The Future isn't Bright

Four

The bell rang at precisely two o'clock. Everyone was summoned to lunch. I blinked my damp eyes and proceeded to the dining hall with Rory by my side. I had somewhat made a new friend. We followed the crowd through the large wooden doors. Hennessy stood at the far end of the table which I had helped set a few minutes ago. It was pretty much a long, slim rectangle of glass. The old witch took her spoon and tapped it against her drinking glass to get our attention. She announced that we had freedom to sit anywhere we desired.  

"Do you mind if I go sit with my good friend?" Rory asked.

"Yes, of course!" I replied. I was surprised he even asked. After he left, I went to go sit down by Elle. I set a cloth napkin on my lap.  

"There you are!" she hissed, "Where were you?"  

"On an adventure." I smirked. And then my smile faded when I remembered what had happened.

"What happened, Donna?" she asked, reading my face like a book.  

"Oslo..." I managed to say. Speak of the devil. He happened to sit down right across from us. And that was responsible for only fifty percent of my shock. Sitting next to him, smiling, was Rory. I felt Elle pushing my chin up because my jaw dropped.  

"What did he do to you?" she asked quietly. I quickly explained to her the events of the past few hours. It took a while. A lot had happened.

"You should not have run off… What if the Government found out?"

“Keep your voice down!” I whispered back harshly.

Then, the lights went out. A sound of surprise escaped from everyone. It was especially dark because of the fact that there wasn't a single window in the room.  

"What is going on?" I heard myself say as I grabbed Elle’s leg compulsively.

A few seconds later, the door connecting the dining hall to the kitchen opened, revealing some Low cooks with dozens of candles, instantly lighting up the murky room with dancing flames. It was a breathtaking sight. Then I realized something: Desiree, the Low servant from before, wasn't present. I searched the faces of the candle-bearers and swallowed hard. I wiped my sweaty hands on my dress.  

"Donna..?" Elle said through gritted teeth.

"Yes..?" I asked slowly.

“You’re squeezing my leg,” she said as calmly as possible. I quickly retracted my hand, whose knuckles were white just a second ago.

"Remember when Oslo said he liked to play with fire?" Elle rubbed her leg, not breaking eye contact with Oslo. I ran my fingers through my hair and tried to act casual. I snuck a glance at Oslo. He grinned at me manically. I opened my eyes wide and scooted my chair back ever so slightly. There was a candle holder no more than a few inches away from us. I looked at Elle. She seemed pale as well.  

"Alright, everybody!" Hennessy's squeaky voice projected throughout the room.  

"As you can see, there are wonderful inventions called candles on the table! Please. Be. Careful." she looked straight at Oslo.

That did it. I wanted to go home and cower in a corner. This day had been an utter disaster. I looked across the table and found Rory laughing along with Oslo. Did he really not realize that the boy sitting next to him was a complete psycho? Before I knew it, an intricate salad was placed between us, covered in a soft gaze that could probably make anyone’s mouth water, yet I had long lost my appetite. I wasn't quite sure whether it was from discomfort or fear. I didn't fear many things, yet after a few hours, Oslo had topped my incredibly short list.