PREPARATION

They all filed out after Sage. Coming out of the laundry room, Sage ushered them past a long passageway, and out into the open air,

coming down some flight of stairs which had huge boulders sitting on both sides, and to the right were tall trees, but not so many of them, with dried leaves from the trees scattered all around.

Moving it was a beautiful sight for a picnic, but Sage doubted if the children were even allowed to hang around that area, looking away she kept on moving with the children in tow.

She passed by a rusted gate with an aging man sitting in front, she later found out what it was used for.

This was the same room where Ulanni and Sarah were locked up. Taking a left Sage led the children into the dining room.

Turning to the children she gave an order. "Remain here I would be back, Flint come with me"

Saying this she made her way through the tables and stools which were neatly arranged and all the way to a door behind a long wooden table.

The table is where the women serving them food would usually sit, but it was now empty.

Opening the door and walking directly in and startling the group of people who were seated on stools and focused on something on the floor before them.

They were sifting beans, probably for dinner. Ignoring them like they weren't there Sage walked past them and pushed open the door to the right, walking in and seeing foods stuff lined up neatly both right and left, Flint looked at them in hunger and craving, this was the most food she had ever seen in her life, varying from bread to corn, yams arranged in stacks towards the end of the room.

Sage looked around and spotted what she was looking for she walked towards her right where there were some rows of baskets" Go back and pick ten students and bring them here. Sage said as she continued to look around.

"Yes Black" Flint turned around and made her way out, as she passed by those seniors they had passed by earlier, they snickered at her and looked at her with disgust in their eyes.

"look at her looking us in the eye, she doesn't know she is going to the slaughter," One of them said laughing out loud.

Keeping her head high and walking past them like she didn't hear what they said, they seethed in anger but could do nothing because Sage was just some steps away from where they were.

Getting back to where the children were asked to wait. "I need ten people who would carry some things out from ..." She was not allowed to finish her sentence when children at the very front stepped out and were even more than the numbers that she needed.

It looked to her that they were already acknowledging and adapting to everything that was happening. Some children were forced to step back.

Flint made her way back to where Sage was waiting for them. Upon getting there Sage was standing close to a floor-length refrigerator and looked a bit impatient.

"Take five of those baskets and fill them all with bread from those shelves, and the fruits would go into three baskets, "

After contemplating for a while she extended her palms forward, and towards the refrigerator, and just like magic all the meat, which was neatly stacked slowly disappeared, while the small necklace which was obscured in her shirt shun for some seconds before it went back to its original color.

The children just all kept staring at her with their mouths left wide open, even the ever ridged Flint was left in awe.

They were all still gaping at Sage until she turned around to face them properly, cocked her head to the side, and blinked twice. "So what are you all lingering for, the ringing of the bell before you start on the packing ?" The children started moving after hearing her voice,

Sage calmly walked out of the room like she had not just blown the children's minds away with her little stunt back in the room.

Flint followed her with a curious glint in her eyes. She now looked at Sage with a newfound sense of admiration.

Sage silently stifled a chuckle in her mind, "Children will always be children. "

Getting back to where the other kids were and facing them she said "You all will go back to your sleeping quarter now as I have no need for you anymore, you were all going to take food enough to last you for almost a week, but I changed my mind... we will make do with what we find on the way, as taking too much stuff would take up too much space, and we need to travel light in case of any mishaps, Dismissed!"

She ended her speech and made her way out of the dining, she had walked some steps forward when she noticed that Flint was still following her. "No, you go with them this time"

Tossing those words behind her and turning a corner, leaving Flint standing alone for some seconds before she slowly made her way towards the already-leaving children and walking behind them.