THE LAST GAMES: PROJECT PANDORA

CHAPTER VIII: D E A T H P L A N

Now it's our night to cook. Sara, Winter and I; and I must admit, I was never a good chef. Tonight the menu is a horse-seal thing called Torl, and however you're imagining it, you aren't even close. It has the thick sleek hide of a seal, with the body shape of a horse, and it's head has strange bone tusks that curl backwards. The sleek hide covers where it's eyes should be, but it has an incredible sense of smell. It's crazy, and I have no idea where to start. Sara walks over and seems to know what she's doing. First she skins it, which looks sort of gross. Then she digs a knife into its neck, between its shoulder blade, and slices around it until it's head - and neck - rolls off. I start to get a bit queasy at the sight of it. Meanwhile, Winter is chopping some wild potatoes, along with any other edible things we have found. I'm not really helping at all, so I go over to the makeshift stone barbecue and light a fire under it. The coals on top of the flame begin to heat quickly. Over the coals is a grill. The heat rushes over me, which is nice, 'cos the "kitchen" is a bit chilly. So is everything in this cave. I hear footsteps at the entrance and see Lance walk in.
"Sup, what's for dinner? Looks like you guys are cookin' up a storm"
"Yeah, sure."
"No, really. Need some help dude?"
"Ok, thanks."
"Joking!" He starts laughing. I push his shoulder and mess up his short black hair. It looked nice before, and I don't know how he did it up all nice. It's short around the sides and longer at the top.
"Hey, dude; not the hair, and I was just messing, I'll help." He steps over to the cooking table and takes a stone knife. He slices through the skinned thigh and chucks it a wooden slab. Then he walks over to Winter, and looks at the herbs and edible plants.
"Ahh, Rosemary," he says, looking satisfied. He grabs a pinch and sprinkles it over the cut of meat. He obviously knows what he's doing. Then he lies it over the grill. It sizzles nicely. Then he does the same to the other three legs.
"What will this taste like?" I ask
"Don't know," he says, clearly focused more on the horse meat than my question, "just hope it tastes like chicken. You know, I heard once that everything tastes like chicken; except for chicken, which tastes like fish."
"Who would say that? It doesn't even make sense."
"A movie. I couldn't read the title 'cos is was faded, but I think the movie was like "A Hobbit" or something."
"Where do you get all these movies?!"
"You won't believe how many you can find in old abandon apartments and houses." He flips the horse cuts, one at a time. I wonder how many movies he has seen. I've seen two so far. I feel a bit jealous. He and Cato have seen so many movies. I find myself not helping in the kitchen at all, and I feel bad.
"How can I help?" I ask.
"Over here," Winter says, "I could use some of your help." I walk over to her. She's chopping a soft, leafy plant that I assume is some kind of herb. I pick up a knife, and start doing the same, but all I'm doing is ripping the herb, trying to cut through the leaves on the chopping board. Winter looks over.
"No, not like that," she says in a sweet, soothing voice, "like this." She lays her hands over mine. I smile at the touch of the soft skin. She starts chopping with me, guiding my hands with hers. We cut it in one, fluid motion; slicing it, rather than ripping it.
"What type of herb is this?" I ask, trying to make conversation.
"Sage."
"I once new someone by the name Sage."
"Yeah, right."
"No, I did. I have a feeling." She giggles, pushing her hair behind her ear.
Sara walks over, takes the potatoes and starts to cook them.
"Wait; no no," I hear Lance say, and it takes me a moment to realise he's talking to Sara. He walks over to us takes some Sage from the chopping board, putting it on the potatoes before letting them cook.

A half hour later dinner's ready, but Lance insists on letting the meat rest, which I think is stupid, but I'm not the cook, so I don't get a say. I mean why would meat need sleep? I think I'm missing something, but I'm not sure what, so I just stare at him blankly. He just keeps waiting for the meat, so I decide to relax in my room. I walk down the not-so-much-of-a-hallway, going deeper into the cave until I reach my bedroom door. And yes, I said door. We all took doors from old apartments and houses in The Last City. When I open it I'm surprised to see Larry sitting up, waiting for me. The fire crackles and blazes beside me in the carved fireplace. Just as I sit on the end of my bed - that I also took from an abandon house - Lance yells that dinner's ready. I'm slightly disappointment. I haven't had much time to just relax.