My back is cold from pressing up against the metal fence. My legs hurt from squatting instead of getting my ass all dirty. My face itches from the damn bush I'm hiding behind. I want to get this over with and go home!

I'm thankful I'm small. I'm 5'2" 134lbs that makes it easy to hide in the shrubs along the edge of Francis' property. Once they leave I can sneak in. I'll check the first floor windows, but their balcony may be my ticket in.

I'm a lightweight, nothing close to imposing. I doubt I could even scare the neighbors cat if I tried my damndest. This leaves me with no option but take it when Francis and his football buddies come to use me as a punching bag, or take my food or money. If this only happened once I could get over it, but this has been going on for the last year. Before Francis it was Jason starting fights at the childrens home. And before Jason it was Alan getting me in trouble or taking my book. It never ends.

If it wasn't clear, I have grown up in various children's homes. I've never known my parents and I have lived in 6 different homes over the last 17 years. They have you change homes as you grow up to keep you in a similar age group. My hypothesis is it's to fuck with your head and make you behave but I can't prove it.

My situation means there is very little opportunity to make money. So it's hard to see what little money I have been able to save get taken away.

So here I am. About to break in and steal some of Francis' shit to pawn. Not just any shit though. He claims he has the largest videogame collection at school so we'll see.

After three quarters of an hour the front door opens and out comes Francis' and his Parents. Finally... His parents are doctors or lawyers or something. They are pretty much millionaires. They have this massive house, two luxury cars, and Francis has his own sportscar.

"So where are we going to eat?" Francis asked.

"I wanted to try that new bistro that opened up downtown." His mom said.

"Come on! Can't we fucking get something normal? Like Pizza or something?

"Language!" His mother said as she smacked him on the back of his head.

"You have a car, go get something yourself." His father retorted and then handed his son some money.

I stared as Francis jumped in his car and the engine roared to life. He pulled out and was speeding on his way as his parent's car doors slammed shut. I, waited until I couldn't hear their cars anymore and turned to the fence.

The fence was mostly decorative. The bottom two feet are stone and the next four are iron bars with a spiral pattern and sharp looking spikes on top. That makes it pretty easy to climb though. I put my foot on the stones at the base and use the iron crossbars to push myself over the top. Once over I glance at my watch and make note of the time. Can't take too long.

I had already scoped it out from the outside, but I was still amazed how his house could seem rich in an already rich neighborhood. Perfect little hedges lined the short circle driveway. In the center circle of the driveway sits a small fountain. The house is easily twice the size of the others in the neighborhood. The house has gigantic windows above the front door.

From the front I could see the side of a balcony jutting out. That's my ticket to getting in. As I sneak along the hedges and around the side of the house the backyard comes into view. I couldn't help but sigh. "It figures" I breathe out.

The backyard is mostly taken up by a huge pool with a large tile patio surrounding it with a couple of chairs on one side. I give up taking it all in. It makes me mad thinking about Francis taking my stuff when he has this at home and I have nothing.

Looking up at the balcony I find I'm in luck. The stone siding extends to the balcony and the textured stone forms a column holding it up. I'm not the most athletic person, so climbing this is only a little more difficult than climbing the fence.

I wedge my shoe into the gap between stones and start scaling it like a shitty stone ladder. I slip once, but the climb isn't too terrible.

At the top I move to the door and take off my backpack. I'm not much of a thief, but liquid nitrogen can freeze a door handle and let me break in. I pull out the thermos of liquid nitrogen and pour it between the frame. Once the thermos empty I grab the hammer and screwdriver I "borrowed" from a toolbox at home and start tapping at the bolt.

A handful of taps later and the metal cracked. I pulled the door open as slow as I could, stepped inside and pulled it shut. I turned around and noticed the immaculate bedroom I was in. It was all light colored walls with dark wood. Definitely not Francis' room. I moved to the door I guessed led out and opened it a crack. I peeked out to make sure the coast was clear and then crept into the hallway. One side of the walkway I was on was open and overlooked the front entryway.

Moving between the doors of the hallway I check for Francis' room. The third one I check is his and I duck inside.

"Oh God!"

The smell of ass and bad cologne or body spray hits my nose. This place needs a good airing out and someone should really teach Francis about hygiene.

His room is a mess with clothes strewn about the room. On the left is his bed. There is a computer with a bunch of technology around it tucked against the wall. But at the far end of the room is a couch and a huge TV with shelves of videogames on it. Spread throughout the shelves are sports memorabilia. Signed sports equipment. Trophies. The walls even have various jerseys hung up in frames.

I start looking through the collection for anything that looks recent. I don't play videogames often as I don't have a console of my own, but I do have an idea of the popular games.

I prefer to read. Let me sit down with something sci-fi or fantasy and I'll finish it within the day if I have the time to dedicate. But science magazines and journals are my favorite! Chemistry, Biology, Geology. Those subjects are my favorite. They are almost magical in how complicated they can be and the things they can do.

Based on the number of sports games he has I bet those are his favorites. So other than popular titles I fill the rest of the space in my bag with the newest football and basketball games.

I check my watch as I leave the room and see that 20 minutes has passed. CLEAN AIR I MISSED YOU! Heading back to his parents room I freak myself out with my reflection on a mirror. It was behind me when I came in so I missed it. Just me with my shaggy dark brown hair and green eyes, and... Fuck, I forgot to put on my mask. Too late now.

I step out onto the balcony as I hear a loud car rumbling by. Shit! Shitshitshitshitshit! Francis is back already! I dash to the column and swing my leg over the railing. I scramble to get a foothold and then try to get down. I grab the ledge level with the floor and hang down. Unable to get another foothold from this angle I elect to drop down to the ground. It's only four or five feet to the ground with my arms extended.

I heard Francis' car door slam shut and him open the front door to the house. As I hit the ground hard I stumble unused to the weight of my backpack and fall onto one of the lounge chairs. I fall over and knock down the side table with a crash.

I jump to my feet and run to the line of pristine manicured bushes near the fence as I hear Francis come out the backdoor of his house and yell.

"Who's there!? I'm calling the cops!"

I look up at the fence trying to decide what to do. All I can do is run. So I toss the backpack up and over into the bushes on the other side of the fence. I stand up and get one foot on the stone base of the fence.

"HEY!"

I hurriy and climb up the iron fence bars as Francis yells again.

"HEY I SEE YOU! THE COPS ARE ON THEIR WAY STOP!"

As I get to the top of the fence and jump over my pants get hooked on a the iron spikes at the top of the fence. I flip and fall on my back, the full backpack digging into my back. The impact drives the air out of my lungs and leaves be gasping for air. I can't get an actual breath and the sky goes dark.

...

I'm not unconscious. What's going on?

Suddenly I start falling. Still gasping for air but nothing is happening. I can barely feel my chest move as I try.

Bright lights pop up all around me and start streaking past. It feels like I'm flying through space. The lights start changing colors. gold, silver, vermillion, navy, teal, and a deep green. Among the colors I can vaguely make out a deep purple color but when I try to focus on it I lose all track of it.

As abrupt as the lights started they stopped. The feeling of falling stopped at the same time and it felt like I was being tossed to the side. Then a faint light was back and I fell on my back once more sliding nearly 10 feet before coming to a stop.

Thudding to the ground trigged a reflex gasp of air and I hungrily gulped it down.