"𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪."
When Thalia wakes up in the lift, the only thing she can remember is her name. She's surrounded by strangers-boys whose memories are also gone.
She awakes with another girl as wel...
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Just after Thalia heard the grind and rumble of stone against stone announce the closing of the Doors for the day, Alby showed up to release us both, which was a huge surprise. The metal key and lock jingled; then the door to the fell swung open.
"Ain't dead, are ya, shank?" Alby asked. Thomas couldn't help staring at Alby, Thalia wouldn't blame him. Apparently he had gotten stung while Thalia was in her 'coma'.
Alby noticed them both goggling. "Shuck it, boy, what you lookin' at?" Thomas shook his head slightly, feeling like he'd been in a trance.
"Wha—Nothing. Just seems crazy you healed so quickly. You're fine now?" Thomas asked.
Alby flexed his right bicep. "Ain't never been better—come on out."
So they both did, Thalia was hoping her eyes weren't flickering, making her concern obvious.
Alby closed the Slammer door and locked it, then turned to face them both. "Actually, nothin' but a lie. I feel like a klunk twice crapped by a Griever."
"Yeah, you looked it yesterday." When Alby glared at Thomas, Thalia hoped it was in jest and quickly clarified for Thomas.
"But today you look brand-new. He swears." Thalia quickly said.
Alby put the keys in his pocket and leaned back against the Slammer's door. "So, quite the little talk we had yesterday."
"Uh . . . yeah, I remember." Thomas muttered.
What did you guys talk about? Thalia asked Thomas through her mind, which Thomas just glared at her.
"I saw what I saw, Greenie. It's kinda fadin', but I ain't never gonna forget. It was terrible. Tried to talk about it, somethin' starts choking me. Now the images are gettin' up and gone, like that same somethin' don't like me remembering."
"What was it about me—you kept saying you saw me. What was I doing?" Thomas asked.
Alby stared at an empty space in the distance for a while before answering. "You were with the . . . Creators. You both were, actually. Helping them. But that ain't what got me shook up."
Thalia felt like someone had just rammed their fist in her abdomen. Helping them? Neither of them could form the words to ask what that meant.
Alby continued. "I hope the changing doesn't give us real memories—just plants fake ones. Some suspect it—I can only hope. If the worlds the way I saw it . . ." He trailed off, leaving an ominous silence.
Thalia was confused, but Thomas pressed on. "Can't you tell me what you saw about me?"
Alby shook his head. "No way, shank. Ain't gonna risk stranglin' myself again. Might be something they got in our brain to control us—just like the memory wipe."
