Antidote | A3

c h a p t e r . f o u r

A sombre mood hung in the air. Gladers sat, muttering in small groups. No one knew what to do next.

"So," Minho started finally, leaving his seat and wandering forward to address the room. Everyone immediately turned to listen to him, desperate for some kind of guidance.

Thomas stood up after him, moving to the middle of the room. That kind of kickstarted everyone else, and soon we'd all sort of gathered together in a group, in front of Minho.

"So," Frypan called back. "That's what we're doin'? Eat ourselves stupid, then hop on through a portal at the crack of dawn?"

"It don't seem like we got much choice otherwise," Minho replied.

"Who was that slinthead?" someone called out.

"I don't know, but he had the most punchable face I've ever seen," I said, which caused Minho to bark a laugh.

"Yeah, he looked like a rat," he agreed. "Shucking Rat Man."

"He was the same guy from last night," Teresa piped up. Thomas looked at her with a frown. "The rescuer that stepped in when the other tried to take me to a different room. He was the one that said I could stay."

That's why I recognised him! Leo shouted to me. I glanced across the group at him, eyebrows knotting in concern.

Thomas turned to Aris and Leo. "Do you remember him?"

Leo was already nodding. "Yeah. Except he was the one that did split us up, led us to a different room. He just said we had a different dormitory, but that was the last time we saw any of our girls."

"Do you think he just decided there and then to change the conditions for the groups?" Teresa wondered. "I feel like WICKED are too... prepared, for that."

"No," Thomas said. "That had to have been on purpose."

"Does that mean Teresa's important? Like, is something supposed to happen?" Minho wondered. "...Her tagline was The Betrayer."

"I told you, I have no idea what that means," Teresa argued.

"Alright, slim it. Fighting with each other at this stage is gonna solve bloody nothin'," Newt berated. He took a deep breath. "We just need to figure out our next steps."

"Well, they're obvious, aren't they?" Aris said. "Like you guys said, we don't have another choice. We sit here nice and tight, and in the morning we start Phase Two." He sighed. "I don't think there's any getting out of this."

With that finality, the group eventually began to disperse. Most of the Gladers returned to their seats in the cafeteria. Some wandered back for more helpings of food. I stood very still.

"Well. I guess we sit tight until tomorrow morning," Teresa said weakly.

"I need a shower," Thomas remarked. He stood there awkwardly for a moment, before nodding to himself and wandering off out of the room.

As he went, I glimpsed the top of the black marking on his neck, poking up out of his shirt.

To be killed by Group B.

I guessed that was playing on his mind a lot more than he was letting on.

"Where do we even start?" Newt muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

"I'm gonna take a walk around this place," Aris announced. "See what I can find."

"I'll join you," Leo said. We watched them go.