Refuge

Chapter 10

They finally sorted each of us and they demanded that "ones" should stand forward. They did so and were quickly ushered off into an area where I couldn't see. They then called for all "twos" to step forward and run behind another soldier. We did so and he led us to another, yet much different clay building. I carried my anklet up the stairs and once again angrily dropped it once I was inside without care besides not wanting to injure myself or Katie.

I looked around and I saw ugly black and rusted things all across the walls with a large dirty clay island in the middle. Oh no, those arentvwood stoves/ovens are they? &#$*.

They demanded, "Use whatever food you can find to make some son of a gun stew, bread, or whatever slop you're willing to eat! If you negatively hamper with the food if your serving of it doesn't kill you we will! Now cook without stopping because if you slack so will your bodies when we hang you!"

"&$@*," I mumbled. "C'mon Katie, let's cook whatever before they roast us, lethally"

She immediately went to a large cabinet where other inmates here were collecting food. We grabbed some flour, tomatoes, non-refrigerated eggs, sugar, hot cheese, and butter. "Okay, Katie, do you actually know how to cook or are you just trying to look the part?"

"Remember, I took extensive home ec. Now c'mon, I need to see if they have any running water and pots"

I simply followed her lead because I knew my way around cooking just as well blindfolded as with my eyes open. $&#* I can barely make grilled cheese! Katie found a water source and a large rusted pot. "Jessie, look around. No one is working together. This is not gonna work unless we all do," she has a point.

I stood up straight and announced, "Hey guys! We're gonna be the ones eating this &$#*! My sister can cook and some of you probably can too, but she has a plan! Let's make whatever &$#* we can make into a little more tolerable &$#*!"

Everyone was staring at me and one by one they headed over to Katie. She gratefully looked up at me and asked everyone, "Who here knows how to bake?" Three raised their hands. She asked, "Have either of you ever made pasta?" two of them raised their hand. She continued, "Okay, we're gonna make a simple pasta, you both with me, everyone else," she said raising her voice, "gather as much flour, eggs, salt, and pepper as you can. Minus you two in the back. Yes, you, our strong men, and you too Jessie. You three are on firewood duty. See if you can get these stoves started up! Let's get working!"

The men and I didn't say a word but we all three went over to a tiny woodpile to gather some split logs. After we all three got as many as we could carry there were only two left. We put the logs into the metal things and started a fire with the flint and steel hanging on the wall. The wood quickly caught and we went back for the last of the wood.

Underneath the logs was a metal plate. It read, "For more wood use the back exit and chop your own. We silently exited the building without a word replacing the silence. I went straight over to the axe sitting on a small stump to evaluate the area. I realized that I would have to carry the sections of logs over to the stump and that's where I'd chop it. I walked over to grab the stump when I heard the men close the door.

I bent over to grab the log when I heard, "Hands up!"

My arms flew up since I didn't know what I was dealing with. I spun around to where the noise had come from and I saw the two men standing there with axes up and smirks on their faces. "What do you two want?"

"Remember us?" the asked. They did look familiar but I couldn't place it.

I starkly replied, "Oh yeah ugly and stupid. I deal with your kind daily"

The darker-skinned one threatingly took steps toward me but I didn't flinch. "Take a look. Where do you remember us from?"

Then it hit me. They're the cleanup crew from yesterday. "He a friend of yours?"

"Was. They killed him in his sleep since he couldn't walk! Now it's your turn"

"&#$*" This isn't good. The fence surrounding me was only about 10 by 10 and gave me nowhere to run. They took step by step closer to me and I ended up with my back against a wall. I stood no chance against two muscular men with an axe.

He lifted the axe to swing when I heard, "Hey! You boys get inside and leave this girl alone before I alert the guards that you could make great experimental bomb testers!"

I couldn't see who it was but the men dropped their axes and practically ran inside. I turned around to see who just saved my life and it was two teens. They were on the other side of the fence and looked like they belonged to the enemy country. They weren't prisoners. "Hey, you okay?" one asked.

"Yeah, thanks but I was handling it"

"If you say so, how long have you been in for?" the other asked.

"A few days, why're you talking to me? Aren't y'all the same people who got me in here?"

"Were against the war and we just stopped by"

"Why are you here, and any chance you could help me bust out?"

"We were told by our father to come to this very place today to meet someone, but not to let you out"

"Oh come on! Who in the world are you here to meet anyway?"

"You"

"Okay, creepy much"

"It's true. What's your name stranger?"

"Jessie, how about yourselves?"

"I'm Yatrinya," the girl said.

"And I'm Mark"

"Nice to meet you both. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to chop this wood before someone realises I'm slacking"

"Mind if we keep you company?"

"Your grave," I replied setting the log on top of the stump to get to work.