Power. 

It was a cold Autumn night, the leaves were slowly starting to fall off the trees. Gary Parkes was having a stay-in date with his beautiful girlfriend, Catherine Gumps. They had just finished their second bottle of red wine, and he was going to get some more wine. He stepped down the stairs quietly, listening to their creaking. He grabbed a bottle of red wine. A newspaper fell out as he pulled it out, it was dated in 1967 only two years after his family had founded this small town, Brittle. 

I read the first few lines, saying that my family were fakes. "Gary! Where's the wine?" Cath shouted. I panicked, I wasn't sure why, I stuffed the newspaper back into the hole before rushing up the stairs. I poured some wine for Catherine and myself and sat there thinking about the newspaper. "Gary, are you okay?" "Yeah, just tired babe. I'm off to bed." I stated, before getting up and going up the stairs. "But we haven't even had dinner!" she whined. I jumped and landed on the bed and pulled the covers over my head. I fell asleep quickly, thanks to all that red wine.

I woke up early the next morning, my toes touched the ice cold floor and I swore. Naughty! I remembered the newspaper and ran down the stairs, not caring about anything. I yanked the door open and turned on the light, getting the weathered newspaper and reading through it. It just said, how my family did not find this town. Sir Henry Parkes had killed the only person who knows the secrets, it is still unsolved. I gasped, knowing that Henry had fled for Chicago and was never found. I wrote a scruffy sticky note saying I was leaving and not sure when I was coming back, I stack it on the fridge before jumping into his car and leaving for Chicago.

I arrived at Chicago and drove to a hotel and payed for a room and hurried up to my room. I took out the newspaper and read through it quickly, I sighed when the the lights went off and my room was surrounded in darkness. I grabbed the newspaper and my card before walking to reception. "Electricity?" I questioned to the young man behind the counter. "Sorry sir, we forgot to pay for our electricity." I rolled my eyes, before demanding for my money and leaving. I climbed into my car and drove around before stopping at a random house and climbing out. 

I knocked on the door and waited a couple of minutes before the door opened with the chain on, a pretty woman looked at me curiously with beautiful blue eyes. "Yes?" she questioned me. "Um, hi there. I'm Gary Parkes." her eyes widened in surprise and I scratched my neck awkwardly, "I have nowhere to stay, could I stay here?" I asked. She glared at me before shutting the door, I heard the chain being slipped off before the door opened wide. I stepped inside and took of my coat and hung it on the coat rack. I smiled at her, but she observed him closely. She was muttering words to herself, "You can only stay for a few favors." she said. 

I nodded, anything to stay with a beautiful woman. I scolded myself, I have a girlfriend. She took a key and locked the front door, I widened my eyes in surprise. "I'm a criminal." she said simply, I wanted to laugh but I couldn't with her blue eyes locked onto my green eyes. "What do you do?" I managed to ask. "Rob, fraud and maybe kidnap." she said simply. I nodded, she pulled on a coat and threw mine to me. "Come on, lesson one." she spoke with purpose. I simply nodded and followed to a mall. She passed me a backpack, "Figure out what to do." she said. I nodded and hurried to the bathroom. 

I had rocks, a cell phone box and cling wrap. I put a few rocks into the cellphone box and wrapped it in cling wrap, before closing the gap of cling wrap with the heat from the hand dryer. I placed it in the backpack and went into the shops that buy and re-sell. I placed the box on the counter and the guy smiled. He lifted it, "Twenty seven dollars." I nodded, and watched the man count the notes before pressing it into my hand. I walked out the shop and handed the money to, the woman. "I never caught your name." I said. "Michele Williams." she said, "You can call me Michi." I nodded and she drove us home.

Weeks had flown after this incident and I was becoming close to Michi, I was finally going to ask her the question on my mind. She was sitting down reading a newspaper and I sat next to her. I pulled the newspaper from her hands and threw it across the room. "Hey!" she shouted in protest. I grabbed the newspaper of my family and placed it into her hands, "What do you know about this?" I asked. She shrugged her shoulders, "Nothing." she replied quickly. I glared at her, "Michele! I saw your face when I said Parkes." I shouted, I was harsh but angry that she lied to me. She raised her hands in a surrender, "Your family didn't find Brittle." she said simply.

"I know that!" I spoke, clearly frustrated. Michele spoke, "Well, it was Sir Barry Williams that founded the town. My great something uncle." I nodded, waiting for her to go on. "Your great something grandpa, was just behind him and claimed that he had found it." I finished the story, "Your uncle was the only witness, so my grandpa killed him. He then fled to Chicago and was never found. We were then told we had found it." Michele nodded, "The Parkes our liars!" I shouted. I stood up and started pulling on my jacket. "Where you going?" she asked. "To tell my family we are a lie." I said. She looked sad, "You're leaving because I'm a criminal, aren't you. I'm not, promise. I changed, I returned everything." she said, I stared into those beautiful blue eyes. 

I felt quite guilty, because I was leaving when I had fallen for her. When she fell for me. I sighed and sat down on the couch and wrapped my arms around her. "I promise it's not you. It would break my heart to leave, I fell for you hard. I just have to tell my father." She nodded and blew her nose. She followed me out. It started raining and I left her on the porch. I was just leaving when I heard her shout, "Wait, Gary!" I turned around, she was running towards me. 

She jumped and I caught her. We were in a tight embrace in the rain. I looked at her eyes and then her pink lips. She looked at me, "Michele, I-". She shut me off politely by kissing my lips softly. I smiled at her, "Is that enough to make you stay?" she asked. "Yes."