Chapter 10 - Subject Files

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It's been five days, but I haven't left the apartment once. Dad brings me food and places it outside my bedroom door for me. He knows I don't want to see or talk to him. Fluffles is the only person - or animal I am willing to see and talk to. I would like to chat with Aris and Minho, but I have no idea if I'll be able to. Since they escaped, they are probably being tested more and constantly kept under lock and key.

Surely, Doctor Paige and Janson are aware that what they are endeavouring to achieve is almost, if not impossible. How could harvesting people for their immunity to save people who are dying from this disease be good? It's preposterous. But, by the looks of it, the two of them won't be changing their minds anytime soon.

Alone, I watch Fluffles roll around on the floor. 'Why can't they just chill out and be like Fluffles? Just relax and have fun,' I think to myself. After watching him for five or so minutes, I decide that I should leave the apartment. I can't stay here forever, no matter how much I want to. I will have to attend some sort of event at some point. Hopefully, the speech Ava Paige makes about abruptly stopping these absurd experiments. Hopefully. I doubt that'll happen, though. I will never stop wishing that it does happen. Never. Not for as long as WCKD is running.

Making my way to the Mess Hall, I start looking for Aris and Minho. If it's lunchtime, they should be here. I peer over at the table Aris and I used to sit at. Minho, Aris, and the blonde girl - Sonya, are all sitting there, but they look empty and devoid of life. I walk over and stand next to Minho. The three of them look up at me. "Katya," Aris whispers in shock. He stands up and makes his way over to me. Minho stands up, and the two wrap me in a big hug. When they pull away, I look at them both. Their eyes are bloodshot, and they have bags under them. My breathing halts, and my stomach drops. They look terrible.

"It's good to see you both," I say and look back and forth between them.

Sonya stands up and walks over to me. "Hi. I'm Sonya," she croaks, trying her best to muster a smile.

"It's nice to meet you, Sonya. I'm Katya." She shakes my hand weakly.

"I've heard a bit about you. You helped these guys escape, is that right?"

"Eh, I didn't really help. More like got in the way." I grin, staring into her eyes, and I feel as if I've seen her before, other than at The Right Arm's camp. I push those thoughts away and tell myself I'll come back to that later.

"Oh psh. You let us use your keycard to get out.  We're indebted to you," Minho says, clapping his hand on my shoulder.

I smirk at him for a moment before changing the topic.  "Well, you guys look a little worse for wear. What have they been doing to you?" Aris and Sonya look at each other and then back at me.

"They've been punishing us for escaping. Making sure we never get the idea to leave through our heads again."

I stare at Aris and shake my head. "I can't say I'm surprised. It sounds just like WCKD. Torturing and punishing people for not wanting to stay and give their lives to this idiotic cause," I state, crossing my arms in front of my chest and frowning. "WCKD deserves to rot in hell for everything they have done." The three of them cheer at that last remark, and I laugh.

The four of us sit down at the table and discuss every reason why we hate WCKD. We could have been sitting here for hours, but two guards arrive to take the three of them away for more testing. I wave goodbye to them and head to the research laboratories. I haven't been there for a while, so it'll be good to go back. These labs have always been like a safe place for me, where I can let go of all of my worries and distract myself with numbers.

When I get there, I head straight to the computer. Turning it on, I immediately let my mind wander as I look through different files. I think about how I was so close to escaping with the Gladers. I should have known I wouldn't get away from this hellhole. It was too good to be true. I've been with WCKD for so long that they assumed I had accepted their ways. I wish I could leave without them trying to stop me. They should know that now that I have hope, I will not stop trying to escape. Ever. No matter how hard Janson or Ava try to persuade me, I will never want to stay.

My mind then makes its way to Newt. I hope he's okay out there. And I hope that WCKD never gets their grubby paws on him again. He deserves to live a happy life far away from here. All of those kids do.

After thinking about Newt for a while, my thoughts finally turn to Sonya. I swear I've seen her before, but I can't place where. 'Maybe I've read her subject file. But that doesn't seem right. I suppose there's only one way to find out.'

I switch the computer off, having not found anything interesting to read, and hastily make my way next door, where the subject files are stored. I was given a second pass card after the Gladers escaped, which I am extremely thankful for. It has more restrictions on it, but I still might be able to use it to find anything slightly intriguing.

When I enter the room, I suck in a deep breath. There is shelf after shelf of files. "This is going to take forever," I sigh. I start at one of the first shelves, looking at every file. After ten minutes, I realise the bookshelves have letters on them, specifying which Maze Group those files belong to. 'I'm looking at the wrong damn group.' I look at each set of shelves until I come across Group B. I dive straight into finding Sonya's file, and after about 15 minutes, I successfully find it. I jump up and down excitedly before sitting on the floor and reading her record from front to back.

"Oh, wow," I breathe and slowly close the folder once I've finished it. It kind of makes sense how I recognise her now. I haven't seen her before. I've seen her brother. I place the folder back on the shelf and slowly walk back to my room. I am not going to be able to get this out of my head now. I walk past Fluffles asleep on my dad's bed and make a bee-line straight for my room, and my bed. I flop down and lay on my back, not moving. My mind is circling with questions. 'How did I never know that? Why didn't he ever tell me?' I roll onto my side and furrow my brow. Well, I suppose I know how I recognised her now.

It would be amazing if she and her brother could have a reunion. If all sets of siblings in here could reunite and remember each other. That would be awesome! But I know that won't happen while Ava and Janson are in charge. I stand up and shuffle over to my desk in the room's far corner. Sitting down, I rest my chin in my hands, with my elbows digging into the wooden surface. Staring at the cream-coloured wall, I speak into the empty room.

"Sonya is Newt's sister!"

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