Mess Hall

We finished eating and we cleaned our plates. I looked up as a owl flew In and landed, dropping a bone for Josie. " Wow, trained owl, really?"



I chuckled. "That's Link's, he'll probably be in here in a minute. He's had that owl for years. Found her injured, nursed her back to health, and trained her." I stroked her feathers and fed her a piece of bacon.

" Thats so cool, can I touch her, what's her name? "



"Her name is Matilda, and she loves her head rubbed." I smiled as I sat down. " Morning jack, Jon who are your friends?" I asked.



"This is Beth and her daughter Chelsi. They got here last night, came from district 5."

I nodded and smiled at them both, welcoming them. I grabbed some grub and fed Matilda.



I looked at Jon and said " Guess you dont get alot of women out here?"

I shook my head. "No we don't. You two and Faye are actually the only women we've seen since we all came out here," I said as we ate.

I almost choked "Wh...you are kidding right, all of you really......thats what...years."



"Yeah thanks for that reminder, i laughed, lets not recall how many years shall we."



"I...oh god i am sorry. I....i didnt mean anything." i said lookin down. "Um, we are gonna go unpack. Thanks for breakfast."

I gave Link a look then turned to Beth. "Can I walk with you?" I asked as I finished my food.

"I am sorry, really...Look i am a grouch in the morning, forgive me, really. I am glad you and your daughter are here, and.....really i am here if you need anything." i said extending my hand.



I shook his hand and smiled. "I apologize too, and i will be sure to take you up on your offer, im sure ill need help with alot of things." i said and looked at Jon, "I would like that."

I smiled and put our plates up then walked outside with them. "Sorry about him. It's been so long since we were around any women, sometimes we forget our manners," I said and laughed a little.

"No its okay, i didnt even think about how long it had been , i mean....wow." i blushed a bit and laughed. "I feel like i just busted into the monastary."

I laughed. "Not hardly, but close enough I guess. It was a small price to pay in exchange for getting out of there and never having to live under that tyranny anymore. We've all lost loved ones to those monsters. Especially at the end, as we were escaping." I sighed and shook my head a little as I remembered..

I put my hand on his arm as we walked "You dont have to talk about it, i know it must have been devastating, i have seen what those monsters are like." i said looking at Chelsi playing with Josie. "I hope she will be okay, shes been through so much." i sighed

"In time, I think, she will be," I said, putting my hand over hers. "She's very lucky to have a mother that cares so much about her." I was quiet a minute then sighed. "There had been a raid, like I said. We were all gearing up to leave. We sent a few of the men ahead with all the women and younger children, to get them out of there just in case.... We didn't do it fast enough. Someone must've... tipped off the keepers. They caught the group in the woods and slaughtered... all of them."

"thats just horrible, how long has it been now?"



"I was 15 at the time, so about 20 years or so."

I stopped and looked at him. " goodness, that's a long time, and here I am a stranger half naked I'n your lap last night, god I'm sorry, I hope I didn't... Well make it hard for you. I mean not like that, as in hard.... Oh god let me shut up."



I chuckled. "It's fine, I promise. I'm glad I was able to be there for you last night. Any time you need, I hope you know that," I said and smiled at her. "You're even more beautiful when you blush, by the way."

I was blushing alright and I looked down, " You are I think the nicest man I have met, besides my daddy that is."



"Well I'll definitely take that as a compliment. I'm glad you think so," I said and kissed her hand without even thinking about it.



[cont. in Jon's post]

I woke early and went to the mess hall, Josie on my heels. I got there and saw Jack, " Morning, can I help?" I asked quietly.

I looked up and smiled at her. "Yeah, sure. I could use the help, you have no idea how much these guys can eat," I said and laughed a little. "Do you want to fry the bacon or do the pancakes?"

" I make really fluffy pancakes, i could do those." i offered.



"Yeah sure, sounds great. Everything's over here on this table," I said and showed her. "How do you like your bacon? Most of the guy's like it real crispy."

"i like mine in between, but ill eat it crispy, i...im not picky at all." i said quietly



I smiled. "In between it is, I'll make some special just for you. How does your mom like it?"

"Mom likes it crispy, she said limp bacon is gross, i love it that way." i said and smiled. "So, i said making the batter, you been here a long time?"

"Oh yeah, since I was younger than you. It's hard to remember what it was like in the districts anymore, apart from that it was horrible, it's been so long."

"Its retchid, and....im so glad to be gone. I...i just really miss Ethan, and my friends."

"I bet. It's really hard leaving people you care about. But if it's half as bad as you tell it, I'm sure more people will follow. All it takes is a little courage, and people don't want to go it alone, it's dangerous. You and your mom were pretty brave to travel all the way out here just the two of you."

"we didnt have a choice, if they found me i wouldve been killed, sometimes i wish they wouldve just left me to die." i said and went back to making pancakes.

"Don't say that, don't ever say that. Things may seem like they really suck right now, but they will get better. It'll take time, but they will. I promise."