𝐒𝐀𝐅𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 ★ 𝙏𝙈𝙍

[20] Mr Janson

Elsie hopped down from the Helicopter, still holding tightly to Newt's hand. the loud whoosh of the helicopters propellers made her ears ring as the multiple masked guards around her shouted commands, shoving all the Gladers towards the large building ahead of them. Elsie didn't understand why they were all being told to run, but she listened anyway, darting across the sand dunes towards the building ahead. 

She turned her head around to look at the commotion as she heard loud shrieks and gunshots. "Cranks! We've got Cranks!" the Gunmen all began to shoot at the figures coming over the tall sand dunes towards them. The Group of Glader's were getting urged forward by the masked guards running behind them. Elsie looked up at the large building before her, completely lit up and reinforced, like a large military base or a top secret laboratory.

More Gunmen ran out of the large doors, yelling at each other as they hurried to go and fend off the 'Cranks'. Helicopters began to hover over them, shooting at the cranks in the distance from above. Elsie quickly ran through the open doors, turning her head around to look at the bizarre Crank figures running to them, only to be shot at. Elsie watched in complete awe as Thomas quickly sprinted in through the reinforced doors before they slammed shut behind them. 

Elsie looked down at the hand clenched around her forearm before looking around at her surroundings. her eyes widened. it was like a large military base. they were in a large open room, filled to the brim with stacks of containers, and people running all over the place. The small group of Gladers were completely out of place, standing amidst the Chaos. "What is this Place?" Elsie whispered, her gaze travelling across the room. 

-

The Gladers were ushered into a room, the door slammed shut behind them. Thomas stepped into the room, looking around. infront of them, was a long table covered in food. Moments later, everyone had rushed over to the table and began scoffing all the food, completely starved. Elsie sat back, groaning as she struggled to Chew on the large mouthful of food in her mouth. The Gladers left the table in quite a messy state once they had finished fueling their bodies. the lot of them all sat down, their stomachs filled to the brim.

Elsie hummed to herself, laying across the table, her legs dangling off one side and her head dangling off the over as she looked at everyone from an upside down perspective. she swung her legs, her head of red hair hanging down as she fiddled with the little wooden heart necklace in her hand, tracing the beautiful carvings with her finger tip. 

The calm atmosphere in the room was soon interrupted as the door was suddenly swung open. everyone in the room leapt to their feet, including Elsie as she quickly swung her torso back up, quickly hopping off the table and holding her hands behind her back in an act of innocence as the Guard who had opened the door trailed his eyes over the Gladers and the messy table. The Guard stepped aside to make way as a Tall man stepped into the room.

"You kids doing all right?" The Man asked, flashing a dazzling smile at the Group of Teenagers staring at him. "Sorry about all the fuss. we had a bit of a Swarm" The Glader's all followed after Thomas as he bravely approached the tall man, standing right before him. "Who are you?" Thomas asked, the Gladers all grouped behind him.

"Im the reason you're all still alive" the man replied with a grin, not really answering the Question. "its my intention to keep you that way. Now, Come with me, We'll get you kids squared away" Elsie took a step closer to Thomas, looking up at him as if asking him if the Gladers should follow and trust this Man. Thomas bit his lip, looking from Elsie and the man. he gave a quick nod, following after the Man as he stepped out into the corridor.

"You can call me Mr Janson," The man called to the group of Gladers as he walked through the large building. "I run this place. for us it is a sanctuary, safe from the horrors of the outside world. You all should think of this as a Way station, Kind of a home between homes" Janson explained as he lead the Gladers through a new section of the building, covered in scaffolding with many people using drills and tools as they worked on who knows what. "Watch yourselves," he warned as they walked beneath a man busy drilling into the scaffolding, little bits of shavings showering down from above.

"That means you're taking us home??" Thomas asked, hurrying his steps to try and catch up with Mr Janson as he walked ahead. Mr Janson turned around to look at him. "a Home of sorts. Sadly there wouldn't be much left of wherever you came from. but we do have a place for you, a refuge, outside the scorch, where WICKED will never find you again. How does that sound?" "Why are you helping us?" Minho asked Mr Janson.

"Let's just say the world out there is in a rather precarious situation, and we're all hanging on by a very thin thread. The fact that you kids can survive the Flare virus, makes you the best chance of Humanity's continued survival. Unfortunately, it also makes you a target, as no doubt by now you've noticed" Mr Janson explained. Elsie scoffed. "Bloody brilliant" she muttered. The group approached a door leading to another section as Mr Janson came to a stop. 

"Beyond this door lies the beginning of your new lives," Mr Janson said, unlocking the door by swiping a key card through the lock. the group of Gladers watched as the door lifted, revealing a long corridor. "First things first, let's do something about that smell" Elsie frowned, lifting her arm and giving a tentative sniff, recoiling in disgust, a grimace evident on her face. 

The Gladers were all lead to shower rooms. Elsie went off hand in hand with Teresa, leaving all the boys in their shower room, their yells echoing so loud Elsie could hear them from the Girls bathroom. she stepped into the shower beside Teresa's, turning on the warm water and stepping under the strong stream of clean, warm water. Elsie let out a sigh of relief as the warm water soothed her aching muscles, trying to ignore the distinct sting of the cuts on her body as the water rinsed away all the dry blood and dirt.

Elsie felt so much cleaner and nicer with her hair washed and her body soaped clean of dirt, blood and grime. she stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel. she stood infront of the large mirror in the bathroom, drying her hair and watching as the long red hair fell back onto her shoulders. it had grown a bit longer in her time in the Glade. she traced her finger tip over her freckle covered cheeks, her eyes glued to her reflection in the mirror.

she stepped away from the mirror and began putting on the clothes that had been provided, some ordinary denim jeans similar to her old ones, with a long sleeved top in a shade of pale blue, along with some white socks and her signature pink Trainers, now clean. Elsie sat quietly on the bench as Teresa kneeled behind her, brushing Elsie's hair until it was so smooth and soft it slipped through Teresa's fingers. 

The calm silence in the room was interrupted as a woman holding a clipboard stepped into room after delivering a few quick knocks at the door. "Follow me, Girls" the Woman said, beckoning the two girls over to the door. Elsie and Teresa looked at each other, lacing their hands together as they stood up and approached the woman. 

the two girls were led into a large Lab room, where they could see all the other Gladers scattered across the room.