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“And what’s your name, sweetie?” she asked

The girl squirmed in her chair but didn’t answer Theas if nothing had happened

Well I hope you’re not going to the ball, Melody thought to herself, slightly annoyed

Theto Eric ever since he athered he was so Eric said seehly bored As if he knew every question was a set up, and everything thewas all part of a specific persona, or character

It’s just like one of those Murder Mystery dinners, thought Melody The kind where you sit around and pretend to be someone you’re not

She’d been to one such event before, and actually enjoyed playing her part At first she’d thought it would be stupid, but as the night wore on and she was able to correctly guess the killer’s identity? She had to admit she’d had fun

This is just like that, she convinced herself Only you’re looking for an object instead of a person

The wohter, E, not talking Many times conversations swirled around her as if she wasn’t even there

She turned her attention to the other end of the table Lurch sat alone, hardly eating He wasn’t talking to anyone, and no one was talking to him either She was about to point this out to Eric when a loud voice interrupted her

“And you?” the Colonel said gruffly, pointing with a piece ofman on their side of the table He was practically a boy, really “Why aren’t you in the Militia, son?”

When the boy lowered his head and refused to answer, thee shouldn’t already be enlisted”

The question caught Eric oblet “Believe it or not,” he said evenly, “not everyone is cut out for soldiering”

“Bah!” the Colonel spat “Every ation to protect his country!” He thumped his chest “Only fools and cowards shun hen duty calls”

His role-playing — if it could be called that — was extre see, but he also gave off the distinct impression that he himself was convinced of his character

Eric spent quite soeneral, or whatever he was Whatever the man had to say, whatever point he’d been about to make, Eric always seemed to have the perfect counter for it He cut him off mid-sentence Finished other sentences with exactly what the ht red, until the Colonel thren his fancy silk napkin and gave up Eric left him mercifully alone after that But for the rest of the meal, Melody noticed the man seemed almost… broken