"Glad to see you're ready too! Let's go." Rat Man said and tilted his head back from where he came. "Wait!" I said. Thomas was looking at me. My eyes almost welled as I saw his face again. I hurried over with my arms out and he embraced me tightly and I held onto him. "You're here. You're alive." He said. "Yes. I'm okay." I said. He let go of me and I held his face in my hands. "You're alright? They didn't do anything to you?" I asked him while looking into his eyes. "No. I'm okay." He said. His eyes were welling. "Come along now." Rat Man encouraged. I let go of Thomas and we sucked back our tears and began following him. He lead us down a hallway and to a door then he walked through and into the room without hesitation. I entered shortly after and then Thomas. All our friends and Group B were in the room talking and laugh. It seemed surreal. I wondered if they were told it was all over and were now giddy as can be. "Well I've been shucked and gone to heaven. It's Thomas and Millie!" Minho said. Thomas couldn't stop smiling. He was scanning each and every one of them. I began to wonder what was going on. Was this the same as last time? Feeding us false hope? Or is it for real and The Flare is giving me negative thoughts? So far everything I had thought up of was right all along.
I looked to Thomas who was looking ahead. I looked up ahead of us to see Teresa. Clean, her long black hair down. She smiled while staring right at him. I looked back to Thomas. "Tom..." I said but was cut off as Minho and Newt came over to us. Minho slapped his hand on Thomas's back and they pulled us closer into the room. "Good thing ya didn't just go and roll over and die on us!" Newt said. Was he still hiding how we felt for each other? If he was, he was doing a good job of it. I felt more like just a friend. "Newt..." I spoke. He walked around me, not making eye contact and joined Thomas. I looked at everyone and didn't see Jorge and Brenda. They must have sent them back to the scorched lands like they threatened before. Good riddance. I thought in my head. I never really liked them anyways. Thomas walked up to Teresa. I felt my head tilt. I didn't want him near her. She isn't to be trusted. He spoke a few words then turned away from her in a blush. The boys were exclaiming how cute it was. "That's almost as sweet as when she hit you in the shuck face with her spear." Minho commented. Just keep reminding me of why I want her eliminated Minho. I was looking to Minho with a dirty look but he wasn't noticing me.
I looked back up to Thomas. "True love indeed." Frypan said. I couldn't believe these guys! "Just wait until they have their first REAL fight!" Another Glader said and laughter erupted in the room. Thomas was looking to me as I looked back to him. He could tell I wanted to punch, beat down and thrash everyone in the room. He made an expression as if to command me to let it roll off my shoulders. I almost couldn't. But like a pet to an owner, I obeyed. I relaxed my hands and slightly looked towards the floor. Rat Man started making his way down the aisle clapping his hands. "Everyone take a seat! We've got a few things to cover before we remove the swipe." He said. I lifted my head and looked to Thomas as he was watching Rat Man then I turned to look at Rat Man. The Swipe? He means, like....as in...memory swipe? Rat Man walked onto a stage and up to a lectern and placed his hands on it. He began to grin like he did in the room with me and spoke. "That's right ladies and gents. You're all about to get your memories back. Every last one of them." He said. I wasn't sure if I wanted that to happen. I started looking to the floor with my eyes shifting as if I was reading a letter. All the memories? Of the scorching? My own escape? My parents being left behind to die or become Cranks? Myself placed into a tubular cage for tests and simulations later on? To remember everyone in the laboratory? What WICKED was for and all about? I was getting real used to this new me. I didn't want to change. I didn't want to remember any of that. I had my new being. My new reason for living. And I didn't want to remember my past, when this was my future.
As Rat Man continued to speak I sat down and listened to his speech about the swipe and remembering. "I'd like to punch you in the shuck nose!" Minho said from beside me. His tone was surprisingly calm but I knew the meaning behind it was legit. "Yeah! I'd like to see that rat nose smashed in!" Newt chimed. I looked to him. He'd never spoken like that before. I wondered what they did to him during Phase Three but at the same time, I kinda liked this new Newt. Ratman spoke again but Frypan interrupted and questioned why we should trust him. "WICKED is good." Teresa said. I slowly turned and looked back to her. "While being on my own I wrote three words on my arm and I believe it to be true." She said. As I turned and pointed to her and started saying things the entire room was filled with everyone arguing. "WICKED is NOT good! You hear me you wench! And I'll make sure they all suffer! Including you most!" I shouted at her. Rat Man hollered at us all to be quiet. "I hope you die a slow merciless death you traitor." I snarled before I sat back down and looked at Rat Man. "What if we don't want to do this?" Frypan asked. "Then you don't have to." Rat Man answered. That gave me a bit of relief. "But don't you want to remember your friends and family? Have some good memories restored? It's fine by me. But this is only one chance." He said. He began to head towards a door. I stood and looked to Thomas, Newt and Minho discussing something quietly. I looked to Teresa. "WICKED is good." She said in a calm tone. "You say that again wench I will bleed your shuck face out." I threatened. She stood with the girls from Group B and they were heading to follow Rat Man. Aris was walking by me. I still disliked the boy. I felt someone touch my back and looked to see Newt. "Let's go." He said. I followed along as the Gladers did as well.
We were lead down long corridors with no windows. Then finally to a room. Inside there were beds and weird face masks with tubes. I shook my head. There was no way I was having that on my face. I look to Thomas who looked at them too then at Teresa who started talking. I looked at her too. She wondered if a gizmo inside our heads for WICKED to control us would be gone too. Rat Man said it would. I now had an urge to not, but yet do this to get that out of my head. I didn't want them controlling me. She asked a question but stopped midway and was staring at Thomas. I was lurking over his shoulder, staring her down. She looked back to Rat Man and he said it would take away their telekenetic speech forever. I heard Thomas let out a short huff from an inside laugh. I poked his back and he looked back at me as I shifted to his side. I wore a sly smile and gave him a nod. He knew what I was meaning. Good then. I hope she does do this. He was hoping the same thing. He didn't want her to be in his head anymore either. He watched the Gladers and Group B as they were deciding.
Rat Man said he almost forgot something. "Some of you are immune to The Flare and some of you aren't." He spoke. "I will now go through that list. Please, take it with ease." He spoke. I looked around then back to Thomas. "You know we got that." I whispered. "Yeah. They call us Munies out there. And they really hate us. Rat Man told me." He whispered back. "We gotta watch over and watch out for those who aren't immune. They could become...." I paused myself. I didn't wanna say it. These were my friends. The boys I protected. "I know." Thomas whispered back. He lifted his arms and crossed them and let out a huff. Waiting to hear who we'd be dealing with and caring for. And watching to not turn on us so fast or in the night. I couldn't help but cross my arms too. But I felt worried. Not angry. And not scared. I was worried for the sake of my friend's lives. And for their well-being. I hope a cure is made and done fast so they can be cured before they go past The Gone. I don't want my friends turning into that man at the window. I don't want to see that sight. And by Thomas's actions, he didn't either.
