𝐃𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐈𝐀 - TMR, Gally ² / ³

𝟢𝟣𝟨，𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐬

It appears that she broke a lot of promises.

She didn't return to the Gladers after checking the hotel.

She wasn't safe.

She didn't keep her promise with the hundreds of Cranks.

As long as they worked for her and didn't betray her, she'd keep them alive and (temporarily) cured.

But the roles have switched.

She didn't leave them cured. She was gone for multiple days. She couldn't provide them of anything. They had to keep the electricity up on their own.

So according to the Crank's math, they have the right to betray, don't keep her alive, and not work for her.

***

"Don't you think it's taking a bit long?"

"I told you. We shouldn't have let her leave. She's not coming back."

Offended, Gally turns to Thomas. "She will. She won't leave again, trust me." A pause. "I'm checking it out. Anyone wanna come with?"

Vince immediately volunteers, along with Brenda and Frypan. The rest watches them get ready, unsure.

"You suck, Thomas," Gally comments. "The whole lot of you suck."

"Wouldn't be the first time she betrays us," Newt replies coldly.

"I'm pretty sure she has saved you more than betrayed you," he snaps back, taking a step closer to Newt so his next words are only for him to hear, "And you really think hating on her is gonna make her want to give you the cure? Tell you about it?"

With wider eyes, Newt looks at Gally. "How do you–"

"It's pretty obvious." Then, he takes his bag and follows Vince, Brenda and Frypan. "Ready?"

***

Surprisingly, it's quiet when they approach the hotel. Except for the third floor, all the blinds are closed.

Gally tightens the grip on his gun as Vince knocks the front door open. It falls to the ground with a loud sound, and sends an awful, metallic smell to their noses.

"Blood," Fry calls.

"I can tell," says Brenda. "And smell–"

"I mean... blood." Fry points into the hotel with a half-open mouth, shocked.

After all, the floor's new carpet is still a layer of blood. Some dried, some fresh.

"Pleasant," Vince comments, taking a step into the building. Even with his words, it's clear that he's concerned. "Come on."

They all take a few steps around the place. Though blood covers a lot of furniture, Fry and Gally can tell she had pretty much been the owner of this place.

There's hints of a pink wall, dead ivy tangled in lights, stuffed pillows on a soft couch, and plenty of unmissable decoration.

"We're definitely at the correct place," Fry whispers.

Brenda clears her throat. Her flashlight is pointed at something in the elevator. "Look."

The other three rush over to her, only to see the same words as Joan did. YOU'RE A SNAKE.

Gally's heart's beating in his throat at this point. "Keep looking. If you see her or anyone at all, tell me."

They nod.

"I thought there were dozens of Cranks here," Vince mutters after a while. "Not even a single one on the first floor."

"Then they must be on another one," Frypan replies. With that, the four walk upstairs. Vince's flashlight follows along with the trickles of blood on there. It's still wet.

Once they've arrived at the top, they stop for a second.

"We're just gonna open all the doors?"

"Yes."

"Why did the blood stop?" Frypan points at a small pool of blood at the top of the stairs. "We can't follow it now. And neither is it on the walls."

"Then it's either a trap, or whoever walked down the stairs got hurt here," Vince says.

"Or fell," Brenda corrects.

"Let's just continue looking." Gally opens the first few doors, but doesn't find anything.

It continues like that. By the time they've arrived at the last door, which stands quite lonely at the end of the hallway, they're even more confused.

"Don't you think we should split up?"

"Worst idea. Never ever split up in a dark place."

Nodding in agreement, Gally enters the last door, then freezes.

The walls are white, but they're decorated even more than the ones downstairs. Neither are these covered in blood.

The bed sheets are pink, just like a part of the clothes in the wooden closet. Brenda finds a loose plank on the floor. Below that, there's dozens of papers, all with words and calculations the average human wouldn't understand.

Except for six exact letters, each with the same dates and times, only a different month. Each with the same first words.

Dear Gally.

The girl puts them in her pocket when no one looks. Right now wouldn't be the time to show him. When they get back, she will.

Frypan taps against a bottle. Foam immediately starts flowing out of the blue liquid, which makes him step away again.

Vince moves a painting on the wall, allowing him to see the holes in the wall. All of them are filled with bullets. Below the pillow, in the mattress, there's holes in which multiple knives fit.

An only half empty cup of cold tea is on the nightstand. A pen. Paper. Hair ties, jewellery, soap, an old book that seems to have been soaked in coffee.

Gally opens the book in such a hurry that something immediately falls out. A gun.

But what mostly attracts his attention, is the way the book is marked. Some letters.

The girl's hands reach to lift the metal box up, groaning and puffing because this has never been her best ability.

He's not sure whether to call it insane or whatever else, but he quickly closes the book again, then looks at the rest. "Let's check the other floors."

After a quick agreement, they move along. "We're going too slow," says Vince. "If Fry just comes with me to the second floor, Brenda and Gally can go to the third one."

"I don't like that idea at all, but fine."

But Brenda shakes her head, refusing to take any steps. "We can't hear anything. Isn't it strange that there's absolutely no one on the first floors? We haven't even heard footsteps above us."

"Your point? I'm not stopping until I've found her."

She takes a breath. "Isn't there a basement or anything?"

Gally and Frypan only have to share one glance before they run back to the ground floor, then the elevator. Luckily, it works, and they're going down the basement before Vince and Brenda have even registered it.

It takes such a long time for the doors to open again, that they realise that's why they hadn't heard or noticed the basement before: it's deeply buried under the ground.

With final deep breaths in, the boys step into the dark place, their noses scrunching at the rotten, bloody smell.