101 Things to do With Jelly Snakes

Prologue

The shady guy in black eyed Emerald-Amber-Ruby creepily from behind his tiny clothing stall. The three girls stood in a crowded marketplace, each being jostled by eager buyers, ecstatic children. The cries of stall vendors echoed throughout the park. Emerald turned around to the two girls standing next to her, her dark blonde hair swinging past her face.

"That guy's staring at me," she stated, a thin finger pointed at the man.

Ray, the tallest of the three, shrugged. "Stare at him back."

Emerald turned around again and stared back at him, her grey eyes wide and her eyebrows raised to full extent. She moved them up and down menacingly, then frowned and turned back to her friends.

"One," she held up her fingers to emphasise the point, "I don't think it's working. Two," she held up another finger, "He has lollies."

The girls turned to the man, who sure enough was holding out a packet of jelly snakes. They quickly formed a huddle, their skinny arms wrapped around each other's knobby shoulders.

Jenna, her black eyes pressed into a frown, stated, "You know we shouldn't take food from strangers." At that moment, each of the three girls felt the pangs of hunger rip through their dishevelled bodies. Emerald and Ray nodded. Then the three of them straightened up and ran over to the man, pushing market-goers out of the way.

They shoved their way to the front of the stall and stood eagerly before the man.

"What are you three lovely ladies looking for?" His breath made the girls cough as he spoke in a slurred, raspy voice.

Ray frowned, folding her thin arms. "You were the one holding up food."

Emerald piped up, "And we don't see any white van." Ray's frown grew deeper.

The man grinned, showing his yellowed, rotting teeth.

Jenna held out her hand. "Come on. Lollies. Gimme."

The man chuckled wheezily and held out the packet. It was crinkled, but the lolly snakes inside looked fairly edible.

"Oh, you mean these."
Jenna reached out to grab them but the man snatched them back.

"These aren't free, you know. What will I get in return?"

Ray looked at her friends. She sighed, and then pulled off one of her barely recognizable Converses, which were held together with several pieces of tape. The mans' ruddy face took on an expression of disgust.

"How about something more valuable?"

Ray slipped her shoe back on. "I had to crawl through a sewer to get these," she mumbled. "They are valuable."

"What about," the man said with a growing smirk, "Your reality?"

The girls were silent. Finally, Jenna said, "I don't thin-"

"Sure. Go for it. Take it." She was interrupted by Emerald and Ray.

The man held out the bag and Emerald snatched it from him. He smirked, and then clicked his knobbly fingers. Nothing happened.

"What a creep," Ray muttered as they walked away.