Only Herself to Blame...

Chapter 9 - Into the Slammer

I couldn't do anything. I just stood in shock as the Newbie lunged at me and grabbed my throat. It was like my brain had taken a holiday and just forgot to work.

I feel like I have those moments a lot.

There was no movement for about three seconds, exept for Corby's hands, which were tightening like vices.

Then Alby had his hands on Corby and was trying to pull him away. I could feel Minho behind me, trying to pry Corby's fingers from my neck.

I could feel myself blacking out (again) and I tried to stay conscious. I was fed up of feeling weak, amd blacking out. I needed to stand up for myself.

I stared into Corby's black eyes and spluttered.

I couldn't stay conscious anymore. I knew that I was going black out in about 10 seconds, so I put all the energy I had into bringing my knee up to Corby's groin.

He gasped and let go of my neck, and fell to the floor, clutching his stomach. I looked at his eyes, and they were back to bright green.

I collapsed. Minho just caught me, before I fell ontop of Corby.

He laid me down a few feet away from him, and knelt beside me. I was gasping for breath and it still felt like somone was strangling me.

Minho placed a finger lightly to my neck and I winced. He looked at me with such kindness that it broke my heart to think that someone could care that much about me.

Then, Gally, Newt, Jai, Ben and Clint the Med-Jack were stood around me.

Clint knelt on the other side of me and examined my neck carefully. "That guy's got some strength. Her neck is already bruising, but I don't think anymore damage has been done." He announced.

"Other than the fact that she almost died, and that Slinthead did it." Gally growled, pointing to Corby with hate so strong that I was surprised Corby didn't spontaneously combust.

I looked up at Gally. Did he know that was going to happen? Why did he worn Corby not to touch me? Did he trigger the attack?

"Gally, I'm fine. And it wasn't him. Someone was in control of him. Did you see his eyes?" I said.

Gally grimaced. "That's beside the point. You could have died."

"But I didn't!" I smiled, but it turned into a wince as it hurt my neck. Luckily, Gally had turned away, so he didn't see.

I sat up and looked through the legs of the Gladers, to see Alby dragging Corby away.

"Alby, wait!" I shouted and I stood up, but I had done it too quickly. I felt the dizziness overwhelm me, and I fell. This time it was Gally that caught me.

Why were dizziness, blacking out,and falling over becoming big parts of my life a lately?

"Whoa. Thanks. I'm ok. Thanks." I muttered and I tried to stand up, but Gally still had hold of me.

I looked up into his green eyes. "Gally, I'm fine. You can let me go now."

He leaned down and kissed me on my forehead. "Stop trying to kill yourself." He whispered.

"Yes, Sir." I said, though the skin was tingling where his lips had touched.

He set me upright and I jogged after Alby, who was still dragging a dazed looking Corby.

"Alby! Wait!" I shouted again.

He turned to look at me. "What's up?"

"I need to talk to Corby." I said.

Alby sighed. "It's all I can do to not rip his throat out after what he has just done, but you can talk to him when he's in the slammer,  if you so wish."

"Thanks." I said, and I followed behind them.

"I remember her." Corby muttered, staring up at Alby. "I know her."

Alby stopped dead in his tracks. "What did you say?"

"I know her." Corby stared at me.

"They showed me you. I watched a video of you. You and Jai. You were running. You escaped. You gave the key to the Cranks, and they destroyed the equipment. You began running away, but they caught you and shoved you in here." He nodded and put out his hand. "They did the same to me. They erased me from existence too."

I gasped. " How?" was all I could say.

"I don't know. They injected us. They want to kill you. You are here by an accident. The glass you fell into? They showed me that they put it there. They have complete control of this place. And they want you dead, Zoe."

He held out his hand again, and I reached out, almost on impulse, to take it.

"Are you crazy?" Alby asked, and he knocked Corby's hand away. "We will discuss more of that later, but we need to call a gathering."

I walked the rest of the way to the Slammer with Alby and Corby in silence.

Corby was willingly walking next to Alby, but he still had a hand clamped on his shoulder incase he tried to run for it. (Who would do that!? Note the sarcasm) .

When Corby was locked in and secure, Alby went off to organise a gathering. I hadn't been to one of those yet. I was supposed to go to one on my first day, but I had ran off, so they held it without me. I was excited to see what one looked like.