Wave ~ Hunger Games [1]

three

+ the market +

Kai and I walked through the market, buckets of fish and clams sitting around in stalls, waiting to be traded for. The air was humid and stank of fish, but most of 4 did so you got used to it after a while, especially the market smell. I had a few cod hanging from fish hooks, hoping to swap them for either some shrimp or prawns and some netting. Kai walked behind me, holding a large reel of fishing wire we never really used, preferring to use tridents and nets.

Though this whole district was made up of fishers, some didn't live in the right part to get the certain types of fish needed for personal use, so the marketplace was the sure fire way to get black mat key fish within the village. All of the large boats which a majority of the districts population worked on caught fish all year round, which went straight to the Capitol. So most of the large good quality fish didn't even get into houses in the district, only small ones and shellfish making it to the dinner table.

Our family never really went fishing for things like shrimp and oysters, or other shellfish, eating mostly small fish which we would catch ourselves. So if we did want them we had to trade for them, which was okay with the plethora of fish we had for bartering. "Gladys" I shouted, rounding one of the crab stalls, the snapping creatures sitting in massive buckets as I looked over them. "Waverley, how are you?" Gladys asked me, the small lady standing up from her seat as she wiped her hands on her apron, a smile on her plump face.

"Great, I've got some cod here" I said lifting up the limp fish to show her, here eyes wandering over to them as she nodded her head. "What are we wanting?" she asked me as I looked behind her to the small table with boxes she had on it, pointing at it. "Some netting, we ran out" I said with a smile as I padded the fish over to her, grabbing the line they were strung on as she put them down on the table. "I've got you" she said as she turned around, opening one of the damp boxes and pulling out a ball of netting which she gave to me.

"Chuck in a bottle for us will you?" Kai asked her, flashing her one of his famous smiles as he looked over to her. Gladys looked at me to him a few times, before cracking a smile and bending down to lift up a brown bottle, containing alcohol, holding it out to me.
"Thank Gladys" I said to her as I waved, turning to walk away, Kai giving her our thanks as well. "Wish y'all luck" she said to us, full well knowing what was happening in two days. I didn't look back as Kai smiled back at her, before going to a different stall, hoping for some shrimp.

"Why does everyone wish us luck, it's not like we can do anything about it" I said, adjusting the ball of netting in my hand as I looked down at the wet floor under my boots. "They are just being nice" Kai said, swinging the fishing wire a little bit with each step, shaking his head as he looked over at me. "Don't do anything stupid Kai" I sighed, hoping he didn't volunteer, which was always a worry at this time of year for our family.

"I won't Waverley, calm down" he said, walking behind me, letting an old lady pass us as she held a bucket of lobsters in her hand. "How many times is your name in that bowl Kai?" I asked, looking at him with raised eyebrows, fully aware that he had put his name in more than the mandatory amount of times. He didn't reply initially, sighing in response, not wanting to answer my question. "Kai" I breathed out, needing to know before hand as he looked over at me with a defeated look on his face.

"36" he finally replied, weaving in between some running kids as I sighed at him. "Kai, we don't need the grain, why would you do that?" I said to him defensively, raising my eyebrows as he let out a deep breath, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know Waverley" he said, not even looking at me, keeping his eyes straight ahead of us. "You clearly do" I said, not frankly wanting my brother to sign away his life for something as stupid as some oil and grain. "Could I just have a 3 dozen shrimp please" Kai asked a random stall which was not our usual one, not wanting to have this conversation anymore.