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

Chapter Eleven

My head pounds and I groggily open my eyes. It's dark but I feel the familiar comfort of my hammock. How'd I end up here... "Oh my God!" I swing out of my hammock and rush out of the room. Running into the med-jack's room I see that it wasn't a nightmare. Pulling up a stool I sit beside my friend. "I'm so sorry Minho. I couldn't stop it. It was like I was being controlled. You don't have to forgive me but please just be alright!" I rest my head in my hands muttering my apology over and over. "Jo?" A groggy voice pulls me from my muttering. "Min?" I look up to see him sat up and staring at me. "I'm so sorry." I barely whisper. He just looks at me, studying me intensively. "Why the shuck are you apologising?" "What?" His response surprises me. "I said why the shuck are you apologising? You couldn't help it." "I could have. If I was stronger and fought back rather than let it happen." Minho sighs. "Look, you're strong chipmunk but it couldn't have been easy to do that. What was it like?" I shudder at the memory. "I knew what I was doing but I didn't have control over my own body. I was... I was terrified Minho!" I can feel tears welling up in my eyes but I fight them back. "Why is this happening to me?" "I don't know. Everything is just shucked up around here anyway, I mean why did the creators send us here, why take our memories? Why control you?" "You think it was the creators that did that? But how is that possible?" So many questions, so little answers. "You tell me Jo. You should get some rest." "I think I've already-" "-No I mean seeming that I can't run tomorrow, you'll be taking my place." Minho smiles at me whilst I look at him dumbfounded.

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I couldn't sleep the rest of the night, now I'm just lying in my hammock comprehending the purpose of the creators controlling me. The doors will open soon so I sling my legs over the edge and head to the map room. I pack my supplies for the day, placing my machete on my back in my harness. "How you feeling?" Without spinning around I reply "Good, well better than I was. Thanks Newt." I finally turn to face him to see his face with confusion written all over it. "What are you doing?" "Minho asked me to take his run for today whilst he recovers." I reply simply. "Good that. Guess that means I'm your running partner then." He smiles at me. Why is he all of a sudden ok with me running? Newt must have noticed my expression. "You've proved that you are more than capable of looking after yourself Jo, just don't go making friends with a beetle blade this time." He smirks at me as I roll my eyes. We both step out of the map room and walk to Frypan to get some food. "So about last night-" "Newt I don't really want to talk about it. It was bad enough when I apologised to Minho." An awkward silence falls as we continue to get food. Why can't I talk to him? I'm normally so comfortable around him. "So..." I say trying to get a conversation going again. "So?" Newt asks. With that we both turn to face each other and burst into laughter. "I hate awkward silences!" I say in-between breaths. "Same here, look let's just get today's run over with shall we?" He offers his arm and I gladly link my arm with his.

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Shuck! Where did that come from?! My mind screams as Newt and I tear around the maze. Click click whir. That's all we can hear, both of us not wanting to look back. My lungs burn and my legs feel like lead but I push myself forward. "Through here!" Newt yells at me as he turns down another corridor. Slipping and sliding I manage to regain control as I take a sharp turn left to follow him. Click click whir. Another left and we reach the last leg of the run and into the Glade. "Come on!" I shout out. The doors start to rumble to a close. "No no no this can't be HAPENING!!!" With one final push I catch Newt, he grabs my wrist and pulls me with him as we launch ourselves through the closing doors. I land with a thud and a sheering pain runs up my right arm. "That was a close call." I mutter as I stand up. "You're telling me! What the shuck happened?" Both Newt and I turn to face a stern looking Alby. Struggling to find the words I look to Newt who is just the same. Alby sighs and rubs his hands over his face. "Get to the map room and we'll talk about it in there." Newt, who still has hold of my wrist, starts pulling me with him. "Newt you can let go now." I smirk at him and he instantly releases his grip. "Sorry." He sheepishly says. "What even happened? It was all a bit of a-" "-rush?" He finishes. "Yeah." Newt opens the door to the map room and immediately I lean against the table facing the door. Newt leans against the wall facing me and not a second later Alby and Minho both walk in closing the door. "Explain." Alby bluntly says.

Newt and Jo were sitting on the floor in the maze, eating and talking to each other. A sudden eerie noise breaks their conversation, Jo reached for her machete as Newt stoop up cautiously. "We should go. Quickly." Without any argument Jo stood, machete at arms, and followed Newt. At each corner they stopped and looked around. Nothing. Relaxing a little they both carried on towards the Glade. Then a sudden metallic sound. Click click whir. The hairs on Jo's neck stood on end as did Newt's, this was a sound that Newt feared and for good reason. "They don't normally come out during the day. Shuck something is bloody wrong!" Newt whispered to Jo who tensed at Newt's sudden mood. They ran faster as the sound grew closer. Jo put her machete back in her harness so she could run faster without the risk of hurting herself or Newt. Click click whir. It grew louder and louder, gaining on them. Out of the corner of her eye Jo saw a glint of metal appear around a corner behind them. She pushed Newt forwards "There's something back there." Her voice wavering. "We need to hurry!" Their pace picked up as did the source of the metallic sound. Running for what seemed like years Newt yelled "Through here!" and turned left down another corridor. Jo skidded as she made the sharp turn. Click click whir. Another abrupt turn and both the runners were on the last leg heading to the Glade. "Come on!" Jo shouted frustrated. The giant concrete doors scraped and rumbled. "No no no, this can't be HAPPENING!!!" Jo caught Newt and he pulled her with him through the narrow closing.

We finish telling the boys what happened and they both look grim. "Grievers haven't been sighted during the day since Paul. You two are lucky shanks." Alby grimaces as Minho mentions Paul. "But we didn't see a Griever, we heard it but didn't see one." I say and look to Newt for back up. "Still, things are changing, we need to be more careful. Jo you need to make sure all the runners are up to scratch training wise." Alby says with authority. "On it boss!" I mock salute. Minho and Newt try to hold back their laughter as Alby shakes his head. "How is it you're always able to make light of these situations?" He questions as he walks out of the map room. I just shrug at the boys and they laugh.