Subject A3: The Carrier 》Scorch Trials (TMR)

Five

My eyes widen. "Janson," I breathed.

If it wasn't for the Changing I wouldn't have recognized him. Janson glanced up at me before looking back at his book. What is he doing here? How did he get here? He looks exactly the same, except the white suite he's wearing.

"Who is that guy?" Thomas asked.

"That's Janson." I answered. Thomas and Newt gave me confused looks. "I recognized him from the Changing. He was the one that took Chuck and me." My chest began hurting.

Thomas walked closer to him. "Don't!" One of the Gladers call out.

Thomas was like ten feet away from Janson. But his face collided with this invisible barrier. He stumbled back. He groaned as he held his nose, then raised his hand and placed it in front of the invisible wall. I moved forward and copied his movement. I shivered when my hand touched the cold surface. But it looked like I wasn't touching anything. There was no light, no hand print, no nothing. Just blank.

Thomas moved around me to try to get closer to Janson. But it looked like half of the room was protected. Janson let out an exaggerated sigh before he closed his book. "How many times do I have to repeat this?" He said annoyingly. "We still have 47 minutes before I've been authorized to implement Phase Two of the Trials. Please show your patience and leave me alone. You've been given this time to eat and replenish yourselves, and I strongly suggest you take advantage of it, young man. Now, if you don't mind..."

I could see Thomas' eye twitch when Janson picked up his book and read again. Phase Two of the Trials? What does that even mean?

I followed Newt and Thomas over to Minho. "You met our new friend?" Minho smirked. "Real piece of work, this guy. I gotta get me one of those shuck suits. Fancy stuff."

"Yes, but, by knowing you, you'll probably dirty it up the minute you get your hands on it," I joked.

"I'd still look better than Rat Man over there." He looked at Thomas. "Now eat - you look horrible."

I crossed my arms as Thomas left. "His name's Janson."

Minho shrugged his shoulders. "Still prefer Rat Man. Looks like one." He patted my arm. "Now you need to eat. All that beauty sleep isn't doing you much good. You almost look like a skeleton."

I chuckled as I pushed him. "You shank."

He laughed before following Thomas. Newt laughed before he turned serious. "What do you think he meant by Phase Two?"

I sighed as I ran my hand through my hair. "Don't know. But, whatever it is, it can't be good."

》》》》

A half hour later, we were all sitting on the ground, watching Janson from his invisible barrier. He kept reading his book and didn't once look up at us. I'm glad there was still some food, but it was hard for me to keep it down with the Gladers puking some of theirs up.

Minho broke the silence. "I think we've all gone psycho like those...what'd they called themselves again? Cranks. The Cranks at the windows. We're all sitting here waiting for a lecture from Rat Man like this is totally normal. Like we're at some kind of school. I can tell you this much - if he had anything good to say, he wouldn't need a freaking magic wall to protect him from us, now, wouldn't he?"

"Just slim it and listen. Maybe it's all gonna be over," Newt said.

"Yeah, right. And Frypan's gonna start having little babies, Winston'll get rid of his monster acne, Tiger's going to marry you, and Thomas here'll actually smile for once."

I gave Minho a look. "And Minho's going to cut off all his hair before he looks like a hippie."

Thomas gave Minho an exaggerated fake smile. "There, you happy?"