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This was a story I started awile ago when I was questing for my current outfit (Well...for now current. Red HIPster Shirt, Outlaw Biker Boots - Coal, Dried Grass Skirt, G Pin, Romani Glasses, Flower Crown, and Wooden Baseball Bat) I really did fish alot, and I got the idea from there. I never name the main character, but it's me. I kind of like it. Currently Untitled



It was that time after the rain settled, when the spring humidity clung to you like a favorite coat and you could barely see the few remaining lights through the fog. This was a night made for being outside and just reflecting on life. That’s what she was doing now as she walked back to town from the Reclamation Facility, her latest catch filling the bucket in her hand. She hummed to herself, feeling perfectly content with the current state of her life.

She wasn’t usually poor, just when she decided that she needed a change and began to eye a new outfit in the gleaming store windows. When that happened she was forced to scrape for each coin and search the bustling Marketplace for the best deals to complete her transformation. She spent most of her time fishing now, or critiquing art in the Arena for the few coins that it offered her.

She chuckled at her own lack of priorities. Her home was a mess, with the barest necessities she needed to survive. She had just paid someone to put a window in, and she had lived in her current home for almost two months. She only had a pathetically put together bed that she had found on sale, a green plant and a shelf she had just recently made herself. There wasn’t even much personalization there, only an old photo of Gambino and Gino and two cardboard masks from Easter that she didn’t have the heart to throw away.

She walked through West Field, smiling at the lonely gazebo with its one faint light. During the day this garden was a bustling place filled with friends and couples, but at one in the morning it was deserted except for the occasional passerby. She paused and looked across the small pond to the bridge that crossed it. A man stood in the center of the bridge, watching her as he smoked his cigarette. She was surprised to see him, as most people stayed between the safety of the stone walls that surrounded the main city.

He waved to her when he noticed her looking at him and called out to her, “Where are you going?��? The cigarette in his hand cast a softer glow as the fog moved in the slight breeze. She stood in the glow of the gazebo and smiled as a phrase from a book came into her mind. She called back to him, finishing the verse.

“To see my friend!��? She lifted the bucket of fish to make her point. He looked at her oddly for a moment, then began to laugh.

“Well, I hope he’s as free with his gold as you are with your wit!��? He waved a farewell and leaned against the railing, smiling down at the water. She returned the wave that he couldn’t see and continued on, smiling at the strange confrontation. It was nice to meet people who were as crazy as you were; people who would be out on a nice spring night at one in the morning, away from the idiots in town.

She passed through the west town gate and was momentarily blinded by the light. The bar was still brightly lit, and the sounds of laughter and arguments filled the air around it from each level. She paused as she passed by the doors, longing to go inside even for a moment but she was too ashamed to. She didn’t look poor; in fact she looked the exact opposite. She wore an elegant light blue dress with matching shoes, gloves and bow, with a silver cross hanging from a leather collar around her throat. She had pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head so she could still see, and her ever-present bat was left safely at home where she couldn’t again drop it into the water again. No, she was ashamed of the fish smell that hung around her like a bad perfume. After spending all day making this excursion back and forth, she couldn’t go near anyone until she had showered.

She sighed but continued on, passing the less brightly-lit Art Arena where artist of all calibers showcased their work in an attempt to gain a spot as one of the top ten for the month. She exited the safety of the city through the north gate and walked the short distance to a wooden shack with a light burning brightly outside. She pushed open the door and smiled as the shopkeeper turned with his customary greeting.

“Heya, bub.��? He tried to smile at her but it turned into a yawn halfway through.

“Don’t you ever close?��? She lifted her bucket up onto the counter for him to sort through.

“Nope. If I did, I’d miss out on some business. Now, let’s see…��? He pulled fish out of the bucket, muttering to himself as he sorted them by type and color. “What ya savin’ fer this time?��?

“What makes you think I’m not just fishing for fun?��? She held up her hands in defeat as he spared her a look before going back to the fish. “Fine, you caught me. I’m saving up for a pin. It’s one of those ones you could only get if you went to the ball, which I missed. It’ll look great with my new shirt, if I win the auction on it.��?

“Right. Well, you have three white bottom feeders, four brown bottom feeders and one black rocque. I can give you ninety three gold for them all.��? He didn’t mention the four pieces of trash that she had collected, knowing full well that she saved them.

“Sure, that’s fine.��? She held out her hand and took the coins he offered. She turned and counted the coins as she began to leave but she paused in mid step. “Hey, this is only sixty eight.��?

“I know. Catch.��? He tossed her a box of the cheapest bait he had. “Ya been coming here too much when I know your habits.��?

“Yeah, I know. But I really need the money.��? She caught the box and walked out of the store. She had made this trek several times already but she followed her steps again. She headed north of the store, passing by the lake with its lighthouse. She watched the light make it’s rounds, amused that the lake had a lighthouse but not the port.

The air took on a salty quality as she the beach. Boardwalks stretched out before her, mostly invisible in the night. A single buoy glowed red out in the distance, but that was the only light she had. She walked out onto the worn wood, empty of the fishermen and friends that gathered here during the day. Right now there was only her and the night. Her heels clicked gently on the wood, and the warm ocean breeze did it’s best to cool her down. She smiled again at nothing, and resumed her humming as the brightly-lit town of Gambino came into view.

Gambino was a port town, centered right in the middle of a small island. It was a town with potential, and the new casino promised to bring in more businesses. The bank and stores were still open now, just in case some late night gambler felt the urge to spend some of their freshly won gold. She had bad luck at the slots, so she was currently avoiding the casino like the plague. Her main reason for coming here was in the center of town, with a single elegant light proclaiming it’s existence; the Marketplace.

This was becoming her second home, and she stepped inside, hurrying down the familiar line of stalls to reach her destination. The man at the stall barley gave her a nod as she approached the table.

“Only a few minutes left.��? He leaned against the flimsy build walls, arms crossed as he stared at nothing. “I hope you have enough to fight of any opposition.��?

“I do, don’t worry about me.��? She was lying, but it did no good to let him know that. She had maybe a hundred or two extra that she could spare, but that was it. As a boy approached the stall, her heart froze. This was her shirt, not his. He looked it over, then continued on his way.

“LAST CALL! ONLY A MINUTE REMAINING ON THIS WONDERFUL SHIRT!��? The man was standing on the table, yelling at the collected assembly. A few heads turned, but no one came over. There were other bargains to be had, and the shirt wasn’t a rare one at all. With a grumble the man glanced at his watch, then turned to her. “Well, you won it. Here.��? He tossed her the shirt with no ceremony, then sank down into his chair where he promptly fell asleep.

She grinned like an idiot, and clutched the shirt to her chest as she moved on to the stall with her other interest on it. People bumped and shoved past her, but she was oblivious. She just needed this pin to have her new outfit. She stopped at the booth and regarded the auction slip carefully. It was something that could be bought, as well as won, but no one was showing any interest in it. She still had time left to save her money. With a yawn she turned and exited the market place, intent on resting in her poorly made bed. This night had proved to be very profitable for her and her quest.