Chapter 181 Rations
"Maybe I will," Aleshia said sheepishly, her face expressionless as she spoke.
Aleshia stepped out of the room and approached the group of nearby children. They quietly debated who would take her to the kitchen, and they eventually decided that one of the girls in the group would escort her.
Once the two departed, Aleshia attempted to strike up a conversation. "Hi, I'm Aleshia. This place is great, and everyone here is so nice! Do you mind telling me your name?"
"No, not at all. Everyone here calls me Em, but I hadn't had a name before I came to this place," she said, her tone darkening momentarily. Then she added cheerfully, "When I arrived here, I eventually received a name, and now everyone calls me Em. So, you can call me that, too."
"Okay, Em. It's good to hear that." Aleshia said awkwardly, "Would you like to tell me about this place?" Aleshia asked, trying to keep the conversation going.
Em paused to gather her thoughts before responding. "Honestly, I don't think I have anything exciting to share, but I can say that this place feels a lot safer than what used to be out there. I've heard it used to be much worse before the older kids established this tiny community. Back then, it was more dangerous, and everyone seemed to look out for themselves," she said, her expression growing dark as if she were reflecting on the past.
Em lifted her head and brightened her tone, "I feel safe here now, but I wouldn't want to leave alone. Daniel also made a rule that when someone leaves, we should go together in groups." As she said that, they arrived at the kitchen area.
"Here it is," Em said as they entered the kitchen.
The kitchen was worn but clean. Aleshia noticed a small magic stone hanging above the sink and another device that resembled a box, which she guessed was used for preserving items.
Em noticed where Aleshia was looking and gave a brief explanation. "That over there is a magic water stone; it supplies most of our drinking water, but we only use it when we don't have rainwater or creek water. And over here is where we store our food." She jogged to the storage box and opened the door, revealing bread, grains, and some foraged berries and nuts. Further back, there were also what appeared to be medical supplies.
Em then picked up a few nuts and berries and handed them to Aleshia. Aleshia held them in her hand, unsure of what to do.
"I know it's not much, but please enjoy," Em said earnestly.