweatpants.
I open my mouth to speak before she puts a finger up, silencing me.
"And before you ask why you need to clean yourself up, you should really just take my advice. Honey, the clothes look thrumpy on you and maybe cute when you're having a movie night, but not for going out in public!"
I rolled my eyes, my grandmother was usually wearing classy clothes everywhere.
"Now, shoo, shoo! I want you back before dinner, five-thirty, sharp! But don't come back before then, or I will be disappointed in your lack of curiosity about this city. Now, go, go, before your father wakes up and demands you bring a security guard." She says pushing me out of the kitchen.
"Fine, I'm going!" I whisper yell, walking through the big but small house, climbing up the stairs before entering one of the guest rooms.
I rummaged through my suitcase until I found my favorite pink summer dress that showed my curves and cleavage I actually had.
I had big hips and toned legs but my chest? Yeah, I had the chest of a thirteen-year-old. Which, I guess, you can say some teenagers that age have bust, but I'm more of the skinny teenager bust type.
I shimmied the dress on looking at the mirror, smiling at myself. I do once in a while like to dress up and be girly.
I put on some white tennis shoes and skipped down the stairs bringing my purse with me and stuffing the money in it.
I walked towards the door throwing it open, marching out. I walked briskly down the dirt road that led to my house towards the gates.
The security guards nodded at me before opening the gates as I nod gratefully walking out into the small walkways of Venice.
I walked down the streets slightly confused at the map in front of me. I sighed in relief when I found a street name that I knew.
I walked down into the marketplace. It was narrow and was made out of tiny stalls, varying from, species, clothes, meat, fabrics, and jewelry. I swayed through the crowd walking slowly going through stalls looking at jewelry.
I walked into one of the particular stalls, which was filled with beautiful jewelry that intrigued me. The man behind a wooden table looked at me with greediness, looking at my expensive jewelry and dress I had already on, probably knowing I would be buying with a lot of money.
"Hello," I mumbled looking through his necklaces and earrings. Hm. I thought this store would be a better find, I think disappointingly.
I settled for rose gold earrings with small face diamonds embedded in the thick tiny hoops. I walked towards the table.
The sun was beaming on me from under the cloth canopy that did not really help when it came to providing shade.
"This will be all," I said bluntly. "How much?"
"Sixty Eros." I squinted at him, this is not worth that much money, it's not like I didn't have more than enough cause I did, I just didn't like wasting money.
"No, lower," I said coldly. Something glinted in the corner of my eye. I looked at it.
It was beautiful! It was a gold bracelet with encrusted letters in it. Two letters, T.S I stared at it in admiration. It was simple but elegant and I couldn't help but feel pulled towards it.
"How much is that?" I snap. The old man chuckled looking down at the table that the jewelry was presented.
He smiled, and I couldn't help but feel a little revolted, his teeth were rotting and most of them were gone and the ones that were still there were pure yellow.
"260 eros." Hmmm.. Did he want to play the big guy, huh?
"No, 190 eros or I'm leaving," I said with a puff in my chest. His face turned sour and he scooped up the jewelry up in his hands hiding it away from me.
"No deal." He spitted out.
"Fine," I said walking out of the stall seeing his face turn from sour to regret. I strolled aimlessly around.
Don't worry, I was just giving him time to feel regret for not taking that deal, I would circle back soon.
By the time I had circled back, it was around four o'clock and I was munching on some sweet bread I had picked up from one of the bread and dessert stalls.
I walked very slowly by the stall, leisurely showing him I was in no hurry. I could see him in the side of my eye staring at me before getting out of his chair.
"Young girl? Come back!" I heard him yell and I slowly turned around pointing innocently at myself.
"Me?" I said sweetly, he looked angry with himself.
"Yes! Over here!"
"Oh, okay," I said walking very slowly towards him, munching on my sweet bread.
"190 eros." He said looking up at me from his wooden chair.
"190 eros?" I said. "I think I actually said 150 eros, didn't you hear me?" I knew I was slowly pissing him off and I was absolutely loving it.
'You said 190!"
"Mmmmm, no I'm pretty sure I aid 150 eros, 190 is way too much," I said in a bored tone.
"No deal! Get out!" He said venom dripping off each word.
"Fine, have a nice night," I exclaimed my hands in the air, walking away.
"Fine!" I grinned before turning around with a solemn expression.
"Well, then, I said, bringing out my wallet from my purse pulling out money to exchange for the bracelet.
"Here," I said putting the money on the table as he reached greedily for it. He practically chucked the bracelet at me to envelope into tucking his money away. I stared at the bracelet in awe.
A real find! I smile happily myself turning around, clicking on my new bracelet. I walked out without saying thank you.
I could feel holes being burned into the back of my back by the old man. I chuckled to myself.
Ooo! There was a clothing shop, and I could see dresses and clothes all in there! I skipped over the narrow building connected to all of the clustered buildings close to it. I opened the door and a bell chimed when I entered.
The owner, with curly white hair and loose clothing, came up to me.
"Hi! What can I help you with." She said in a friendly tone, smiling at me with pearly white teeth.
"Oh, just walking around, I saw your shop and I just wanted to see if I was interested in anything."
"Of course! Carry on." She went back to a rack of clothes sorting through them.
The store was very, very tiny and probably couldn't fit more than ten people in it. The summer dresses were beautiful! And don't get me started about the earrings and necklaces. I found myself grabbing many things, piling it onto her desk where she checked out things.
"I'll take all of this, thank you!" I said happily, bringing my wallet out.
She complied and politely told me the price before I handed her the cash that I owed. I must have been in there for more than an hour since it was getting dark.
Oh my god!
Dinner!
I took out my phone, it was six-thirty. Grandma is going to kill me! I think I'm actually scared.
I picked up my bags muttering a thank you before walking outside the shop. I went through my contacts on my phone pressing my phone to my ear waiting for my Dad to pick up.
"Where are you?" an angered voice said on the other end making me feel guilty.
"Market place, near the house," I said walking quickly though the still almost crowded streets.
"Okay, come home, I expect you home in fifteen minutes. We have to talk."
"Okay-" He hung up on me before I could reply fully, well, someone's got a stick up their butt. I think bitterly, it is not that hard to just stay on the phone for more than two minutes!
I walked down the alley taking a shortcut that I could see on the map.
There were only a few people out, not as crowded as before by this time. I turned at the end of the alley before coming to a bridge that crossed over a canal.
I strolled across holding the many bags of goods I had bought earlier.
Footsteps lightly tapped on the couple stone ground behind me. I ignored it, probably just a passerby.
The footsteps came slightly faster behind me.
I turned, a man was behind me wearing a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. I was not going to lie, he looked ghetto as heck, so I walked a little faster. The creeps started to get to me.
His footsteps advanced behind me, faster. I started to jog and he started to run.
Sweet baby Jesus.
I ran my feet pounding on the ground. I dropped the bags of clothes. It wasn't worth it, it was just slowing me down. I got out my phone using face recognition before putting my phone on the dial to my Dad's phone number.
By now, I was sprinting down the quiet streets with a madman behind me.
Thank god I was on the track team.
I was hyperventilating. My dad picked up the phone.
"Arlyne?" Tears rolled down my face.
I could hear the man behind me start to slow down.
Whoosh!
Fell to the ground, on my but painfully.
I looked up.
Damn it.
There was a burly man in front of me, towering over me, with a sadistic smile.
I got up quickly backing up, to only be shoved forward from behind, I stumbled into the other guy's chest.
Probably pushed forward by the dude who was chasing me.
"HEl--" My scream was cut off by a hand, cupping my face. I bit his finger immediately kicking and scratching at him.
"SHIT!" He whispered-screamed, "She bit me! Get this cobra off me!" I kicked and bit until I was dragged into an empty alleyway and pinned to the wall.
The two men looked similar, probably brothers, no more than their late twenties. They each had thick black hair and bushy eyebrows. Honestly, if I didn't know any better I would think they were twins.
I screamed against the hand on my mouth, still trying to bite it, tears running down my face.
"A birdie told me that a young lady was alone, and holding some serious cash." He smiled at his brother, then at me.
That greedy old man from the marketplace, I growled in my head.