The Locket

She kept running. After lifting the amethyst encrusted locket Lana knew she'd get caught. It was late afternoon as the boat shipped out with whole families being seen off by relatives. Running up the plank Lana was stopped by a crewmember. "Pass please." Lana just stomped his foot making the plump mustachioed crewmember begin to hop on one foot like an overweight kangaroo. She was a former street urchin. Flowing strawberry blonde hair and barely visible freckles in green and brown rags. It was painfully obvious that if only by disguise she didn't belong. The ship itself was incredibly plush with intricate and ornate decorations. Even the carpets looked oriental or persian maybe. Why this was on a ship in the ocean Lana had no clue.

Samuel Pacifist was a philanthropist of the highest order. He stood tall and brave in black and white tuxedo with shiny light brown hair and vaguely olive skin. His face often looked cordial with perpetually smiling eyes and and highly interested expression on his face. He was the kind of man that at once both protected the innocent and at times fell victim to bratty children crawling all over him. Walking into the dining hall Samuel found himself approached by a longtime acquaintance. "Samuel! Good to see you, old man. Meet for cigars?" It was Mr. Wealthy, an older gentleman with silver hair who could barely fit his portly frame into a fancy jacket with tails. "Mr. Wealthy, always a pleasure. I will certainly join you after dinner."

Prosciutto was a petty thief that looked like a rodent and had no idea who he was chasing. Lana was ahead of him by at least thirty yards in US or non-metric measurements. Following her past the hopping guard into the boat, rat-faced Prosciutto had a sneaking suspicion that Lana might be leading him into a trap. He really had no clue the limping guard was about to trail them both. Looking side to side Prosciutto walked on his sneaky tippy-toes down the hall after Lana turned a corner. Sweat poured down his long hawk-like nose beneath which sat a waxed mustache curled to resemble cinnamon buns on either side. Breathing heavy and grunting like a stubby-legged canine Prosciutto felt uncomfortable observing the expensive decorations like he was passionately tempted to steal something but knew better as guards stood tall at every exit. Little did Prosciutto know that behind him in the shadows stood a figure taller than a building with shoulders just as broad.

"Where could she be?" thought Sam, wondering where Lana had trailed off to now. Lana slid into the hallway facing the far entrance to where Sam stood trying to get away from Prosciutto while almost crashing into a desk with decorations. "Sam!" shouted Lana, running towards her crouching adoptive brother extending his arms. "I got it, Sam!" No sooner were brother and sister within arm's reach when the limping guard reappeared leaping with all his might towards Lana. "Lana, move!" cried Sam as he and Lana both stepped aside watching the flatulent guard land with a great thud on the floor between them both. "Ew..." Lana replied simply, standing on the guard's back to leap into her chuckling brother's arms with a great big hug. "I got the amethyst locket of the azores back. The one the Portuguese gave us that time we ran neo-Nazis out of Rio during Carnival." Sam just smiled proudly at his darling sister. "Well if anyone could do it, Lana it's you."

Prosciutto gasped at the giant figure stepping out of the shadows to grab him. It was Rugby, Sam's Aborigines personal bodyguard that stood head and shoulders above the trembling thief in formal attire. "Not good, mate stealing locket off Lana" smiled Rugby slyly. "Why she's lovelier than a whole grove of cherry blossom trees." Prosciutto then gulped hearing a low growl followed by an English Bulldog with brown spot over his eye and ear appearing at Rugby's side. "What say you, Surfer Boy?" asked Rugby, looking down at the dog. "Should we take this rat to meet Sam?" Hearing Surfer Boy bark Rugby nodded and agreed. "Yeah you're right, it's better if they meet face to face." Prosciutto groaned painfully at Rugby lifting him off his feet giving a wedgie. Surfer Boy sniffed the ground excitedly and ran in the direction towards Lana and Sam.

Lana heard Surfer Boy bark and gasped as Sam set her down turning around with the biggest smile and twinkle in her eye to greet the pooch. "Surfer!" Lana felt the dog leap into her arms now and catching him almost fell over backwards laughing as Sam set them both upright. "Aw, good boy! I knew soon as Sam saw me that you'd find us too." Giggling Lana's face was soon covered in puppy kisses as Sam looked on dotingly at both of them. "That tickles." Lana hugged both her brother and her dog in between opening the locket to show Sam what's inside. "It's a picture of me and you. And look there's Rugby and Surfer... it's two halves of a whole family portrait." Lana looked up with Surfer Boy sniffing her hand and innocently handed the locket to her brother who proudly wore it around his neck. "Legend has it if you put something in your heart then it never leaves."

Rugby then appeared with Prosciutto struggling painfully at being wedgied. "This was the pickpocket I found chasing Lana." Seeing Sam nod and upon hearing Prosciutto mutter under his breath Rugby pulled the wedgie even tighter to where all Prosciutto could do was whine a high-pitch squeal. This caused Lana to cover her mouth laughing and Surfer Boy to bark making Rugby smile and softly bump fists with the panting pet's paw.

"What's going on here?" demanded Mr. Wealthy, already smelling of fine brandy and contraband cigars. "Sam, are these people with you?" Mr. Wealthy looked around incredulously at the guard on the ground trying to stand up, Rugby still holding Prosciutto, Lana holding Surfer and Sam playing it cool as a cucumber like he's trying to think of what he'll say next. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"

Lana was reintroduced to Mr. Wealthy by Sam having already met more than once on previous excursions before. "Good to see you, Mr. Wealthy" greeted Lana giving curtsy as her rags fell off revealing a child's royal blue satin dress underneath. Lana was then helped by Surfer Boy taking the rags in his teeth and disposing of them near the sputtering fat guard now on all fours still trying to stand. "I am very sorry to have caused a scene but you see this gentleman is our personal assistant Rugby and the man he's holding is a common thief that saw me see him try and steal from my brother before we both got on the boat. "

Sam covered Lana's mouth whispering to her reassuringly "good job, kid but I'll take it from here. Less is more, got it?" Sam felt Lana nod and get giggly to him tickling her. "Mr. Wealthy" spoke Sam confidently "here is my sister's boarding pass and what she's telling you is the truth. This man that my personal assistant is holding is named Vicenzo Prosciutto, he's a thief yes but also a hired hand for my political rivals that disagree with everything president Roosevelt stands for. He's been following us since last we saw one another at Carnival in Rio looking for this." Showing Mr. Wealthy the necklace he's wearing Sam smirked at the plump older man standing back huffing and hawing.

"Amethyst locket of the azores" Mr. Wealthy wheezed, wondering where in the world Sam could find such a brilliant gem. The stones alone Mr. Wealthy knew could fetch a pretty penny besides the pure gold from which the locket was made. "Only the pure of heart can..." Mr. Wealthy was cut off by nodding Sam and Lana cuddling him around the waist.

"Only the pure of heart can find such a gem let alone share with the most deserving, I know..." spoke Sam calmly. "Lana gave it to me just now after spotting Prosciutto outside. She first found it in Rio for the Portuguese government and swore she'd had it stolen by him before now giving it to me." Sam looked down to his snuggling sister petting her hair. "I'm the most deserving to her as our late father isn't here and he was the one to first adopt her. In baseball terms she seems to think I've stood up to the plate." Sam watched as Mr. Wealthy took out a napkin and wiped tears from his eyes. Lana's boarding pass was handed to Mr. Wealthy by Sam along with a cigar hidden underneath taken from Sam's private collection. "Perhaps this will help smooth things over." Mr. Wealthy nodded to Sam raising then quickly hiding the cigar before nodding towards where he'll be. Sam saluted Mr. Wealthy.

Rugby saw Sam lower his hand and put down Prosciutto as the guard finally standing approached them both limping and took the wedgied Prosciutto into custody. "Finally this mission has come to an end" laughed Rugby proudly. "Feels like it took decades to even get here!" Rugby squatted down to Surfer Boy and let him lick his face. "I know buddy, I've had a long day too."

Lana was picked up by Sam and only had one question for her brother quietly missing their late father. "So I know we're on the ocean and all but where do we go to next?" Just then boat made mechanical sounds that were unfamiliar to Lana. "What was that?" Lana was unfamiliar with the inner workings of a cruise vessel and felt spooked even with Sam smiling and holding her close.

The ship itself named Dogma Mechanics was an interstellar carrier that cruised the cosmos as well as the ocean. Some people like to look at the stars while others like to see the stars up close.

"Would you like to sit among the stars, Lana?" asked Sam laughing, wondering how his impressionable sister might respond. "Swing on them or what do you mean?" Lana asked Sam, unsure of why they both were now beginning to float. "You'll see..." winked Sam feeling self-assured. "You gave this necklace to me but now we both have old friends that may want it back." Sam put his forehead to Lana's as she looked at him with her mouth open. "You mean in outer space?" whispered Lana amazed to her brother. All Sam could tell her was "maybe."

Dogma Mechanics' engines came to life as crewmembers rang little bells and shifted the ship's gears up and down until the button reading "light speed" came on. "Prepare for light speed" called the thin-haired captain. Second in command, a slim younger man called out to crew repeating "prepare for light speed!" The crew pressed buttons and shoveled what looked like coal into open ovens. The captain then pressed for light speed and quick as a flash the entire ship disappeared among the stars.

The End.