Chapter 156: A Hitch in the Plan
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Her heart started pounding against her c.h.e.s.t as she stilled her body. Her hand was against the door and was one hard push from freedom when she heard that interruption. It could have easily been a random call out to another person but with her back turned she did not know what was actually happening.
She was also in a rush to complete this task so there was stress throughout the entire operation. From the second she entered, her eyes had been constantly moving around and she forced her body to be as light and quiet as possible. When she had snuck into the bakery that was only half of the battle, it was not enemy territory. The smells of the bakery and warmth was strong enough to distract her if she was not careful.
It was a physical warmth that she had not felt in a while and in this winter, was an oasis for her. The few minutes she was in there she could already feel the chill in her bones recede. She always tried to keep her body moving to prevent a frostbite. The movement she did could at minimum only prevent a frostbite, the cold and chill she felt in her bones was not something she could solve with movement,
As a child, her body temperature was also more volatile and s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e to the changes. That was why parents usually bundled their children up before leaving the house. They were more susceptible to the cold and had to be cared for more carefully lest they get a cold. Thankfully for her, the coat she had been abandoned with was warmer than a spring jacket and helped her significantly. That paired by pure luck is what kept her from being sick all this time. You would think a child her age would have succ.u.mbed to the elements early on, she had no solid food, water, or residence to keep her energy constant. None of the items children were fed to grow up healthy and safe were given to her. So it was a surprise that her or any of the other children were able to make into a.d.u.l.thood or at least young a.d.u.l.thood.
Not to say the percentage was anything commendable, it was a less than 1/3 chance of a child surviving. If you put it in numbers, if ten children were on the streets maximum two would make it out into a.d.u.l.thood. Adding on that those who make it probably had succ.u.mbed to a life a crime or their quality of life was reduced. It is hard to grow up on the streets and not be jaded, the hate against those who are wealthy came naturally to them.
They never wanted them to lose their wealth but to share the excess that could help people like them. There was hope in the beginning but as they grew older that hope became a bitter understanding. After being shut down time after time, they could only grow hatred in their hearts. Especially, when you are constantly barraged with scenes of blissful happiness or grotesque spending on items they did not need. The forgotten children, no one ever cared about them.
That is the main reason none of them held remorse when taking from the more privileged. Right now, as Ying Yue stood against the door with fear of being caught there was no remanent feelings of guilt. Usually, when people were caught they would suddenly regret their actions or beg for forgiveness. However, there was not one word of apology that was going to come out of her mouth.
Keeping her body still she slightly turned her head back around to look at the scene behind her. It had been approximately thirty seconds since someone had said "wait" out loud. There were no rush movements nor any hands flying at her just yet. With a quick peak she tried to see what was going on and felt a wave of relaxation flow through her at the sight of it. Everyone had their back turned to her and were still focusing on the food.
She assumed the "wait" came from the one a.d.u.l.t who was holding the other one's hands. It seemed like they were stopping them from grabbing an item and had accidentally spoke louder than normal. That tone was what made her fear so much that it was for her - thankfully it was not.
Feeling confident again, she turned around and tried to push the door open when she was met with resistance. 'Maybe I no push hard....'
Trying again, she pushed a bit stronger in order to open the door but again was met with resistance. Confused, she looked up at the door and tried to see what was wrong. The colour paled from her body when she saw the weird latch on the door. It was not something she noticed from outside since it was so small but from this close it was clear as day. The way the latch worked is that it grabbed onto the door and kept it from opening with a light push.
It worked with weight balance and only someone at an a.d.u.l.t's strength could push it. This stopped it from the door opening for wind or snow. With a bakery, it was a vital asset to keeping the food warm and the heat inside. A small business trick was now the block between her and freedom.
Her calm heart started pounding again when she realized that she would have to wait to leave. The initial plan was to sneak in behind them, steal, and then run out the door as fast as she can. That was now moot with the change in circ.u.mstances. Her mind raced trying to figure out how to leave, she had to remain quiet and could not move too much.
Turning back around fully, her head quickly went from side to side as she analyzed the layout again. There weren't many spots that she could hide in but she had to find one immediately. Sneaking behind them was easy, she was barely four feet and they would not look behind. However, to leave the bakery they would turn around to her direction and would subsequently see her immediately.
If she were just a well dressed child then it would be fine but here she was dirty from outside and mud caked on her face. She screamed suspicious and would not be able to evade the questions. Making a quick decision she left her post at the door and snuck behind a counter.
It was the only empty station where no one was looking at the items, using that chance she slipped in behind. This was still dangerous though, she could hear the baker walk around as he helped the customers. If any of them were to walk here, the baker would follow and she did not know how to hide from him then.
She kept a hand on her mouth as she tried to control her breathing and to remain under the radar. There was a slight noise from the heating tables but they were not too loud. The main sounds covering her were the a.d.u.l.ts and baker speaking to each other, if they went silent and she made a noise that was another red flag. There were so many potential threats that her brain was working in overdrive to keep track of everything.
Her eyes raced around as she strained her ears to follow the conversation. She could not understand all the words but was trying to listen for any signs of leaving. The time kept ticking and the stress in her only heightened as it dragged on. Feeling something wet on her hand she looked down at it to see a bit of mud on it.
Her eyes widened as she saw the mud on her hands, putting her hands back to her face she tapped it lightly. Her fingers were met with a mushy substance rather than the crusted mask she had on before.
'No no no no no.'
Feeling another ball of stress rise up, she tapped her face again a couple more times at different places. Each spot she touched felt mushy and there were was only a slight hardness left. She had felt so smart when she had made the mask outside and now that mask was crumbling in her hands. The change in temperature was not something she accounted for, she did not expect to be here so long nor did she expect the bakery to be so warm. Combined with the stress, the nearby hot plates next to her, and probably sweat she was exuding the mud was melting faster.
The amount of time she had left before this mask completely melted was probably five minutes. She looked up at the ceiling and was hoping for a chance to escape before she got caught. If she did, there was nothing else she could, she would face it as it came. Just as she started wishing for this, she heard the 'ching' of the machine.
Her eyes lit up at the sound, she knew it was the machine the baker used to put money inside. That opening meant that the people had chosen their food, paid, and were about to leave. Getting up from her spot she peaked around the corner and saw them making movements towards the exit.
'5.....4....3....2.....1...GO'
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Her heart started pounding against her c.h.e.s.t as she stilled her body. Her hand was against the door and was one hard push from freedom when she heard that interruption. It could have easily been a random call out to another person but with her back turned she did not know what was actually happening.
She was also in a rush to complete this task so there was stress throughout the entire operation. From the second she entered, her eyes had been constantly moving around and she forced her body to be as light and quiet as possible. When she had snuck into the bakery that was only half of the battle, it was not enemy territory. The smells of the bakery and warmth was strong enough to distract her if she was not careful.
It was a physical warmth that she had not felt in a while and in this winter, was an oasis for her. The few minutes she was in there she could already feel the chill in her bones recede. She always tried to keep her body moving to prevent a frostbite. The movement she did could at minimum only prevent a frostbite, the cold and chill she felt in her bones was not something she could solve with movement,
As a child, her body temperature was also more volatile and s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e to the changes. That was why parents usually bundled their children up before leaving the house. They were more susceptible to the cold and had to be cared for more carefully lest they get a cold. Thankfully for her, the coat she had been abandoned with was warmer than a spring jacket and helped her significantly. That paired by pure luck is what kept her from being sick all this time. You would think a child her age would have succ.u.mbed to the elements early on, she had no solid food, water, or residence to keep her energy constant. None of the items children were fed to grow up healthy and safe were given to her. So it was a surprise that her or any of the other children were able to make into a.d.u.l.thood or at least young a.d.u.l.thood.
Not to say the percentage was anything commendable, it was a less than 1/3 chance of a child surviving. If you put it in numbers, if ten children were on the streets maximum two would make it out into a.d.u.l.thood. Adding on that those who make it probably had succ.u.mbed to a life a crime or their quality of life was reduced. It is hard to grow up on the streets and not be jaded, the hate against those who are wealthy came naturally to them.
They never wanted them to lose their wealth but to share the excess that could help people like them. There was hope in the beginning but as they grew older that hope became a bitter understanding. After being shut down time after time, they could only grow hatred in their hearts. Especially, when you are constantly barraged with scenes of blissful happiness or grotesque spending on items they did not need. The forgotten children, no one ever cared about them.
That is the main reason none of them held remorse when taking from the more privileged. Right now, as Ying Yue stood against the door with fear of being caught there was no remanent feelings of guilt. Usually, when people were caught they would suddenly regret their actions or beg for forgiveness. However, there was not one word of apology that was going to come out of her mouth.
Keeping her body still she slightly turned her head back around to look at the scene behind her. It had been approximately thirty seconds since someone had said "wait" out loud. There were no rush movements nor any hands flying at her just yet. With a quick peak she tried to see what was going on and felt a wave of relaxation flow through her at the sight of it. Everyone had their back turned to her and were still focusing on the food.
She assumed the "wait" came from the one a.d.u.l.t who was holding the other one's hands. It seemed like they were stopping them from grabbing an item and had accidentally spoke louder than normal. That tone was what made her fear so much that it was for her - thankfully it was not.
Feeling confident again, she turned around and tried to push the door open when she was met with resistance. 'Maybe I no push hard....'
Trying again, she pushed a bit stronger in order to open the door but again was met with resistance. Confused, she looked up at the door and tried to see what was wrong. The colour paled from her body when she saw the weird latch on the door. It was not something she noticed from outside since it was so small but from this close it was clear as day. The way the latch worked is that it grabbed onto the door and kept it from opening with a light push.
It worked with weight balance and only someone at an a.d.u.l.t's strength could push it. This stopped it from the door opening for wind or snow. With a bakery, it was a vital asset to keeping the food warm and the heat inside. A small business trick was now the block between her and freedom.
Her calm heart started pounding again when she realized that she would have to wait to leave. The initial plan was to sneak in behind them, steal, and then run out the door as fast as she can. That was now moot with the change in circ.u.mstances. Her mind raced trying to figure out how to leave, she had to remain quiet and could not move too much.
Turning back around fully, her head quickly went from side to side as she analyzed the layout again. There weren't many spots that she could hide in but she had to find one immediately. Sneaking behind them was easy, she was barely four feet and they would not look behind. However, to leave the bakery they would turn around to her direction and would subsequently see her immediately.
If she were just a well dressed child then it would be fine but here she was dirty from outside and mud caked on her face. She screamed suspicious and would not be able to evade the questions. Making a quick decision she left her post at the door and snuck behind a counter.
It was the only empty station where no one was looking at the items, using that chance she slipped in behind. This was still dangerous though, she could hear the baker walk around as he helped the customers. If any of them were to walk here, the baker would follow and she did not know how to hide from him then.
She kept a hand on her mouth as she tried to control her breathing and to remain under the radar. There was a slight noise from the heating tables but they were not too loud. The main sounds covering her were the a.d.u.l.ts and baker speaking to each other, if they went silent and she made a noise that was another red flag. There were so many potential threats that her brain was working in overdrive to keep track of everything.
Her eyes raced around as she strained her ears to follow the conversation. She could not understand all the words but was trying to listen for any signs of leaving. The time kept ticking and the stress in her only heightened as it dragged on. Feeling something wet on her hand she looked down at it to see a bit of mud on it.
Her eyes widened as she saw the mud on her hands, putting her hands back to her face she tapped it lightly. Her fingers were met with a mushy substance rather than the crusted mask she had on before.
'No no no no no.'
Feeling another ball of stress rise up, she tapped her face again a couple more times at different places. Each spot she touched felt mushy and there were was only a slight hardness left. She had felt so smart when she had made the mask outside and now that mask was crumbling in her hands. The change in temperature was not something she accounted for, she did not expect to be here so long nor did she expect the bakery to be so warm. Combined with the stress, the nearby hot plates next to her, and probably sweat she was exuding the mud was melting faster.
The amount of time she had left before this mask completely melted was probably five minutes. She looked up at the ceiling and was hoping for a chance to escape before she got caught. If she did, there was nothing else she could, she would face it as it came. Just as she started wishing for this, she heard the 'ching' of the machine.
Her eyes lit up at the sound, she knew it was the machine the baker used to put money inside. That opening meant that the people had chosen their food, paid, and were about to leave. Getting up from her spot she peaked around the corner and saw them making movements towards the exit.
'5.....4....3....2.....1...GO'
Her heart started pounding against her c.h.e.s.t as she stilled her body. Her hand was against the door and was one hard push from freedom when she heard that interruption. It could have easily been a random call out to another person but with her back turned she did not know what was actually happening. She was also in a rush to complete this task so there was stress throughout the entire operation. From the second she entered, her eyes had been constantly moving around and she forced her body to be as light and quiet as possible. When she had snuck into the bakery that was only half of the battle, it was not enemy territory. The smells of the bakery and warmth was strong enough to distract her if she was not careful. It was a physical warmth that she had not felt in a while and in this winter, was an oasis for her. The few minutes she was in there she could already feel the chill in her bones recede. She always tried to keep her body moving to prevent a frostbite. The movement she did could at minimum only prevent a frostbite, the cold and chill she felt in her bones was not something she could solve with movement, As a child, her body temperature was also more volatile and s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e to the changes. That was why parents usually bundled their children up before leaving the house. They were more susceptible to the cold and had to be cared for more carefully lest they get a cold. Thankfully for her, the coat she had been abandoned with was warmer than a spring jacket and helped her significantly. That paired by pure luck is what kept her from being sick all this time. You would think a child her age would have succ.u.mbed to the elements early on, she had no solid food, water, or residence to keep her energy constant. None of the items children were fed to grow up healthy and safe were given to her. So it was a surprise that her or any of the other children were able to make into a.d.u.l.thood or at least young a.d.u.l.thood. Not to say the percentage was anything commendable, it was a less than 1/3 chance of a child surviving. If you put it in numbers, if ten children were on the streets maximum two would make it out into a.d.u.l.thood. Adding on that those who make it probably had succ.u.mbed to a life a crime or their quality of life was reduced. It is hard to grow up on the streets and not be jaded, the hate against those who are wealthy came naturally to them. They never wanted them to lose their wealth but to share the excess that could help people like them. There was hope in the beginning but as they grew older that hope became a bitter understanding. After being shut down time after time, they could only grow hatred in their hearts. Especially, when you are constantly barraged with scenes of blissful happiness or grotesque spending on items they did not need. The forgotten children, no one ever cared about them. That is the main reason none of them held remorse when taking from the more privileged. Right now, as Ying Yue stood against the door with fear of being caught there was no remanent feelings of guilt. Usually, when people were caught they would suddenly regret their actions or beg for forgiveness. However, there was not one word of apology that was going to come out of her mouth. Keeping her body still she slightly turned her head back around to look at the scene behind her. It had been approximately thirty seconds since someone had said "wait" out loud. There were no rush movements nor any hands flying at her just yet. With a quick peak she tried to see what was going on and felt a wave of relaxation flow through her at the sight of it. Everyone had their back turned to her and were still focusing on the food. She assumed the "wait" came from the one a.d.u.l.t who was holding the other one's hands. It seemed like they were stopping them from grabbing an item and had accidentally spoke louder than normal. That tone was what made her fear so much that it was for her - thankfully it was not. Feeling confident again, she turned around and tried to push the door open when she was met with resistance. 'Maybe I no push hard....' Trying again, she pushed a bit stronger in order to open the door but again was met with resistance. Confused, she looked up at the door and tried to see what was wrong. The colour paled from her body when she saw the weird latch on the door. It was not something she noticed from outside since it was so small but from this close it was clear as day. The way the latch worked is that it grabbed onto the door and kept it from opening with a light push. It worked with weight balance and only someone at an a.d.u.l.t's strength could push it. This stopped it from the door opening for wind or snow. With a bakery, it was a vital asset to keeping the food warm and the heat inside. A small business trick was now the block between her and freedom. Her calm heart started pounding again when she realized that she would have to wait to leave. The initial plan was to sneak in behind them, steal, and then run out the door as fast as she can. That was now moot with the change in circ.u.mstances. Her mind raced trying to figure out how to leave, she had to remain quiet and could not move too much. Turning back around fully, her head quickly went from side to side as she analyzed the layout again. There weren't many spots that she could hide in but she had to find one immediately. Sneaking behind them was easy, she was barely four feet and they would not look behind. However, to leave the bakery they would turn around to her direction and would subsequently see her immediately. If she were just a well dressed child then it would be fine but here she was dirty from outside and mud caked on her face. She screamed suspicious and would not be able to evade the questions. Making a quick decision she left her post at the door and snuck behind a counter. It was the only empty station where no one was looking at the items, using that chance she slipped in behind. This was still dangerous though, she could hear the baker walk around as he helped the customers. If any of them were to walk here, the baker would follow and she did not know how to hide from him then. She kept a hand on her mouth as she tried to control her breathing and to remain under the radar. There was a slight noise from the heating tables but they were not too loud. The main sounds covering her were the a.d.u.l.ts and baker speaking to each other, if they went silent and she made a noise that was another red flag. There were so many potential threats that her brain was working in overdrive to keep track of everything. Her eyes raced around as she strained her ears to follow the conversation. She could not understand all the words but was trying to listen for any signs of leaving. The time kept ticking and the stress in her only heightened as it dragged on. Feeling something wet on her hand she looked down at it to see a bit of mud on it. Her eyes widened as she saw the mud on her hands, putting her hands back to her face she tapped it lightly. Her fingers were met with a mushy substance rather than the crusted mask she had on before. 'No no no no no.' Feeling another ball of stress rise up, she tapped her face again a couple more times at different places. Each spot she touched felt mushy and there were was only a slight hardness left. She had felt so smart when she had made the mask outside and now that mask was crumbling in her hands. The change in temperature was not something she accounted for, she did not expect to be here so long nor did she expect the bakery to be so warm. Combined with the stress, the nearby hot plates next to her, and probably sweat she was exuding the mud was melting faster. The amount of time she had left before this mask completely melted was probably five minutes. She looked up at the ceiling and was hoping for a chance to escape before she got caught. If she did, there was nothing else she could, she would face it as it came. Just as she started wishing for this, she heard the 'ching' of the machine. Her eyes lit up at the sound, she knew it was the machine the baker used to put money inside. That opening meant that the people had chosen their food, paid, and were about to leave. Getting up from her spot she peaked around the corner and saw them making movements towards the exit. '5.....4....3....2.....1...GO'
