"Well, your plan has sort of already failed then, huh? 'Cause I don't have a plan."
Claire contained her frustration but was screaming inside. The bush they were crouching in was starting to make her itch and she just wanted to get out of there. "You told me you knew what you were doing."
"I was referring to picking the lock. I know how to pick a lock, I just don't know how to get to the lock to pick it. That was where your plan was supposed to come in."
"Johnny-"
"Don't 'Johnny' me. This was your idea."
"And a bad one, too, apparently."
They stayed crouched there for a moment, looking up at the huge house. Inside somewhere was Claire's Grimoire and she was determined to get it back. Contained in it was the necklace she needed to do spells. Without it, she was just a normal girl.
"We'll get it back, Larry. I won't let them keep it from you."
Claire rolled her eyes at the old nickname, but she appreciated how willing he was to help her. After a short argument about how to get in the house, they decided to go in through the back door.
They kept to the bushes as much as they could. It wasn't long before they accepted they were going to have to cross the open stretch of garden to get to the back door. Johnny looked around for a bit, making sure it was safe, then led the way across the garden.
Claire stayed pressed against the wall as Johnny worked the lock. Her heart was beating fast and her hands were shaking like crazy. She wasn't an action type of person. She preferred to stay in the background and work her magic and keep out the way. She didn't like this one bit. What if they got caught? She was just glad Johnny was here.
"Got it," he mumbled a moment later. He pushed the door open. The whine it gave made Claire flinch. Johnny disappeared inside the dark room but Claire hesitated. She could still go back. Johnny would go on ahead and get her Grimoire for her if she asked him to. But he didn't know what it looked like... and she didn't fully trust him with it. "It's safe, Claire. Come on in," Johnny's voice whispered from inside.
Okay, on three, step inside. One... Two... Three!
Her feet didn't move.
"Come on, you." Johnny reached out and pulled her inside. He closed the door behind them, throwing them into darkness. As Claire's eyes adjusted, she saw that they were inside a kitchen. "Where do you think it will be?"
"Upstairs somewhere." She could feel the pull inside of her, leading her back to her necklace. It held a part of her and she had to get it back.
"This way then." Johnny led her through the house, their footsteps muffled by lush carpets. She could hardly see anything around her, but what she could see looked grand and expensive and over-the-top. It angered her that people lived like this, with luxuries they didn't need, while others were living in squalor like her friend Lola.
When they got to the stairs Johnny had to take her hand to keep her going. They were getting closer to the bedrooms of the thieves who stole her Grimoire. What if they weren't sleeping? What if one of them got up to go to the toilet? They reached the top of the stairs. Johnny's first footstep onto the second floor creaked loudly, causing them both to freeze. What she heard next convinced Claire that this was the worst idea she had ever had in her whole entire life.
"Did you hear that?" A voice came floating down the hall. It came from the same direction as the tug from her necklace.
Johnny looked at her and he must have seen the panic on her face, because he gave her hand a soft squeeze. "It will be fine," he mouthed to her.
Claire nodded reluctantly. He pulled her on, closer to the direction of the voice and the quiet conversation she could now hear. They passed door after door. At each one Johnny would look back and she'd shake her head to tell him to keep going. She couldn't lead even if she did know where she had to go. She could barely move her feet without Johnny's hand in hers, never mind being able to work her way towards the voices. She couldn't get over the fear that, at any moment, a door could open and someone would walk out and catch them. Then where would they be? She should have stayed in the bush outside.
"It's late, go get some sleep." The conversation ended and a door somewhere around the corner opened. Johnny tightened his grip on Claire's hand and dragged her, almost pulling her off her feet, into the nearest room. He silently closed the door and they sat in the darkness, listening. Claire barely took a breath, though she doubted she'd be able to hear anything over the sound of her beating heart. Footsteps came to stop outside the door, and to Claire's complete horror, the handle started to turn.
"We'll get it back, Larry. I won't let them keep it from you."
Claire rolled her eyes at the old nickname, but she appreciated how willing he was to help her. After a short argument about how to get in the house, they decided to go in through the back door.
They kept to the bushes as much as they could. It wasn't long before they accepted they were going to have to cross the open stretch of garden to get to the back door. Johnny looked around for a bit, making sure it was safe, then led the way across the garden.
Claire stayed pressed against the wall as Johnny worked the lock. Her heart was beating fast and her hands were shaking like crazy. She wasn't an action type of person. She preferred to stay in the background and work her magic and keep out the way. She didn't like this one bit. What if they got caught? She was just glad Johnny was here.
"Got it," he mumbled a moment later. He pushed the door open. The whine it gave made Claire flinch. Johnny disappeared inside the dark room but Claire hesitated. She could still go back. Johnny would go on ahead and get her Grimoire for her if she asked him to. But he didn't know what it looked like... and she didn't fully trust him with it. "It's safe, Claire. Come on in," Johnny's voice whispered from inside.
Okay, on three, step inside. One... Two... Three!
Her feet didn't move.
"Come on, you." Johnny reached out and pulled her inside. He closed the door behind them, throwing them into darkness. As Claire's eyes adjusted, she saw that they were inside a kitchen. "Where do you think it will be?"
"Upstairs somewhere." She could feel the pull inside of her, leading her back to her necklace. It held a part of her and she had to get it back.
"This way then." Johnny led her through the house, their footsteps muffled by lush carpets. She could hardly see anything around her, but what she could see looked grand and expensive and over-the-top. It angered her that people lived like this, with luxuries they didn't need, while others were living in squalor like her friend Lola.
When they got to the stairs Johnny had to take her hand to keep her going. They were getting closer to the bedrooms of the thieves who stole her Grimoire. What if they weren't sleeping? What if one of them got up to go to the toilet? They reached the top of the stairs. Johnny's first footstep onto the second floor creaked loudly, causing them both to freeze. What she heard next convinced Claire that this was the worst idea she had ever had in her whole entire life.
"Did you hear that?" A voice came floating down the hall. It came from the same direction as the tug from her necklace.
Johnny looked at her and he must have seen the panic on her face, because he gave her hand a soft squeeze. "It will be fine," he mouthed to her.
Claire nodded reluctantly. He pulled her on, closer to the direction of the voice and the quiet conversation she could now hear. They passed door after door. At each one Johnny would look back and she'd shake her head to tell him to keep going. She couldn't lead even if she did know where she had to go. She could barely move her feet without Johnny's hand in hers, never mind being able to work her way towards the voices. She couldn't get over the fear that, at any moment, a door could open and someone would walk out and catch them. Then where would they be? She should have stayed in the bush outside.
"It's late, go get some sleep." The conversation ended and a door somewhere around the corner opened. Johnny tightened his grip on Claire's hand and dragged her, almost pulling her off her feet, into the nearest room. He silently closed the door and they sat in the darkness, listening. Claire barely took a breath, though she doubted she'd be able to hear anything over the sound of her beating heart. Footsteps came to stop outside the door, and to Claire's complete horror, the handle started to turn.
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