text: <An Unforgiving Plan> *Chapter One* “Come on Susy, when have my plans not worked out?” Susy sighed in defeat knowing how persistent Gilly can be. The sun is about to set, and the two girls know they need to get back home before nightfall comes. At least Susy knows that. Gilly, on the other hand, prefers to close her eyes when she runs. “Gilly, I really don’t want to get caught...” Gilly rolled her eyes at that one, despite how scared Susy looks as they walk farther away from home. Stealth is not on their side as the mud under their feet sloshes with each step they take. Finally, Susy stops abruptly with her arms crossed declaring, “I’m not going to be responsible when the guards find out Gilly!” Surprisingly, this was enough to make Gilly stop in her tracks too, but the look on her face still hasn’t budged. Looking as annoyed as ever, Gilly moves right past what Susy said. “You really think they’ll find out with me in charge, Susy?” She rolls her eyes again when she sees Susy look behind her towards the town. “Those guards are just a bunch of fools; they’ll never catch us.” Susy relaxed a bit and took a deep breath. “Okay... but I’m only going so you aren’t alone.” Gilly smiled in victory and continued to walk off, Susy right at her heels. The sun had finally set, and the girls weaved in and out between the dark shops. With Gilly leading the way, the two girls arrive at the back of an apothecary. “Okay Susy, do you know what to do?” Susy nodded her head and crept up to the alley separating the apothecary from the library, using the dark night to hide her shadow. As she looked around there seemed to be nobody in sight, but it was hard to tell with the fog growing ever so slightly. As soon as Susy heard the *click* of a lock, she knew Gilly was done. “Pst! Get over here, Susy!” Taking one last look, Susy made her way back to Gilly’s side. As the two girls crept inside, the smell of sage and burnt paper filled their noses. Luckily there was a mat at the door to dry their muddy feet off. Once they got inside, the two of them reached under their thin, ripped coats and pulled out a satchel. “What did I say, Susy? Nobody in town can do what I just did!” Gilly had that look in her eye again, the one where she’s getting too caught up in herself. As Gilly began to look around like a kid on Christmas morning, Susy searched the display cases up and down. The rose-colored cloth under each case made the trinkets inside shine like diamonds. As the rain begins to pick up outside, the noise of their shoes on the hard wood floor seems almost inaudible. “Hey, Susy, get over here.” Susy creeped on over to where Gilly was and looked down into the display case. Her breath stopped short as her eyes gazed upon the most beautiful silk dress she’s ever seen. “There’s no way we can take this out with the rain so heavy, Gilly.” Susy was the only one of the two girls to ever think ahead. It made no difference now as Gilly looked at Susy and said, “I’ll be taking this dress, the rain has never stopped me before.” Susy knew in that moment that nothing had changed, Gilly is too arrogant to look at the cold hard facts of a situation. So, with one swift movement, Susy positioned herself between Gilly and the case. “Susy, you know better than that.” Gilly pushes Susy to the side, almost knocking her into the glass cabinet behind them. The chime of the grandfather clock sent a chill down both of their spines, finally acknowledging how late it truly was. The bite the cold water left on their skin was no match for the stare the two girls shared with each other. As Susy reclaimed herself her eyes burned into Gilly’s, speaking more words than either of them has said the entire night. Their emotions began to blind the girls, fogging their hearts the same as the rain outside fogged the windows. As Susy reclaims herself, she looks up at Gilly, the expression on her face the opposite of the timid girl she was before sunset. Susy looks over her shoulder, realizing her satchel was ripped in the fall. Shaking her head, she turns her back towards Gilly. The water dripping from her hair making her look like a different person. “I won’t play part in your games anymore.” Gilly, trying to cover the look of defeat on her face, mutters one last breath to Susy. “Let’s see how far you make it without me.” Before either of them can process what happens next, Susy steps outside in that bitter night to find that neither of them will be going home.