Read Under the Cover of Night :: Dinner Time

Benjamin heard footsteps approach and listened in the dark. They echoed in his chest and in his skull, causing him to sit up. The steps were heavy and stiff, reminding him of one of the medical staff who had attended him earlier that day. He pictured the man in scrubs and a mask; dark eyebrows and brown eyes under glasses.

Benjamin caught a whiff of citrus hand soap, and then a stronger smell behind it, of pork or ham. He was at his window before he could blink. He inhaled deeply and then looked across the hallway at Ninety-one's room. Seeing Ninety-one at his window sniffing, and looking as feral as Benjamin felt, he stepped back. Running his fingers through his hair, he exhaled, and tried to compose himself.

There had been more than one occasion now where he'd gotten to the window or door unbelievably fast. Each time, he had zipped across the room before he even knew what was going on. It was as though—as though his body had a mind of its own. Dr. Kahtri had said he would become faster and stronger, but crossing a room in one breath was just too fast.

And now, to see him and Ninety-one exhibiting the same behavior... Benjamin felt fine, he didn't feel sick or different, and yet, he couldn't ignore this new, strange attention to detail, his speed, and the nagging feeling that he was never alone... Like there was something he was trying to remember. It crouched in the fog of the back of his mind and sat there waiting, like a song he couldn't remember.

The smell of ham overwhelmed his senses, and he was suddenly at the door, scratching. He was so unbelievably hungry. If what he'd said to the nurse earlier was true, he hadn't eaten in days, and he. was. starving.

Metal scraped, indicating that the small slot at the bottom of his door was opening. As a plate slid through, Benjamin grabbed it, growling. He didn't bother to see what it was and shoved it into his face. He sighed as the meaty softness filled him, sauce dripping down his chin. Between chewing, he could hear the attendant sliding a similar plate into Ninety-one's room. Benjamin inexplicably felt like he was taking the first bite again and the sweet sensation rippled through him, causing him to shiver.

In the dim light of his room, he ate slice after slice, until he there was nothing but sauce left. He wasn't full, and he wasn't starving, but still, he didn't want the sauce to go to waste and began licking it off his plate.

"Disgusting," he heard the attendant whisper by his window.

Benjamin turned to look at him and saw dark eyebrows and brown eyes. It was the man he had pictured. Before he could say anything, the attendant turned and left. Benjamin stood up to call him back when the hallway lights reflected on his plate. He held back a gag as he realized that what he'd been licking wasn't sauce at all, it had been blood.

-------------------------

Published by Raven's Hollow Art and Publishing

This story is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. Please do not resell. The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the internet or any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal. Please purchase only authorized editions and do not encourage piracy. Thank you for your support.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.