Sectored Off

I. Survive

Eden finished scooping the last of the mashed potatoes onto the young girls plate. The large metal pot resting on her hip while her opposite hand grasped a warped ladle. She had yet to eat dinner but to her, it was more important that all the children ate.

"Thank you Eden," the blonde haired girl looked up at Eden with a grateful smile.

"You're welcome Clemmen, now eat up."

The food is shoveled into the faces of hungry kids. The only thing that can be heard is the sound of forks hitting plates. Eden scrapes the bottom of the pot in hopes of even a spoon full of mashed potatoes for herself. To her surprise, she is able to salvage three whole spoon fulls. After her meal, she places the pot in the sink with a clank. Eden grabs a small plate of mashed potatoes off the counter.

"Keep eating I'll be right back," she announces to the children who are so hungry they don't even bother to look up from their plates.

The thin teenager walks down the main hallway and stops at room 3. This is the room that she, her mother, and younger brother Stonell share. Eden quietly opens the door to see a small figure wrapped in a old brown blanket on the mattress. She walks towards the mattress and Stone looks up from the book he is reading. His eyes brighten at the sight of his older sister holding a plate of food.

"Eden!" he squeaks. His eyes have dark circles underneath due to a lack of sleep. His skin is so pale it has a green complexion that seems to glow.

"Hey Stone," Eden smiles placing the mashed potatoes on the floor beside the mattress. She hands her brother a fork which he takes without hesitation.

Stone begins shoveling the food into his mouth, not giving himself a chance to even breathe. Eden lets out a small chuckle, "Slow down buddy, you don't want to throw up again."

The little boys smalls hands set down the plate and fork. Eden looks at him intently trying to read him.

"How do you feel?" She asks sitting on the mattress with him.

"Bad." Is all Stone says. He nudges his head into Edens shoulder. "Will you lay with me?"

Eden lets out a sigh of guilt, "Not now, but maybe after I clean up the other kids."

Stone nods and lays back on the mattress. Eden stands up after placing a kiss on her brothers temple. His skin is hot like lava. Looking back once more at Stone, Eden leaves the room and closes the door. She walks back towards the kitchen where she finds her mother attending to the kids.

"I was going to do that," Eden states as her mom cleans the mouths of the kids.

She sets one boy on the ground and he scurries off to his room down the hall. "They were done and you weren't here,"

Eden begins scrubbing the dishes in the sink vigorously. "I was checking on Stone,"

The cold water rushing over Edens hands and onto the dishes soothes her agitation towards her mother. She didn't understand why her mom was being condescending towards her when all she was doing was helping her sick brother.

After all the kids had gone back to their rooms with the rest of their families, Eden and her mother finish cleaning the kitchen. It is quite and slightly awkward but both are good at ignoring the tension.

"I'm heading to bed, is there anything else that needs to be done?" Edens mother asks after drying her wet hands on a dish towel.

"No, I think we're done." Eden finishes drying the last couple dishes and places them on a drying rack on the counter.