Running Water

The water bottle skidded to a halt, his feet tossing up rainwater on the cobblestone street. His breathing was restricted as he frantically looked around the murky landscape for a place to hide. A hole in an ancient building’s wall caught his eyes. He immediately flung himself into the hole and ducked down as far as he could into the crevice. His plastic shook as he tried to catch his breath. The police would appear in a matter of seconds, and the water bottle knew it. The cranny was suddenly filled with a bright light. The water bottle closed his eyes tightly and tried to shrink his body further into the hole. He knew that the light had come from the Lightning Police. The police were pursuing the water because he had stolen a valuable polka dotted sink handle from The Bank of Sinks and Other Luxury Household Items.

The criminal dwelled on how wealthy he would have gotten if he had escaped from the city with the sink handle that he gently held in his hands. Since he couldn’t groan out loud, his mind cried in agony. He couldn’t even fathom what was going to happen to him if he was caught. The idea was pushed away. If he stayed hidden, the police would move on, and that is what he kept telling himself.

The night was wet and dark, the perfect conditions for the Lightnings’ power. A zap from a police member could kill him off immediately, especially since he was a conductor of electricity. He knew however, that the police never shocked anyone unless the action was absolutely necessary. The water bottle had no weapon with him, and he was not a danger to anyone in the area. That calmed his throbbing heart a little bit, but not enough for him to stop worrying that his obnoxious heart would give away his hiding place. Then he heard their voices. They knew that he was hiding on the premises.
The water bottle’s mind began to race. Would he try running for it? Would he get caught? Should he stay put and risk being found? These questions ran through his thoughts, and he dissected each of them very carefully, trying to decide on a plan. He had a feeling that they would eventually check his little hole in the wall, so he firmly chose to run away as fast as his legs could carry him.

Extremely slowly to not let his movements give him away, he peered over the opening in the wall and searched the expanse. There were only three members of the Lightning Police in his view. Luckily, they were quite far away to his left. Running to the right would be the best way to go, he thought. As gently and as softly as he could, he stuck one leg out of the hole and then the other followed. His eyes were glued to the figures of lightning. They didn’t seem to notice him. Then as nimbly as possible, the water bottle sped off to the right, making sure to avoid puddles which could have caused a ruckus if he had run through them.

It was raining harder than it had before the criminal hid in the wall, and he was very thankful for that. The slamming of giant raindrops on the hard ground would hide the small sounds that he was making as he ran. The Lightnings still didn’t notice him. A small smile crept over the water’s face as he turned back around to see where he was going. That smile was immediately ripped off when he saw a single member of the Lightning Police running towards him.

“Stop right there!” The Lightning called to him. Of course he didn’t stop. Instead, the water quickly turned left and ran down another street. Suddenly, a flash of lightning struck the ground in front of him, causing him to screech to a halt. When he turned around, he saw the entire Lightning Squad standing behind him.

“Don’t move, criminal!” The leader of the team said and stepped forward. “You are under arrest for stealing a valuable polka dotted sink handle from The Bank of Sinks and Other Luxury Household Items!” The water bottle didn’t move. He knew that he was caught. There is no running away now, he thought. Handcuffs which were charged with lightning were roughly placed around his hands. If he tried to escape in any way, the lightning inside of the metal rings would shock him. They were a terrible but effective invention.

“What is your name?” The leader asked him.

Hoarsely, he answered, “Running Water.”

The Lightning looked at him suspiciously and then took away the sink handle. A water bottle with a dry throat was very uncommon. “Well, Running Water, you won’t be running any further. Come with us.” The Lightning Police pushed their prey forward. Reluctantly, the criminal walked with his capturers to their headquarters through the beating rain and rushing wind. Then a question crossed the water’s mind. What would have happened if he had stayed hidden? He shoved the question away. There was no reason to think about it. What happened happened, and sadly, the result wasn’t in his favor. At least, he thought on the bright side, they would provide him with some water to soothe his aching throat. He hadn’t drunken anything in days.

In a matter of hours, Running Water was given a glass of water that he grabbed greedily and drank like there was no tomorrow. Even if he had to spend a few years in jail, at least he learned a valuable lesson. Well, it was a valuable lesson in his eyes. If you’re running away from the police, stay hidden unless you know for sure that they’re far, far away. Otherwise, your running is over.