What's next?

She Leaves

Diana did not move from her seat. She did nothing to attract attention, nothing to let anyone think she even might be involved. Her heart was racing quickly, and she wanted to reach out to Stacy so much, but she didn't dare to it and risk being enslaved herself. She still remembered that warning during the day of the induction, and knew it was not a risk she could afford to take just now. She had to figure out what was happening, which meant that she needed to be able to have access to the rulebook, something she rather doubted would happen if she were a ****.

Quickly, she flipped it open, drawing out her pencil again, and writing yet another rule that would hopefully prevent what she was sure was about to happen.

''New Rule: Lillian is banned from being a master, and never could have been chosen for that role.''

She put her pencil down and waited, but nothing happened once more. She cursed to herself, feeling almost as helpless as Stacy probably did then and there. Something was badly wrong, and she didn't know what it was. Had the rulebook stopped working? She wrote another rule, demanding that the cafeteria could stock only mugs. A moment later, all the glasses had become mugs, and no one seemed to know. It had always been this way.

So the book hadn't lost its powers. Which meant something else was holding it back. There was another factor, though she did not quite know what it was just yet. Slowly, she got to her feet, moving towards the exit to the room. Nobody minded her. Most of them were too busy looking towards Stacy’s humiliation. Diana felt a flush of shame for leaving her friend like that, but she knew there was nothing she could do from here. The only thing that could help was the rulebook, and even then, only if she could figure out what was wrong with it.

The last thing she saw was Lillian’s face, caught in a look of gleeful menace. Stacy’s own features flushed with fear. Lillian was gesturing, and some of the serving staff were moving towards them, carrying a bowl of frozen hot dogs.

Diana hurried from the room before the real torment could begin.