W.I.C.K.E.D's Girl [Book One]

Chapter Seven

"Joan, you need to be faster than that! Pick up the pace!" A man in a white suit, with a big nose shouts at me. "Yes A.D. Janson I know!" I reply to the man-Janson. I sprint down a grey corridor towards him, he looks at a stopwatch and back at me. Suddenly I run straight into someone knocking them flat. "Oh my God! I'm so sorry!" I help the boy with dark hair up. "It's alright Jo, I should have known you were training now." He smiles but looks at Janson then back to me. "I'll let you get back to it before he blows a fuse!" He whispers then winks at me. Rolling my eyes I sprint back down towards Janson. "You'll have to be much quicker than that Miss Paige. Now we're finished with training today, you've earned some rest." "You're so generous Janson." I reply. My voice dripping with sarcasm.

I turn onto my side in my hammock, reawakening back to reality. Today I run in the maze... I can't help but feel nervous but the thought of the unknown excites me. Swinging my legs over the edge and sliding my boots on, someone knocks on the door. "Come in!" The door opens and Minho strides in with Newt in tow. "Told you she'd be up!" Minho says to Newt, Newt just rolls his eyes. I chuckle "Come on then, we've got a maze to run." I stand but Minho stops me. "What?" "First we've got some stuff to sort out." Stuff? I look to Newt and he gives me a look that sort of says let him have his moment. "Ok then. Follow me chipmunk!" He turns out of the room and I call after him "Sure minnow!" Newt just laughs at us. "Where are we going then?" I ask no one specific. "To the map run to get some supplies and show you some of the maps, just to give you some idea." Newt answers. We walk a bit further, a hut of some kind stands before us. Minho pulls a key out of his pocket and unlocks the door, "Consider this an honour chipmunk, no one but runners and Alby are allowed in here!" With that he swings open the door and gestures for me to enter. The room is dim and smells of damp. It's pretty bare apart from a crude wooden model on a table in the centre of the room. It's fairly large but it doesn't look complete. "That there is the maze we've been mapping for the past two years. And these here are maps of sections on specific days." Minho hands me some paper with a sketched map on it. "So first we need to give you a harness-" "-a harness? Do I look like... actually I won't finish that sentence." They both laugh at me obviously getting at what I was implying. "No this is to put your paper and stuff in." He throws me the harness and I slide it over my head. It's a bit big but not too bad. "It's already got some paper and something to draw with in so that just leaves food and a weapon." "A weapon?" "Just in case." Newt unlocks another door and opens it, the light in the room hardly lights up the storage space, but it catches the glint of metal. My eyes are drawn to a machete that's hanging at the back, I look back at the boys and then to the machete. Gripping the hilt firmly I slightly swing it and admire it. "Well there's another reason not to get on her bad side hey Newt!" Minho elbows Newt in his side to which he responds with an eye roll. "I think a visit to Fry is in order don't you?"

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After collecting food from Frypan, who was more sociable with me today, the three of us stand outside the east door. "Not long 'till the doors open, couple of minutes now. How ya feeling Jo?" I turn to Newt, should I answer him honestly? "Honestly, I'm nervous but I really can't wait to get in there." Newt tries to smile but I can tell he's really concerned. "Don't worry Newt I've got you and Minho to look out for me. What's the worst that can happen- oh and that was rhetorical!" This time Newt genuinely smiles. The familiar rumbling shakes the ground and reality suddenly ceases. Adrenaline pumps through me and I set myself to run. The gap in the wall is now wide enough for me to fit through, with a glance at Minho and Newt I push off and through the concrete doors.