“Hey kid, you planning on putting that stuff back!” She shouts rushing towards her. Alex grabs the milk and starts to run to the door grabbing a loaf of bread on the way out.

“Hey stop!” The woman screamed as they ran out into the street. 

Alex ran as fast as she could, she didn’t turn round once until she reached the park where she hid in the trees to catch her breath. She had lost the shop assistant back on the main street but kept running to be sure, she looked at her hands, which were shaking. She slowly climbed down from the tree and headed for the bridge while trying to block out the thoughts of disgust she felt for herself over the act she had just performed.

When she arrived she found Shane keeping warm by one of the bin fires.

“Did you get any food?” Shane asks.

“Yeah” Alex says emptying her pockets.

“Why didn’t you get a bag?” Shane asks curiously.

“Didn’t think” Shane looks at her worriedly.

“Hey Alex, were alright you know. Things will get better for us” Shane tries to sound confident.

“I know they will” Alex says forcing a smile.

But things didn’t get better, they both quickly realised that stealing was the only way for them to get any money or food. It was usually Shane who did the stealing while Alex caused a distraction, Shane was a fast runner and usually out ran anyone following her, but the time the shop assistant would get back to the shop Alex would be long gone.

People quickly got to know their faces, and it soon became hard to go anywhere without someone watching them like a hawk in case they stole something. The police also knew who they were but as yet hadn’t been able to catch them, they knew all the good hiding spots in the city and usually hide there until the heat had worn off.

It was one particular night that Shane leant how dark their lives had become.

Shane was stood under the bridge where she and Alex usually slept keeping warms next to a fire she had started in one of the tin barrels.