Bewitching

29|The Last One

I reached the box just as Ricky did, cursing under my breath. She looked faintly surprised, but just groaned. "Not another one." I nodded and stood next to her. I knew we had a connection before all of this. Had we worked for WICKED together? A crowd had gathered, and the alarm stopped. Thomas came up behind me and took my hand, a confused look on his face. "What's happening?"

I shrugged. "Another Greenie." I pulled my hand from Thomas's as Newt walked up on the other side of the box, sneaking glances at me. We were slowly working things out. Maybe. Jack came up behind me. "Yo, wassup?" He asked, slapping me on the back. I laughed and turned to him. "Waiting for the shuck Greenie, how about you?" He laughed, his nose crinkling. Thomas laughed too. "Lucky you, bro." He turned to Thomas, smiling. "Only had to be the shuck Greenie for one day." Thomas looked confused as Ricky, Jack and I laughed. He always looked confused, now that I thought about it. We chatted as we waited for the box, but the conversation seemed to grow darker, as the minutes ticked by, and the Box came closer. I rubbed my nose, feeling a bit sick. This was a lot to take in. I heard panting breaths behind me as a certain sweaty Asian showed up. "Was' happenin'?" He said between breaths. I looked him up and down, eyebrows raised. "Zayum, you're fast." He bobbed his eyebrows and wiped his forehead. "That shuck Grievers still lying there, seemingly dead as can be." I shook my head, feeling a bit dizzy as I looked around at the huge gray stone walls encasing us, protecting us, if that's what you'd call it, from the Maze. Vertigo. I told myself. The box suddenly shuddered to a halt under the doors, and I swung around to see, nauseous with anticipation. Newt and Alby pulled the doors open, and then glanced in. A look of confusion crossed their faces, and chatter started to break out. "What's in there Newt?!" "Yeah, spit it out!" He looked up at me, then glanced down at the box. "Ably raised his hands for quiet, and it immediately became silent. "Tell 'em Newt." Newt looked up. "It's a girl." It remained silent. He ruffled his hair. "And that's not bloody half of it. I think she's dead!" People turned to each other,  talking about the girl, wondering what she looked like or if she was hot. I stayed silent. Another girl? My mind whirled and I coughed, crouching down to the ground. The world started to spin around me, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

-

I moaned a bit, and it suddenly grew very, very quiet. I shuddered, and cracked my eyes open a slit. "Wha-!" I shot straight up. I was still in the Glade. But I was completely, and utterly, alone. Lizzy. I heard a voice, and spun in circles. Nope, I was alone. "I'm going crazy." I whimpered. Crouching down again. No you're not. The voice spoke again. It was inside my head. I squeezed my hands over my ears. My name is Aris. Try to speak back to me once. I shook my head. Shuck it, shuck it all. Why the shuck not. I thought of words, forming them in my brain, then mentally shoved them, towards the image of Aris I had already created for myself, in a way I could have never explained. He didn't respond, and I tried again. Can. You. Hear. Me? I shuddered from the effort. The excited reply came quickly. Yes! I can. Very well actually. I stood up, looking around. Where is everyone Aris? I could feel him laughing. All of this is a figment of your imagination. Except for us talking, of course. My eyes widened as I spun around again. Do they miss me back in the Glade? There was that feeling of laughing again. You don't understand. You're still in the Glade.

What? I shook my head. I don't understand. I started to hear a chatter of voices, some I recognized. Quick! I need to remind you. Aris sounded rushed.  "There will be a time and a choice. You or him. Choose the right one, the right path."

-

I was brought back to about a month ago, alone in the corn. When I had met..my twin? Clone? I don't know. But she had left me with that ominous message. The voices in my ears got louder and louder, until I had to crouch again. I moaned as they suddenly seemed to reach their tipping point. "Lizzy? E-Liz-a-Beth. Are you okay?" I was being shaken. I opened my eyes to see a bunch of people loking at me weirdly. "Uh, yeah." I stood up and brushed off my pants, trying to act casual. They had pulled the Greenie out of the box, and Thomas was arguing with Alby. Probably another confrontation. I shoved my way over, and Alby turned to me. "What's going on here, Lizzy?" I snarled and curled my fists. "What makes you think I would shucking know?" He shook his head, then pointed at the girl. I looked down at her. She had beautiful, wavy, flowing, night black hair. She was pale as a ghost. "I-" I crouched down next to her, confused. She tugged at my mind, a faraway memory I couldn't quite grasp. Another example of how extremely frustrating the memory block was.  Imagine looking at your very own mother, and not knowing who she even was, but knowing she was very, very important. Yeah, thats how this was. "Well, do you know her?" Alby prodded me with his foot. But I was too stunned to retaliate. "What?" I reached for something white in the girls hand. "What in the bloody hell is that?" Newt gently took the crumpled piece of paper from my hands and unfolded it. I read it. Then reread it, and re-reread it. I sat back feeling dizzy as people started shouting, wondering what was on the note.