Just like the Griever's Hole, the dead men hung by hooks, the Rat Man, the Cranks and the brick walls, Minho had hopes that Frankie's death was just another illusion. As much as he tried to distance himself from disappointment, this was one thing he...
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FRANKIE STARED AT the worn-out running shoes encasing her feet and her mind wandered to her friends.
Or, used to be friends.
She felt like a little girl, bullied in the playground. Sitting on the bench while waiting for her mother to come or for the naughty boys to apologize.
The shoes were all she had left from her days in the Glade. The doctors said they had to throw everything away when they saved her from the Griever attack.
The door clicked open and the ugly-nosed doctor came in with a teenage boy, probably her age, in tow.
It was Reggie.
"Okay, then, I shall begin," the doctor said, "Frances, this is Reggie. You're from what we call Group A and he is from Group B. A civilization encased within an unsolvable maze, just like yours."
Frankie exchanged a look with the seemingly-also-clueless Reggie as the doctor shuffled over to his working desk and sat on the chair.
Unsolvable?
So, nearly three years of running actually measured up to nothing?
"I'm here as a representative of W.I.C.K.E.D., short for World In Catastrophe: Killzone Experiment Department. My name is Assistant Director Janson, and you two are a part of our trial in pursuit of an antidote for the Flare.
"The Flare is a disease that consumed humanity a few decades ago. Anyone infected would spiral into insanity, and now the whole world had turned barren. Lifeless. Like a zombie land.
"But, we managed to retract and save those who are deemed valuable. We trained them, educated them, and put them into the Maze experiment with their consent. They are you and your fellow friends within the Maze."
Janson gave them a forlorn smile and Frankie knew that something was terribly wrong.
"Unfortunately, there's a bad news. You both are infected."
The Rat Man tapped on a circular device, placed on the table, and it flickered blue twice before projecting a video feed into thin air: a footage of her and Reggie, wrecking their respective home like mad people.
Did I do that? Frankie took in a sharp breath. I... I don't remember. Did I hurt anybody? Is that why I was banished?
"Your friends had agreed that they had enough of your acts of insanity. We saved you before you two are killed because of your invaluable contribution to this project. We owe you two that much."
She gaped. Hearing that her friends —Minho wanted her gone, it was all too much. Too fast for her to process.
"It is with deepest regret that we must say, we cannot take care of you two any longer. We just don't have enough resources. This Flattrans will lead you directly outside. We hope you find your own kind and live well. As well as Cranks could live."
