It was like any other day as usual, really.

This island always had an ongoing festival - we tend to celebrate any and everything, be it cute puppies or colorful kites – and today was the day we celebrate food! To be more specific, flavor.

Banners lined the market streets, reading 'Savor the Flavor!' and 'Taste the Goodness of Life!' and other witty idioms about food, spanned as far as the eye could see. Here on Revelry Island, there's always a reason to celebrate, and who wouldn't like to celebrate food?

Well, answering that question, there was A LOT of people here today – a lot more than yesterday (I assume that cicadas may not be a big hit for some people, ha) – and throngs of tourists had already filled the main veins of the market streets.

All over, a variety of people whom I've never seen before - some from obviously foreign islands a ways off – eating and sampling from the booths packed with our island's specialties. The way the cooked food wafted through the air was so enticing, that it almost became a temptation. The finger foods were readily available for anyone to just pick up a helping and deposit the berries through a chute. Since this was a Summer island as well, our cold drinks and soft serves were the most popular items – there was not a hand in sight that was not holding something icy cold.

I feel somewhat spoiled, or I guess I should say blessed, since every day is like a vacation and everyone here is always happy. Sure, you would have your occasional roughnecks that want to wreak havoc here, but people are in too good of a mood for them to have their way; they're usually ushered out with things being thrown at them – then they learn that it's not worth the plunder.

"HEYY OUTTA MY WAY! MOVE IT MOVE IT!"

*sigh* Speaking of which..

Despite it being incredibly dense, people began to part and make way for someone barreling down the road...or rather, they were shoving them out of the way, knocking some of the festival goers into each other and some on the ground. Whomever it was, from what I can tell, they had some type of knapsack thrown over their shoulder and they were being chased. The people chasing the individual were not happy at all, yelling and screaming for those around to stop him. I'm not sure why, but I continued to observe the spectacle while I stood in the middle of the street, watching them approach until-

"OOF!"

"WATCH IT LADY!"

The gruff man running away from the group of people crashed into me, dropping one of apparently several of the knapsacks he had over his shoulder. The angry pursuers weren't too far behind him, so to prevent being trampled, I grabbed the knapsack scampered off into an adjacent alley.

I think everyone was paying attention to the chase since no one really paid me any mind. Although there were vendors down this alley, there wasn't a lot of traffic. I wasn't a thief, but it seems like whatever was in this bag wasn't that rude guy's either. Either way, I didn't stop walking as I peered into the bag so I wouldn't look too suspicious.

Huh, that's some weird looking…ball? Food? Fruit? if I ever saw any…definitely doesn't look native, anyways.

Well…I guess it's mine now? Where would I even begin to return this to? There are so many fruit booths here! With fruit looking like this, I suppose I could start at the shoreline since the more 'exotic' produce is typically peddled there- being the first new and exciting thing that people see, and with it being easier for foreign vendors to set up shop.

The shoreline being a straight shot down the street, I amble along until another shout assault my ears.

"Hey YOU! YOU THIEVIN'-"

And who knows what else was said, because I didn't stick around to know. Sounding like the actual thief from earlier, I took off running, trying my best to avoid crashing into any of the other pedestrians. From the sounds of it, my pursuer wasn't doing a good job of it as more and more angry shouts and insults erupted left and right from behind.

Not really expecting a chase today, I began to lose steam as my throat started to pang in pain from dryness and exhaustion.

"SOMEBODY STOP HER! SHE'S STEALING!"

It really didn't look good for me to be running through these produce vendors and booths with the sack strung over my shoulder like this, not gonna lie. Whatever what was in this bag was bouncing very hard with each step and felt like it was going to break my back!

Somehow, I was successful in not running into anyone, but I did gather quite a few stares with how suspicious this whole scene looked – the running and the shouting and the whatever it is in this sack and all. Right here on the shoreline, many, like, thousands of boats were docked all down the coast, making it near impossible to really enjoy the beach since the horizon was obstructed with the view of pirate and cargo ships.

Not like I really had the time to enjoy the view anyways as the yelling grew closer and closer. Quickly, I scanned the perimeter as I sprinted toward the docks. A lot of the ships out here looked pretty daunting – equipped with cannons and other miscellaneous artillery – so the best game plan I was able to invent at the moment was to ditch the angry thief behind me by boarding one of these ships and just hope for the best.

The closest, and honestly the cutest one, had a lion as the figurehead which resembled an adorable sun. Sooo hopefully whoever owned it was nice and forgiving, too?

I scrambled up the gangway – which told me that the owner was prooobably still nearby – onto a lush lawn?!

The greenery took me by surprise, but the shouty man approaching the gangway was all that I needed to ground myself and scamper for a hiding place. There was a door trimmed like a red and white buoy that looked slightly ajar, so taking advantage of the opportunity, I welcomed myself into a space that almost looked like a gym; dirty laundry littered the floor along with some food wrappers and a couple of dumbbells. One of the more notable gym accessories were the lockers, which again, one was conveniently left open for me to hide in.

As soon as I traversed the blobs of dirty clothes on the floor and reached the locker, I could hear a lot of arguing outside – one voice was the thief and the other another male, but with much more edge and sharpness.

As bad as I wanted to get into the locker, me and this hunking anchor of a -whatever-is-in-this-bag wouldn't allow it.

Well, what the hell have I been lugging around, anyways?

I grapple with the sack and dump the contents onto the floor.

I expected treasure, like a giant jewel or something solid gold or a cannonball, but instead, it was..

…really?

Forreal forreal?

A fruit?...

Totally forgetting the fact that I had already peered into the bag in the alley to know this, my mind was racing to understand what I was looking at and how to remedy the situation. Now that I was in better lighting (but an even worse predicament), I inspected the fruit further.

Well, in its defense, it is kind of pretty; it has a lot of swirls and there was an iridescent sheen of pink and purple on its skin.

Of course, nature would tell me that anything like this shouldn't be consumed, but between the me in this locker and the two angry men outside, I feel like I'll be dead either way.

"YOU WERE SLEEPIN', DIPSHIT! THAT'S WHY YOU MISSED'R!"

"Between me and my blade – you're in a dangerous position."

I couldn't continue to eavesdrop with time ticking away, so I tried to fit myself into the locker once more to see if taking the fruit out of the sack would improve my chances. Being the size of a volleyball still, of course the attempt was futile.

"W-W-WHOA WHOA W-WAIT! I-IF I CAN GUARANTEE YA THAT SHE'S THAR, P-PLEASE SPARE ME! I-I'M TELLIN YA!"

I only had time for a quick calculation of time; if it took them 10 seconds to get to this room, I only had 4 to devour this fruit and shut myself in.

Not sure if this flesh was even edible, I think I set a world record for fastest fruit eaten in under 3 seconds. Not to mention that it tasted like straight ass.

..or what I presume ass to taste like, anyways.

Footsteps started treading heavily toward the door with purpose. I could somewhat see movement since I left the door ajar (as I found it) but didn't wait to see anymore as I successfully squeezed myself into the locker with ease. I don't know how long I would be able to last, though; between the cramped quarters of this tinny dungeon and the immense bloat and nausea that came from eating that disgusting fruit, I know for a fact I cannot stay for long – maybe not even long enough for them to inspect the room.

Just as I begin to gag, the door is blasted open, sounding like the hinges are no longer working.

Then silence.

Silence.

More silence.

"I-I'M TELLING YOU THE TRUTH- L- LOOK! THERE'S THE BAG I HAD IT- W-WAIT NO PLEASE-"

Before the blabbering thief could talk himself out of the punishment, his saving grace was my bubbling stomach. I couldn't keep my nauseous stomach under wraps and began to hiccup, thanks to how fast I ate whatever fruit that was. As active as my stomach was in this moment, I stood petrified in fear.

Even though the locker was cramped, I couldn't even dare myself to look out of the slits of the locker to see what was happening.

I already knew I was dead.