Dangerous Game

The Morning After

Her bed didn’t feel as comfortable as it used to. Sighing, Lucy sat up, leaning against the headboard and hugged her knees to her chest. They couldn’t eat the pigeon because it was contaminated so why would they put Stu in the stew?

The more she thought about it, and the finger bone that Andre had pulled from his mouth, the more Lucy was convinced that stew was not made of chicken.

A knock at the door snapped her out of her thoughts.
“Ms. Venable had ordered everyone to spend time together in the music room.” It was Mead’s voice.
“I’ll be there in a minute.”
“With your track record, I’m here to make sure you do go to the music room.” Lucy frowned as she stood up and headed to the door. Her purple dress was wrinkled but she didn’t care too much as she opened the door.
“Alright then,” she said as she stepped outside and closed the door behind her.

Mead left her in the music room when the atmosphere wasn’t too pleasant.
“You're a monster,” Andre spat. “How could you keep eating? You knew what it was.” his gaze was focused on Evie and Jaz. Mallory set down some glasses of what looked to be white wine and Lucy felt as though she needed one, though she didn’t move to pick up a glass.

“It was chicken, Andre,” Evie said, shaking her head slightly. “Delicious white-meat chicken.”
An even more disgusted expression crossed his face. “You're a cannibal.”
“She did say it was chicken,” Jaz said, supporting Evie.
“You're all cannibals!” he yelled, crying as he stood up. Dinah pulled him into her arms.
“Think about it, she ate it too,” she said, keeping calm while Andre sobbed. Lucy finally moved to sit down on the sofa Andrea had been sitting on. “Stu was contaminated. Why would Venable eat irradiated meat?”
“That's right,” Timothy agreed. “Why would she feed us poison? The whole reason she is here is to keep us alive.”

Lucy frowned and looked down. What they said made sense.
“Where would they get chicken from?” Lucy asked. “It did look like a finger.”
“Exactly!” cried Stu and Dinah glared at her. “Where’s his body, I want to see it! I want to see Stu!” Andre started shouting and Lucy closed her eyes. Why couldn’t she just stay in her room?

“Shut up Shut up!” Emily yelled, standing up. She was louder but she had managed to get everyone to be quiet. “Just listen.”
“I don’t hear anything,” Gallant sighed from his seat next to Coco.
“Exactly,” said Emily. Lucy’s brow furrowed as she looked at the radio. It wasn’t playing anything. “The song’s stopped.”

Then, another song started playing. Lucy didn’t recognise it but she was just glad it was a different song. Timothy walked over to the radio, staring at it in confusion.
“It's been the same song for two straight weeks,” said Gallant as he stood up. He took his sunglasses off as he did so. “Why would they suddenly change it?”

Gallant started singing along and as much as Lucy didn’t like him, she had to admit he wasn’t a bad singer.
“I know this song,” said Jaz, standing up with an excited smile on her face She and Gallant walked over to stand near the radio.
“You do?” I asked her.
Jaz nodded. “The Morning After, it’s by… by… Mauren McGovern!”

“Don't you get it?! It's a message! Aah!” Gallant looked so relieved as he held his hands up to the sky and continued singing. “The Cooperative is trying to tell us something!”
“It’s like they’re saying: hang on, we’re coming for you,” said Mallory. She stood near Coco who had also stood up.
“We're gonna be rescued.”
“Yes, The Cooperative is coming for us. Halle-fucking-lujah!”

Andre collapsed back into his seat, holding his head in his hands. Lucy frowned. It had been too late for Stu, but maybe not for the rest of them.
“Hey, Andre?” Lucy said. He looked over at her while the others celebrated. “At least we have a chance, right? The best you can do is survive for him.” Hesitantly, Andre nodded and Lucy forced a smile.