Mental (Slow updates)

Chapter 11

Dinner was almost completely uneventful. Once the chimes had announced dinner, Katrina's stomach had growled, causing Lissa to burst out laughing. "Well someone's hungry," she said between her laughs. Katrina attempted to glare at her, but could not keep a straight face, which only caused Lissa to laugh harder. Katrina playfully rolled her eyes. She eased Lissa from her shoulder and stood up. She looked around to see some people staring in their direction. Her cheeks reddened. "Lissa, people are staring. Let's go, I'm hungry," Katrina mumbled. Sensing her friend's distress, Lissa sobered up. She rubbed her eyes in an attempt to hide the fact that she had been crying and stood up. Together the two girls walked over to the dining table and sat down the far end again, away from the others.

Unlike before, Lissa sat beside Katrina instead of across from her. Katrina asked her about why she had moved. Lissa responded with a very weak excuse and brushed it off. Katrina narrowed her eyes, not buying Lissa's excuse. Lissa pretended not to notice the look. Katrina did not press her, as she guessed Lissa just wanted to stay close to her incase she suddenly vanished into dust. Her hate for the evil doctor rose in her throat. He had withheld information about her from Lissa, causing her to believe she was dead. Subconsciously she rubbed the spot on her arm where the evil doctor had injected her with that 'torture in a syringe.' Katrina held no doubt in her mind, she would make that doctor pay for what he had done if it is the last thing she would do. "Who would you make pay for what they've done," Lissa asked, studying her friend with concern. Katrina startled, she had not realised she had spoken aloud. "No one," Katrina quickly replied. Lissa looked unconvinced and was about to press her further when the doors opened.

Everyone fell silent. Katrina felt someone grab her arm. She looked down to see Lissa's hand tightly gripping her arm. She looked down at Lissa's hand on her arm, completely puzzled. She tried to look at Lissa's face, but she had bowed her head, and her hair hid her face . Katrina bowed her head as well, to try to see her face. A gap in Lissa's hair revealed her eyes. Katrina had expected to see panic and fear within them, instead they were calm. Katrina screwed up her face in confusion. The sound of a plate being set down in front of her, shattered her train of thought and caused her to jump. Lissa squeezed her arm, painfully. Katrina whipped her attention onto her. She seemed to be mouthing out words.  Katrina read her lips. Once she had finished, Katrina said the phrase out loud, "thank you, master?" A plate dropped in front of Lissa and she repeated the phrase out loud. Katrina had been so consumed by Lissa's odd behaviour that she had completely forgotten the protocols Lissa had told her about meals. She cursed herself for forgetting and then for letting herself be pushed into following them.

The doors swung shut, and Lissa released her grip on her arm. Suddenly it clicked. Lissa was sitting next to her and holding her arm, to stop her from trying to escape again. She turned away from Lissa, feeling betrayed. Her eyes wandered over the kids eating. Feeling someone watching her, she looked around, until her eyes locked with Mitch's. She glanced away under the weight of his gaze. After a few seconds she looked back at him. His eyes remained on her. 'He is watching me,' she thought, 'he is making sure I stay in line.' Her stomach growled again, this time sending a shooting pain through her stomach. Reluctantly she turned to her food and began to eat.

She finished quickly. She looked up to check if Mitch was still watching her. His eyes were not on her. She watched him quickly and subtly, swap his half full plate with the so-called leader's empty one. He said something quietly. Katrina tried to read his lips. From what she could decipher he had said he was not hungry and then something else. His eyes then returned to her and she looked away. "Katrina, are you still hungry?" Lissa suddenly asked.
"What?" Katrina responded as her stomach growled in response.
"Well, you ate your food so quickly and I don't know if they fed you while you were away. So I thought you might still be hungry," she explained. Katrina thought about it, before responding.
"You're right Lissa, they didn't feed me when I was away. I guess I am still a bit hungry." Lissa nodded and pushed her near full plate over to Katrina. She pushed it back, saying, "Lissa, this is your dinner and you've hardly eaten any of it. I'm not letting you starve and... I'm not that hungry anyway." Lissa pushed the plate back.
"Katrina, I might not have known you for that long, but I already know when your lying. I'm offering it to you because you need it more than I do, especially if you haven't eaten in over 24 hours. Please take it. I'm not going to starve, I promise. Besides if you feel that bad you can give some of your food at a later date," Lissa pleaded. Katrina hesitated. Her stomach growled again, deciding for her. Giving her a side hug, she whispered her appreciation and assured her friend it would be a one time event. Then she tucked into Lissa's food.