"Stop! Thief!"

Ashley ran as fast as his fourteen-year-old feet could take him, away from the yelling man and the approaching officer. His heart was racing and the cold wind blew back his blonde locks and stung his face. He could hear the police whistle coming closer to him. The officer was right at his feet and no matter how fast the boy ran he knew he couldn't outrun the man behind him.

Tripping over his own foot he fell to the streets of Hoboken with a loud thud and the change he had stolen from the man fell from his hands and onto the damp road. He struggled to gather up the money in time but it was too late. He couldn't even get to his feet before the police officer seized him by his shirt, pulling him into a standing position.

"Thought you could get away huh?" The man laughed. "Well I guess today just ain't your lucky day kiddo," he shook him roughly and Ashley stomped on the man's foot causing him to release his grip then he took off running again down the street.

Two more minutes. In two more minutes and he'd be back at the old building where he lived. He just had to keep running for two more minutes. He pushed past people on the streets who got in his way, knocking over a young girl and pushing a street cart vender into his stand. The police whistle seemed to louder then before and there seemed to be more of them. More cops chasing after him. Just what he needed.

He looked over his shoulder to see how close they were to him and his dark blue eyes seemed to relax some when he saw they weren't as close as he had thought they were. Nonetheless, he still sprinted down the road away from them. Suddenly a police officer was in front of him and he grabbed the boy before Ashley even realized what had happened.

"Christ, you are a fast one." The officer said to Ashley, locking a pair of handcuffs around his wrists.

Ashley tried to get away from him but it was to no avail and soon more cops were around him and then the man he had pick pocketed was beside him. He was a round man and his face was bright red from the run. He took hold of Ashley's collar and raised him up off his feet.

"Where's my money kid?" He asked in a hoarse voice.

The youngest of the policemen, the one who had put the cuffs on the boy, shook the man's hand off of the young teen and turned him to face him. He looked at him sternly, like a father would a child who had just done something he knew he wasn't supposed to do.

"Give him back his money," the man told him, un-cuffing one hand.

Hesitating for a moment Ashley reached into his pocket and took out the coins he had stolen, deciding to drop them onto the road instead of placing them in the man's extended hand. The boy smirked a bit but stopped when the man slapped him across the face.

"Hey now. There's no need for that." The young officer commented, pulling Ashley back a little, away from the angry man.

"You better put that kid away for a long time, officer. A real long time."

"That's up to the judge to decide, sir."

The office placed Ashley wrist back in the cuff then nudged him forward to get him moving. Ashley slowly started walking, still in awe at this whole situation. He had never been caught before. Never. The only thing he could do at this point would be to keep quiet and hope he could think of a way out of this mess.