The Hidden Power

The market - chapter 1

Annie sighed and checked her watch. 5:04pm, it read.

Mother was supposed to be here by 4:50.

Annie leaned back on her bench and detected the smell of blueberry and jam muffins, rich tomato soup, sizzling bacon and fresh, warm apple pies.

The area in which she was in provided an advantage for her to smell the various fragrances, it was in the middle of the market, which was shaped roughly in a square, around the market were many vendors selling delicious street food. Out of all the vendors and small pop-up shops in the market, her favourite was a shop called Flavour Frenzy. The shop sold the most aromatic and spice-packed soups. The only downside was that it was in the corner of the market, quite far away from where she usually sat. Outside the market there was an alleyway on each side. The alleys were named after compass directions.

The sound of footsteps jerked Annie away from her game and she turned her head around to face the south part of the market as an old woman with messy, white hair wearing a beige coloured apron came up to her.

"Young lady would you like to try a jam muffin? They're only 10 ryhons each! Quite a deal if I must say so myself," The woman rasped.

Annie stood up from the rickety sage-coloured chair she was sitting on, her elbow length hair swished as she did so.

"Yes, I would-" Annie then noticed that the muffins that the woman was holding had mold on them. 

Holy cows no thankkkk you

"No, thank you."

The lady sighed and hobbled off into a small street shop, which was themed with the colours red and white, with a large board saying: Melissa's muffins. The shop was next to the south alley, the alley behind her.

Annie sighed and sank back into the bench, twirling her chestnut hair around her fingers as she anxiously waited for her mother.

Seriously, how long is she going to take? Nevermind, at least I get to watch the market for longer.

Annie loved the market in the square, well, she loved watching the market. For her, the market was a like a second home to her. She loved the heavenly smell of freshly cooked bread, the pungent scent of the spices and herbs, the sound of sizzling vegetables being caramelised, the heat of the ovens warming every nerve in her body.

The market was almost enough to make her forget that her mother was now 45 minutes late. Her watch read 5:35pm.

Annie sighed and looked toward the direction her mother should be coming from. She spotted a mirror vendor instead. He was selling all types of mirrors. Small ones, huge ones, even compact makeup mirrors. His shop was so big that it went into the east alley. Annie shuddered. East alley was the place where the unofficial black market was located. Rumours say that whoever goes into east alley, comes out an entirely new person.

Annie spotted her reflection in one of the patterned mirrors.

Wow, my snake eyes are an even brighter green today. Annie thought, at least it works well with my green pendant.

Annie's eyes had always been vivid in colour, so vivid that when she was young, she would often be called serpent-head and snake face. It never bothered her though; Derick always told her that that just meant that they were jealous of her eyes.

Annie smiled.

Those were the good memories of when Derick was still here, when he wasn't an alcoholic, when he didn't run away right when Annie's mother needed him.

Annie spotted a father laughing with his child. Annie smiled. They look so happy.

There will always be a part of her that will always wish for him to come back. But the other half of her is filled with a different emotion. Annie contemplated this further.

I know I'm supposed to hate him, but all I have ever felt is disappointment.

Disappointment that Derick is my biological father.

Disappointment that Derick is a coward.

Disappointment that Derick couldn't support my mother when my uncle died.

Disappointment that Derick couldn't be a father for me.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Sounds exploded around Annie and shoved her back into reality.

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