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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘 𝐎𝐍𝐄
·𖥸·
ᴛʜᴇ ᴇsᴄᴀᴘᴇ
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JOSEPHINE COULDN'T feel anymore.
It was as if the aching pains that stung her whole body suddenly disappeared.
As if the nerves on her brain shut down, turning off the lights.
But she couldn't. She couldn't leave reality just yet.
Not when they needed her.
When Thomas needed her.
Ten minutes of jogging in a pace that felt that lasted forever, Josephine couldn't stop envisioning the look of Gally's face as she left the Glade for the last time.
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She knew she was doing the right thing, escaping was what she had longed for ever since she stepped foot onto the green grass blades that kept on going.
She just hoped that she would make it out alive, even though another part of her roared to stop fighting.
Her eyes roamed the small group of people whom she had shared imprisonment with, her eyes landing on the raven haired boy.
She recalled the way he whispered her name when she had ran to him, flesh and bone intact after puncturing his skin with the same liquid that had made Alby disappear into oblivion.
She wondered if he had remembered, just as Alby had.
Frankly, it scared her.
What did Thomas know?
"Jo?", she heard from behind her, her head turning to see Newt jogging besides her, his face filled with concern.
"Did he remember?", she asked towards him, referring to the hazel eyed boy in front of her.
"Yes", he briefly answered.
"Did he tell you?", she questioned.
"Yes."
She was about to ask more, the urge to answer more questions taking over her mind, however the sound of a voice yelling made her focus turn back to the tragedy of her surroundings.
"Come on this way!", Thomas called out from in front of her, his voice echoing back to those who followed.
Jogging a steady pace, a group of people had been armed with spears and blades as sharp as the breaths taken from their mouths.
The walls decorated with leaves and twigs seemed to never leave the eyesight of those traveling among them.
"Keep it up guys. We're almost there!", Thomas yelled, heavy breaths escaping his panting chest.
Reaching a towering wall that mirrored the rest, Thomas and Jo signaled a stop. Their backs placed on the wall, the others reflecting their actions.
Jo looked to Thomas, him nodding before taking a glance at what lied beyond the wall that dug dirt and gravel onto Josephine's shirt.
"Is it a Griever?", Chuck asked, the smallest of waves washing over the question.
However, Josephine didn't need a "Yes" or a "No", the simple intake of Thomas's breath let her know the answer.
"Yeah", he answered, still, letting the others know. A simultaneous gasp crowded the air as the group faced the tragedy of what was about to happened.
"Shit", Chuck breathed out.
They would either live or die.
Josephine glanced down at the machete her hand encased, gripping it harder before setting her eyes down at the metal tube in Minho's hand that held their escape.
"The plan is simple. Protect", Josephine whispered loud enough for the group to hear as her head gave a small nod to the metal tube.
Minho nodded in agreement.
"You take this Chuck", he began, his hand reaching the tube out for taking. "Stay behind us."
Chuck puffed out a heavy breath as Thomas placed his hand on his shoulder, an encouraging interaction between the two.
Chuck looked up from the tube that now sat on his palm, meeting Josephine's eyes.
"Think flower fields", she whispered, a totem to the soothing she had provided him on his first night in the tragedy they called, or used to call, home.
"Flower fields", Chuck whispered underneath his breath.
"It's okay. Just stick with me", Teresa spoke, putting her hair up as she nodded towards Josephine and Thomas.
"Once we're through it will activate and the door will open. Alright, we stay close, we stay together. We get through this. We get out now, but we die trying", Thomas spoke, his words making everyone's heart beat skip a few drums.
"Two up front. We charge first. The rest fall behind", Josephine commanded. "The goal isn't to kill but to pass. Is that understood?"
Some nods were given, a few murmurs of agreement echoed through the group, but all understood.
Her eyes searched those in front of her before settling on those who stayed besides her.
"Ready?", Thomas questioned towards her first before looking back at everyone else.
"Ready."
"Alright, let's go!", he yelled, backing up and turning to the side where a monster laid ahead.
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Battle cries responded his own as the group headed towards the rabid machine.
Spears were positioned, blades were held high, feet were running.
Metal on metal was soon heard as the spears met the metallic skin of the Griever.
"Push it!", Thomas yelled through the chaos, muscles aching forwards.
"Duck!", Josephine shouted, the fighters all bending down at the word.
A scream of horror stood out from the rest as the first life was taken away.
Teresas blade skimmed the metal, the tube flying out.
"The key!", shouted Chuck, rushing towards the rolling tube.
"Chuck!", Teresa exclaimed, making Josephine's head turn towards her direction.
"No! Chuck!", Josephine yelled after him, striking the stinger of the Griever before running after the boy with along with Teresa, his upper body hanging off the edge.
"Oh no", he mumbled at the sight of another Griever climbing up towards him.
"I got you, Chuck", Teresa spoke, as both she and Josephine pulled the boy up while the group pushed the Griever they were fighting off the edge.
Josephine's hands met his face as she looked for any signs of injuries.
"There's more!", he told her just as two Grievers climbed onto their path.
"Go!", Josephine ushered towards Chuck and Teresa, pushing them behind her as she held her blade and machete high.
"Thomas! Thomas!", she could her Chuck yell out.
"Chuck!", Thomas yelled back before his eyes landed on Josephine's figure among the two Grievers.
With no hesitation, Thomas's feet began running towards her, however she caught up first as the Grievers pushed her back.
The group gathered among the pair, once again, metal on metal.
"It worked!", Chuck yelled, looking back, stopping to see what he should do next.
"We're still good!", Thomas yelled at his stop, making Chuck and Teresa run towards the hole that had opened up.
The fight continued and another scream echoed through the grunts of the group, another life taken.
"Clint!", Josephine heard Jeff scream, or more, cry.
In a glance that only lasted a second, Jo's heart broke at the sight of Jeff's face, alive yet dead.
"Thomas! There's a code! Eight numbers", Teresa shouted towards him.
Both Thomas and Josephine shared a look before Josephine spoke.
"Eight sections of the Maze!", she gathered as Thomas nodded in agreement.
"Hey! Minho! What's the sequence?", Thomas questioned out between breaths.
"What?", Minho answered as he struck one of the Grievers, confusion in his voice.
"The sections of the Maze!", Josephine yelled before a ringing took place through her ears.
And suddenly, Josephine could feel again.
She was knocked onto the floor as a sharp pain stung her right cheek. The Griever had sliced a diagonal line, trailing her cheekbone.
Her hand raised up, her fingers lightly pressing the wound, leaving a stain of bright red on them.
"Jo!", Thomas cried out, letting his spear down as his body turned to run to her.
"No! I'm okay! Minho. The sequence!", she yelled as she got up from the rough ground.
It took Minho a second to register what had happened, all hesitation and confusion leaving at the sight of the scarlet liquid that oozed from Josephine's face.
"Seven! One! Five! Two! Six! Four!", Minho yelled out before the numbers stopped and his scream was heard.
"Minho!", several voices yelled as the boy laid on the ground, the Griever on top of him as he tried to push it back.
A battle cry was heard as Jeff brought his spear up and down, giving Minho time to push himself back, away from the machine.
However, a life for a life was given as Jeff's scream was heard.
"Jeff!", Winston yelled out towards him, but Jeff was long gone.
The ringing in Josephine's ears only got louder and louder as the seconds ticked by.
She couldn't hear what Chuck had yelled out, but she managed as Minho's loud voice yelled out the final numbers.
The group kept pushing the Griever back as they joined Chuck and Teresa. The red hue omitted from the holographic lock becoming a green.
Walls crashed down from above, sectioning off those below them.
The Griever ran faster towards them, missing the falling concrete until Thomas threw a spear, pushing it back and meeting its crushing death.
Then came darkness.
Josephine could hear everyone's heart beat, canceling the ringing out.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
A noise was heard as a door opened, light frighting the darkness off. Teresa pushed the door back, making Jo squint her eyes at the contrasting brightness.
Slowly, the group walked towards the light, leaving the dark room behind.
Josephine felt a brush at her hand, skin on skin, looking down to meet Thomas's own.
Her eyes searched his as she felt his thumb and index finger on her chin.
He gently moved her head to the side, examining the wound that she had gotten.
His breath shook, his thumb slowly tracing her bottom lip.
Josephine could see hurt, guilt and anger all in one shining on his eyes, or maybe it was just tears.
However his hand soon left her face as the noises of lights lighting up made each look side to side.
"Let's go", she whispered ever so quietly to the group as she began walking towards one direction, the rest following her lead.
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Treading slowly and silently, the group soon found a door.
So many doors had been encountered, however, none but the one in front of her contained the words "Exit" shining in bright green above it.
Josephine didn't know if she should sigh in relief, take in a deep breath or laugh.
"Seriously?", Frypan asked out, reading her thoughts.
"Looks too good to be true", Josephine spoke, looking to Frypan as he nodded along.
Thomas reached for the handle, slowly opening the door as the group waited anxiously at what the sight could hold.
And what it held was a deep breath at the view of dead people in lab coats on the floor, blood splatters surrounding them.
They looked like...dolls.
"What happened here?"
No one answered.
They continued walking, reaching a glass room filled with live wires and computers, brains scans displayed on them.
"So, they were watching us", Newt spoke, his eyes glancing towards the content on the screens. "This whole time."
"Lab rats", Josephine scoffed under her breath.
Everything felt so wrong.
Her eyes travels around the room, white and blue.
It felt cold.
It felt familiar.
"Are you okay?", Minho asked from behind her.
Josephine turned, his eyes full of concern. They too held guilt.
"I'm okay", she assured him.
Neither of the two believed it.
"I've cleaned up more messes than you know, Minho. At most, it'll scar", she spoke.
"A badass scar for a badass girl", he said, giving the smallest of smiles.
Josephine tried to return one, but the corners of her lips felt dry to the point of cracking.
She continued to walk around, examining the room, analyzing its holdings.
Her eyes landed on a certain computer, the screen lighting up with several words.
"Subjects."
"Exam."
"Trial."
"Failed."
They all connected to the feeling of horror and disgust.
Josephine wished she could remember, her eyes shut hard but nothing came.
That is until she opened them and watched how Thomas gave her a glance before pushing his finger onto the screen in front of him.
"Hello, my name is Dr. Ava Paige."
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━━━━━━ AUTHOR SPEAKS !
ONE MORE CHAPTER LEFT! I apologize for the lack of updating, yet again, I have been struck with laziness.
As always, I LOVE FEEDBACK, it would mean so much if you guys commented, voted, followed or messaged me!