for a long time!"
Jake smiled, and started to whistle. He walked over to the cooler and pulled out a nice, cold soda. Smitty sensed by the look on his face he was up to no good.
"I'm watchin' you, Jake Patterson!" He began lightly tapping his index finger on the stick.
Jake began to walk around the store hoping Smitty's attention would go elsewhere, unfortunately Smitty kept a steady eye on him, watching his every move. Jake slowly made his way over to the peanut bin close to the door, grabbed a small empty sack, and started to fill it up.
As he scooped peanuts in the bag, he cut his eyes over to Smitty, who had his hand on the stick, waiting for him to run. Jake smiled at Smitty, gave him a wink, bolted out the door with the sack of peanuts and soda. Smitty held the stick, jumped the counter, and ran after him.
He chased Jake down the street, stick in hand and a determined look on his face. "You're mine today Patterson!" Smitty yelled, letting out a sinister laugh. "You've got nowhere to go!"
"Watch this!" Jake said to himself, looking back, noticing Smitty was slightly closing in.
Then, like all the other times, Jake quickly turned the corner and headed towards the tall fence, where he planned to squeeze himself between the broken boards to escape. But something was different; when Jake reached the fence he noticed the broken boards had been replaced.
"Oh no!" he thought, tossing the peanuts and soda high over the fence.
He jumped up and tried to grab the top, but his fingertips were too short. He jumped again and again, but each time he came up short. Looking back, he could see Smitty was only a few yards away. With time for one last attempt, Jake jumped as high as he could, barely reaching the top with his fingertips.
Once he had a firm grip of the fence, he started to pull himself up. He was almost clear, when he felt an angry hand tugging the bottom of his shirt, causing him to lose his grip, and fall hard to the ground. He quickly turned around and scooted himself backward, his back now up against the fence.
"Well, Well, Well!" Smitty chuckled. "I got you now boy, and to think, I had that fence repaired yesterday." Smitty started to bang the stick on the fence, close to Jake's head, scaring him to death.
"Boy!" he threatened. "I'm gonna teach you a thing or two about stealing from me—prepare yourself Jake Patterson, this is gonna hurt for a while."
Jake closed his eyes, and put his hands in front of his face, as Smitty held in the stick in the air. He was just about to bring it down, when all of a sudden, a large hand grabbed Smitty's skinny wrist, stopping his plan just in time.
The grip tightened and shook Smitty's thin wrist, causing the stick to fall to the ground. Smitty turned to see who it was, and Jake slowly lowered his arms and opened his eyes. Both Jake and Smitty now looked at a tall, handsome, muscular man, with neatly combed white hair and a nicely trimmed full beard.
He was obviously new to Blackwater, and quite possibly the biggest man Jake had ever seen. He was an older man; looked to be in his early sixties. His skin was bronze and leathery, his hands were callous and worn. His broad shoulders and his height alone made him all the more intimidating. Yet there was something about his soft blue eyes and gentle smile that seemed to balance everything out. His voice was thick and raspy, but at the same time, gentle and kind.
"Have you lost your mind?" The big man asked Smitty "He's just a boy!"
"This little hoodlum's been stealing from me for almost a year now, and I finally caught him!" Smitty said, trying to regain his composure.
The man let go of Smitty's wrist, picked up his stick and gave it back. "Go on back to your store!" he demanded. "I'll handle this!"
"You're that newcomer around here, ain't ya?" Smitty asked, walking back to his store, rubbing his wrist. "You bought that empty lot at the end of the strip, didn't you?"
"Just go on back to your store now!" The big man said,
Jake smiled, and started to whistle. He walked over to the cooler and pulled out a nice, cold soda. Smitty sensed by the look on his face he was up to no good.
"I'm watchin' you, Jake Patterson!" He began lightly tapping his index finger on the stick.
Jake began to walk around the store hoping Smitty's attention would go elsewhere, unfortunately Smitty kept a steady eye on him, watching his every move. Jake slowly made his way over to the peanut bin close to the door, grabbed a small empty sack, and started to fill it up.
As he scooped peanuts in the bag, he cut his eyes over to Smitty, who had his hand on the stick, waiting for him to run. Jake smiled at Smitty, gave him a wink, bolted out the door with the sack of peanuts and soda. Smitty held the stick, jumped the counter, and ran after him.
He chased Jake down the street, stick in hand and a determined look on his face. "You're mine today Patterson!" Smitty yelled, letting out a sinister laugh. "You've got nowhere to go!"
"Watch this!" Jake said to himself, looking back, noticing Smitty was slightly closing in.
Then, like all the other times, Jake quickly turned the corner and headed towards the tall fence, where he planned to squeeze himself between the broken boards to escape. But something was different; when Jake reached the fence he noticed the broken boards had been replaced.
"Oh no!" he thought, tossing the peanuts and soda high over the fence.
He jumped up and tried to grab the top, but his fingertips were too short. He jumped again and again, but each time he came up short. Looking back, he could see Smitty was only a few yards away. With time for one last attempt, Jake jumped as high as he could, barely reaching the top with his fingertips.
Once he had a firm grip of the fence, he started to pull himself up. He was almost clear, when he felt an angry hand tugging the bottom of his shirt, causing him to lose his grip, and fall hard to the ground. He quickly turned around and scooted himself backward, his back now up against the fence.
"Well, Well, Well!" Smitty chuckled. "I got you now boy, and to think, I had that fence repaired yesterday." Smitty started to bang the stick on the fence, close to Jake's head, scaring him to death.
"Boy!" he threatened. "I'm gonna teach you a thing or two about stealing from me—prepare yourself Jake Patterson, this is gonna hurt for a while."
Jake closed his eyes, and put his hands in front of his face, as Smitty held in the stick in the air. He was just about to bring it down, when all of a sudden, a large hand grabbed Smitty's skinny wrist, stopping his plan just in time.
The grip tightened and shook Smitty's thin wrist, causing the stick to fall to the ground. Smitty turned to see who it was, and Jake slowly lowered his arms and opened his eyes. Both Jake and Smitty now looked at a tall, handsome, muscular man, with neatly combed white hair and a nicely trimmed full beard.
He was obviously new to Blackwater, and quite possibly the biggest man Jake had ever seen. He was an older man; looked to be in his early sixties. His skin was bronze and leathery, his hands were callous and worn. His broad shoulders and his height alone made him all the more intimidating. Yet there was something about his soft blue eyes and gentle smile that seemed to balance everything out. His voice was thick and raspy, but at the same time, gentle and kind.
"Have you lost your mind?" The big man asked Smitty "He's just a boy!"
"This little hoodlum's been stealing from me for almost a year now, and I finally caught him!" Smitty said, trying to regain his composure.
The man let go of Smitty's wrist, picked up his stick and gave it back. "Go on back to your store!" he demanded. "I'll handle this!"
"You're that newcomer around here, ain't ya?" Smitty asked, walking back to his store, rubbing his wrist. "You bought that empty lot at the end of the strip, didn't you?"
"Just go on back to your store now!" The big man said,
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