The Ignition - TMR Group B

Part 9

The next morning I wake, roll out of my hammock and shove my feet in my shoes. I head over to the homestead and meet with the girls who were in the med bay yesterday.

"What's the plan?" I ask Harriet with crossed arms and a concerned expression.

"Call a gathering. We need to keep everyone calm."

"Val, Kim, Em spread the word. We'll do it now." Sonya says moving to talk with Harriet.

Us runners move to different parts of the glade spreading the word to the rest of the girls. By the time I get to the Council Hall I'm the last one just behind Kim. I move to sit beside Val.
Harriet starts to talk about how we all need to stay calm and work hard. I tune her out and turn to Val.

"Is Kim okay?"

Val nods and whispers. "She's okay. She's just not used to change."

I nod and focus back on Harriet.
"I trust you will put you best work forward and when we find out more we will let you know. Gathering dismissed."

We file out of the Council Hall and I approach Sonya and Harriet.

"Are we moving to the map room?" I ask and Harriet nods.

"Take Kim, Val, and Sonya. I need to check on the greenie."

I take off grabbing Kim and Val before they get too far away.

"Map room." I say taking a glance around to see most of the gladers heading back to their stations.

"Harriet wants us there." Kim and Val follow behind me quickly to the dark room that we store the chests in.

"What can we do differently?" I ask the girls rifling through the stacks upon stacks of paper.

"Day to day every section. I don't know. Is there something else we could do?" Sonya says as she pulls out a weeks worth of maps.

"Maybe a ninety degree rotation?" Kim says running her hands over her face. "What are we even looking for?"

"I don't know. But we will know when we find it." Harriet says as she walks through the door.

We spend a few minutes turning the maps, crossing them trying to see anything at all that can help us. Getting nothing.

"Could we try day to day maybe? That might work." Val says, bringing one days worth of maps towards her.

"Here. You see? It's making letters."
She holds the parchment paper to the light. "It's an H."

"Grab the other days." Harriet says.

"I got three."

"Two."

"I'll do four."

We all grab our respective days and line them up.

"Val has day one which is H. Kim you have two?" Sonya asks.

"E."

"A." I say. "Harriet?"

"L."

"Heal?" I ask. "There must be something we're missing."

"Do the rest. Tell me what happens." We all nod and Harriet walks out.
By the end of it we come up with five words.

"Heal, Game, Run, Kill and Push."

❖❖❖

The next morning Val and I head out to the cliff. The five of us who were in the map room yesterday decide that the only way to get out of here is through the Cliff. We have explored every inch of this maze and there is no way out.

"You ready?" I ask Val taking a deep breath, grabbing my backpack straps, jumping up and down with little hops.

She nods as the gates open. "Lets go!"
I sprint off into the Maze letting my legs fly and the wind catch my hair. Val is right beside me laughing and smiling. After about forty five minutes of running, making good time, we round the corner to reach the last stretch of ivy covered walls before the Cliff.

"Do you want to start on that side and I'll start on this side." I ask Val picking up rocks from the side of the corridor.

"Yeah. There has to be a glitch or something."

I nod. After a while we have a big enough pile of rocks that we start to throw them from either side. Near than far slowly inching toward the centre of the abyss. Each rock falls so far down that we can't even see it. After a while I throw a rock near the centre that just disappears. It doesn't fall.

Just disappears.

I throw one more rock just to be sure. "Val. Val. Look!"

She glances toward me.
"Really? We're going to get out?"

"I don't know. Look!" I throw another rock.

We throw a couple more rocks getting the sizing of the hole, finally tying vines to rocks and the walls and throwing them in to keep the position marked.

"Val! Do You Know What This Means!! It Means We Can Get Out Of This Hell Hole!" I let out a big whoop, grab my backpack throw it on my shoulders and rush over to Val. Grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her.

"We have to go tell the others!"
Val laughs as I take off sprinting, yet again for the second time today.

❖❖❖

Once we are back at camp we immediately find Harriet with Rachel just outside the med tent.

"It's the Cliff. There is this glitch that has to be an out." I say all in a rush excited about the opportunity of escape.

"Good." Harriet says. "Once this stick wakes up-"

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!" Rachel screams grabbing her ears and crumpling to the floor.

"You okay Rach?" I ask tentatively, kneeling and putting my hand on her back.

"He's in my head! He's talking to me!"

At that moment Marina rushes out.

"The sticks awake."

❖❖❖

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Been having some health issues. I'm okay now though. Also sorry this is short. 😊

Hailleigh