Understand Me

18

Teresa's POV

"Teresa," Tom whispered. "What are you? How-?" Tom grumbled, he didn't even know what to say.
"Tom, we need to talk," I responded to his confusion, my voice was calm and soothing. Tom looked around to the group and it seems like I could read his mind. "Don't worry about them, just come with me." I gestured to the trees behind me with a quick jerk of my head.

He looked back to the girls of Group B, then turned to face me again. "Maybe we should—"
"Just come on. The act is over." I turned away without waiting for a response and stepped into the lifeless forest. Walking into the forest I begged that he didn't listen to me, because I knew from this moment on nothing would be same. But he followed me. "Why do you listen when you aren't suppose to Tom?" I whispered quietly to myself.

When I acknowledge that he was here we continued to walk in complete user silence. Every step we took was getting us closer and closer to the madness. I tried as hard as I could to think about something I could do or say to Tom and avoid what was coming. But of course my brain did come up with anything all it was telling me is that it's to save him.

Finally, he found the courage to speak. "Where're we going? And you really expect me to believe all that was an act? Why didn't you stop when everybody else agreed not to kill me?" Finally something clicked in my mind. Barely turning my head, I asked, "You remember Aris, right?" My stride didn't break when I answered him, I just kept moving.
He stopped for a second, completely taken aback. "Aris? What's he got to do with this?" He hurried to catch up with me again.mi could tell he was curious but dreading the answer as well.

I didn't respond right away, we managed to run into a thick part of the woods and I was thinking about how I could continue this conversation. I pushed a small branch out of my way and when I let it go I heard a small groan. Tom wasn't as close as I though he was because out of the corner of my eye I saw him hold his face. Once through, I finally stopped and turned to him, I felt my face drop because we finally arrived.

"I happen to know Aris very well," I said my voice getting tight. "Much better than you're going to like. Not only was he a big part of my life before the Maze, he and I can speak in our minds." I stopped for a second looking for Aris. He was suppose to come out by now. Suddenly I realized he probably wanted to see where I was going with this fake backstory. "Even when I was in the Glade, we communicated all the time. And we knew they'd eventually put us back together."

Tom looked at me searchingly. I don't blame him, what I said was so unexpected he must think it's a joke. I waited, arms folded, trying to read his facial expressions.
"You're lying," he finally said. "That's all you do is lie. I don't understand why, or what's going on, but—"
"Oh, come on, Tom," I said my desperation kicking in. "How could you possibly be so stupid? After all that's happened to you, how could anything surprise you anymore? Everything about us was part of some ridiculous test. And it's over. Aris and I are going to do what we were told to do, and life goes on. WICKED's all that matters now. That's it."

"What are you talking about?" He couldn't have looked more empty.
I looked past him, over his shoulder and finally I saw Aris appear out of the shadows. Tom obviously heard the snap of breaking twigs on the ground, but for some reason he stood his ground and didn't turn around.

"Tom," I said with a sigh because the moment had arrived. "Aris is right behind you, and he has a very big knife. Try anything and he'll slice your neck. You're coming with us and you're gonna do exactly what we tell you. Understand?"
Tom stared at me, rage was soon noticeable on his face. He'd never looked so angry in his life. "Say hi, Aris," I said with a smile because I didn't want to seem fazed by my bottled up emotions.
"Hi, Tommy," Aris said from behind. "Such a thrill to be with you again." The point of his knife just touched Tom's back but he remained silent.

"Well," I said after a quite walk to our destination. "At least you're acting like a grown-up about this. Just keep following me— we're almost there."
"Where are we going?" Tom asked in a steely voice. I turned around to answer him.
"You'll find out soon enough." I turned back and started walking through the trees again.

"Keep moving." Aris said through his teeth. Soon Aris and I were walking alongside each other, Tom was just an arms length away. "Well done Teresa, Counselor Paige will be very pleased with my report about you." His voice seemed more affirmative then it was moments ago. I looked at him and he had a smug grin, he looked like a completely different person. He then stepped closer to me and lowered his voice. "Take a look at this." He passed a small piece of folded paper into my hand, then he got closer, too close. "Read it carefully." I felt his lips graze my left ear and that sent shivers down my spine. I stepped away quickly from him before looking at the paper.

When I looked at the paper I couldn't believe what I was reading. From the looks of it Aris wrote somethings he wanted me to tell Tom but I wasn't so sure if I should or how I would. I felt unsafe being with Aris he no longer looked like a small kind kid. He seemed like a powerful and determined man that could kill you with one look.

He was always on the inside, he was the real mole. Just like me he has betrayed everyone. Was this how it felt for everyone? To see someone you know turn into a complete monster that you no longer recognized? My thoughts were stopped because it seems like we arrived tour detonation.

We reached a cave, the thick copse of trees serving as a tight wall at its entrance. I moved from side to side so I could get through, soon I was followed by the other two in the cave. Aris stepped around Tom, his blade aimed like a gun at his chest as he backed to the wall opposite Teresa and leaned against it. Aris made a subtle contact with the paper in my hand and then to his eyes. He was preparing me for what was to come.

A/N: I have updating again. I stopped it here because I am not physically, mentally or emotionally prepared for what is about to come. Thanks for reading I hoped you enjoyed.

Kayla ❤️