Primes – sample 1

“Come back here you li’ll thief!!!!”

Jinx didn’t bother looking back at the ‘slightly’ angry stall vender as he sprinted towards the back ally which would lead out of Axal street. He wasn’t quite sure why his telekinesis failed so suddenly, especially seeing as the oranges he was trying to steal weren’t particularly heavy, but he sure wasn’t going to wait to see if the fruit seller knew the reason. Jinx personally couldn’t see why the vender was so angry anyway. He was only borrowing the oranges, and would have returned the peel after he’d finished. And it’s not even as if he was successful either; the fruit tumbled to the floor when his power mysteriously decided to abandon him…

Jinx glanced back when he heard the splish-splash of his pursuer’s feet charging though the damp cobbled paving of the long ally. He couldn’t believe the vender was actually giving chase! Who did he think he was?!!? After all, compared to Jinx, who was happily 17, this man had to be… ooooh, at least 24. Positively ancient. Not to mention the fact that he was slightly plump too, and obviously out of shape. The audacity!

“Come and get me, fat man!!” yelled Jinx, as he increased his pace, eager to get to the end of the ally. The retort was hardly fitting for one his class, a Prime no less – no higher class in the whole of Earth, but through the years Jinx came to the conclusion that to act in the way he was brought up was simply no fun. He also realised that any chance of even implying his innocence of attempted theft was now defunct, even more so, as he was the only one who looked distinctly surprised when the conspicuously floating oranges missed his pockets by inches.
Why did that happen? A Prime thief’s power of mind-over-matter may be fairly limited, but it was usually efficient enough to do the job with minimum attention, even at his young age. The seller could have cancelled out his power, but he looked nearly as surprised as Jinx did. Maybe it was just a slip in concentration. Or a freak occurrence.

Jinx risked another look back. By the Gods, he was still being chased! No matter. As soon as he would get to the end of the ally and turn the corner, the chase would be over. Prime thieves had more than one trick up their metaphorical sleeves…

(Splish Splash)

The fruit seller was dripping with perspiration, but steely determination kept his feet cycling towards his target. He didn’t really think that he could catch the thief in a straight run, but the thought of simply getting his hands on the him was enough to temper his persistence. He’d never caught anyone who had stolen from his stall before, but this time, THIS time he wasn’t going to let one go. No sir, this would be the last time anyone steals from him. A forced grin made its way on the vender’s face as he reached inside of his apron pocket…

(Splish Splash)

‘Nearly there’ thought Jinx as the end of the alley approached even closer. He was sure the alley wasn’t anywhere near as long as this when he turned into it, but soon his fun would have to end, if simply for a sense of self-preservation. But not even that same sense of self-preservation could quell his curiosity when he noticed the slowing of his antagonist’s footsteps…

(S-p-l-i-s-h S-p-l-a-s-h)

The fruit seller clutched his 7″ throwing knife eagerly while slowing his pace to a slow jog to hopefully gain a better aim. He hadn’t practised much, but that wasn’t going to stop him from trying to pin a cocky thief to the wall. Or at least innocently maim him. Whatever came first. He lined up his left arm and tensed in anticipation…

(SplishSplashSplishSplashSplishSplash)

A panicked sprint swiftly took over from the leisurely run of the boys legs, as Jinx’s thoughts raced in anxiety…

A flick of the wrist…

…and the knife was released to clatter pathetically against pavement, as the limp throw nearly embedded the weapon in the seller’s own foot. At that moment Jinx turned the corner and laid himself flat against the wall of an empty adjoining side street, concentrating on his ability to hide on the edge of a person’s perceptions. It didn’t usually take long – no more than a second or so – but it needed to be done initially out of plain sight, hence the use of the wall. Jinx closed his eyes and willed himself to be invisible. The footsteps of the fruit seller increased in resonance as he eventually came out of the alley. Jinx kept his eyes shut, now out of fear although there was no way he should have been visible. He consoled himself in that fact.

And then he felt the hot breath of another ‘fact’.

Jinx gingerly peaked through his left eye, to be greeted by the large figure of a man.

A man that sold fruit.

“Erm… you can… see… me can’t you…” came the boy’s squeak.

The vender looked puzzled for a moment, bewildered by Jinx’s question. Then the confusion was dismissed by a feral grin, as he licked the drops of sweat which were straying into his mouth. He wasn’t going to let his perplexion over the boy’s peculiar behaviour spoil HIS moment. “Yeah,” he breathed, “I c’n see ya alri’t.” He pulled out another, shorter knife. “I c’n see ya jus’ fine…”

His smile widened.

Jinx closed his eyes again.