𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐓 | bellamy blake¹

↬ | chapter sixteen

015.

━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━ 

   Maggie soon understood why Lee had drugged her so she'd black out for a considerable amount of time. Unfortunately, it hadn't been long enough to get her though the entire ordeal without feeling it. Apparently, the Mountain Men wanted to decontaminate her of radiation as well. But was there really no other way?

   When she had woken up, over half of it was over, thankfully. Using a small-nozzled hose with insanely strong pressure, scalding hot water was being blasted onto the girl's body, and the unbelievable burning sensation made her body feel as though it was on fire. Even worse, she determined, having known the feeling of fire burning skin. This— this was her glimpse into hell, for sure.

   Magnolia's legs grew limp, but the shackles holding her up and closed against her neck, wrists, and ankles prevented her from falling to the ground in a crumpled mess. Salty tears that unknowingly dripped from her eyes mixed with the water, and the girl wasn't even aware of the cries that were loudly leaving her mouth. Never had she cried so hard; Maggie didn't know she had it in her. The ground presented her with all sorts of new surprises. 

   "Careful with her; she's not being harvested. Just decontaminated," one of the indistinguishable men spoke to the other, and he nodded knowingly. 

   A large machine-looking device poked into her skin; it turned out to be a needle. A very big one, at that. Maggie couldn't figure out for the life of her what it was for, and she didn't even have the chance to be afraid. 

   Continuing on strong, the hazmat-suitted man dropped a white pill into a gun-like machine, which was then slowly inserted into the teenager's mouth. No warning, with an ungodly force, it shot to the back of Maggie's throat. As a result, it caused her to lose her breath and burst into a fit of dry heaving. 

   Another needle. Whatever they were doing to her— whatever they were infiltrating into her body— it couldn't possibly be healthy. 

   Arguably the worst part of it all, they then took a hard-bristled brush and scrubbed; they abraded her body with such effort, in fear of allowing her into their premises with just a speck of dirt from the outside world. 

   More water came out in a shower-like fashion that round, washing off everything, leaving the girl to nothing but bare, completely agitated skin that felt like it'd never be restored to its formal glory. Maybe it was clean, but if that was clean, Maggie would choose to bathe in mud as opposed to facing that protocol ever again. 

△▽△

   "Maggie. Maggie," the eighteen-year-old awoke to a familiar voice coercing her out of a slumber. "Come on, just wake up."

   Opening her eyes slowly, Magnolia had never been more relieved to see the face of Maya Vie hovering over her. "Maya."

   "Come on, get dressed," she pushed a damp strand of hair from the brunette's face. "We don't have much time."

   Remembering all of the previous events that lead her up to that point, she practically jumped out of the medical cot, and Maya let out a small chuckle at the girl wearing a pastel yellow hospital gown. The abrupt act was a reminder of what she had endured earlier on, every centimeter of her body feeling as if it was filed down with sandpaper.