Kassidy's Travels

Untitled Part 12

"We have to find Teresa!" Thomas cried. For once I agreed with the shuck-face. We went to the door, and once we got it open, the stench was awful. Things were hanging from the ceilings, and I knew what they were. I didn't want to think about it. We got to the other side of the room and got the door open. I heard the sink running. I sighed in relief. She was just in the bathroom. We waited, and somebody else came out... He and I locked eyes instantly. At first, neither of us recognized the other, but then, it came to us.

"Aris?" I gasped. He nodded, mutely, then tentatively asked "Kassy?" I nodded, now the tears streaming down my cheeks were just a bit happy too. I walked over to him and gave him a hug. This was Aris. The boy I had grown up with. The boy who cared about me, and who I cared about. And I remembered. Not much, no good, proper memories, just him.

Hey stranger.

Hey yourself. You alright?

Was there a girl in here? She slept in this room, but I don't see her.

No. Sorry Kassy. Just me. Was she important?

She was my sister.

Oh.

I stepped to the side, and faced the Gladers alongside Aris. "Okay, shuck-faces. This is Aris. I remember him. Before you ask, no. I just remember him, no proper memories or anything that will tell us anything, except I grew up with him. Oh, and we have telepathy." I said as confidentiality and causally as I could. They looked around at each other. Taking in the two young children who had supposedly been raised alongside each other and couldn't remember a second of it. Taking in Aris. Then, I saw the look on Thomas's face. Teresa. I walked over to him and spoke as calmly as I could. I had stopped crying.

"Sorry, Thomas. Aris slept here last night. I don't know where Teresa is. We'll keep looking." I said. He pushed me away. I was forgetting something... Zac! Oh...no. I had just... Oh no. I walked over to him. He looked a bit scared, but still mad.

"How could you?!" He asked in an angry whisper.

"It was just a hug! Chill!" I said.

"No! We're done!" He whisper-yelled. I sighed. But I didn't feel sad... I shrugged and walked over to Aris.

"Well, there goes my boyfriend..." I sighed. He looked at me, surprised.

"You have a boyfriend?" He asked a little disappointed.

"Not anymore." I laughed. "What? You don't think I'm girlfriend material?" I asked with an overdramatic gasp.

"No! No not at all! I mean-ah-ehrm..." He said nervously. Thankfully, Newt called a gathering. We rearranged the bunks and sat in a circle-ish shape, Aris and I next to each other. Everybody ganged up on Aris to go first. I sat awkwardly next to him. He told us about his glade, with the Group B girls. Suddenly Aris looked at Thomas, and I heard them:

Can you hear me?

Yes.

They killed her, Rachel. They killed my telepathy partner.

I feel like that name is familiar... Just barely. I chimed in. Thomas nodded.

Well, that was a shocker. Then, somebody noticed something on Aris's neck. I looked at it.

Property if WICKED. Group B, Subject B1. The Partner.

I read it aloud. Everybody looked confused.

"I swear, it wasn't there last night!" He protested. Everybody was against him until...we all had them too. He pushed my hair to the side, and read mine aloud.

"Property of WICKED. Group A, Subject A1,-" he stopped short, and his hand tensed on my shoulder.

"What does it say Aris?" I asked him.

"To be-to be-to be-" he stuttered.

"What? To be what, Aris?" I asked, losing my patience.

"To be killed by Group B as well..." He trailed off. I gasped. I turned, breaking his grip on my shoulder.

"It must be a misprint... So many of us, they get us mixed up, I would expect." I laughed nervously. I went to go see Thomas's.

Property of WICKED. Group A, Subject A3. To be killed by Group B.

How comforting. Everybody went around reading each other's tattoos. Minho was the leader, A7, and Newt was A5, the glue