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[ Chapter 14 ]
❛Monster Unleashed❜
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IT HAD FELT LIKE HOURS since Jungkook had watched both Amara and Jay disappear within the depths of the maze, leaving him with the strong urge to follow them. However, his urge was denied by a brute of a boy, Gally, who had pushed him to the ground — literally.
Since then, Jungkook had slaved away in the gardens with Hope and Suga. Namjoon had taken him for a tour, brief, but a tour nonetheless and now with nothing else for him to do before night fell, Hope thought keeping the greenie occupied in the gardens would help take his mind off of what was going on around him; hoping he would finally stop asking so many questions and just accept his new life...
He had thought wrong.
"Has anyone ever tried climbing to the top?" He asked curiously. Hope shook his head.
"The vines don't go all the way to the top." Jungkook failed to miss the way Hopes voice grew hoarse as he spoke, as if saying those very few words were a struggle to him, but he didn't question it further.
"Besides— where are you gonna go from there, greenie?" Suga spoke up with an awaiting expression, wanting to hear what he could possibly have to say.
"Jump?" He suggested with a small shrug of his shoulders, as if it was worth a shot, even though he knew jumping from that height only to land on solid; hard stone would result in sudden death upon impact.
Suga's sharp eyes glanced at Hope. His cat-like eyes were hesitant yet observant, as if the boy across from him, who was too busy picking weeds from off the overgrown plants, were to break at any moment and Jungkook wondered why. Did he say something wrong?
Jungkook sighed when he realised that the two boys would speak no more on the matter of using the vines as a route of escapism. His doe like eyes watched as they wordlessly continued on with their jobs. Hope was de-weeding whilst Suga was helping him, the two of them digging up soil and planting fresh seeds for fruit plants as fresh sources of food.
So instead he proposed another brilliant idea...
"What about the box?" His voice diminished the silence between the three of them again. "The next time it comes up we can just jump on in and go down—"
"We've already tried that." Hope interrupts him sighing. "The box won't go down if someone's in it." The seemingly older boy didn't even spare him a glance, too busy focusing on perfecting the care and appearance of the plants in front of him.
Jungkook refrained from rolling his eyes; instead shoving the metal spade of his shovel into the ground as he leant his arm on its wooden handle. Surely there must be a way out and they're just missing it... it's probably right in front of their eyes.
His eyes flickered across the surrounding Glade, before he dared to speak up again.
"Okay well, what about if we—?"
"No! Look we tried it alright— twice." Hope interrupted him again with an amused smile, finding the boys never-ending questions and eagerness to get out when he had only just arrived, laughable.
"Wow this shank just doesn't quit does he?" Suga mumbled under his breath with the shake of his head, fighting back an amused smile.
Jungkook glared at him.
"Well I'm sorry for trying to find a way out of this place." The younger bit back fiercely. "I apologise for not wanting to stay here for what you lot believe to be the rest of our lives. There must be a way out!" He exclaimed.
"The only way out of here is through the maze." Hope admitted, remembering the words Amara had spoken yesterday when she confessed all she knew and remembered to himself and a few of the other boys.
"And how do you know that?" Jungkook asked hurriedly. "If you know the way out is through the maze then why haven't you guys left yet?" He pressed.
Hope bit his tongue in annoyance. This boy just doesn't give up does he?
"Because we haven't found it yet, obviously." Suga spoke up sarcastically. The obvious tone didn't sit well with Jungkook, his hands clenching around the wooden pole of the shovel he dug further into the ground, his skin beginning to turn white.
"So how do you know the way out is definitely there?" He repeated himself.
"We didn't at first..." Hope admitted, leaving Jungkook feeling intrigued to know more. "We just presumed."
"Presumed? What made you so sure that a way out is in there then?" He pointed to the stone walls of the maze behind him, even when he was surrounded by its stone exterior from all sides.
Hope sighed. It was clear he was reluctant to tell Jungkook, he had already told him too much, but Suga on the other hand didn't seem to care.
"Amara." The gardener spills the beans.
Jungkooks head snapped down to the boy who was crouched down near him, no longer digging away at the soil and instead looking up at him with intent eyes. He wasn't expecting that answer.
"Amara?" Jungkook repeats and only then did his eyes widen. He remembered what Hope had told him yesterday evening, about how the female runner had been remembering certain things and how Namjoon went on to elaborate; telling him about how it was the maze and life before they were put in here that she was remembering— she also remembered things about himself.
Suga and Hope nodded their heads simultaneously. "Amara remembered someone telling her about the only way out being inside of the maze." Hope explained.
Jungkooks eyebrows furrow together in confusion. "And you believed her? Just like that?" He questioned the two of them and he watched as they nodded their heads; not at all hesitant.
"She hasn't given us a reason not to trust her." Hope elaborated with a simple shrug.
"You on the other hand..." Suga mumbled under his breath yet again and Jungkook had heard him— yet again.
"Me?" The boy almost choked on his own words as he pointed a finger of his own into his chest. His brown doe eyes were wide, wide in confusion. "What have I done?"
Hope rolled his eyes. He was annoyed at Suga for even daring to utter those words. "You haven't done anything." He was quick to assure him— before adding: "not here anyway..."
It was Suga's turn to roll his eyes this time.
"What do you mean 'not here'?" Jungkook asked the boy with narrowed eyes. Suddenly, Hope had grew far more interested in picking away at the dirt gathered underneath his fingernails.
"Well, Amara has told us a few things. . . about you." Hope confesses slowly; instantly regretting his words when he sees Jungkooks mouth fall agape in shock.
"How does Amara even know more things about me then I know about myself?!" He exclaimed his troubles with the dramatic addition of throwing his muscular arms up into the air, feeling utterly defeated by the mental and even physical blows he was repeatedly suffering from upon his short time here in the Glade.
"I wouldn't stress about it too much greenie." Suga attempted to calm him down. "It's clear you don't remember things and while some are still suspicious of you, the majority of us— like myself and Hope for example— are willing to give you a chance."
Suga's words didn't make Jungkook feel at all better.
"Look if you're so desperate for answers, why don't you go and find Amara when she comes back. In the mean time..." Hope bent down and collected a bucket from besides his feet. "Why don't you make yourself useful and go fetch us some more fertiliser from the woods." He threw the bucket at the boy.
Jungkook let out an unpleasant sigh when he caught the metal bucket and ignored the way both Hope and Suga chuckled amusedly at him and his clear disappointment. However, it would do him good to realise that they weren't the ones who could give him the answers he wanted.
It didn't take long for Jungkook to find himself marching underneath the canopy of leaves and branches belonging to the trees, acting as a shield from the suns bright rays. Jungkook didn't exactly know where he was going per say, he had taken off in a childish rush and it completely slipped his mind to as Hope or Suga where the fertiliser was.
However, the newest arrival to the glade was quickly steered off course when something caught his attention in the near distance. It was a figure. Expecting to be alone inside the forest, Jungkook allowed his curious self to steer closer to the other person, who as he grew closer, looked to be sat on the outerbanks of a watersource— like a pond.
"Amara?" Jungkook called out the girls name when he realised it was her who was sat by the small water source. He was surprised to see it was her as only hours ago, did he watch her run into the maze and he only presumed they would be back when the doors were about to close— they had yet to close.
Unbeknownst to Jungkook, Amara found herself by the waters edge with a bucket beside her as Jay had kindly requested her to collect some water, so he could use it to clean their running shoes and whilst she was doing as he said obediently, he would map the route they had ran today, which happened to be shorter than usual— hence why they were back in the glade earlier.
The said girl turned around, not hiding how she jumped at the call of her name breaking the tranquil silence surrounding her in the woods. She too was surprised that someone else would be in here; especially Jungkook.
"Jungkook? What are you doing here?" She asked him, her eyebrows scrunched together in a frown as she watched him take careful steps towards her; seeing he held a bucket in one of his hands.
"I could ask you the same thing." Jungkook quipped as he brought himself to sit besides the girl resting on the pebbled shore by the unusually clean water.
Amara laughed at him and his attempt to be smart. "A simple answer would suffice." She told him and it was Jungkooks turn to laugh, but he was less than amused. It sounded more like a scoff.
"Yeah well, I've been wanting answers since I've got here and it's fair to say we all don't get what we want." The boy sighed as he threw a small rock into the water, disrupting its peaceful surface and creating ripples.
Amara stares at his side profile for a moment. Her honey brown eyes stare into his mind as well as his face and she seen how the boy was lost. He was confused and instead of getting answers to help ease his conscience, he was shunned out or given brief answers by the other gladers and it only infuriated him even more.
However, Jungkook had to realise that he wasn't the first ever boy to be thrust unknowingly and most definitely unwillingly into this jacked up situation. There was many, many before him, all once scared and confused with everything around them as they had trouble remembering anything about themselves or life before being sent here to the Glade— other than their names alone.
It may take a while for him to settle in...
"What do you wanna know?" Amara broke the silence between the two of them. Jungkook turned his head in her direction upon hearing her voice spew them words, their doe eyes meeting.
"I want to know everything you remember." He answered her quickly, determined in his wish. "I was told you remember things about me and I want to know what those things were."
Amaras eyes widened at his request. He really was a curious boy.
Although, Jungkook wasn't going to let this opportunity slip from his grasp; between his fingers— the one who could gift him the answers about life prior to wherever the hell they where was sitting across from him, alone. It was perfect.
"I don't remember a lot." Amara confesses as she brings her knees to rest by her chest, allowing her hands to link and hug herself in an attempt of self-comfort. The girl was focused on the water in front of her, whilst Jungkooks eyes bore into her side-profile.
"Most nights, and even sometimes in the day, something acts as an emotional trigger and before I know it, I'm sucked into what feels like another; totally different world— but it feels familiar. Like I had once lived through what I was remembering. It's not hard to guess that they have all been visions of my past." She said.
Jungkooks gaze lingers on her for a moment longer as he thought over her words in his mind, intrigued to learn that she had been able to remember things, not matter how big or small, which couldn't be said for everyone else here in the Glade.
"And what is it exactly you remember?" He asked her as he turned his head to settle on the water aswell, admiring its natural beauty as few small fish swim under its clear surface.
Amara ran a hand through her hair. "I remember loads of white. Loads of testing. Loads of pain. . . and at the centre of all that was you Jungkook."
Jungkooks head and gaze settled on Amara again upon hearing her words. "What did I do?" Was all he could ask her— wanting to know exactly why it was him at the centre of all her negative dreams.
Amara sighed. "You wrote me a letter Jungkook." She confesses and bows her head upon doing so.
Said boy was shocked by her words— he wasn't expecting to hear that. But then again, could anything come as a surprise to him anymore? It seemed his new life was full unanswered questions and those he manages to solve, are always so shocking to him.
"I wrote you a letter?" He repeated her words, making Amara slowly nod her head and purse her lips. "And what exactly did I say in that letter?"
"You told me that you and me were different. That the boys may fear us when we both begin to remember things from our past." She tells him with no hesitation as she meets his intense gaze.
He seemed to be rendered speechless, stunned even, for a moment by her words.
"I don't know why I would write that." Jungkook spoke up with a frown and shake of his head, his gaze transfixed on the water. "Because I don't remember anything."
Amaras head turned towards him sharply, her eyes wide upon hearing his words. On her first night here, she had relived a memory of hers through a dream. It was of herself and Jungkook, the latter showing her the screens in a room which allowed her to see inside of the maze. To see Jay...
"You don't remember anything?" She checked to see if her ears were in fact still working and she had heard him right the first time by hearing it twice.
Jungkook shook his head in answer and that only made the girls frown grow.
The pair were engulfed by a sudden silence and Amara knew it was deliberate. Her brown eyes watched as he seemed to chew on his lower lip with his teeth, his gaze no longer wanting to meet hers as he also played with his fingers— he was hiding something from her.
"What aren't you telling me Jungkook?" She presses and almost immediately did his head swivel round so his round eyes stared into her own, narrowed ones.
She didn't think it was fair of him to be dishonest with her now, especially when she had done nothing else but gift him with the answers he had been so desperate for. She had been honest and kind to him, even when he had given her great reason not to— he was the reason why she had wound up in this place after all.
Jungkook heaved a heavy sigh. He knew what she was thinking and she was right. . . "Last night. When I was asleep, I heard a voice. Two voices actually— one of them was yours, Amara." He confesses slowly.
"Mine?" She quipped and Jungkook nodded his head up and down assuringly.
"You didn't seem very happy— in fact you seemed maybe disappointed. . . In me." He further explains and Amara found herself frowning more.
"Betrayed?" She proposed the correct term and Jungkooks head spun to meet her gaze, as if her words had struck a specific chord inside of him that seemed to make everything click.
"Yes!" He exclaimed. "You weren't happy with me; in fact scolding me for what I had done— do you remember what it was exactly I did?" He asked hopefully.
Amara found herself laughing. Laughing dryly, as if the reason she was about to confess was complete madness, and maybe it was— she would never be certain if her dreams were accurate representations of her past or not.
"It was you Jungkook. . ." She began, her brown doe eyes boring into his own. "You confessed that you were the reason I was put into the maze and I'm pretty sure you're apart of whoever or whatever put us all here— thats why some of the boys are untrusting of you."
Jungkooks thick eyebrows scrunched together as creases formed on the looser skin of his forehead, frowning as he scoured his brain for any memory of this proclaim of hers. How could he know if she was telling the truth? Surely she'd be mad if she knew he was the reason she was here, in the Glade, with her memories shattered fragments of glass waiting to be pieced together again.
"You seem to be awfully kind for someone who should resent me." He voiced and again, Amara laughed.
He was right.
"Yes Jungkook, I should." She agreed, before her smile fell serious. "However, I've seen, read and even heard every ounce of regret you spill in your letters and my memories— regret for what you have done. If that wasn't the case then you may have found yourself fighting for your breath as I hold you down under the waters surface. . ." She warns with her index finger pointing at the source of water only a few feet in front of them; Jungkook nervously following her finger before daring to meet her eyes once again.
"Amara, I promise I don't remember what happened before I arrived here in the glade. I only want to do what's right— and that's to get us out of here." He promised her and Amara seen the flint in his eyes- he reminded her of herself.
The brunette smiles. "I believe me and you will get on just fine, Jungkook." She assured him and Jungkook too found himself reciprocating her smile.
"But if you ever begin to remember anything like you claimed you would in that letter you wrote me, please let me be the first one to know— me and you could be the key to getting everyone out of here." She instructs him in a hushed manner, as if they were suddenly surrounded by others who could eavesdrop on their conversation.
She wasn't exactly wrong...
The sudden snap of a fallen branch behind them, made the two flinch in fright simultaneously.
The two rose to their feet and snapped their heads in the direction of the sound. It had sounded like someone had stepped on a once intact fallen branch; snapping it under the weight of their foot. Their two minds instantly whirled through what it could be— A deer? Rabbits? Jungkook wondered if they had them kinds of animal back here in the forest. Whilst Amara had never once seen such things before, leaving her to wonder what caused the sound. Had someone followed them?
The two of them stayed still and silent. Their near identical eyes were scanning the forestry around them, looking for any sight of movement that could explain the noise. However, as far as they could tell— no one was there. Maybe it would've been easier to tell had the sun been able to cast down on them like a torch, rather the trees were blocking that natural light and creating dark shadows.
The two failed to feel at ease within the foreboding atmosphere. . .
Another rustle sounded, making the two turn to face the new direction in which the sound had came from. It had all happened too fast. . .
A boy emerged from the bushes with a loud cry; crazed look as he threw himself at the two unsuspecting individuals. It seemed Jungkook was his first target.
"What the—?!" Was all Amara was able to muster before she witnessed the seemingly possessed boy maul a defenceless Jungkook to the ground. Her brown eyes were able to catch a glimpse of pale skin and dark veins as she stared down at the boy pinning a squirming Jungkook to the ground, the slightly taller boy restraining him, sat on his lower half and his hands locked around his throat.
Amara was left motionless for a moment, overwhelmed by the sudden attack and turn of events that had unfolded. Whilst she stood speechless. . . Jungkook was getting the life choked out of him.
It was the sound of his struggling voice in her ear that made her finally jump into action. The brunette let out a determined cry as she launched herself at the boy atop of Jungkook, tackling hun to the ground now instead and encasing his lower half so he was under her will, giving her the upper hand.
Jungkook still lay besides them, struggling to catch his once stolen breath as he pants heavily, cradling his now aching neck.
Amaras brown eyes grew wide in horror when she sees the culprit underneath her. . . it was Ben. It looked as if the boy had recovered only slightly since Amara had seen him last in the Homestead. He wore nothing but shorts, his whiter-than-white skin stretched across his bones like a sheet wrapped tightly around a bundle of sticks. The boy was almost unrecognisable to her, seeing as his eyes were bulging and red, whilst his pale skin contrasted sickeningly with the unusually dark veins of his, black liquid seemingly oozing out of his mouth.
The girl pinned his arms down in a desperate attempt to withhold the rabid beast, watching as he tried to bite her as if he was some breed of animal predator and she and Jungkook were his measly prey.
"Ben!" She cried his name loudly, hoping she could snap him out of whatever zombie-like trance he had fell victim under. However, the boy was unresponsive to her pleas.
When his struggling grew more viscous, the girl didn't hesitate in drawing her clenched fists back before unleashing her fury on his face. The boy seized struggling for a moment as he held his throbbing cheek in his hands, giving the girl enough time to dismount him and grab Jungkooks hand, pulling him up off of the floor as the two began running away as fast as they possibly could.
"You're a traitor! Why are you with him?! He ruined us all!" Ben's lunatic screams could be heard from behind them and both Amara and Jungkook were left feeling horrified by his words— did he remember too?
"Help!" Amara screamed at the top of her lungs, only praying that by some miracle someone would hear their screams. "Help! Jay! Hope! Namjo—"
Amaras screams of help were cut off by Ben unexpectedly tackling her to the ground; groaning in pain as he did so. The girl was only inches from hitting her head on a tree trunk. The ravenous boy pinned her to the ground, spitting in her face as he screamed bloody murder.
"Why are you protecting him? He betrayed you— he betrayed all of us!" Ben spat at her, his voice almost deafening in her ears as he wrapped his hands around her throat tightly, just like he had done with Jungkook.
Speaking of whom, the boy acted a lot quicker in fear of Amara being steamed to death by the crazed runner. Something inside of Jungkook twitched, an unfamiliar feeling growing— anger and protectiveness. It physically pained him to see Amara in pain.
He didn't know why?
This urge made Jungkook harshly kick Ben to the ground; off of Amara who gasped for breath once her lungs were free from his grasp. The newest greenie helped her up from off of the floor, no time to dilly-dally as Ben would be up and running again in no time.
The two fled from the scene, pushing and kicking their legs to go faster since Ben had already caught them once before— he was a runner after all.
"Ben!"
A voice broke out in their surroundings, telling the two victims that someone had found them. Turning to the clearing near to them, where the stern voice had sounded from, the both of them were relieved at the sight. It was Namjoon— Jay and Hope by his side.
The twos eyes widen upon seeing Namjoon was armed with a wooden bow; loaded with an arrow that was raised and pointed in the direction of a now-stood still Ben, who in fact wasn't stood far from them— having grown on them fast.
"Ben," Namjoon repeated as he and the others stalked closer to the scene. "Stop right now, or you ain't gonna see tomorrow." His deep voice warns.
Jungkook looked back at Ben, who stared viscously at Joon, his tongue darting between his lips to wet them. 'What could possibly be wrong with that kid?' Jungkook thought. The boy had turned into a monster. Why?
Meanwhile, Amaras straying eyes took refuge in those of Jays. The keeper of the runners displayed a concerned gaze as his eyes raked over her figure; checking to make sure not even the smallest strand of hair on her head was out of place. However, his tense muscles and posture, told her that the boy was more than concerned. He was angry— with Ben.
"If you kill me," Ben shrieked, spittle flying from his mouth, far enough to hit Amara and Jungkook in the face, much to their displeasure. "You'll get the wrong guy." He snapped his vengeful gaze back to Jungkook. "He's the shank you wanna kill. . ."
"Don't be stupid, Ben." Namjoon scoffed, his voice calm despite him continuing to aim the arrow. "Jungkook has only just got here— there's nothing to worry about. You're still bugging from the changing. You should've never left your bed!"
Hope and Jay exchanged a wordless glance.
"He's not one of us!" Ben shouts. "I saw him— he's. . . he's bad. We have to kill him! Let me gut him!"
Amara took a protective step in front of Jungkook upon hearing the crazed boys threat, like it were instinct. She wouldn't let any harm come to someone she cares about— even if she didn't know it yet.
Namjoon hadn't moved his weapon even a centimetre, still aiming for Ben and only Ben. "You leave that decision to me and the keepers to figure out, shuck-face." His hands were perfectly steady as he held the bow, almost as if he had propped it against a branch for support— Amara was impressed. "Right now, back your scrawny butt down and get back to the Homestead."
"He'll wanna take us home." Ben said catching the surrounding bodies' interests. "He'll wanna get us out of the maze. Better we all jumped off the cliff! Better we tore each other's guts out!"
Jungkook frowned. "That isn't true—" he began an attempt to defend himself.
"Shut your face!" Ben screamed loudly. "Shut your ugly, traitorous; lying face!" He continued.
"Can everyone just calm down?" Hope attempts to instigate peace however, he was ignored— he wasn't the one holding an arrow in his hands at the present time.
"Ben," Namjoon says his name calmly. "I'm gonna count to three."
"He's bad. He's bad. He's bad. . ." Ben was whispering to himself now, almost chanting. He swayed back and forth, switching the weight on his two heels whilst his eyes grew distant as he stared at an uncomfortable Jungkook.
"One. . ." Namjoon began to count.
"Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad. . ."
Amara felt her heart racing in her chest. The only female didn't dare to move a muscle or make the smallest of movements, as small as a twitch, in case she were to set the beast — Ben — off on a lunatic rampage all over again. It seemed the four other boys around her thought the same...
"Two. . ."
Jungkook was about to open his mouth in an attempt to speak, again, and Ben had saw this. The dirty blonde screamed, a gurgle of madness, and leapt into the air, slashing out with a small blade he had withdrew from his pocket— aiming for Jungkook.
"Three!" Namjoon shouted.
Namjoon released the arrow from the bow. . .
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Woohoo! A thrilling chapter for y'al!! I hope you enjoyed it and enjoyed having our Amara and Jungkook growing accustomed to one another and beginning to form (or even rekindle) a bond/relationship like the one they had before the maze— they are closer than you think after all ;)
I'm really enjoying writing this book, especially now that all seven members are here and we're getting in to the main storyline! I so desperately want to update and write more, however my schedule just isn't allowing me to do so... I literally only have one or two days a week off work were I can write... but I'm such a big procrastinator lolll!!
But thankyou all for being so patient with me! I hope I don't keep you waiting longer than a week or two for updates <3