People were eating and talking loudly. The majority wore suits and dresses, with some even donning military uniforms.
But most of the people weren't paying attention to the food. Instead, they were staring at a television screen in the middle of the room.
On the screen was a news report about a terrorist attack.
"Did anyone else hear about the terrorist attack?" one of the women sitting next to Allen asked.
Another woman shook her head. "No," she replied. "Not me."
"Oh well," the first woman continued. "Maybe we should pay more attention to the news."
Several people laughed.
"Yeah," someone added. "Why do we have to watch this stuff anyway? Who cares if terrorists killed 51 people or whatever?"
Everyone seemed so excited, Allen thought. He wondered what kind of game they were playing. Was it just a party? Or maybe there was something much bigger going on.
Suddenly, the lights dimmed.
