Joe MacBeth surveyed the inmates. They'd decided they were inmates since the doors had all shut simultaneously and of their own accord, not to mention we'd already been labelled as 'The Culprits'. The collected company could have been an insane pick-n-mix, a child throwing together all sorts of people like a selection of sweets. Joe also had the distinct impression that the entire group being 'gobbled' was not out of the question. The timid faces of the room's occupants suggested they suspected likewise - even the guy Wesley was shaking and he was apparently some kind of assassin or something. Joe hadn't contemplated being on this side of the butcher's knife. His guilt heightened.
There were three other characters in the room and four culprits - including Tara. Maybe they weren't all culprits, just the girls. For they were all female. Was that just chance or ... The culprits - Joe thought he should perhaps instead refer to them as 'companions' - were of varying ages. There was a There were Tara and Jan, who looked fairly similar in age, though Joe couldn't have quite placed where. There was Joanne, unmistakably a teenager as she was still not full-height. And there was Eliphia who could have been either late teens or early twenties, somewhere around there. They were accompanied by Wesley, Mr. Tumnus - God knows what his age was - and Brian Jackson. Brian Jackson was interesting. He was apparently portrayed by James McAvoy in 2006, when the actor was twenty-six. Brian however, was adamant that he was eighteen years of age. Which he was, was a moral issue. Was he his character or his actor? Which was Joe? Joe had been written bad. Had James been written too? Which was he?
All in all, it was best not to think about it.
"What should we do, do you think?" Brian asked of nobody in particular.
Stay put.
"Well why?" Joe asked, presuming they'd all been instructed the same.
Your instructions will be ready soon. For now, please, have some biscuits. Enjoy yourselves, you won't be enjoying yourselves much longer. Make the most of it.
Mr. Tumnus grinned and grabbed a custard cream. Jan tapped him on the shoulder as he did so and Tara realised he'd grabbed two, one for her and one for him. They were all sat on either chairs or edges of tables for there had not been enough chairs to accommodate them all. Those on edges of tables had positioned them to face another table, around which the chairs were arranged. Joe and Tara sat beside each other on the end of one, Jan and Mr. Tumnus on another. It had been vital that Mr. Tumnus claim a table for the chairs refused to accommodate his legs or tail, the poor faun. In the chairs were Eliphia and Wesley, on one side of the table, Joanne and Brian on the table's other side. All wore expressions a cocktail of fear, apprehension and disbelief, which made for a right glum bunch.
They waited through thirty-seven minutes of nothing, timed almost to the second by Joanne and the watch she claimed to have had since primary five. Tara grimaced when the lunch they'd not noticed - they could guess what pesky half-essence had caused that little mix up - revealed itself on one of the tables not being sat on. It was fish. Tara's nose wrinkled upwards but she took a deep breath and nibbled her way through her share. She had no clue when next they'd be graced with more of these 'wonderful surprises'. Food could be days away. She ate the fish because she needed to, and didn't moan because she didn't want Joe to think her weak. Tara leaned on Joe once she'd finished, despite the suffocating aroma of breaded haddock that hung in the air. Joe held her steady on the edge of the table, bracing himself with the ball of his hand on the edge of the table's surface. Joe's stubble and floppy hair were pillow and duvet to Tara and she even managed a seven-minute nap to break the monotony. Despite herself she was happy, happy to be with her friends and four imaginary people she knew inside out.
There were three other characters in the room and four culprits - including Tara. Maybe they weren't all culprits, just the girls. For they were all female. Was that just chance or ... The culprits - Joe thought he should perhaps instead refer to them as 'companions' - were of varying ages. There was a There were Tara and Jan, who looked fairly similar in age, though Joe couldn't have quite placed where. There was Joanne, unmistakably a teenager as she was still not full-height. And there was Eliphia who could have been either late teens or early twenties, somewhere around there. They were accompanied by Wesley, Mr. Tumnus - God knows what his age was - and Brian Jackson. Brian Jackson was interesting. He was apparently portrayed by James McAvoy in 2006, when the actor was twenty-six. Brian however, was adamant that he was eighteen years of age. Which he was, was a moral issue. Was he his character or his actor? Which was Joe? Joe had been written bad. Had James been written too? Which was he?
All in all, it was best not to think about it.
"What should we do, do you think?" Brian asked of nobody in particular.
Stay put.
"Well why?" Joe asked, presuming they'd all been instructed the same.
Your instructions will be ready soon. For now, please, have some biscuits. Enjoy yourselves, you won't be enjoying yourselves much longer. Make the most of it.
Mr. Tumnus grinned and grabbed a custard cream. Jan tapped him on the shoulder as he did so and Tara realised he'd grabbed two, one for her and one for him. They were all sat on either chairs or edges of tables for there had not been enough chairs to accommodate them all. Those on edges of tables had positioned them to face another table, around which the chairs were arranged. Joe and Tara sat beside each other on the end of one, Jan and Mr. Tumnus on another. It had been vital that Mr. Tumnus claim a table for the chairs refused to accommodate his legs or tail, the poor faun. In the chairs were Eliphia and Wesley, on one side of the table, Joanne and Brian on the table's other side. All wore expressions a cocktail of fear, apprehension and disbelief, which made for a right glum bunch.
They waited through thirty-seven minutes of nothing, timed almost to the second by Joanne and the watch she claimed to have had since primary five. Tara grimaced when the lunch they'd not noticed - they could guess what pesky half-essence had caused that little mix up - revealed itself on one of the tables not being sat on. It was fish. Tara's nose wrinkled upwards but she took a deep breath and nibbled her way through her share. She had no clue when next they'd be graced with more of these 'wonderful surprises'. Food could be days away. She ate the fish because she needed to, and didn't moan because she didn't want Joe to think her weak. Tara leaned on Joe once she'd finished, despite the suffocating aroma of breaded haddock that hung in the air. Joe held her steady on the edge of the table, bracing himself with the ball of his hand on the edge of the table's surface. Joe's stubble and floppy hair were pillow and duvet to Tara and she even managed a seven-minute nap to break the monotony. Despite herself she was happy, happy to be with her friends and four imaginary people she knew inside out.
