teenage wasteland ;; the maze runner

2.32

when florence came to, a surge of anger washed over her at the familiar feeling of a rope cinched tight around her wrists, binding them behind her back, as she was forced onto her knees. she lifted her head, blinking away the dark spots clouding her vision, and scanned the surroundings. it didn't take long to realize they were all kneeling in organized rows, their faces toward the worst possible sight florence could imagine.

janson.

her heart tightened, a lump rising in her throat as the weight of their situation sank in. the ropes biting into her skin only heightened her sense of helplessness. the sheer frustration of being forced into submission burned inside her, but she couldn't afford to lose control—not now, not in front of him.

as she fought to steady her breathing, florence turned her head slightly, meeting antony's eyes across the line.

"you're awake," he commented, his voice soft but laced with surprise. his tone, though relieved, didn't carry the joy it might have in a different circumstance. it was hard to sound joyful when you were staring down the barrel of certain doom.

florence shook her head with a resigned sigh. "unfortunately."

the tension hanging in the air was suffocating. the ropes, cutting into her wrists and digging into her knees, were a constant reminder of their captivity. every breath she took felt heavy with the weight of their dire situation. they were all here—captured, helpless—and janson was watching them like prey.

she couldn't help but meet antony's gaze again, and in that brief moment, she saw the same despair mirrored in his eyes. they had been through so much together, fought so hard to survive, and yet here they were—trapped, powerless.

"you okay?" florence whispered, her voice low, not wanting to draw attention from janson. the words felt like an understatement, but she needed to say something, anything, to break the silence.

antony didn't answer immediately, his face flickering between exhaustion and quiet rage. after a beat, he gave a wry smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. "not sure if 'okay' is the word i'd use," he muttered. he glanced over at the other captives, their faces a mixture of fear and defiance. "but i've been through worse."

florence let out a short, humorless laugh, her mind heavy with thoughts of all they had endured. they had been cornered so many times, but this felt different. the stakes were higher now. janson wasn't just an obstacle—they had faced many before. this time, it felt personal.

her attention snapped back to the row in front of her when she heard a faint struggle. her eyes locked onto sammy a few people down, his body stiffening as one of the wicked soldiers reached for the collar of his jacket, pulling it back to scan the chip in his neck.

"sammy!" florence gasped, her heart skipping a beat as she leaned forward to catch his eye. but he only gave her a helpless look, his lip curling in a grimace.

"it's alright, bud, we're right here," florence whispered urgently, trying to sound reassuring. "hang tight, okay?"

sammy gave a small nod, but his hope was clearly dwindling with each passing second. florence could see it in the way his lip trembled. she didn't blame him. they were all starting to lose hope, one by one. just as she opened her mouth to say something else, the soldier's gaze flicked to her.

"shut up," he spat, his voice sharp with authority. though she couldn't see his face, the menace in his tone was unmistakable.

florence, however, was too tired for his threats. she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "right," she muttered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. she wasn't afraid anymore. not in the same way. if they were going to silence her, they would have to do it by force.