Chapter 2
Winry sat in a chair in the back of the room. She had come in a few minutes late and already kids were debating on what to do.
The calm debating soon turned into a fight.
But the fight ceased when Sam Temple, the elected 'mayor', walked in followed by Astrid and Edilio.
Nobody said anything to Sam as he walked up to the podium. He was a good leader, he truly tried his hardest, but kids were scared of him. Sam, like Edward, had powers. Sam had the power to shoot green light from his hands, he was one of the 2 most powerful people in the FAYZ. The other person being Sam's twin brother, Caine. But Caine was a Coate, just being a Coate inspired fear.
Sam cleared his throat. "Welcome…"
He looked over at Astrid, nervous. But all she did was giving him the sign to keep talking.
"We all know why we are here today… and that is to talk of the voice's message."
With that a bunch of kids jumped into having their own whispered conversations.
Sam cleared his throat again, catching everyone's attention. "As I was saying… It is my belief that we shouldn't partake in the deal which the voice is offering us."
With that everyone was yelling and screaming their thoughts wanting to be heard.
"Now listen!" Sam almost yelled in the microphone which Computer Jack had set up.
Everyone quieted down.
"We don't know what the darkness is asking of us. What if it's terrible? I don't want to see anymore of us be injured or killed for something stupid."
"Things are already bad!" An anonymous kid from the crowd yelled.
"There's no food!" Another yelled.
"We're hungry!"
"I want my mommy!"
"Everyone remain calm." Sam instructed, everyone hushed. "Everything will be alright, but…" Sam never got to finish, he was abruptly cut off by someone laughing. Saw watched as a group of ten Coates kids walked into town hall, in the front laughing was no other than Caine.
The kids in town hall shied away from the Coates.
Caine continued to laugh. "What a stupid thing to say Sam. 'Everything will be alright.'" He quoted. He laughed again. "No Sam, everything isn't alright. It's all wrong! You're just ignoring the reality of the situation we're in. The situation being we are running out of food. Soon we will have nothing," Caine walked up and stood beside Sam at the podium, "Unless we act! I say we go to the mines!"
Everyone in town hall cheered, Winry sat in the back and watched as the events unfolded before her.
"But…" Sam started but was cut off.
"Sam answer us this, what are you doing to solve our food problem? And Sam, what of the Zekes in the fields? I heard that you tried to burn them up… how did that work for you?" Caine asked with a smug grin.
Sam gritted his teeth in hatred towards Caine.
"I'll take that as a no. And one final question Sam… What will we be eating next week?" Caine turned his attention back to the town hall kids, after he felt like he had humiliated Sam enough. "Whose with me?"
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Winry walked into Edward's/Winry's room.
Edward was soundly asleep, but sweat was dripping down his forehead.
Winry removed Ed's dried cloth and wet it. As Winry place the cool, wet cloth back on his forehead, Ed's golden eyes fluttered open.
"Winry?" Ed asked his voice incredibly hoarse.
"Hey Sleepy-head." Winry found an extra cloth and dabbed away at the beads of sweat on his face.
Edward coughed.
"I'll be right back." Winry ran downstairs to the kitchen and filled a cup full of water and carried it back to Ed's room. She set the glass on the nightstand next to the bed. "Let's sit you up." Winry helped support Ed as he weakly tried to pull himself up into a sitting position. Once Edward was sitting up, Winry placed pillows behind him as a support.
Just the strain of having to pull himself up made Edward sweat profusely.
Winry dabbed the sweat away with her cloth. "Would you like some water?" She offered holding out the glass.
Ed nodded, with a weak, shaky hand he accepted the glass of water and drained it.
Winry watched the whole time, hands ready to catch the glass in case if Edward accidently dropped it, as he's done in the past. "Would you like some more?" She asked.
"No."
"How about something to eat? I was able to stop by the grocery today. I got a can of corn. Would you like some corn? It will be a nice change up from green beans." Winry smiled, trying to convince Edward.
Ed knew that Winry was trying her hardest. He nodded. "Corn would be nice."
"Alright. I'll go get you a bowl." Winry smiled, happy to see Edward was going to eat. He rarely ever ate and when he did it was such a tiny amount. She walked down to the kitchen and warmed up two bowls of canned corn. She grabbed spoons and walked upstairs with them. She smiled at Ed and gently set one bowl in his lap. She pulled up her desk chair and sat down with her bowl.
Ed stirred the corn around with his spoon and dipped up a small spoonful. He blew on it and ate the first bite.
Winry watched Ed to see if he had any complications while he ate. "Does it taste good?"
"It's relatively bland." Ed sighed. "So… What happened?" Edward asked about the meeting.
"Well… They are going to go see what the voice wants. Caine and a group of Coates came and rallied up thirty kids to come with them to the mines tonight. Sam and Edilio are going too, so that makes me feel comfortable about the group." Winry explained as she finished her corn. Winry noticed during her explanation Edward only at three or four bites, now his food was abandoned in his lap as he gazed out the window. "Edward?"
"Hmmm?"
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah." Edward picked up his bowl. "Do you want this? I'm not that hungry."
Winry took the bowl from him. "I'll save it for you."
"No. Go ahead and eat it."
"Ed, I…"
"Don't save something that you know I won't eat, it will just go to waste."
A tear slipped down Winry's cheek. She turned to leave Ed's room. "Anything else Ed? Do you want to read a book or something?"
"Actually, can you help me lie down? I've been sleeping a lot recently."
Winry helped Edward lie down, by the time she walked out of Ed's room he was already asleep.
