《The Thief》 Album 1 Song 1 Outcast I left my home in the middle of the night, my face throbbing, nothing on me but a backpack that was full of clothes, food, and every cent I had to my name, and my guitar. I didn''t look back. I waited sleeplessly for the rest of the night and by the time the sun rose I found a place with good acoustics far enough away from "home." I opened my guitar case, tuned my guitar, and began to sing. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Under a bridge in a quiet park with my guitar case open in front of me, I sang from sunrise to sunset. Even when there was no one to hear me. And as the street lamps flickered on, my voice flickered out. As it cracked and faded I felt hot tears slide down my cheeks. I put my guitar away, on top of the crumpled one''s and scattered coins. I slung my guitar over my shoulder and trudged away to find a place to sleep, tears still streaming down my face. Album 1 Song 2 Hungry Have you ever been so hungry that your stomach is empty Really and truly and completely empty So empty that when you''re on your knees, heaving into the grass nothing comes up but acid Acid that burns your throat Has your throat ever burned so much that you felt like it was raw If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Raw and bleeding Blood on your tongue and the only thing you feel like you''ve drank all day Have you ever bleed from everywhere at once Nose, mouth, vagina, fingers, wrists Bleeding, sitting, shaking all alone Have you ever been so all alone that you were hungry For love, validation, acceptance Even hatred, ridicule, and spite Have you ever been so hungry? Album 1 Song 3 A New Life Brings a New Friend He came up to me one day when I finished a song. A handsome boy with blonde hair and straight white teeth that he showed off with a smile. He held a greasy fast food bag out to me as he asked, "hungry?" My stomach growled loudly in answer before I could decline his offer. I took the bag from him somewhat reluctantly. He nodded in satisfaction and pulled another bag out from behind his back and sat down, patting the ground next to him. A little uncomfortable, I sat down next to him and opened the bag. My stomach ached longingly when the full-force of the smell hit my nose. I pulled the first of three burgers out of the bag, ripped off its wrapping, and tore into it. As I ate, he talked to me. "You''re really good, you know. I love listening to you sing. It really makes my day every time I hear you." This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. I swallowed the last bite of the first burger, "Uhm, thanks." It didn''t seem possible but his smile grew bigger. "My name''s Christian. What''s yours?" I thought about it for a moment, ".... Nolan." Yeah, that felt right. ¡°Nice name,¡± he said without a moment''s hesitation. As if there there was nothing at all to question. I ate another burger and a good amount of the fries in the bag as we talked about the most mundane things; T.V. shows and video games, and music. I forgot my discomfort and by the time he told me that he had to leave I was sad to see him go. Album 1 Song 4 Duet Christian came by everyday, bearing food. He would sit and listen to me for hours on end. And one day, my voice decided to crack. And in a few notes, give out completely. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. I mouthed a few words with no sound coming out of my mouth. Then with the voice of an angel, Christian filled in for me. I closed my mouth, cleared my throat as quietly as I could and, when the timing was right, I added my voice back in, layered it on top of his. Our harmony was perfect. Album 1 Song 5 Your Voice "Dude, your voice is amazing!" "Not as amazing as yours..." "Are you kidding? You should seriously audition for one of those T.V. talent shows. Get discovered!" "What about you? Not only are you an awesome singer but you can play the guitar too! I can''t do anything like that." The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "You''re just saying that..." "I''m completely serious! Your voice is so beautiful that I get mesmerized every time I hear it!" "..." "... Are you blushing?" "..." "I''m sorry! I didn''t mean to embarrass you!" "..." "I''ll shut up now..." Album 1 Song 6 She She watches me everyday She never says a word She has bright amber eyes, with them She watches me like a predator watches prey. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. She smiles and She never comes nearer She has brown curls, that circle her head and frame her amber eyes, like a dark halo She watches me like a hunter watches a rabbit in her trap. She watches me like a thief watches a priceless treasure that, She will have no matter what. Album 1 Song 7 Love? I''ve only had one crush before in my life. An athletic girl with tan skin and platinum blonde hair and a permanent smile on her face. Maybe it was the blonde hair I was attracted to. Or the bright, blue eyes. Or the perfect smile. Because now I was crushing hard on Christian. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. I think so anyway... It feels so different than my crush on Carrie did... The crush on Carrie was so hard and painful but Christian was warm and soft. I wanted to see him everyday, I smiled when I thought about him. It was nice. I just wanted to be around him. At first I just thought it was because he always brought food but now I''m not so sure that''s all it is. And I feel like I should be scared. But I''m not. Album 1 Song 8 Afraid I am afraid. So very, very afraid. One day, two. A week, two. Christian didn''t appear. Without him the money in my guitar case was pitiful and my stomach was a yawning pit. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. I had grown dependent on him. Not just to fill my stomach. Without him the emptiness spread from my stomach through my chest. For the first time since I ran away I was so alone and so afraid. Album 1 Song 9 The Thief She approached. Amber eyes burning like bright flames. She held out a pale, translucent hand to me and her dark hair disappeared into the dark night around her. She spoke in a chilling voice, "He is gone. You will never see him again. But if you give me your voice, I can tell you where he is." Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Night seemed to stand still as she spoke, no sound daring to interrupt her. I took her hand. Announcement Hello! In the time since posting the last chapter I have written some bonus content and made edits big and small (over a thousand words have been added). This week, on Halloween, I intend to post the completed and edited version of The Thief on itch.io for $1.00 Album 3 is deleted and Album 2 will follow it shortly after the complete version is posted. Album 1 will remain up but will shortly be edited to reflect the new version of The Thief. I will post a new announcement with a link when it is up for sale. Please consider supporting The Thief and myself by purchasing the complete version. Thank you for reading The Thief. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Announcement The complete and edited version of The Thief is up on itch.io for only one dollar! Over 1000 more words than the previous draft including an epilogue! Please support my writing by buying my first finished work! This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. After today only Album 1 will be freely available. https://ejwilliamsbooks.itch.io/the-thief Thank you for reading and consider checking out one of my other ongoing works! End is another shorter work approaching its end (badum tis). So check it out while it''s still free!