𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 》TMR, Minho

064

It was when we were eleven year old, and Minho brought a boy with him, into the cleaning room.

He called himself Gally. His hair was shortly buzz and at the first glance, the boy didn't look the nicest. He didn't really smile at us either, just nodded and muttered his name.

Wondering what Minho had done now, I leaned against the wall with crossed arms, a frowning Frypan next to me.

"So." Minho started. His hair was a bit longer by now, and styled with more gel. He had gotten taller than me. "Gally and I have a plan." He stated. "To escape."

A silence fell. I shared a glare with the others, confused. "To escape from here?" I tilted my head.

"Exactly." Minho nodded. "Through the vents. Gally managed to get a few people waiting for us outside the woods."

Newt rubbed his forehead. "Why would we escape?"

Minho stared at him as if the question was dumb. "Because, Newt, we're trapped here. We go through those tests everyday, hurt by the doctors, the implant shit in our brains! Aren't you getting sick of it?"

"No, not really. Never thought about it." The blonde muttered. He dropped his shoulders again.

I had no idea what to say. I would've loved to escape and get away from the torture, but the chance that we made it out was so small. I knew the building. I had lived in it for years. Knew all the cameras, hallways, and even vents. There was no way we would make it. No chance.

"You can't escape." I spoke. "It's impossible."

"Not if we work together." Minho continued. "We cut the cameras off, and we escape."

"It's not that easy." Thomas added with me. "Believe me. There's no way you're not gonna be caught. Think this through for a while, Minho."

"I have been thinking this through for weeks, man!" He sounded more frustrated, now looking at me. "Lee, come on. Don't tell me you're not coming with us. We're already planning to go tomorrow, before our next tests! Haven't we noticed that they're planning something?"

I swallowed long, my thoughts spinning. "I don't know." I barely stared back at him. "You don't know the consequences if you don't make it out. I would stay if I was you, Minho. It's safer."

"Safer?" He spat out. More anger was growing in him. "It's not safer. You know what they've been doing to you and us all for years! You know more about them than all of us, and I bet that not one thing is good!"

All I could do was shake my head. "There's too many people working here. Even if you would have a distraction plan, it's hard."

Minho motioned for Gally to come with him. "Fine, then!" He said, anger taking over. "I'll go on my own, with Gally!"

And the door slammed closed.

The whole night after that I had been thinking about Minho and what could happen. I had to stop him before he would go, but knowing Minho and when he was angry, he always let his impulsive thoughts win.

He didn't think anymore, so I wouldn't be surprised if in the morning he was already attempting to escape, only because the anger made him blind.

~

"He's not here, is he?" Frypan looked down from sadness at lunch the next day. It all went fast, and god, it hurt. My heart was shattering and body emptying. Did he really just leave me?

"No." Newt ran a hand through his hair. "Neither is that Gally kid."

"Do you think they managed to escape?" Alby leaned closer. "If anyone could, it would be Minho, though. Don't underestimate him."

My face was blank from sadness. "He's too angry. He'll make too much noise. It'll draw attention to him, and no way they managed to remove the cameras."

"But he—."

"Newt." We looked up at the sudden voice. It was Randall, the first man I had spoken to when I got in the department. "Come with me, please."

Suspicious, Newt slowly got up from the table, frowning as always. He disappeared out of the cafeteria.

"Will they interrogate him, you think? About Minho?" Frypan asked quietly. "I have a bad feeling about this."

I nodded in agreement, but not sure what to think. "It's not good, at least."

About twenty minutes of talking later, Newt came back, but he didn't have the same appearance as before.

His cheeks were stained with tears. He had bloodshot eyes and was walking with his head lowered, looking so sad it broke my heart even more.

"Newt, man." Alby straightened his back when the boy sat down, patting him on the shoulder. "You okay?"

He shook his head, but never spoke, even not when Frypan asked what happened. Worried, I tried my best to comfort my friend as much as I could.

But what the hell happened?

"Siggy." Randall appeared next to us again. He looked at Frypan. "Walk with me, please."

The boy's face got washed over with fear so fast, that he rushed up in a panic and followed Randall with terrified eyes.

Alby and I watched him disappear too, then proceeded to comfort Newt, mostly using physical touch and offering him food.

Frypan came back soon, and Alby got called to leave.

Fry's eyes were wide in horror. All he did was stare into the distance, his bottom lip trembling.

"Hey, what happened?" I took his shaking hand in mine.

One tear leaked from his eye. "I can't— I can't tell you." He whispered. "They wouldn't allow me or they would do the same to m-me."

I had a deep urge to keep asking, but didn't and just held his hand, sometimes gently squeezing it.

And even before Alby came back, I was called to walk with Randall.