The Port Okhale

Chapter 1: The Carrots and the Ginger Girl

Salome's voice echoed through the small, cluttered apartment of Catherina, the ginger-haired girl who ran the only flower store in the port town of Okhale. Startled by the unexpected noise, Catherina rushed to the door and swung it open, only to have a bag of carrots thrown at her by the elderly neighbor. As the door creaked open, a burst of salty sea air mingled and drifted through the room."Carrots for sale in the market!" Salome yelled, her wrinkled face flushed with excitement. "Can you believe it? I'm going to buy more to make carrot soup!"The bag of carrots hit the floor, and the orange vegetables scattered around the room. Catherina bent down to gather them up, her fingers brushing against the smooth skin of the carrots. She couldn't help but smile at the rare find in their small town. Carrots were a precious commodity, and their availability was cause for celebration.Salome watched Catherina with a grin, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Don't let them roll away, dearie. We can't have them escaping now, can we?"Catherina chuckled, her fingers working quickly to collect the runaway carrots. She couldn't help but admire Salome's energy and zest for life, despite her age. The old woman was a regular visitor to her shop and always had something interesting to share or a story to tell.As Catherina gathered the last of the carrots, she noticed that one of them was slightly rotten, its once vibrant orange color faded and spotted with mold. She frowned, puzzled by the discovery. Carrots were usually fresh and crisp when they arrived in Okhale. She made a mental note to inspect the rest of the carrots later.Salome hobbled closer and peered over Catherina's shoulder, her bright blue eyes scanning the gathered carrots. "Ah, rotten one, huh? Can't have that in your carrot soup. Better toss it out."Catherina nodded, placing the rotten carrot aside. She thanked Salome for the unexpected gift and promised to pay her a visit later to buy more carrots for herself. Salome cackled with delight, waving goodbye as she shuffled away, already planning her carrot soup in her mind.As Catherina closed the door and surveyed the scattered carrots on the floor, she couldn't shake off a nagging feeling of unease. The rotten carrot seemed out of place, and she couldn't understand how it had ended up in the bag of fresh carrots from the market.With a deep breath, Catherina set about cleaning up the scattered carrots. But another sudden knock on the door made her forget what she was doing.