Scenes from the Seam

Trading Troubles

"Will you wait for me, Katniss?"

"Hey pretty girl, what you got there?" A young man with greasy black hair called to Katniss as she walked by.

"Go away, Cadd," Katniss said, holding her bag tightly in front of her and focusing on making it to the Hob. Cadd was a low-life who made his way by stealing and swindling in the streets of the Seam.

"Where's your boyfriend this fine evening?"

"Gale's not my boyfriend." She was not in the mood for their antics.

"Come on, we're just curious." He called as he ran up to her, his friend Scrapper following closely behind. "What would a sweet girl like you be taking to a place like that at this hour?" His voice dripped with mock-concern.

"You're not up to no good, now are you?" the other taunted.

"No," Katniss said with a heavy breath, looking down.

She realized why Gale kept telling her not to go to the Hob alone. She could practically hear his voice ringing in her ears...I don't want you to go alone, Catnip.

Why? You think I'll gyp you? she'd said almost playfully back at him, but her smile flickered when she saw a shadow cross Gale's eye.

He took a deep breath, "Katniss, will you wait for me, please? We can go tomorrow?

"I guess," she'd huffed, before leaving Gale to deliver the coal he sometimes did for extra money. She was halfway home when she decided to just go to the Hob that night and get the trading over with. This will save us both time tomorrow, she told herself, and Gale is just being ridiculous, though now, she wasn't so sure.

"You're not headed to the Hob, now are you?" Cadd was uncomfortably close to her.

"No," she said again, huffing resolution and trying to stay focused.

"It attracts criminals and such," Cadd cackled, his smile like a slice in his skin.

"You'd know about that more than me," she said.

Cadd laughed and clapped, as if to tell Katniss she were doing a good job. "Is that so?"

Her eyes darted to each man, uncertain, but also challenging. "Yes."

Scrapper agreed. "You won't mind if we just have a little looksie, then?" Scrapper giggled gleefully as he snatched for her bag, but she pulled it away from him, knocking his arm as she did. "Ohh," he mouthed with an impressed smile, "feisty." But as she moved against Scrapper, his friend, Cadd was able to grab her bag, twisting it from her as the loop tangled her arm.

"Oww," she gasped more in surprise than pain as she turned her attention to Cadd and tried to wiggle free and reclaim it. "Let go!" she said with a rising voice, but Scrapper put his hand over her mouth and pulled her around the corner.

"Now we can do this the easy way, or the fun way. We'll let you decide," He almost purred, his breath running across her skin and making her stomach sink.

She stopped fighting for her bag and let Cadd have it.

"Aww," he said, somehow sounding both gleeful and disappointed, "I was hoping you'd pick the fun way," he laughed as he dumped out the content of her bag. "Now, what do we have here," he said, kicking the items with his foot: two pelts Gale'd made, several folds of herbs from her mother, some arrows and dried meat.

"Anything good?" Scrapper said, his breath slogging across her skin again. Katniss felt the need to control her gag reflex. Why hadn't she just waited for Gale like he wanted?