Major edits 02/05/2017

My earliest memory was, strangely enough, of a book. Not that I could read at the time, but just seeing it there, staring at it... and knowing that I wanted it. So that is how I, in the middle of a city whose name I never bothered to learn with a parent who never bothered to wonder where I had gone off to, stole my first book.

My nose was assaulted by the smell of livestock and tightly packed human bodies. The hurried steps and knobby knees of the giants surrounding me jostled my thin frame from side to side, trying to carry me with them like a fast- moving current. I, however, was trapped, tied to this one place by a flicker of green I'd spotted out of the corner of my eye. It was rather old looking, leather bound tome covered in a thin layer of dust. It exuded the kind of mysterious aura that has drawn in scholars and professors alike for centuries as it rested innocently on the edge of a the vendor's stand. But none of that mattered. For all I cared it could have been pink and covered in lace. All I knew was that I wanted it.

Eyes far too clever for the young girl they belonged to narrowed in irritation. Books cost money. I had no money.

No money, no book.

Sighing, my shoulders slumped in defeat and my lips arrange themselves into a pout. Steeling myself against the disappointment, I turned away to head back to the hotel. Before I could get very far, an undignified squeak forced itself from my lips as a heavy bag, swung carelessly over a broad shoulder, slammed into my back and sent me sprawling across the dirt road. For a heart stopping moment, the world seemed to slow as busy feet plowed on on all sides of me with no regards to the small figure in their path. Then everything roared back into focus as I hastily tucked my knees in tight and scrambled to my feet, making it out of the stampede with only a few bruises. But even standing they still towered over me, faceless strangers that just wouldn't stop pushing. I could hear the sound of the blood rushing in my ears and feel the pounding in my chest.

Too many people.

It was getting harder to breath and the corner of my eyes began to prickle. I just needed to get out. I shoved my way frantically through the sea of legs, leaving a trail of muttered curses and offended shouts behind me.

Finally, my eyes caught a flash of brown that marked the corner of one of the more deserted stalls and I threw myself at it, latching on with a white knuckled grip. My forehead thumped roughly against the wood as I let out a sigh of relief. It was moments like these when I wished I could fast forward time and grow up a little faster. As it was I could barely see over the edge of the table, my nose still hidden below the edge. Raising my head and balancing on my tiptoes I just managed to get my chin over the edge to get a better look.

And, in a stroke of luck, there it was again: my book. Just as big and green and unattainable as I remembered.

Or maybe not.

A sharp glint entered my eye as I studied the sullen man slouched on a worn stool behind the table. Gathering my courage, I straightened my back. It was now or never.

-"Mister! Mister!" I shouted at him, making sure that my eyes were nice and wide and subtly dusting off the skirt Tasaria had just bought me. Shop vendors always seemed to be nicer if you looked 'like a little lady'.

-"Yes, girl?" His beady eyes darted behind me while I kept my own gaze studiously away from the book. Its dull green cover was sitting there, mocking me. "Where's your mother?"

-"She went to go meet daddy for lunch," I invented, "she told me to come here because you had a book she wanted though. She said I could be a big girl and buy it all by myself!" I made sure to top the act off with a wide, gap-toothed smile. Vendors also seemed more relaxed when I acted, as Tasaria put it, "young and innocent" or, as I saw it, stupid.

-"Well of course darling," he smiled showing off the rotten holes in his own teeth. Ew. "Do you remember what it was called?"

-"No, mister," I let my eyes slide downwards as they watered slightly. "Oh! but I know what it looks like!"

The shop owner, seemingly startled, opened his mouth, closed it and then, nodded encouragingly at me.

-"She said it was big and dark green with those little swirly patterns on the cover... and one of those belt things!" I exclaimed waving my arms in large, exaggerated circles.

-"Well lucky for you I seem to have one of those right here! You see normally something of this quality would sell for no less than 20 pounds but since you've been such a good girl, I'll give it to you for 15!"

Now, even at this time I was savvy enough to know this guy was charging more than any book found in this kind of marketplace was worth. Suddenly, any lingering doubts I had vanished and I didn't feel bad at all about the whole stealing thing. Not that it was ever really discouraged by my family in the first place.

-"Thank you Mister! Do you... do you think that I could see it first though... just to make sure?" I fidgeted and tried to look embarrassed, moving just so that the polished silver of my bangles caught the sun. I knew he was hooked the minute his eyes zeroed in on my jewelry. Observation number three, vendors like shiny things.

-"Alright darling but you'll have to be really careful with it alright?"

I smiled in response. He carefully handed me the book and I made a big show of turning it over and even flipping a couple of the pages. I then tucked it under my arm and reached for a pouch hanging off my belt the way Tasaria always did when she was going to buy something. The vendor began to relax and pay more attention to oncoming potential customers and, as soon as his back was turned, I bolted. Seconds later I could hear his furious shouts and loud feet as he tried to make his way towards me through the crowds of people. Unfortunately for him, I was small and slipped through the legs, protected by the very things that had almost crushed me not so long ago. Unfortunately for me I wasn't looking where I was going and ran right into a particularly large pair of legs only to look up and find myself staring right into the eyes of a cop.

Well crap.

Think, think, think! But nothing came and so I did the only thing I could. I gave in to the urge that had been building since that one, terrifying moment where I found myself helpless amongst strangers: I cried. Big, long, heaving, LOUD sobs. The officer looked so terrified he took a step back and off I went. Going as fast as my little legs could take me, I didn't stop until I was well out of the city and in the woods hiding behind a tree. That was the most traumatizing experience of my early life.

A slow smile stretched across my features as I held the book tighter.

And it was absolutely brilliant.

A/N: Please comment! It's my first story and I would love to hear any advice or criticism. I'll upload the next chapter (It will be longer) sometime next week :)