Burning Curiosity //Minho

Thomas: Group A

Harriet and Sonya quickly roused the other girls who weren't too thrilled at being up at such an hour, especially Selena. "What are we going to listen to this creep for?" Selena demanded. "Teresa would kill us if she knew." I was surprised by this seeing as Teresa, before, didn't seem like the type to kill anyone. But now, I wasn't so sure.

"We're just going to compare notes." I informed them. "Aris didn't explain much about you guys. I haven't really talked to him a lot but he said that you guys were stuck in Maze just like we were, for two years. Well, two years up until he showed up."

"And that happened for you guys?" Raven asked.

"Yeah, first I showed up and started asking all the wrong, maybe all the right questions actually and everyone hated it. I was different. Then Teresa shows up just after me with a cryptic note.." Harriet cut me off.

"He's the last one ever."

"Yes, except it was she's, pronouns." I shrugged. "Anyways, what do you know about W.I.C.K.E.D?" Nobody spoke up. Everyone just whispered amongst themselves until Sonya sighed.

"Not much." I was comforted by this fact. If I told them enough, and if they believed me, I wouldn't die.

"Okay, this is good." I paused. "Well not good but good as in I can tell you." I breathed out slowly, deciding to start from the beginning. "W.I.C.K.E.D is the last government organization of this world. It stands for World In Catastrophe, Killzone Experiment Department." The girls began to whisper amongst themselves but a sharp word from Harriet shut them up.

"Experiment?" Silla demanded. "Like we're all lab rats?"

"Basically. We're, special that's what we've been told. The virus is affecting us differently than it did everyone else. I'm sure you've seen the Cranks?" The girls looked around confused. "The crazy people in the city?"

"We called them Psychos."

"Wording doesn't matter. Anyways, the virus killed off most of the population and the sun flares, the reason why we're in the middle of a desert and not some thriving district area, destroyed everything." I looked around to make sure they were following me. "W.I.C.K.E.D needs us to test variables, something to do with our brains. We have the Flare, all of us." The girls gasped.

"No we don't. W.I.C.K.E.D never said we had the virus." A girl shouted.

"They just said we might get infected if we went through the city." Sonya clarified.

"Well.. Maybe you guys don't have it then but that's what W.I.C.K.E.D told us that.." I paused. "Son of a... Its a variable. I don't think any of us has the virus." But if we didn't have the virus.. My mind immediately locked in on Brenda and Jorge. "If we don't have the virus then they don't have a cure. They're using us to find a cure."

"How?" Raven demanded.

"Like I said, variables. They need to test us. Our endurance, agility, coping under pressure, stress. They're throwing all these wrenches at us to see how we'll react and I'm pretty sure killing me is one of those variables." Harriet snorted.

"Sounds like something someone would say to get out of dying."

"What I'm saying is true. W.I.C.K.E.D is playing us, all of us. We're just pieces on one giant board game." The girls were silent and I sighed. "People rescued you right? They killed the Creators or fake Creators or whoever and told you you were safe." Everyone nodded slowly. "And then you find out from someone that you haven't escaped, you've never been free. It's all a part of their pan for us. Killing me, is part of that plan. They want to see if you'll actually do it."