This Conspiracy

Chapter 38

Author stuff: So! Only two more chapters left of part 2 after this one. Again, I'm going to take a week off to get some things done for this story to make sure everything looks good. If I can, I'll try to keep up with the posting twice weekly — Mondays and Thursdays — if my schedule allows.

So long as I finish what I'd like to get done, that is.

Anyway, short chapter this time. I tried to make it longer, but it just didn't pan out.

Chapter 38

In Which... Well, You Will Just Have To Read To Find Out

The funeral for Barry was a relatively quiet affair that only lasted a few hours. And it was never brought up again afterwards. She couldn't understand how everyone could just move on so quickly – herself included.

It was as if he had never really been a part of the Glade. Or, maybe, the Creators were able to do something to their brains to make it all easier. It was all shucked.

And with Barry's death, that meant another Runner was needed. Jokingly, she thought about trying out, but she knew everyone would shoot her down immediately. She knew to not even bring it up to any of her friends – they'd lock her in the Slammer before she could even get the words out of her mouth.

Instead, she watched as the group of trainees progressed and eventually one of them was chosen – a Bagger she didn't even know. His friends mourned him. The Baggers knew what it meant to go into the Maze everyday. They kept so many others from doing it. Seeing one of their own decide to go through with it was nothing to congratulate him for.

Adne had even said so many times before. As had Archie and all of the other Runners and Keepers and Nick. Being a Runner was practically a death sentence, only those who were jacked in the head went out there.

Did that mean that she was?

That would be shucked. The Keeper of the Girlies being jacked in the head. Well, she wouldn't be the only Keeper that way.

She found herself wandering around the edge of the Deadheads during her midday break after the Bagger was chosen – he was out and running already. She was absentmindedly breaking sticks as she walked along.

"Verena?" she said, looking around for a head of hair that was impossibly red. There was only green.

She sighed and looked around for someone. She spotted Zart with Clint and Jeff. The three of them were so focused on their conversation, they actually jumped when she spoke to them.

"Have any of you—" she said, only to be cut off by Jeff.

"Shuck, girlie," Jeff said, his hand settled over his heart.

"Have any of you seen Verena?"

"She's missing again?" Clint said.

"So she didn't come this way? Shuck."

"I haven't seen her since you two went off for a walk," Zart said. "You two were walking by the Deadheads, right? Maybe she went in."

"She knows not to," Flossy said, biting the inside of her cheek.

"I'll help you look for her," Clint said. "Jeff —"

"I know, I know. Don't let anyone die."

Clint frowned and rolled his eyes.

"Not what I meant, but that would be appreciated."

Jeff saluted him.

"If anyone comes looking for me," Flossy said to Zart, "just... let them know I'm taking care of Verena."

"You sure you don't want us to help you?"

"You have to keep an eye on the Gardens and we need at least one Med-Jack available."

"I can grab someone. Newt or someone."

"If Gally and Fry could go without them for a while, send them to us?" Flossy said, rubbing her hands on her cargo shorts. She looked from Jeff to Zart.

"Of course," Zart said, standing up and brushing his hair out of his eyes. "And if we see her, Jeff will hold her in place while I get you."

"Yeah," Jeff said, "we'll do... that."

"Thank you," Flossy said, patting Jeff's arm. She turned to Clint and nodded. "Let's get going."

The cool relief of the shade the Deadheads gave, while appreciated, wasn't necessarily something Flossy was paying much attention to at that moment. Her eyes were so focused on spotting a streak of red — anywhere and everywhere — that her mind didn't even register that Clint was calling her name. He had to physically stop her in order to get her attention.

"Do you hear that?" he said, his voice quiet.

She strained her ears, focusing on the sound around them. There was wind rustling the leaves, birds chirping overhead, some creature scurrying along the underbrush... And then a grunt.

"Where did it come from?" she said.

"This way."

Together they crept through the Deadheads, eyes darting around. It was a bit of a trek but they managed to find a cement structure tucked away in a quiet corner. Flossy's mind flicked to the one building she'd only been to once, the Map Room.

The secretive cement building stood in sharp contrast to the Deadheads around it. It was blocky and loomed in an unusually sunny spot, bordered by the shadows. The heavy vault door was, thankfully, still closed.

A door that Verena was attempting to open.

Flossy watched for a moment as Verena threw her weight into attempting to hauling the door open. The muscles in her frail arms bulged and she grunted. Her feet slid across the earth, marking deep trenches. When it didn't open, she tried again.

"Verena," she said. "Verena, what are you doing?"

"Oi, come on, you shank," Clint said, starting towards her.

That only made Verena work harder. And it worked.

Before either of them could get to her, Verena had opened the door and slipped inside.

Author stuff: Time to dad breath, y'all. Take a deep breath and let it all out. We're slow burning some things and about to set other things on fire.

On another note, I've been spending the last few weeks watching reaction videos of people watching the movies for the first time. It's fun to see what other people picked up on that I didn't notice the first time, and also see what they get completely wrong. Or even what they get right.

It's a way to kill time at work, since I don't have the energy to listen to audiobooks atm.