It was a cold December night. Everyone in the neighborhood was asleep. Except for one man, who didn’t live in the neighborhood anyway. The only figure moving in the dark night, apart from some reindeer decorations hung up on every couple of lawns. There he stood, about to begin his devious plan.

He was sure this would go as planned. In the quiet night, he went over the scenario. He would slide down the chimney, take anything he could fit in his pockets and his black garbage bag, and head out through the front door. He knew he wouldn’t wake anyone who slept inside, he’s done this many times already and each time he did, everything went flawlessly. He just had to make sure that he did not hit any of the wood at the bottom of the chimney too hard when he got down, because the slightest sound might awake the people sleeping inside, and the entire plan would crumble. Or even worse, he might get caught. No, he cannot get caught, he will NOT get caught. Not after all that he’s went through to insure success in every one of his robberies.

So he stood up, ready to begin. Then suddenly a car turned into the neighborhood. Its headlights flashing very near the house he was on, almost as if the person inside was trying to spot a burglar on top of that building.

“Crap”, he whispered to himself as he quickly ducked down behind the chimney, making sure to conceal the garbage bag with him.

He waited until the car turned into the next intersection to finally get up. He looked around to make sure no one else was there to see what was about to happen. The coast was clear. He positioned himself above the chimney, ready to begin. Just then a thought went through his mind. What if something went wrong? No, nothing ever went wrong when he did this. So why would something happen this time? He was just paranoid because of the car that drove by.

He quickly shook the thought out of his mind as he began his descent. “Everything is going as planned”, he thought to himself. He was almost there. His toes reached the end, being able to move around now. Then suddenly, he couldn’t move. A dreadful thought came to him, he was stuck. He struggled to get himself free from the chimney that held him prison. He grew tired after a long time. He just “sat” there, trying to think of what to do. He was becoming desperate, as the fear of not being able to get out grew. He had to signal whoever was inside the house for help. He knew it was no use struggling anymore, and he had to get out.

So he took one big breath in, and screamed “HEEEEELP! IS ANYONE THERE!?” He continued screaming for a few more seconds, and then he heard something. A slow shuffling nearby. Someone was coming to help. He yelled “I’m in here!”

The shuffling stopped. “Who’s there?” an old voice replied. It was the voice of an old man.

“Um… that isn’t important. Listen, can you just help me get out of here? Or at least fetch some help?” he said.

“Oh, I think I get it. You were trying to rob me and got stuck in the chimney, didn’t you? And now you want me to help you get out….”

“Y-Yes” he admitted.

“So the responsible thing to do would be to help you get out?” he asked.

“Yes. Please, I’m sorry, just help me get out” he pleaded.

“Ah, but I never was responsible. When I was young, I would always lose things.” He was quiet for a moment. He sighed, and continued, “I would always leave my things somewhere, and then forget about them. From my toys when I was young, to even my wallet when I was older.” He paused again, sitting down in his armchair. “But, the thing I hated the most, were people who steal. You know why?”

Before the burglar was able to answer the question, the old man continued. It must have been a rhetorical question.

“I hated people who steal, because whenever I would leave one my things somewhere, I would come back for them. I might have been slightly forgetful, but I remembered after a while, even after a minute sometimes. But when I came back for whatever I had lost, it was gone. Someone took it, not caring if whoever lost it would come back for it.”

“Just the very thought of robbers sicken me. I hated them because of the greed they have, the greed humans have. When they see something of value left behind, their instinct is not to attempt to give back, but instead to take. Ever since getting all those things have been taken from me, I vowed that I will not lose a single possession ever again. And then you come across, attempting to change that. ”

“This brings us to this chimney. You see kind sir, or shall I say, greedy man? I added the finishing touches on this chimney when this house was built long ago. I knew someone would attempt to rob me by going through it, so I made it thinner towards the end, so that the burglar will be trapped.”

“S-So what are you going to do with me? I already apologized man; just get me out of here. Call the cops or firemen or something” he stammered.

And the old man quickly replied, “You would like that wouldn’t you? Having me free you and letting you go. Or calling the police to rescue you? Sure, you might spend some time in prison, but it will not change you. You’ll just go back out and rob some more helpless victims.”

He paused and it sounded as if he was getting something. “Oh no no no, I’m afraid I won’t be able to do that. You see, I don’t think jail would be enough. I want to teach you a lesson personally.” A smirk appeared on his face as he rose from the armchair.

“What are you going to do to me?!” the burglar said, his tone raising. He was beginning to sweat, cramped up in the chimney. Claustrophobia was setting in, and the fact that the strange old man was not revealing what he was going to do the burglar, just made things worse.

Then he heard it. It was coming from below. Sounds of unused wood hitting the burnt up newspapers and logs, one after another. Clunk. Clunk. This continued for a minute or so, and then came to an abrupt halt.

“What are you doing? LET ME OUT!” the man screamed. His panic was growing as he was realizing what the old man was plotting. He was going to kill him. But not just kill him, but he was going to make him suffer. He was going to light a fire under him and either burn him to death or suffocate him to death. He began screaming frantically for help.

“HEEELP! CAN ANYONE HEAR ME? PLEASE SOMEONE HELP!”

“I’m afraid your desperate pleas for help will get you nowhere. And are just a waste of the oxygen you will have left. You see, I had the chimney walls made sound proof. No sound will escape outside past the material. The men building the house were confused about why I wanted such a thing, but there is nothing some extra fifty dollar bills can’t change.” He quietly giggled to himself.

“Well I guess this is the end of your robberies. Good-bye sir.” He threw a match into the pile of twigs and logs. The fireplace quickly lit up and a high flame rose up.

“No please, wait! I can change!” He desperately pleaded.

“No one can change” he replied with a smile.

“PLEASE! HELP!” he made one last attempt at having someone hear his last words.

The burglar’s words quickly became screams as he felt the extreme heat bearing down under him. After several minutes the screams became choking sounds, and then they vanished. The entire house was quiet again, and only the sounds of the crackling of the fire and the old man’s rocking chair could be heard. As he was rocking himself to sleep with a smile on his face.

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