It was a perfect day to visit the market, although the ever-present bandanna across her eyes kept Kisa from actually seeing it. For her, the beauty of the day lay entirely within her other senses. The wind that swept in from the sea played with her hair and wrapped her skirt about her legs. It was a cool, refreshing contrast to the heat of the sun that pressed against her skin.
She made her way to the marketplace, using her odd sixth-sense to avoid oncoming passersby or to step around a crate lying in the path. It was similar, she'd explained to Viktor, to watching an artist sketch out a drawing. When she tuned in to this method of sight, the vague outlines of nearby objects would begin to unfold around her, and if both she and the object remained still, more detail would fill in with time. Objects or people in motion were more difficult to 'see', but combined with her keen sense of hearing, it was possible to locate them in time to avoid running into them.
And then she was there amidst the stalls. Ah the smells! There was the ever-present odor of fish, of course, but once she dug past that, there was the salty taste of sea in the air. Her head tilted back slightly as she sniffed the air, a dozen different scents rushing to present her with their stories. As she passed a fruit vendor, she could smell the ripened peaches warming in the sun, and she couldn't resist reaching out an exploring hand to brush against their soft, round surfaces. "Don't squeeze them unless you plan to buy," the vendor said roughly. Kisa ducked her head, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks even though she knew she hadn't mishandled the fruit. "Sorry," she whispered. "I'll take two, please?"
The money she held out was snatched from her grasp, and two of the peaches were shoved at her. She could tell, by scent and by touch, that one of the peaches was overly ripe, most likely a bruised specimen that the vendor thought only a blind woman would buy. Her cheeks burned even hotter at the injustice of it. If Viktor was with her, he wouldn't have let the vendor get away with that. He would have stood up for her. But she had insisted on some measure of independence, and so she had to face this test alone. It would be easy to just walk on as if she hadn't noticed anything amiss, but she had to start holding her own sometime.
"Excuse me," she said, her voice wavering only a little, "this one is too ripe. I'd like to choose a replacement." As she spoke, she drew herself up to her full height, a very unimpressive 5'3", and held out the offending fruit. With a heavy, defeated sigh, the vendor took the peach back. "As you like." Drawing her fingers across the produce, Kisa quickly selected one that was nice and firm. Nodding in the direction of the vendor, she continued on her way, a small smile curving her lips.
A couple hours (and a couple shopping bags) later, Kisa found a quiet bench just outside the market to sink onto. She sighed as she situated her purchases around her legs. Who would have known that shopping could be this exhausting? Digging around inside one of the bags, she withdrew a peach, savoring the feel and the smell of it before putting it to her lips.
Before she could take a bite, however, it was snatched away from her. She gasped, recoiling as she called upon her second sight. Glowing lines appeared in the darkness, outlining the person who stood in front of her. There was a juicy crunch, then she could hear the stranger chewing. "Delicious," came a mocking voice. Male. Fear thrilled through Kisa, dousing her with adrenaline. "What? No greeting for me, sweet?" In a motion too quick for her second sight to catch, he reached out and took hold of her chin with fingers sticky with juice from the stolen peach. "Please," she whimpered. She wanted to run, but her body was frozen to the bench. "Please, don't."
Her words drowned out by his laughter. "Is that all you've got to say, my little blind beauty?" His outline disappeared as he moved, and when it re-formed, his face dominated her sight, mere inches from her own face. "But you're right. We shouldn't do this here. I know a place where we can enjoy ourselves without disturbing anyone. Come on." With that, he grabbed her by the arm with a grip strong enough to bruise and began dragging her away from the populated streets of the market. It was then Kisa found it in herself to struggle, but he was too strong for her to break away from. It was like being in a nightmare that she couldn't wake up from.