Rats: Shai's Story

The Market

Author's Note: This is my new story I have started posting. I really hope you all enjoy it. Please comment and vote your thoughts so I know what your thoughts are. Thank you so much.

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            Shai walked carefully along one of the large stone builds so her footsteps wouldn’t echo. She was worried that the grumbling of her stomach would give her away. She was hungry and both her and Todd were on the search for food.

            She stopped and peered around the corner to the Market. The long cobblestone street was lined with booths against the buildings. Some had white sheets canopied over them to protect the sellers from the blistering heat. Others couldn’t afford sheets and were standing in the sun.

            Typically, only wealthy people, or Brighties, shopped at the Market. People of common wealth, or Grays, were usually sellers or Officers standing around making sure everything were in order. Shai belong to another group. A street-rat.

            Officers kept an eye out for her kind because they knew they just came here to steal. Shai had put on one of her disguises, so she looked liked a Brighty. It was a yellow sundress with flowers embroidered across the skirt and little gems formed a swirling pattern across the hem. Her long dark hair was tumbling down her back and she had a large bag strung across her shoulder. She just needed to make sure that no Officer saw her coming from the Slums, the section of Pangella all the Rats had to stay in. The Market was the boarder between Bright and the Slums.

            She walked into the crowded Market with her heart was slamming against her ribs like it usually did. She was worried people would notice how she wore no make-up or that use used a street phrase no Brighty used. Her fingers kept a tight grip on the strap of her bag.

The first booth she stopped at sold jewellery. A man and a woman stood beside each other and the woman was trying on an assortment of rings. The seller looked happy since they were hovering over her most expensive items. Her attention was focused on them and her two young boys running around in the back.

Shai took a quick look at the woman. She must have been only a couple years older than her. She had her light blonde hair tied back and had on a silky black and white dress. These were the kind of girls Shai always secretly envied.

In front of her was a glass bowl full of bracelets. They were decorated with beads and weren’t expensive, so the seller didn’t pay attention to Shai. The bracelets were too worthless to steal. She scanned the table for something better.

Her eyes locked on a broach at the edge of the table. It was a flower with a large ruby surrounded by sapphires, all held together with gold prongs. Shai knew that broach would buy Todd and her food for months.

She looked back up at the seller who was starring intensely at the couple. The woman had her hand stretched out in front of her. An emerald ring shined on her finger.

“It’s beautiful,” the woman exclaimed.

“If you want it you can have it,” the man told her.

If you want it you can have it. That was a sentence Shai had never heard someone tell her.

The man pulled out his wallet and pulled out an assortment of money. Shai looked over her shoulder to see if any Officers were near. She could only see one a couple of booths down. He was starring at a group of women shopping, so Shai knew it was safe.