Figuring Out the Pieces

The mess hall started to slowly fill up. Anna Jane gasped as she looked around.

“Wow!” she said. So many green uniforms in the room. Vivian puffed up her cheeks.

“Does everything excite you?” she asked.

“Let her be,” Logan said. The geisha turned her head.

“Why do you keep enabling her?” she asked. Logan kind of shrugged.

“I just think it’s cute,” he said. Vivian threw back her head and groaned. The children got in line for chow. Anna Jane got a good look at the food. When was the last time she had real food? The lunch man tapped the glass. Anna Jane looked up.

“Huh?” she asked. The lunch man cleared his throat.

“What would you like to eat, dear?” he asked. Anna Jane looked at the food in front of her.

“Um… let’s see,” she said. Her finger lingered over the food.

“I want the meatloaf, okra, pizza bites, roasted potatoes, and the chocolate cake,” she said.

“Roger!” the lunch man said. Anna Jane watched as he got right to work. The tray was pretty full.

“Here you go,” the lunch man said.

“Thank you,” Anna Jane said. She bowed her head and walked off. She found an empty table near the window. Logan and Vivian joined her moments later.

“Now what?” Vivian asked.

“We eat,” Anna Jane said.

“After that,” the geisha said. The little girl thought for a moment.

“I don’t know,” she said. Vivian sighed as she picked up her chopsticks.

“Which wat should we go?” Logan asked.

“Left,” Anna Jane said.

“Why?” Vivian asked. The little girl shrugged. The geisha narrowed her eyes at her.

“You can’t be serious,” she said.

“So where should we go?” Anna Jane asked. Vivian took a moment to think.

“East,” she said.

“Why?” the younger girl asked. Vivian forced herself to smile.

“It’s just so,” she said.

“But why?” Anna Jane asked. Vivian gritted her teeth.

“It just is,” she said. Anna Jane raised her eyebrow.

“You don’t know, do you?” she asked. The geisha’s face turned bright red.

“Shut up!” she shouted. All eyes fell on them. Vivian lowered her head. Anna Jane shoved potato bits into her mouth.

Two soldiers approached the table.

“Can we join you?” one of them asked.

“Sure!” Anna Jane said. The soldiers sat down with the kids. The little girl eyed the man and woman.

“How do we get to Chronus from here?” she asked. Logan and Vivian stared at her.

“Chronus, huh?” the male soldier asked. Anna Jane nodded. The soldiers looked at each other.

“I could help you,” the woman said. The children looked shocked.

“Really? You mean it?” Vivian asked.

“Do we go left or right?” Anna Jane asked.

“North,” the female soldier said.

“Huh?” the girls asked. The female soldier laughed.

“Don’t worry,” she said. “We’ll get you where you need to go.”

“Thank you,” Anna Jane said. She started eating again. The other two kids started eating. The soldiers ate up their food as well.