Tuesday 22 September 2015

Dumped (Flash Fiction - minor Werechicken spoilers!)

The pair of golems guarding the door to the bank vault were momentarily, but totally, distracted by the presence of a small white chicken walking towards them across the darkened and empty banking hall. Both leaned forward to peer into the midnight blackness of the building. On closer inspection, it was indeed a chicken. From out of the darkness at either side of the giant stone creatures came two figures dressed completely in black. They snatched the keys from around the golems' necks and ran swiftly down a corridor leading into the maze of bank offices and mini-vaults deep within the building. The golems gave chase, very slowly. Their heavy footsteps left tiny cracks in the highly polished marble of the floor. The chicken could hear his black clothed colleagues goading the golems to follow them, punctuated by the slamming of the golems' feet against the floor.
  When the golems were out of sight, the chicken, without any prior warning, turned into a tall, young, skinny man with an unkempt beard and darkened eyes. His face was severe and he wore the same black clothes as the pair being chased by the golems. At the entrance to the corridor down which the men and golems had disappeared there was a large potted plant. The werechicken removed from the dirt the keys which had been stolen from the golems' necks, and expertly secreted by the journeymen thieves before they had disappeared down the corridor. 
  The werechicken inserted the keys into the lock, and the giant vault door swung open. He marched past gold bars and coins neatly stacked in piles as high as his chest. He paid no mind to display case after display case of shimmering diamonds, rubies and emeralds. Enchanted objects hovering inches above their shelves were of no interest to him. HIs gaze was fixed on one thing and one thing only. He approached the ivory pedestal, lifted the protective dome from atop it and discarded it carelessly to the side. The glass eye which sat on the pedestal looked around nervously. I bet you've seen some things, I wouldn't be standing here otherwise, he thought.
  "Frank!" Came a voice from behind him. The werechicken turned to find his black-clothed companions standing at the entrance to the vault. "You've found it. Good, now let's get some of this gold out of here before the golems get back."
  “No,” ordered Frank. He pocketed the glass eye and, on his way out of the vault, grabbed his companions and threw them stumbling out into the banking hall. “Our job here is done, let’s go.”
  "For gods' sakes Frank, lets get our bonus while we're here!"
  The bearded man flung the vault door shut, removed the keys, and tossed them into the darkness. He silently walked past his companions, and through the banking hall towards the air vent they'd entered through.
  "What in the fourteen known hells is his problem?"
  "His lady dumped him. Apparently she was an attractive one. Rich too. Very rich.”
The other nodded knowingly. “Once he’s gotten over it we should ask him if he still has a key to her place. Come on, let’s get out of here.”

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