Vincent Sandstrom

Embrace the suck!  So, so bad. I swear I tried to write poorly in some cases, so I can edit it later, honest!!

At the market on Saturday mornings, people of all shapes and sizes made their way down to the riverfront.  Makeshift shops sold mostly produce and trinkets, but regulars knew where to find good slices of meat and some of the more specialized services available in Petoria.  Jammed with people from 9am to noon on Saturdays, empty the rest of the week, Vincent Sandstrom sat and waited for the throng of people to come.

Vincent, 13 and an orphan of 26 days, knew better than to steal—he knew it wasn’t “right”, but starving or the being abused in orphanary seemed a lot worse.  The Saturday market was the first place he had ever stolen anything, three weeks ago, and now he knows that he couldn’t have picked a better starting spot.  So many people and enough food around that merchants wouldn’t notice a missed apple here or a banana that split.  The atmosphere of the market is such chaos, especially in the first and last hours, when people are scrambling to get the best goods, or scrambling to take home the last available ear of corn, or last bottle of milk from the Johnson’s dairy.  Bodies are brushing and bumping into one another, people aren’t paying close attention to their belongings, and merchants are too busy keeping watch over their money to also keep tabs on their goods.

By the end of the morning, Vincent rendezvoused with his new friends in Saint John’s Park, located on the other side of town from the market.

“If this isn’t the best apple I’ve ever bitten into… oh I love Saturday mornings!” a tiny boy named Cael said, while sitting under the shade of an oak tree in the middle of the park.

“You say that ever week, pipsqueak.” Jane, a tall blonde girl with ratty hair, rattier clothes, and sleepy eyes said.

“Oh, hey Vinny, didn’t see you at the market. You sleep in today?” Cael said with a smirk. “And jeeze, what’s with the jacket, it is summer!”

Vincent opened his jacket with a smile, revealing a half-dozen self-sewn extra pockets, filled with various foods from bread to carrots, and even a few milk bottles.

“Whoa!” Cael said.

“You’re getting greedy.” Jane said.

“Here you go.” Vincent said as he tossed Jane and Cael each a piece of bread.

“You must have been doing this longer than just the last few weeks, Vinny. Come on, you can tell us.” Cael pried.

“Maybe he’s just a fast learner. I’d be a fast learner too if I had rich parents and grew up in a mansion like he did.” Jane said.

Vincent squinted, hurt by Jane’s mention of his parents, and his past comfortable life.  His life had been shattered 26 days ago, when his family car crashed through a guard rail and fell into the river.  He swam to shore, but his sister and parents did not.