(4) Predator and Prey

Raising his hand to his mouth, he tried to stifle a deep yawn. “What rotten luck I have today. All this time spent, and not much to show for it.” Faust said with a groan. He continued to trudge down the street, absentmindedly playing with a few coins in his pocket.

Faust started to wonder if pickpocketing was a lost cause. Those with money were usually also careful enough to not display such wealth in public, at least not without being paranoid and overly cautious. He couldn't blame them, though. A marketplace like this was a prime hunting ground for thieves, with Faust himself occasionally finding that his recently stolen gold had somehow been stolen again. Only a fool would go about their business without a firm grip on their wallet.

Faust had barely finished this thought when he saw them, a pair of women walking down the street in his direction. One of them, a tiny brunette, walked with her bag hanging loosely from one shoulder. He couldn’t help but become excited at the sight of such an easy target, especially one who was already so distracted.

“This can’t be really happening. Such a target is almost too good to be true.” He said with a devious grin. Slowing his pace and evening his breath, Faust watched his prey with a trained eye. Though small in appearance, she struck Faust as being of relatively fast speed. It mattered not, however, because he had the element of surprise. If he came from behind, the shock of having her bag snatched would delay her response, giving him more than enough time to dash away and lose her in the alleys.

Faust continued to walk towards them, doing his best to avoid eye contact and appear preoccupied by the shops. In his mind, he secretly counted the number of steps until he came upon them. “6…5…4… “ He muttered quietly to himself. Then, the moment they began to stroll by, he thrust his arm out and ripped the bag from her shoulder. He did not wait to see what she did next. Whether she stood there in dismay, fell, or gave chase was of little importance to him now. To him, everybody and everything in the market was now an obstacle to overcome, a barrier between him and whatever loot could be found in the bag. All that mattered now was escape.