𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐬𝐭

16

"In that case, I am so ready to leave this hellhole. Show me the exit and I'll get out of your hair-" my eyes drifted up to his obviously receding hairline. "Or where it used to be."

The Chairman's tight smile faltered for a second, and he muttered under his breath something about teenagers. "Believe me, I can't wait to get rid of you all."

"Somehow, I don't believe you."

The words left my mouth before I could stop them, dripping with all my anger and hate towards the government. Chase, Azura, and Allison have changed me in the short time I've been with them.

"It's time to go, then," Chairman Marshall instructed me, leading me out the door. Lined up shoulder- to shoulder on the white hallway, guns pointed towards them, were the other Offerings.

And then there was me. The mistake.

As I scanned their faces, I noticed one more thing.

Joanne was absent.

My boots echoed across the tile as I made my way to the wall beside Allison, catching quick glimpses of her face. Hers was dirty too, littered with cuts and scratches and bruises. It made me wonder what exactly happened in that bright room.

As I took my place beside her, she reached up to adjust her collar, allowing me a brief second to see the tattoo on her forearm, the same as mine. The look on her face told me it wasn't an accident.

I stared up at the Executives and Chairman Marshall, who all wore smug smiles. "Well? Hurry up with it!"

The Chairman rolled his eyes and pointed at the tall metal door at one end of the hallway. "Try and at least make it outside before the Tempests eat you alive," he said.

Then, as he pulled a lever, thick metal bars protruded from the ceiling, blocking caging them near the exit. He smirked as he stared through the bars at them. "Ready?"

Chase flashed him a gesture that I would've gotten in trouble for using and turned towards the doors. "Just do it already."

Jack whimpered again, but everyone rolled their eyes and focused on the doors.

"Suit yourself."

And then he cranked the lever one more time.

The giant metal doors scraped against the ground as they creaked open, revealing only darkness.

I was the first one to step outside.

A mistake.

Hands clamped around my mouth, yanking me deeper into the darkness.