Break-In

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The time was barely past 10 PM. The streets were deserted, absolute silence reigned. Not even the sounds of nocturnal animals could be heard. The moon shone brightly above, just like the stars, smiling down on earth as it slept peacefully. The cool night breeze from the ocean blew through Victoria Island. It was a beautiful night for breaking and entering.

Victoria Island is home to a lot of the high brow of Lagos State, the cost of living here is very high. Not a lot of people can afford it. But I didn't really care about that, seeing as I stayed on the Mainland.

I had seen this boutique yesterday, it had the latest wears from top designers like Versace, Armani, Gucci, just to name a few. Then really serious kicks like Louis Vutton, Nike and Puma. Expensive clothing just put on display to attract customers. And it had attracted me. A thief.

So I had gone in to case the boutique, posing as a customer. They were really nice. Little did they know.

I watched for cameras and security systems. I found the boutique had no cameras. Not a single one. Only on the first trip, I could hazard a guess and put the entire boutique to be worth at least fifty to seventy million naira. Which meant one break-in could earn me five to seven million naira. If I do it solo. And if I do it well.

I chose to do it solo.

With no cameras and wack security, I could be in and out in less than fifteen minutes. Easy peesy.

But then, I couldn't help but wonder how someone would own such a valuable business and leave it insecure. I didn't wonder for long though, I should be thanking the person.

Choosing to do it as soon as possible, I decided to clean the boutique the next night.

Tonight.

And now, as I stopped before the structure, its walls shone white under the light of the moon. Its glass doors and windows were dull. Through the glass, I could see the interior was dark.

Just to be sure, I checked again for any added security apart from the lock on the door. I found none. So I picked it.

I was through the door in a minute, closing it quietly behind me. I took out my penlight and searched through the boutique.

Mannequins were placed at strategic points, hangars held clothes of all kinds. Shoe racks as high as the ceiling held shoes and canvas. The floor was tiled, it's surface glowing eeriely under the glow of my penlight.

"Oh my sweet Jesus." I couldn't help but gasp as the smell of new clothes hit my nose.

But I was a professional, I could enjoy the smells later. I took out a sack I had brought with me and began to pack the clothes. Taking only the ones more expensive than thirty thousand naira. Next I moved to the shoes and took those priced above fifty thousand naira and above.

In less than five minutes, my sack was full. From my calculations, I had over three million naira worth of clothes and shoes in the sack. It wasn't as I had hoped but it wasn't a bad deal either. I wasn't greedy, so I tied it up and hefted the sack.

It was so heavy, I almost toppled from the weight. How the hell was I going to get this to the Mainland?

I chose not to bother about that just yet. I dragged the sack across the tiled floor, dodging the mannequins as I made my way toward the exit. The tile was smooth, so the movement was going alright. Until I heard the footstep.

I froze at once, turning my penlight off so I could mask my location. My ears stood at attention, listening to the silence, listening for the next sound.

It came few seconds later, from somewhere close to my left. A bit closer this time.

Could this mean I wasn't alone after all?

The footstep sounded again, from my right this time. What on earth was happening?

My simple plan was falling apart, I could feel fear gather up, my heart thudding in my chest as I moved backward, leaving the sack where it lay. I just needed to see who it was. And finish him off.

I pulled out my penknife, though I knew it would be useless if the other person has a gun.

Suddenly, I stopped once more.

For a second or two, I wondered why. Then I realized it was because of the chilling sensation down my spine. I could feel eyes boring into my back. Someone was watching me.

Brandishing the knife, I spun at once, light in my other hand. Ready for a fight.

My aim was to kill or at least maim. But my swipe froze midair. I let out a great as I let my hands drop.

It was just a mannequin.

The mannequin of a man dressed in sharp looking tuxedo staring at me. I had bigger problems to deal with than this. As I turned to focus on my attacker, I noticed the eye of the mannequin follow me.

My head snapped back, and I saw it lock eyes with me once more.

"What the..." I gasped, this had to be a trick of the light. The body of the mannequin was plastic. That was very obvious, so I couldn't be fooled into thinking it was a man.

Then, before my eyes, the head snapped up and stiff lips pulled back in a sick smile.

I staggered backward in terror, turning to run but I slammed into yet another mannequin. A female this time, dressed in Adidas joggers. Her plastic hands raised up and gave me a backhand. I fell to the floor, smack in my head against tile as I slid across the boutique.

My face was on fire, I tasted blood in my mouth. I had to get the hell out. I pushed myself to my feet, using the wall to prop myself. In my fall, I had lost my knife and light. But I could still find the exit.

Forgetting about the sack, I limped across the boutique, ducking between dresses on hangers and shoe racks as I raced towards the door.

One of them tackled me from the side, sending me crashing against the cashier's desk. The laptop on it fell to the floor, I followed immediately. I felt my bones rattle as my body hit.

"Ahh!" I screamed, no longer bothering about silence.

The mannequin was coming once more towards me, coming to finish me off.

I picked the laptop and threw it at the life sized doll, then shoved the desk against it so it fell to the floor. I ran once more, leaping over the fallen body as I raced to the door.

It was there, beckoning to me. Through the glass doors I could see outside. The moon, the stars, they were calling out to me. I was almost there. I was almost out.

The next mannequin seemed to come out of nowhere. It simply appeared and while I was still running clamped plastic fingers round my neck, halting me at once. It lifted me bodily off the floor and shoved me hard against the wall.

I screamed in pain as it did it over and over again. It was like a robot, making no sound at all as it worked me over. I was the one doing all the screaming and crying like a baby.

"Please stop." I began to beg, I had no choice. His grip on my throat was vice-like and he was shoving me too hard against the wall. "Just stop. Please."

Then the mannequin threw me back into the boutique. I landed like a rag-doll, sliding across the tiled floor till I slammed into my sack. Then sack and I kept sliding till we slammed into the wall.

My breath was coming out in puffs, my head was pounding furiously and my face was burning with pain. My ribs ached like hell and my ankle felt fractured. I was done for.

Silently, the mannequins gathered around me, cornering me against the wall. They closed up in a semi-circle around me. And then they...

They stopped.

They just stopped moving. That was when I realized they were not going to kill me. They were keeping me here until morning when the owner of the boutique shows up. Then I would be handed over to the authorities.

In my conditions, there was no getting through this.

I simply relaxed against the sack, trying to get comfortable so I could reduce my pain.

My days as a freeman were over.

_{The End}