Burning; TST ➵ Thomas

T W E N T Y - O N E

WHOOSH.

The steel doors opened swiftly. It was quite similar to the doors of the Box back in the Glade, except it was upright and slid backwards. Amelia and Teresa stood side by side. They were surrounded by guards who wore ugly, alien-like uniforms. All had the patch that stated WICKED.

After the doors opened, the first thing the girls laid their eyes on was a man. Rat-like. White from head to toe. Amelia already hated this man with a fiery passion.

She was already confused with why the guards would suddenly wake the girls and bring them to the strange facility. Confused with why they didn't wake the boys. She didn't need this man on her back.

"Welcome, ladies," he greeted. The man smiled, it was the creepiest thing Amelia had ever seen. Screw the Grievers. This guy topped her creep level. "I know you are confused and possibly afraid too. Nothing to worry about-"

"Where are the boys?" Amelia cut in. Teresa subtly nudged her hand with her's as a sign of "Don't. Just listen". But Amelia's not one to back down. She wanted answers, legitimate answers. She was sick of lies, sick of the trials or whatever the woman had called them.

The man sighed, shifting uncomfortably. "Follow me."

He turned on his heel. He started to walk straight into the bright hallway across from them. The girls shared a debating look before following him. "I am known as Assistant Director Janson. Call me Janson if you please."

Janson stopped. He turned to face the girls who stared at him, completely unimpressed and puzzled with the situation. Another woman, not the woman in the Hologram that 'greeted' the Gladers when they completed the Maze, stepped beside Janson. She was a tall woman with long red hair.

"This is Dr Wright. Teresa, please follow this lady. Amelia, you'll continue to follow me," Janson instructed. On instinct, Amelia opened her mouth to ask questions but Janson silenced her with a raise of his hand. "All questions after we are done here, all right?"

If looks could kill, this man would've been dead the moment she laid eyes on him. Dr Wright and Teresa walked off to a different hallway. Teresa constantly looked back, often with worry in her eyes. Amelia faced Janson. Slowly, she knew she was losing her temper.

Janson gave her a curt nod to gesture to continue following him. He didn't say another word until he reached another metal door.

Room 482

Damn, how many do they have? Amelia wondered as she read the plate number. Janson typed in a code to a keypad. The door opened almost immediately after he finished typing. He walked in first and sat on a chair, he gestured for her to do the same. He wasn't alone in the room. There was another woman.

Holy shit, she thought. It's the same woman who had somehow spoken to her and the Gladers through the Hologram. Didn't she shoot herself at the end of the video? Amelia eyed the woman, feeling uneasy.

Her stomach churned. The moment she laid eyes on the blond woman, she knew something was up. Amelia mentally scolded herself for thinking it was all over - for thinking they were free.

She walked to the only other empty chair in the room. Continuously darting her eyes between Janson and the woman, what was her name? Amelia had forgotten.