The Rogue Variable

Chapter nine

We both looked at eachother and I knew he saw the vision too. Tears spilled over my eyes, like I just realized I had found something I had never knew I had lost. And I did.

He eyes became glossy, "hey sis..." He choked, I weakly smiled. Not knowing what to do, I raised. He jumped to his feet and we stood awkwardly looking at eachother, until I reached forward pulling him into a hug, sobbing into his chest. "It's okay, I'm here now," he consoled.

"What's going on?!" I heard a voice shout, it was Newts. I pulled from Gallys strong chest to face Minho, Adam and Gally. "So this is the pain?" Minho asked, smirking, before seeing my tear stained eyes. He immediately hardened, " did this slinthead hurt you?" He marched over, grabbing gallys shirt.

"No! No!" I pushed him away. Adam looked at me thoughtfully, resting his hands at my shoulders. "What happened?"he asked, as he gingerly wiped the tears from my face.

I laughed, "gallys my brother," I smiled. They all looked at me like I'm crazy.

"Oh my god it's gotten to her, the shuck Glades' made her go nuts," Minho whispered. "She's not crazy," Gally defended. "Bloody both of them," newt muttered. I scoffed, "we're not,"

"So you bloody just know?" Newt asked. "We got a memory back," Gally said, "but it wasn't like the ones I got during the changing" he explained. I spun to him. "The changing?" He waved me off, "later," he mumbled.

"You guys are bloody related. I can see your resemblance," newt said. Me and gallys hair were the same color. Our ears were pretty similar too. His eyebrows were like mountains, and mine were similar but not exactly the same. Our lips were also similar.

"Oh my god," Adam stated, hands on his head. "Bloody..." Newt muttered. "Well aren't you getting exciting," Minho said loudly, hands on hips. "Do you think their information is important," newt asked. "I wouldn't say the information, but yet how they got it," Adam suggested.

"How did it... Trigger?" Minho asked. "In the dream, his arm was on mine, and in real life his arm was on mine," I shrugged. "Everyone start touching her," Minho said waking over, while placing a hand on my head. I pushed him off, "what are you doing," I asked.

"Trying to trigger something," he asked innocently. "It doesn't work like that," I rolled my eyes. "Well I'm sorry, I didn't know you were in expert at memory inducing," he rolled his eyes in turn.

"Instead of fighting like bloody kids, why some work done," newt pointed to me, "and you got a big day ahead of yah," he said, they turned off. Gally started walking away, "talk to you later okay?"

I nodded. I looked at Adam and I could tell he wanted to talk to me, but Minho was still here. He looked between us and raised his eyebrows.

"Alright, I'll leave you two alone to make out. But if Gally catches you, he might kill you," Minho said, and before I could say a comeback, he strutted off. I could've sworn he sashayed.

Blushing, I turned to Adam. "We need to talk," he said, leading me to the deadheads.

The blissful darkness seemed to calm my soul. I don't know how so much could happen in so little time, yet it be my whole life. The towering trees made me feel small, as if I could curl up and be forgotten, like the weeds growing askew in between the blades of grass. Leaves danced down, their grace taunting me. They were free, feeling the breeze. Yet I, trapped, by stone walls. But also trapped by something inside of me. There was small spots of efflorescence, and I blissfully appreciated them, for the pallid colors of the glade were depressing, and not the best for motivation.

Adam skipped over knobby roots, graceful, as he picked his way through the branches. Bushels crowded around, one every 5 feet, and beetle blades stirred through them. I imagined the people, sitting behind their screens, watching what will play out on the emotional roller coaster.

We came across the wall, and Adam sat down, noting that this would be a while.

We sat in silence for ten minutes, neither of us knowing how to start until he said, "wow,"

I turned to him, looking to see what was amazing him when I saw him staring at me. "What?" I sputtered. "You," he began, "you don't get it do you?"

I chuckled, confused. "You think you're another glader, and well you're lucky there aren't riots," he seemed to sadden. "You're something new, Joanie, you're unexpected. And there are certain gladers who don't like that. Whenever things change, it could damage our entire lifestyles. We've never gotten a girl, and we've never had people sporadically get memories. It just doesn't happen," he sighed. "There are rumors, the people I talked about earlier, I don't know who they are, but they think you're dangerous,"

I scoffed. Yeah I may be tough and probably take a few of them, but if a group of them riled against me if be helpless. Like a worm in the clutches of a bird.

"I need you to tell me, if anyone bothers you in anyway. If they give you a bad look, tell me and I'll keep an eye out. If they physically or mentally do anything to you, I'll break their shuck faces, got it?" He demanded, leaning towards me. I just nodded. "Good that," he stated, relaxing and leaning against the stone.

I moved closer to him, intertwining our hands, before placing my head on his chest and slowly falling asleep. My day had drained me and I wonder if I could never wake up. If I could stay afloat, flying in numb dreams, everything behind me as the smoke from my trail clouded it. Like how it clouded my past.

But I was done thinking. I enjoyed where I was right then. I wish it wasn't in a giant maze with killing machines, but it's what I got.

Warmth enveloped me as I slowly fell asleep, comforting my senses.

But in the full whisper of wind, and it might've been my dreams, a voice echoed.

"This is only the beginning,"