Invincible.

Chapter XII: Stew?

Hi! Sorry for the long wait. I've started some new stories, and school has also started here. School means slowers updates. Sorry guys, but here's chapter tweleve.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter XII: Stew?

            “What is this?” I was sitting at a wooden table in the dining hall alongside my roommates. The floor, like the dorm, was cement. My dull spoon was filled with something that I guess was considered food.

            “It’s stew. See the peas and beef?” Darcy pointed to the floating ingredients inside my bowl. Steam was rising and heating up my oily face.

            Ashley caught me scrunching up my nose. “You’d better have good manners, Aymie. Eat up your supper.”

            “Are you insane?! I’m not eating this crap!” I shrieked and pushed the bowl aside. I was going to eat this fresh apple instead.

            “Shh!” Darcy looked as if she was going to have a heart attack. “Ms. Hagors’ll---,”

            “I’ll what?” I jerked back. Ms. Hagors stood right in front of me. She had her gray hair pulled back in a tight bun, and her wrinkles outlined her lipstick covered lips. She gripped her arms tightly around her back.

It was my first day; I couldn’t get on her bad side already.

            “Nothing ma’am…” Ashley trailed off. “Aymie is just new here in all.”

            “Ye-yes ma’am,” Darcy echoed.  Her arms were shaking with fear.

            “Aymie Newman? The one with the gift?”

            “Yes, I’m Aymie Newman.” I nodded stiffly.

            “Miss Newman, you must’ve read the handbook I’ve given out.” Her piercing eyes seemed to dig to my soul, rip through my flesh, and it burned real badly.

            “Yes, ma’am. I read every page.”

            “Re-read it.” And with that, she turned around and walked away.  My heart beat so fast I thought it was going to explode.  

            Everyone was silent. We knew what was running through each other’s minds, but no one was brave enough to speak up. That was my strike one; Next time there will be punishment.

            I was hunched over and forced myself to swallow the ‘stew’. Truthfully, it didn’t taste as bad as I expected, but right now I had to even force the fresh apple down my throat. A few hours ago, anything tasted good, but now, nothing did.

            The silence was deadly. Even though everyone else in the dining hall was holding conversation like usual, the silence between the three of us killed. It hurt my ears more than high pitched screams.

            I scooped up some sort of vegetable and brought up to my lips. It smelled of something rotten and expired, but I forced myself to swallow without wincing. The ‘stew’ itched as it inched its way down my throat.

            To my luck, Ashley was brave enough to speak. “I know the food isn’t that great, but you’ll be used to it by next week.”

            “Yeah,” Darcy agreed. “I felt the same way at my first supper.”

            “You call this food?” I whispered, scrolling my eyes to the back of the room. I wanted to make sure the devil couldn’t see my disgusted face. Ms. Hagors was occupied with something else, her food, her real food. A bowl of spaghetti and meatballs was placed in front of her. I knew the answer was obvious, but I asked anyway. “Why does Ms. Hagors have real food?”