Chapter 82
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On Friday September 30th Eve heard a disturbing rumor at school. Much of the food supplies going to her local supermarket were hi-jacked. Rumors of food shortages had become common since 2/4, but never in this area. Some said the president was hoarding suppliees for the Arks. Others felt hi-jackers were stealing food from one area for their own region. The mandatory food rationing was suppossed to make sure everyone had enough to eat. That part might've backfired. Conspiracy theorists believed it was an experiment. To learn the answer to the question "Could people survive on coniderably less food for a temporary time period." Eve feared she would have to find out very soon. Eve went to Ravenwood after school for her normal shift. According to her father Karen was picking up groceries. Eve wasn't sure if this qualified as an excused asence from school for Karen or not. After work Zack brought Eve home and they all had a family meeting. He explained how much food they had to last until they could buy more. It was clearly less than they normally had to last an entire week, but it would have to suffice. Zack divided all the smaller food, said how much each person could have. Although physically the biggest Zack had the least amount. The food for family meals like rice and potatoes, they'd just have to make it last. They'd all have to make soapand shampoo last longer. Zack promised to quit smoking and hoped the girls would take this opportunity to do the same. This would be difficult, but he seemed confident that they could get through this together asa family. Over this first weekend Eve tried to adjust to less. She woke up early Saturday, Karen was already taking her shower. When Eve took hers she thought Karen had taken more than her fair share of shampoo, but tried to avoid her paranoia. Eve took a brown bag of lunch for her shift at Ravenwood, but kept quiet about it. She feared others might resent her having this, and buying at the cafeteria. After work Zack and Eve went home, Karen made rice and mashed potatoes. The food wasn't bad. Eve wanted more, but didn't ask for fear of being seen an rude. That night, Eve watched her soap opera. The cliff-hanger ended with the shooter being revealed. She was shocked it turned out to be the man's ex-wife, yet they seemed to still getting closer. Why the audience would want them together after that, Eve didn't know. On Sunday October 2nd Eve went to the clinic. She hoped father Mcnamara would have extra for these counselors. He had some doughnuts, but asked them not to take too many. A boy from Eve's mosque, Yusef, gave her his doughnut. Father Mcnamara hoped to use this food to talk with the people going into the clinic. The laws required a one week "cooling down period" between when they made the appointment, and when the abortion or suicide could be done. Delaying them allowed some to change their minds. The food offers did delay these people, but they all went into the mercy clinic eventually. Eve understood, she couldn't properly explain why they should go on with life, or bring a new life here, when starvation seemed so real. It became clear that unless food was more plentiful, these sins would increase.