Dissimulation

Chapter 1

You become the person you pretend to be. Horrible people hide underneath kind smiles and good intentions. And sometimes vice-versa. But that’s how the bright city of Cosa is. The capital of all of the world, at least that’s how it seemed, was just a big cover-up. Because once you see past the light-filled streets and enormous wealth, you see the real problems that are arising.
The dark of night settled in as I walked down the empty streets. Lights flickered inside decrepit houses and shadows danced across the windows. All was silent except for my breathing and the light buzzing sound emitting from the street lights. It was in stark contrast from the city I had emerged, which was bustling even at this late hour. The air was fresher here, more crisp with the cool of oncoming autumn. But I took no time pondering over these things. I had somewhere I had to be. And fast.
I walked as fast as I dared, turning down the moonlit roads. Soon I reached the small brick house that was my destination, and quickly crept around the side. The window was open, just as the letter had promised. Its words echoed in my head, in and out. They’ll be home in a matter of minutes. So I need you to get it and get out. I slid through the open window and landed silently on the carpet. It was strange to see carpet in this town, since it was a luxury only for those with immense money. I padded across the room, noticing every detail. From the patterned couch to the small marble coaster sitting on the end table, this place stood out from the other houses, and it looked expensive.
Beside the globe you’ll find a desk. I looked around for a few seconds before noticing the small globe, something I had rarely ever seen in person. I ran a finger over the large dot that represented Cosa, the capital. And not very far to its left was the small dot of Scintilla, the town that I was in now. But I quickly moved on. The desk was made of wood, with small drawers lining the bottom. There were a few papers on top, which I quickly pocketed. I couldn’t read them in the dark, but later I could decipher them and find out what they were.
Look to the bottom right-hand drawer and find the button. I shuffled through the other drawers quickly, but when I reached the bottom right one, I noticed it was creakier than the others. An alert system, that to the untrained ear would sound normal. But to me it sounded as if the person who lived here didn’t trust anyone to rifle through this desk. There were two things, a little box filled with thumbtacks, which was another luxury not many people received, and a small mirror. I held it up to the moonlight creeping in from the open window and saw it was made of gold. Not that cheap stuff that Cosa provides for us, but real gold. I resisted taking it, because if the person didn’t realize their papers were gone, they sure were gonna notice this was. But I couldn’t help looking at myself in it.
I hadn’t seen my reflection in a while, because I was too busy trying to survive. I wasn’t like the rich ladies in Cosa, getting all sorts of things done to them to get them to look better. But a couple years ago I looked like a little kid, and now I had been through so much and had grown too. My hair had gotten longer and more wild; my skin was tanned with more freckles. My eyes, however, had stayed the same, still the dark blue that I’ve had since I was little. I looked at myself in the mirror for a little longer before reluctantly putting it back. Then I stuck my hand in the drawer and felt around for a button. Soon I found a little raised area in the very back of the drawer. I pressed it and it wouldn’t budge. I pushed on it with all my might and soon I felt it give way. The desk split in two, by an invisible seam I hadn’t seen before. I was expecting something like this, but it was still surprising.
At this point, they should have found out what you are doing. So go in quickly, take the small wrapped parcel. And whatever you do, don’t show it to anyone. And most importantly, do not open it! I sped through the door once it opened and searched the area. It was a small den-like area with dark wood walls and a long table in the middle. I sifted through the pile of things sitting in a heap on the table, looking for a wrapped parcel. And soon, I found it. It was inconspicuous, wrapped in brown paper and at the very bottom. It was small, and the shape was indistinguishable. But as I grabbed it I realized it was quite heavy. But I quickly tucked it in my pants pocket with the papers I had taken. Then I ran back out the door.
Make sure there is no evidence of you being there!I pressed the button again, and the door shut. I turned towards the window, about to make my run for it when a loud crash from outside the window startled me. I ran and hid beside the window, behind a large armchair. I heard a few words, someone grumbling about something. Then someone appeared in the window.