Glade Girl (ENG)

21.

*THOMAS*

The guard led me to a place that resembled a room for interrogation of prisoners. Literally. Glass on one of the walls. A table and two chairs. And in addition... Camera.

I agreed with Tessa. Something didn't suit me here and in addition, the whole boss of everything looked somehow familiar.

Chuck... I still had his body and a grieving Tessa in front of my eyes. I'm struck by the fact that this boy was killed by me. He covered me with his own body... Tessa should hate me for that. After all, he was her brother. Now I didn't even know how I should behave in her company.

I cared about her very much, and I promised Chuck that I would take care of her. I'm going to keep my word. Even if girl were to continue to hate me for the boy's death.

"Thomas..." Janson suddenly entered the room. "Thank you for seeing me. "

I didn't have much of a choice. If someone saw a gorilla that brought me, they would probably come here without unnecessary questions.

"I'm sorry for the inconveniences. " Added. "I was just hoping we might get a moment to chat in private, away from the others. " He sat down on the other chair and looked at me. "Well, I won't take up too much of your time." He looked me in the eye as well as I did. "I really only have one question... What do you remember about WICKED? "

And what does he care? Why is he asking this?

However, I decided to change tactics and answer honestly. Thanks to this, maybe I'll figure it out faster if he thinks that I don't suspect him of anything.

"You're not in toruble." He added. "We're just having a conversation. I'm just trying to understand. "

"Understand what? " I asked.

"Whose side are you on? "

"I remember I used to work with for WICKED..." I replied after a while. "I remember that they sent me into the maze. I remember watching my friends die in front of me... I'm on their side. " I said firmly.

"Interesting... " Ratman thought for a moment. "You say you worked for WICKED, but they sent you into the maze. Why would they do something like that? "

"I don't know. Maybe you should've asked them before you killed them all. " I replied.

I had not the slightest intention of telling him the whole truth. Tessa was right. This guy is suspicious.

"Maybe let's change the subject a bit. " He said after a while. "There's a girl with you, Tessa... "

"So what? "

"I see that she's suspicious, and maybe even doesn'tt trust us... "

"She lost a someone very close to her, and you didn't even bring him here and didn't have a proper funeral. I'm not surprised by her. "

"I understand, but unfortunately we couldn't take the boy here. "

"Why? "

"Because he could..." He broke off and quickly changed the subject. "I'm just asking you to convince your girlfriend that you're completely safe here, okay? Could you do that? "

I didn't answer him. Ratman stood up, put down his chair and went to the door.

"Enjoy the rest of your stay. " Said with a smile.

"That's it? "

"Yeah, you've told me everything I need to know. You and your friends have all been cleared to join the others. Soon you'll be moving on the greens pastures. "

"Wait..." I looked at him again. "Others? "

***

Another guard escorted me to a completely different and much larger dining room. As it turned out later, there were many more labyrinths. As soon as I walked in, Minho came up to me and led me to the other guys in our maze. However, there were a few others at the table. They must have been in another maze.

"And there was this big, loud explosion, and these guys came out of nowhere. Started shooting up the place. They pulled us out of the maze and brought us here." I heard the end of the story.

"What about the rest? " Newt asked. "The other people left behind in the maze, what happened to them? "

"I don't know. I guess WICKED still has them. " He added, to which I exchanged glances with Newt.

"How long you guys been here? " Blond man asked.

"Not long. Just a day or two. That kid over there has been here the longest. " Pointed to a boy who had a hood on his head and was sitting alone at the table. "Almost a week. "

"His maze was nothing but girls. " The second boy added.

"Really? " Minho asked.

"Some guys have all the luck. " Man smiled.

"Good evening, gentlemen. Ladies. " Ratman said hello. "You all know how this works. If you hear your name called, please rise in a ordinary fashion, join my colleagues behind me." He pointed to two gorillas standing right behind him. "Where they'll escort you to the eastern wing. Your new lives are about to begin." He added and everyone around him began to applaud. "Conor, Evelyn, Justin, Peter, Allison, Squiggy... " Some people started laughing, but Janson silenced them. "Franklin and Abigail. Now, now, don't get discouraged. If I could take more, I would. There's always tomorrow. Your time will come. Go on, eat up. " Added and left the room.

"Where are they going? " Minho asked one of our new friends.

"Far from here. Lucky bastards. " One said.

"Some kind of farm. A safe place. They can only take in a couple of people at a time. " The other one added.

I looked around the room. It seemed that everything was normal here, but it's not.

After a while, I saw in the corridor, behind the glass, how two guards were leading a girl.

I immediately knew who she was. It was Tessa.

"What the hell? " I whispered and walked in that direction, and the others followed me with their eyes. "Tessa? " I called, but girl didn't hear me. "Tessa?! " Girl looked at me.

She was scared, she wanted to stop, but the people didn't let her.

I would've followed her into the hallway, but I was stopped by two gorillas guarding the entrance.

"Where are they taking her? " I asked one of the guards.

"They just have to run a few more tests. " He replied. "Don't worry, they'll be done with her soon. " Somehow it didn't calm me down.

"Is she okay? " I asked.

"She's fine. "