The dining hall is breath taking. I realize that it is a private hall because of one long table with about 20 – 25 seats. The walls are a dark maroon color. The floor is black carpet. The long, wooden table looks like maple, but I am not sure. The aura of the room seems dark and mysterious, but the mood seems happy. Tyson is the first one to speek.
“welcome to the dining hall Lari,” said the mayor.
“thank you so much everybody for taking me in. I would not have made it this long without you helping me recover,” I say very generously.
As I sit down, in my perfectly furnished wooden chair, I realize that everyone is staring at me with cautious eyes like I am about to start attacking them any moment. I am thinking why is everyone staring at me? Then it hits. In the battle field, I was the most gruesome fighter. These people, including the mayor, where watching this through the special little cameras that are hidden all over the country.
I am really hungry, so I start eating. Then everyone in the dining hall gasps. I look up at the horrified faces that I see in front of me. I realize what I am doing. I forgot to wait to bless my food, and all of the animals that are in our dishes. So I put down my fork and knife and put on my best apologetic look and say. “I am so sorry! I honestly forgot about bless ing our food.”
I try to say more, but the mayor inturrups me. “thank you Larissa. I do realize that you haven’t eaten in three days.” He says calmly, and then adds “we will not punish you.”
Then I was thinking. You get punished here before the food is blessed? Were I used to live, we would never bless our food, because we would be so hungry when we finally get it that it didn’t even matter. I didn’t even know that our woods did this. Then I remembered that the president had escaped to space right before the war had started, and he had bugged this whole place.
“I am so sorry. I usually do bless, I am just so hungry.” I say. At least that will make the board leaders think that somebody is doing their rules.
“well then, lets get this dinner started!” says mayor Tyson.
The mayor lifts both of his hands up, and starts the blessing:
“people of the trees, we bless our wonderful food, the beautiful animals that it came from, the people that farmed these wonderful vegetables, and all of the 27 woods that make up our democracy of the trees. Amen”
I had heard of plenty of people saying this before they ate, but people casually die of starvation here because there is not enough food getting supplied there. Now I know where all of the food went. When we were in war with the Board, people were not just dying because of the advance weaponry, but because of disease and hunger.
Once we start eating, it is very hard to stop. I haven’t had a meal like this in forever. The succulent stake and tender potatoes are delishous, the cider they gave us to drink was over the top. It was excellent.
But while I was eating, all I can think about is my mother and little brother, Lexton. He had my same features, curly blonde hair, brown eyes, and an athletic build. All I can think about right now is how much he would do for just a bite of this potato that I am eating right now.
Suddenly, I push my plate back in disgust, and everyone sends some pretty nasty glares at me. Now I realize that the board has been eating in delight for all of these years, and the 27 woods have been starving. All of them, even the woods that cooks the food and delivers it here. Here I am eating in delight, when I realize that there are people starving, and left to die right now that need this food a whole lot more than the plump people here need it.
“why aren’t you eating, Larissa?” asks a man at the mid table. I don’t know what to say, so I close my eyes and think. In about three seconds, I open my eyes to find that now everyone is staring at me with their piercing eyes trying to look into my soul. I take a deep breath, and say, “I was just thinking about how much the people out there need this food. We definitely don’t need it, we need to find the wounded and bring them to the hospital so we can survive.” The board’s plan definetly is not working.
“and how would we do this, Miss Larissa?” his words are so penetrating, I don’t even know where to start. Then I have this idea.
“we could divide the leftover militaries from both sides into 27 segments. Then we would have the leftover paramedics go to help get them to the hospital here. We would take along hovercrafts, and put the wounded in there. Then we would take them here, and fix them up, so that we would make sure everyone alive can stay alive.” I say.
“well, I don’t think that we have enough……..”
“don’t say that. You know we do. Its just the thought of my plan that you don’t want me to have all of the glory with this new idea that you didn’t help to create.” My voice gets louder and louder until im screaming.
“there is no need to yell here, miss larissa,” he says calmly. I can tell that it is forced when he smiles, dripping with sweat.
“well then, all we need to do is save some lives and not let them go to waste,”I say, this time I am the one forcing to be calm.
“well, I cant give you a true answer, so let me sleep on it.” Says the mayor. I stand up, and realize what is going on in the dining hall. Everyone is looking at me in a sorrowful way, like I wasn’t going to make it through the night. I ignore them, thank everyone for the delicious dinner, and go to my room.
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