thanks to beta
A loud bell rang throughout the building. Carrie could hear scuffling coming from outside the room. Looking at the clock and seeing that it was time to start setting up for dinner. Making her way out of her room, she moved slowly down to the kitchen and cooking areas. Noticing two doors one leading to a formal style dining area with lots of tables which almost looked like exam desks lined up facing the front. Each table had a name label on and a chair pulled up in front of it. The other room was much more informal. There were half a dozen large round tables with a few different chairs at each. There was no name labels and Carrie was confused as to which room she was supposed to be using. Deciding she liked the look of the right hand one more she moved into that one and through into the adjacent kitchen. Seeing everyone working in there and there not being anything for her to do, she walked back out again and looked for a member of staff to ask what to do.
There was another young girl who also looked slightly lost however obviously had been at the institution for a while. "Excuse me, I'm not really sure what I am supposed to be doing and wondered if you would be able to help me." The girl asked.
"Sorry, it's my first day here and I don't really know either. I don't even know if I'm in the right room." Fully keeping her cover and replying very timidly. Carrie suddenly realized that she might be making a complete fool of herself by being in the wrong room, maintaining her cover gain she started to fake a panic attack.
"If it is your first day I would expect that you would most likely be in the other room. I have never met anyone who is here for their first time." The girl said walking off and into the kitchen area clearly not caring about Carrie.
Deciding that it was a lost cause trying to find help here she walked back to the reception in search of member of staff. Spotting someone behind the desk she quickened her step. "Hello, sorry I'm new here and I'm not really sure what I'm meant to be doing." She said softly. "Please help, I can't breathe." She said starting to grab her chest.
"Hello, you must be Rosaline, don't fear, we will get you right s rain. Firstly, I want you to take a few deep breaths and think about filling your lungs entirely with each one. Do you think you can do that my dear?" The kind woman spoke moving from behind the desk and gently took her arm and lead her to a series of chairs.
Sitting down she started to feel herself calming. "Thank you. I'm sorry about that." Carrie was busy looking at her hands clearly distressed by the situation and that she was wasting this person's time.
"Do not worry my dear, this is what we are here for. Right as far as I am aware for today you are going to be in the regulated area and then when you see the doctor tomorrow they will judge where you will go from there." The woman explained very carefully making sure that she didn't rush any information with the sensitive woman in front of her. "Would you like me to walk down with you?"
Carrie was very grateful that she offered this, she didn't yet know if she was going to be able to walk back to those rooms and get involved with anything else. Following the lady back down to the dining area, she hesitantly sat down at the table with her name label on. "Here you go duck, everything is alright now. You eat up, if you need anything else be sure to let me know and I will do my best to help." Inclining her head, she turned and strode back to reception.
Looking around, Carrie saw that there were no windows, no pictures, no nothing in this room except a few lights and bare walls. Carrie was the first there having not needed to come and help set up with dinner being in this room. As the other residents started to file in, she saw that a few of them were being stopping on their way in and told to tie their hair back, cut their finger nails of roll up their sleeves. When the room was nearly full a dozen members of staff walked in and prowled the length of the tables working out who was missing. Three members of staff left and returned a good time later dragging screaming people with them. Forcing them to sit the staff returned to the front.
"Right because there are some new people in here today I am going to read the rules to you all again. A few of you would do well to remember these also. You must be here on time else someone will come and get you and you will lose privileges. Everything will be eaten, meaning you may not hide food in any way shape or form. Anything that you cannot manage you must leave on your plate. Silence during the meal." A stern looking woman spoke from the front. "Today you are having fish and chips." With that the other members of staff brought out many white plates ladened with food. One for each person.
Placing the plate down in front of Carrie, she looked down to find no cutlery. In fact, she quickly realized that no one had any cutlery. When all the plates were given out the members of staff went around again giving each person a spoon. No fork, no knife, just a spoon.
A few people were refusing to eat any food but the majority were eating something just slowly. Hating this room, she decided to eat her food as fast as possible. Loading food onto her spoon and putting it in her mouth repeatedly, the members of staff smiled realizing there was most likely not a problem. The one thing Carrie hadn't factored in for was that no matter how fast she had eaten; she would not be allowed to leave until everyone else had finished.
Looking around and realizing that the three people who had been dragged in had not started yet, she out her head on the desk and promptly fell asleep.
"Excuse me, please wake up you are allowed to leave now." Someone was shaking her shoulder. "You are allowed to leave now, monitoring is finished." Carrie smiled, stood sleepily and walked out of the room.
Passing the lady in the reception she smiled widely. "How was that duck?" She asked as she drew closer.
"Alright, I got really bored and fell asleep." Carrie admitted. "What time is it, how long was I asleep for?" She asked slightly worried she had slept for too long.
"Well the meal finished an hour after I left you and then there would be the half an hour monitoring." She smiled at her still "Lucky you slept through it very boring really."
"Well, alright, I'm going to go up to my room now for a bit. See you later." She waved ascending the stairs.
