The market was nearly empty. Of course, it was usually empty early in the mornings. A lot of vendors wouldn't start showing up for another few hours, but Alanna had been restless. Alanna was always restless.<br/><br/>She shifted her weight from foot to foot her eyes scanning the other stalls. The man who ran the medical supply stand was blearily looking through his wares, setting out what he expected would go fast during the day. The only sound was the small clinks and rustling of his movement. Alanna was alone in the stall, not for the first time, but was relatively happy to be selling today instead of attending school.  Her mother, Sarah, had woken up with a horrible sounding cough. Alanna had easily volunteered to run the stand while her father took care of her mother at the house. Any sort of sickness in her family was treated seriously now.<br/><br/>A few people began to meander past, their eyes flitting over her before returning to their path. Alanna made sure to smile at all of the passerby. She knew a few by name and would call out a gentle greeting making sure not to shout loud enough to shatter the quiet atmosphere.<br/><br/>"Where are your parents?" The voice was low and pleasant. Alanna shifted slightly to smile brilliantly at the newcomer.<br/><br/>"Sick in bed. Good morning, Valek." The man she spoke to looked to be in his early thirties, a dust covered bag slung over his shoulder, dark hair neatly trimmed but messily styled. Valek owned the stall directly next to hers and they had grown to be decent friends over the years. He sold cutlery and other interesting tidbits that came his way.<br/><br/>"That's too bad," he said with a small sigh. Valek entered his stall, slinging his bag to the ground in a carefree manner. Alanna wondered how he could be so careless with his wares and still sell them. "So it's just you today." It was obviously a statement not warranting any commentary, but Alanna treated it like a question anyway.<br/><br/>"Yeah. It won't be that bad though." She said smiling at another passerby. "I like working in the market."<br/><br/>"Yeah, well..." Valek strode over glancing at the various items on her counter. "Let me be your first customer. Have any peaches?"<br/><br/>Alanna smiled brightly and began to rummage through the bags she had hefted from the house. After a few minutes she came back up with a sigh. "Seems they're in short supply."<br/><br/>"What isn't these days?" He said waving away her unspoken apology. She smiled and giggled at his statement, but it was true. Most food was in shortage. Her family only sold a few food items; the rest being things like light bulbs and electronic gear. Lately the food had been in short supply, only a few canned foods and a few bags of grain in their stock. Even the vendors who worked solely in food didn't have much variety. It was one of the unspoken issues of the market. "How about a few of these?" He said tapping a couple of lightbulbs with a lazy smile.<br/><br/>"How many do you need?"<br/><br/>"Three sound good?"<br/><br/>Alanna smiled brightly. "Three it is."<br/><br/>It wasn't long before more customers came. Her day fell into the normal rhythm and routine. She smiled and chatted with people while procuring their orders. Valek would speak to her during a few of the lulls. Alanna found herself bouncing slightly when not in action. While she loved speaking with the people and getting them their orders...it was too easy. Alanna could do this with her eyes closed. While it kept her decently busy, her mind tended to wander.<br/><br/><br/>Alanna had just handed a customer their order, a smile on her face though her soul was far from the market, when the speakers began to spit out static. They hardly ever used the emergency speakers. A man, with a calm voice, began to speak through them. Voices in the market died out. The thing that the vendors refused to speak about. The food shortage was broadcast across the city. A few of the customers glanced to the stalls as if realizing that the food there was suddenly more precious. Alanna, however, found herself listening to the man's speech about bravery. He spoke of the outcasts. They needed people and Alanna found herself thinking of the announcement long after the speakers fell silent.<br/><br/>She went through the motions. She spoke to the customers echoing their sentiments about the abruptness of the announcement. She sold off the remnants of her food rather quickly. Alanna thought of the adventure. She thought of the offer and she knew that she wanted to do it. No, she needed to. This was her chance to do something other than the normal.<br/><br/>This was bravery. Adventure. The exact opposite of her life. Her mind was made, and she felt herself excited for the end of the work day, ready to start her adventure.