I should have ran with them, escaped with them. Being trapped here in this place is not right. I shouldn't have signed up for this. Heck, I never even signed up for this!
When a group of teenagers about my age burst into this place, all I thought about was how stupid they were for coming in here. No matter what their purpose is, no matter how noble it would sound, it would still be useless. No one, no one ever goes in and out of this place if you're not immune to the Flare.
Then, I heard arguing. Screams, cries, pleads. I could almost feel their pain while they exchanged words. That was when I knew that they were here to rescue their friends.
But, then again, it was futile. It was already a common scenario here at the Crank Palace. No one ever bothers to comfort another crank who wept at one corner after they pushed someone away. No one ever does because they know, even if they do, it's already the finish line.
This is why I hate this place. It's already prison for us, the lack of affection doesn't even help at all. At least, in the Glade you have someone to lean on to, someone you can trust. I should have just went there instead. I should just have.
"Those teenagers are a bunch of idiots," a Crank slurred.
The others nodded their heads in agreement. Every Crank in this room has the minimal signs of having the Flare rooted in their brains. They still look normal but they know that one day, the Flare would creep up to their bodies.
After that statement, everybody tries to find something to do that'll keep them entertained until they finally lost their mind.
One of WICKED's representative would come here every other day. I don't know why they would come here. I really thought they don't really care about the Cranks. After all, they're just a burden to the world.
"Is there a change of activities?" the representative asked the guard.
"It's still the same, sir," the guard replied.
I watched and listened to their exchange. It was still the same, there's no useful information to gather. All they ever talk about is the activities of the Cranks over the last month and how it keeps on getting worse.
"This is a bother. The Cure is almost impossible to make now that Thomas has fled,"
Thomas? Isn't that the guy whom the blonde argued with? I can't believe WICKED had a slip up.
"You have to finish the Cure, sir or else humankind will vanish,"
"I know. I just hope everything's going to go according to plan,"
The Cranks are going to attack tomorrow.
That was the first message I sent to Chancellor Paige when I found a computer I could access. Having the Cranks attack...
No. I have to believe on Chancellor Paige now. I can't do anything but just observe these Cranks. My limit is here.
Once I've made sure that the history of sending the message is erased, I snuck out of the room. It was dark in there. It was the darkest room in the whole place. Maybe it's because no one would bother to put up a light there because Cranks can't use computers.
"What the bloody hell were you doing?" someone said from behind me. I almost jumped but then I realized it wasn't something a Crank won't do.
"Me? Are you talking to me?" I managed to slur. I faced the blonde guy from before and noticed how skinny he was. The Flare must have made him that way.
"Yes, you. You don't look like you're a bloody Crank," he observed. He wasn't slurring. He talked normally. Looks like the virus isn't taking its toll fully yet.
"Me? I'm a Crank. I'm a Crank ever since," then I trailed off and pretended to think. "Ah, brain won't work well anymore,"
Then, the blonde boy just stared at me and limped away, allowing me to breathe out a sigh of relief.
