Recluse Island

Chapter 21

October 2013

"You should try the waffles. They're great with butter and cinnamon."

"Or the English muffins with egg and sausage."

"The fruit is always fresh so you can't go wrong there."

"Just stay away from the oatmeal, they don't make a new batch every day. Honestly, Jimmy's the only one who eats it anyway."

Luella watched in amusement as she added a cup of fruit, a cinnamon raisin bagel and a warm blueberry muffin to her tray as her friends' fielded suggestions to Taryn. He looked a bit overwhelmed but as it was his first official day working in the Clinkirk Compound, Luella felt that was understandable.

The day before he had been selected into Transportation. Taryn hadn't had much to say on the assessment though that hadn't stopped everyone from bombarding him with questions anyway.

"Which station did you find the hardest?"

"Where there any you didn't finish on time?"

"Did you feel like throwing up?"

"Which section were you hoping to get?"

Taryn's responses were the Glass House, no, no and Transportation.

"Don't feel bad, hardly anyone gets selected into the Glass House," said Effie, "Well besides Glenn obviously."

"I couldn't get through the Workshop," said Joaquin, "Like how can; they expect me to know how to build a birdhouse?"

"I almost threw up," said Millie. But this was a pretty regular occurrence for Millie who had a sensitive digestive system and ate way too many Danishes that morning.

"You're lucky you got your first choice," said Edwin. "Not everybody does."

As Luella continued down the cafeteria line sliding her plastic tray along the ledge she stopped when she reached Pamela Higgerdod. Pamela to put it simply was literally the nicest lady on the planet. She never had a bad word to say about anybody, was always positive and upbeat and spoke in a soft soothing voice that could calm even the angriest person. Pamela kept her now gray hair long and wispy trailing down to her waist. She had small pale blue eyes surrounded by affectionate crinkles. Though regulations required all women of the compound to wear black pants with a light pink button-down shirt Pamela had been allowed to wear various floor length skirts, todays being a floral print with a green blouse.

"Hi Pamela," said Luella brightly. "How are you today?"

"Doing all right sweetie. And what about you?"

Luella shrugged, "Just another day, same as always."

Behind Pamela members of the Food Depository bustled about preparing breakfast and setting dishes out on the serving line once they were complete.

Pamela smiled, glancing over to where Edwin stood farther down the line. "Maybe today will be special."

"Doubtful," said Luella as she poured herself a glass of grapefruit juice, "But I think I'm going to finish up the dress I'm working on today."

"That's great news!" cried Pamela. "You can celebrate later with my strawberry shortbread cake."

"I'll look forward to it," said Luella sincerely as she picked up her tray and carried it over to the usual table, she and her friends took their meals at. It was a circular wooden table that sat ten with a vase of tiger lilies in the center.