rottenart

The Thief


There was a fever chill in the air as Thomas stepped out of the house into the night. He shivered slightly and walked up the road to the corner store. The garish green neon sign blinked intermittently and it hurt his eyes to look at it. A whoosh of warm air greeted him as he walked through the automatic sliding doors and it was welcoming.

Hey, the man behind the counter said. A rainbow of erroneous items surrounded him: calling cards, chewing gum, magazines, condoms, trading cards, batteries, maps, lip balm. He seemed out of place among the clutter. Thomas could barely even see his face.

Can I help you find something?

No, thanks, Thomas replied, not looking at him. He had come here mostly out of boredom, but felt no need to let the young man know that.

The aisles of the store were as chaotic as the front counter. Thomas walked down one of them, staring at the mislabeled prices and waiting for some brightly colored product to hold his attention. A small toy dinosaur gleamed in the fluorescent light. He ran his fingers over its scaly surface and wondered how many children had thrown a tantrum for this very item. He didnt generally like kids. They were too aware of things.

The man behind the counter watched as Thomas wandered the store. At this late hour not many people were out and he was more than a little suspicious. He had been working here for a while and had heard all about desperate attacks on cashiers. He didnt like to take chances.

Thomas felt the nervous stare and turned to offer a friendly smile. The man looked ashamed that he had been caught staring and returned to his nightly count-out sheet. Thomas put the dinosaur back and walked further down the row to where a cardboard display of hand cream stood. He blinked and gazed and the cutout didnt move. He thought about all the people out in the city, tucked away in their beds, who might be in dire need of the healing powers of moisturizing lotion.

You sure I cant help you, the cashier asked again, his fear returning. He had finished his official business and was now free to worry about late night news reports and the flaws of bulletproof glass. He spied as Thomas reached the far end of one aisle and turned to come up the next one.

Im just browsing, Thomas replied. He understood the mans uneasiness. He watched the news too. Any sane person would believe that murder was the way of life and a handgun was necessary for an evening walk. Everyone was afraid.

Well, just let me know, said the man, not relieved.

Thomas finally settled on the bookrack. The latest bestsellers were neatly ordered from one to ten, unlike the rest of the stores contents. Thomas marveled at this tiny incongruity and paused to take it in. At first place was the latest trash novel about lawyers and conspiracy. There were also the requisite self-help gurus and impolite talk-radio hosts with their fiery rants about the government. Number ten was the biography of a well-known television personality. Thomas thought he might know the name, but he wasnt sure.

Just as he was about to resume his aimless search, he glimpsed a half-hidden hardback nestled behind a row of diet books. He turned to look quickly at the attendant, who had given up his paranoia and was quietly filling the cigarette dispenser. As he bent down to peer closer, he noticed that it wasnt the usual convenience store fare. There were no others like it in the rack. Leather-bound and worn, it seemed to have come from a dusty library, rather than a distributor. Thomas pulled it from its hiding place and brought it out into the artificial light.

It was a Bible.

The cashier had finished his stocking and was now flipping through channels on the black and white television behind him. Thomas kept his eyes on him as he deftly slid the delicate book into his inside coat pocket. He strode up to the counter to show that he was ready for checkout.

Find everything OK?

Yeah. I wasnt really looking for anything in particular, you know?

Sure, sure.

Thomas picked up a pack of gum and laid it on the counter.

Fifty cents even, said the man.

Thomas fished two quarters out of his pocket and handed them over. He could hear his heart beating against his ribs.

Have a good night.

As he walked back out into the brisk night, he could feel the Bible in his coat. He gave it a pat as he walked the few blocks back to his building. The cold air felt good now and he wondered if it would still be fall tomorrow.