Shadow Moses [Fransykes]

Chapter 5

Back when I was a worker our lunch breaks usually lasted half an hour and all we'd get to restore our energy was a sandwich. Although I didn't even work full time since I was under 18 and in school, I always thought those breaks were way too short and poor. I used to think it couldn't get any worse, but man, was I wrong.

It can always be worse. That sentence of warning followed me everywhere throughout my week as a newcomer, and just now it was proving its point as I was finally getting a grasp of the harsh reality it represented.

Lunch breaks for slaves lasted barely fifteen minutes, and all they fed us day by day was this weird grayish yellow mash of who knows what. I was disgusted by the very sight of it, but it's not like I could order something else. The only options I had were to starve or not to starve, and today I was choosing starving.

"Eat, Oliver." Our Organizer told me while I pushed the mash around my plate with a half broken plastic fork.

"I'm not hungry." I said.

"I know it's not the tastiest, but you'll need the energy." He said and I looked at his strict eyes with a sigh.

"He's right." Lee, who was sitting next to me, jumped in. "If you don't eat you'll end up passing out."

"And where's the bad part?" I raised my eyebrows.

"I'm serious." Matt said and I sighed again pushing my plate away.

"Leave him, if he thinks he's better than us, then it's best if he just starves to death." Vic said.

I rolled my eyes. "I can't wait until you start popping up into my room critiquing the position I choose to sleep in, for fucks sake."

"I wonder how you even sleep at night knowing you condemned your friend to death." Vic clicked his tongue.

I tensed, my gaze sharply raising to meet his as my heart pounded faster.

"I like how he's so triggered each time you mention his bitch." Kellin said.

Warmth streamed through me and I was on my feet in a second. Before I could do anything stupid, Lee gripped my hands making me stay in place.

"Sit down." Matt ordered me.

I took a deep breath sitting back down as Lee tapped my shoulder. "They're not worth it, really." He said.

"What? Still can't make peace with facts?" Vic laughed and I covered my eyes as they burned.

"That's enough, back to work." Matt said sensing my misery. "Not you two though, I wanna have a little chat with you." He looked at me and Lee.

"I'm really not in the mood for your lectures." I said. "No offense, though."

"I actually wanted to ask you about Hannah." He said.

"Okay?" I tensed.

"Sit. You too Lee." He pointed to the benches lining the lunch table. "I have a few questions for you too."

"There's not much to know about me, really." Lee smiled lightly, stiffly crossing his arms on his chest.

"Sit." Matt ordered his firm gaze flickering from me to Lee. "You've been a slave for a year and a half now, right?" He asked. "How did you get enslaved?"