It was almost impossible to sleep last night, I couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen. I tossed and turned all night until I saw the first light of dawn and got ready for the day.
"Greenie, tomorrow I'm going to let you decide what we make for lunch," Siggy said suddenly as I was mushing rice into a large bowl. I almost let it slip from my grasp before I pushed it onto the edge of the counter.
"What?"
"I've thought about it and I think you should pick what we cook tomorrow. You'll have to check to see what we have in storage but, otherwise it's open to anything."
"And you'll let me cook it?!," I clasped my hands together.
Siggy grinned," And I'll let you cook it."
"Oh my gosh! Thank you! Wow... oh gosh, this is a big thing, huh?," I rubbed my forehead.
Siggy shrugged," Yeah, I suppose. I mean, No one else has cooked an entire meal for everyone since I started here in the Glade."
Oh wow. This is a big thing! I have to choose the perfect recipe. I hope we have good meat in storage, oh wow! What is everyone loves it!...but people might not like it.
"What if people won't eat it?," I lean against the counter.
"Well I guess they'll have to wait for dinner or go hungry," Siggy must have seen the worry on my face because he continued. "People don't eat my stuff all the time, say it doesn't taste good. I don't let it bother me, because if they don't eat, they don't eat. Not my fault. Now, keep with that rice before it starts to clump."
I turn back to my race and keep mushing. Until noon all I could think about was looking into storage to see what all we had and when Joseph finally came and Siggy stopped me.
"Come let me know what you plan to do, and remember we don't have all day to prep this meal either, so don't get too crazy or I'll have to shoot you down."
"Got it," I reply practically running to storage.
I look around thoroughly making a list of everything we have, the things Siggy really values and doesn't use very much like cheese and eggs and the other stuff that we can replace easily like the vegetables. There is so much cabbage, but I hate cabbage. Lots of peppers, not very much fruit. I looked in the freezer, we had two chickens, some left over goat, and some pig meat in the freezer. I do love chicken... maybe that and mix it with some of the bell peppers? Oh, that sounds good, chicken and peppers. We have some onions too, so I could cook it all over the fire, what else would I serve? I could make some bread and throw some cabbage on the side... that's a lot. Maybe no cabbage, I'll ask Siggy.
I skipped backed to the kitchen," So Siggy," I smiled cheerfully. "I know what I want to make."
"Alright, what is it?," he was stirring a his pot of red sauce.
"Chicken and peppers, cooked over the fire with some onions. Bake some bread, and maybe some cabbage on the side. I checked, we have two chicken in storage, a lot of peppers, which I promise to cut, tons of onions and cabbage."
Siggy stroked his beard," What about the wheat?"
"We have a stockpile."
"Cooking the chicken and making the bread both require the fire, it might be hard."
"I'll come in early," I promise.
"Hmmm," he considers before smiling," Sounds like a good menu. Make sure to grab all you need before coming in tomorrow."
"YES! Yes, of course!," I jump excitedly.
"Okay," he smiles. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yes, you will! I will see you!" I dance away from the kitchen, feeling successful and confident when I spot Ben running into the Glade from the maze.
"BEN!," I call out and wave. He turns, sees me, smiles and changes his course to my direction.
"Hey, it's me, Ben!," he laughs when he stops in front of me.
"Hey," I chuckle. "Just getting back?"
"Oh," he looks behind him to the maze," Yeah, I think we are making real progress."
"Wow, that's so great to hear, Ben. Congrats."
"We aren't there yet, but I think it'll be soon."
"That is so great!," I can stop smiling. Today is turning out so well! Why did I think something bad was going to happen!?
"Off work?," Ben asks.
"Yeah, and guess what?!"
"What?"
"Siggy let me choose what to make for lunch tomorrow AND I get to cook it!"
"Wow!," Ben looks happily surprised. "That is amazing."
"I know, I'm really excited and kind of nervous."
"You shouldn't be, I'm sure we'll all love it."
"Well, you better," I joked. "Where are you going?"
"Uh... I was about to go to the map room and just sketch out what I remember."
"Oh, good. You should go, so you don't forget."
"Yeah, right. But, uhm.. I'll find you after and you can tell me more, okay?"
"Yeah.. sure, sounds great."
"Great," Ben says as he jogs towards the map room.
AHHHH! What an amazing day! I feel so good! So Great! Oh wow, I feel so unstoppable. I strolled through the Glade towards the Deadhead with a smile on my face, I feel like I could run the whole way around the Glade with no problems at all. I bet I could, should I? I approach my tree, it's leaves all gone but it was still so pretty. I take my fingernail and add another notch, counting them that makes today number 46. Almost 50 days... Wow, another two weeks and I'll be here for two months. A full two months. That gives me two weeks to find the perfect name, that should be enough time, I've already got some strong leads, I think positively.
Let's start now, top five... I think Lea is my favorite, next is Delia. I still love Elyce and Alina. Ciara is nice too... How do I choose? How do I pick one, it's forever. I wonder what my parent's chose? Maybe it had meaning, they could have named me after someone, like a grandma or something. What if it the name Lea? How will I know? I have to get out of here to find the truth. Find my parents... Find my past. Unless there is nothing. This could be the entire world... then who is sending us stuff? God? That doesn't sound right...
"Well, well, well," Ben sits beside me.
"Found me, huh?"
"Where else would you go?," he laughs.
"Well, soon, we wont be here anymore," I smile, pushing away my sad thoughts. "We'll be back where we belong. A real home, when you find he way out."
"Yeah, a real home," he nods. "What... what do you think that's like?"
I look at him Ben, he has his knees pulled to his chest while he spins a large leaf on it's stem, watching it intensely. He's been here for a while, it must be hard to hold on to the dream. I can't even imagine how Alby is doing it...
"I like to think that as soon as we get out, I'll wake up," I look at my tree. "When I step outside of these walls, I hope that I wake up in a dark room, in a bed surrounded by my own things. Like pictures and trophies that I got from school or something. I'll get out of bed and be in my home, with my brothers and sisters, my parents and it'll be all over. This will have never happened, it won't be real and I can forget about it... That's what I would hope."
I look back to Ben, he is still watching the leaf spin in his hand. "What do you want it to be like?"
He spins the leaf once more," I like to imagine that my parents will be there. That they are waiting for us on the other side and when they see me they run up and hug me. They are happy to see me and take me back to a real house. A house with beds and rooms, bathrooms and warm water... They make meals and tell me about my childhood. They tell me they are proud of me, for surviving, that they missed me so much. I would tell them to explain everything, why we were here and why they sent me here... I bet they have a good reason, maybe I was kidnapped or maybe this is just what happens to everyone before they can be a part of the real world. Whatever reason, I would get to go back and start a new life. A life where I'm not a prisoner, a good life," He chuckles softly. "I used to think it was all a dream, I guess I've just been here too long to think that's the case anymore."
I lean against my tree, I've been here for 46 days... that is a long dream. Ben might be right, this might be real.
"Soon we'll know," he says it confidently. "I'm going to find the way out of here." I turn back to him, his jaw was tight and his eyes were hard. He drops the leaf and raises his head to stare at the Deadhead. He is so sure... he doesn't doubt it. If anyone could find it, it would be Ben.
"I believe you."
He looks over at me, his green eyes are determined but I still see his sorrow. He's sad about something? But what? If he is right... then that means we were put here for no real reason. For fun or whatever? Maybe for ourselves, to learn and grow, but this is extreme.
"I promise, I'll get us out. I'll do whatever it takes."
"I know you will, Ben," I reach my right hand across my body and rest it on Ben's right arm.
"I won't let any of us stay here... We'll all get out." he puts his hand over mine.
"Good," I take a deep breath. "That's good to hear."
"We're so close... so close I can feel it," he turns back to the Deadhead.
"That's good, Ben," I slip my hand out from under his. "Maybe no one will have to taste the food I'm supposed to make tomorrow."
Ben laughs and drops his head," Even if I find the way out tomorrow, I'll wait until after lunch to tell everyone," he smiled at me.
I laughed," No, don't do that."
"You know I wouldn't."
"I know," I smile and turn to the Deadhead.
