In a corner she found the other little boys cowering as they waited for the older ones to clear away from the pot. They refused to move. Samantha touched the shoulder of a black-haired boy. "What's your name?" she asked.
"David," he said.
"David, we have to go. You aren't safe here."
"But I'm hungry."
"I know. We're all hungry, but this food will hurt you."
"You're making that up so you can get it before us."
"Please, David, you have to believe me. I want to help you." He shook his head and then turned away from her. The fighting around the pots intensified; she saw a bloody gash across John's cheek. There was no more time to argue. She picked David up, ignoring his kicks and screams. The other little boys followed her back to the bedroom, crowding in with the girls. She supposed it was too late for everyone else, including Prudence.
After Samantha settled back onto the bed, her wounds bleeding again, Prudence knelt down beside her. She held out a bowl of water. "I believe you," she said. This made the musty water taste sweeter than the liquid in her dream.
Later, after she told the other children a bedtime story, she heard screams coming from the dining hall.