The Huntress Descent

The Storm: Chapter Sixteen

The room lapsed in silence, broken only by the hum of machinery and a very faint beeping sound.

"For an experiment to provide accurate results," the man explained, "one needs a control group. We did our best to keep the virus from you as long as possible. But its airborne and highly contagious."

He paused taking in everyone's gazes.

"Just bloody get on with it," Newt snapped. "We all figured we had the friggin' disease anyway. You're not breaking our hearts."

"Yeah," blonde girl from Group A that reminded her of Newt. "Cut the drama and tell us already."

The man cleared his throat. "Okay, then. Most of you are immune and have helped us gather invaluable data. Only two of you are considered Candidates now, but we'll go into that later. Let's get to the list. The following people that are not immune. Jackson. Abigail. Miyoko. Newt..."

A jolt shot through my body, taking all sense with it. The noise in the room faded, leaving behind a dull buzzing that sent a dizzying pain into epicentre of my head. The man continued to rattle the names but they were a distant sound. That one name shook everything inside of me. Why, of all people, did he have to have it?

He must have sensed the change as he squeezed my hand, in reassurance, I wasn't sure.

From his other side, Thomas was taking the news just as badly as I was. Newt whispered a sharp, 'slim yourself' to the Glader which earned him a blank stare back from the crouched boy. The corners of Newt's lips curved upwards, but it seemed this wasn't enough. Thomas straightened his back and faced Newt. "Slim myself? That old shank just said you're not immune to the Flare. How can you-"

"I'm not worried about the bloody flare. I never thought I'd still be alive at this buggin' point."

Thomas forced a smile on his face to replicate's Newt's. "If you're cool with slowly going crazy and wanting to eat small children, then I guess we won't cry for you."

"Good that," Newt responded;

"...and finally Clarke," the rat man finished.

That caught my attention. I sinking feeling in my stomach formed this time. There was a difference in knowing someone else had it, then being told you do. Whole different ball game. People always want to reassure those that have been placed into misfortune. But when it comes to them, myself, why has the world so badly wronged me? Why had I been punished, and others not? What had I done to deserve this?

"Clarke," Maya whispered beside me. "Are you alright?"

I didn't know how to respond to her. Cause I wasn't alright, that was a stupid question. But I didn't have the choice to act out. Then they would see how crazy I was. Why do people always ask stupid questions.

I sharply took my hand back from Newt and picked at the side of one of my nails. Why do people as the most heartless questions.

"It is what it is," I replied, not caring about the tone I gave. I shrugged my shoulders and stared at a piece of the wall behind the man's head.

She deserved it. Why ask a stupid question?

"I wanted to get that out of the way," the man said. "Mainly so I could tell you myself and remind you that the whole point of this operation has been to build a cure. The trials required your participation. Most of you not immune are in the early stages of the Flare. And I have every confidence that you'll be taken care of before it goes too far. Except for one of you. Unfortunately your results have come out a little different from the rest. I won't say who to not shame the individual, but I want to let them know not to worry and that we are doing everything in our power to accommodate this."