Chapter One
(Clara P.O.V)
When Clara finally woke she woke to a bright blinding light and a hard bed beneath her back. She moaned as her eyes peeled open. For a moment she was unsure of where she was but then everything washed back like a tsunami of information. It left her staring blankly at the roof for a few moments before she suddenly became aware of the drips and instruments which were attached to her skin. She forced herself to sit up and instantly regretted it as her stomach ached with pain.
Her fingers lightly pulled up her shirt and realised she had been stitched up. There was hardly any remains of the wound she once had. Whatever they were pumping through her must be doing a damn good job.
She pulled the plugs and drips from her skin setting off a bunch of alarms which she chose to ignore before slowly standing. Her legs felt weak but didn't seem to betray her as she walked towards the door which to her surprise was locked.
"What the-?" she started as she yanked it again.
"I see you've woken," a man behind her suddenly said, making her jump around towards him. He was in his late thirties she guessed, with greyish hair and a face that reminded her of a rat. "We were afraid you weren't going to make it."
She scowled as she back up against the door, "who are you?"
"I'm the one who saved you," he said with a sly smile, "but you can call me Janson."
"Good to know," she shot back, a strange feeling lurking inside her stomach. "I want to see my friends," she demanded.
He chuckled, "why don't you clean up a bit first?"
Clara looked down at her dirtied clothes, covered in her own blood along with sweat and grime. With it the memories of the maze. She had to get this reminder from her as soon as she could.
Not five minutes later she was standing under the pressurised spray of the shower and scrubbing the dirt and grime from her skin, she washed her hair as well before stepping out, drying and brushing it. Janson had left her some fresh clothes which included a long sleeved woollen cream turtle neck and tight blue jeans with black combat boots.
As she turned to exit she caught movement out of the corner of her eye, and as she turned she realised it was in fact her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes widened at her reflection, after all it was the first time she had seen herself in three years and even before she wouldn't remember what she'd looked like.
Clara knew she was beautiful, with curves of a women and her once childlike face had matured. Her hair was curled and glistened with droplets of water, her eyes wide and blue and reflected the eyes of a girl who had seen plenty. She was medium height and was slim but had some muscle.
Before she stared too much she decided to turn away and march out the door where Janson was waiting, she followed him down the hall as he talked.
"First I think we should sit down and have a little chat before we decide what to do with you," he said, they way he said it made Clara glance across at him. Despite his smile Clara still felt uneasy in his presence.
Clara fell into silence as she followed Janson the rest of the way. He stared at her, the ghost of a smirk upon his lips, it made Clara feel uneasy about the man before her. She got the impression he was more than what he was letting on.
"We have someone waiting to talk to you," Janson smiled as he escorted her through the door. It didn't take Clara long to notice the three guards that were following. Alarm bells were ringing inside her head about everything to do with Janson and this place.
"What are they here for?" Clara asked, eyeing the guards.
"I've learnt not to under estimate you," Janson simply replied.
Her brows furrowed in confusion as they came to a sudden stop at what seemed to be some sort of office, Janson pulled up a hologram as Clara stood before it. The guards taking a firm hold upon her, it didn't take her long to realise something was going on.
And when the hologram appeared with Ava Paige upon it her eyes narrowed, she didn't allow herself to feel shock like she should, Ava Paige was alive and that filled her with a rage so strong it reflected upon the screen to Ava.
"You," Clara spat.
Ava smiled slightly and brushed her blouse, "it's been a long time Clara."
"Obviously three years isn't enough," Clara shot back, this made Ava and Janson laugh, which only made Clara flush with anger.
"I see you've remembered our rocky past," Ava observes, a smirk on her lips.
"I remember enough."
"Do you remember enough to know WICKED is good?" Ava questioned, sitting upon her desk in the hologram.
"Don't be stupid Ava, you of all people should know I will never believe that."
"The day I convince you is the day I'll know I've done my job," she replied light heartedly. Her happiness made Claras blood boil, did she not regard the fact that she had killed so many of her friends who were young and innocent? Or did she not care?
"Trust me, I'll die before that happens."
"You are so naive, blinded by what's directly in front of you, whereas WICKED is looking at the big picture and if you did too you'd realise what we were doing was in fact good," Ava said with a sad smile. "I always hoped you'd realise this."
"Why?"
"Because someone like you we've never seen before. Yes, we've had Immunes. But someone who has survived the Flare, twice, unheard of. You give the people with the virus hope." When Clara didn't reply she continued. "If we could find out what is different about you we could have the cure."
"I survived the Flare?" Clara questioned slowly.
"Don't you remember want happened before the maze?" Ava asked as she raised her brow at Clara.
Clara hesitated, "bits and pieces, but, to be honest, I'm not really sure."
Ava paused, "I thought you would have remembered more in your Changing."
Clara shrugged, "I only remember bits and pieces, like I said, a thousand times."
"What do you remember?"
Clara inhaled, "I remember you sent us here to get a cure for something, I created Grievers, I helped with the maze, was banished into the maze once you found out about the Changing serum, I remember my friends and Teresa, I also remember that my parents are dead. You killed them."
Ava chuckled before shaking her head, "we didn't kill your parents, Clara. They were dead long before you came across us."
Clara sat up, "what do you mean?"
Ava Paige pushed her short hair behind her ears, if Clara hadn't of known better she might have thought her smile was sympathetic.
"What happened to my parents?" Clara asked, her eyes burning into the side of Avas skull.
"Despite what you might think, you came to us Clara, out of desperation. You and Teresa were alone, young and both were convinced you were dying and many, including your parents, had sacrificed much, everything, for your survival."
Clara blinked at the woman before her, "how do I know if you're telling me the truth?"
Ava smiled, "that was the problem I thought we'd come across, but luckily I have the solution." She motioned to Janson who stepped forwards with a needle which was full with a clear liquid. "You can see for yourself."
"The injection will help me remember?" Clara asked, curiosity leaking into her voice and expressions.
"Yes, unlike the Changing it will rid the Swipe fully and allow you access to the earliest of memories," Ava said, "but I must warn you, before you make your decision. Your past isn't pleasant."
"Will it help me remember my parents?" Clara asked. She had to admit, in her time in the maze she hadn't thought about her parents much, mainly because she hadn't allowed herself to, because there was no use in false hope, and she became even more detached when she found out they were both dead. But now, in the moment, she realised how much she wanted to remember the people who had brought her to this world. Were they good people? Were they special like Clara and Teresa? Did they have happy lives before this?
"Clara," hologram Ava whispered as she moved forwards towards, "this will help you remember everything. For three years you've wondered about your past, wouldn't it be nice to know?"
"It will," she whispered, "but, I want to see my friends first."
Ava chuckled, "I think by now you've realised that your time with WICKED isn't over, so won't this help you?"
Clara rolled her eyes, "you make me sick."
Ava stepped back, "when you remember you might understand why we do what we do. Maybe you'll understand that WICKED is truly good."
Clara exhaled loudly, "nothing that has happened could never justify what you've done to me and my friends."
Ava motioned to the needle, "you can make a judgement of your own, see for yourself."
Her eyes travelled to the clear needle that was placed in Jansons palm, inside it, the serum to access her memory. The access to her past. Clara drew in a breath, this serum would help her remember her past, possibly helping her in the future, but at the same time could she cope with her past? Even Ava admitted it would be tough. Ava Paige. The one that put them through the maze trials, been the cause of dozens of her friends deaths and also almost killed her multiple times. The founder of WICKED, the one thing in her whole life she hated the most, and she hated a lot of things.
And there was another lingering question.
Could she be trusted?
Obviously not. Not after everything she'd done. Not after all the lies. And after the lingering threat of whatever was to come. People like Ava Paige made Clara doubt she'd ever learn to trust properly again.
"So what's it going to be Clara?" Ava purred. Clara had been almost blinded by her gentle nature moments before but now that the she was thinking rationally once more she saw the glimmer in her eye that indicated more was going on than she let known.
Clara knew that she could never trust Ava.
So she slowly shook her head, "I don't want it."
Ava looked slightly surprised, before her mask covered it once more, "why?"
Clara decided to lie through her teeth, "I think after everything I'm already struggling to cope. I don't think I could manage knowing what happened before, especially if it's as bad as you say."
Ava straightened, raising an eyebrow slowly, "but aren't you curious?"
"Curiosity can bring you consequences, I've learnt that."
Ava rolled her eyes, "so can reluctance."
"This was a choice," Clara said slowly.
"I wanted to make you think it was," Ava sneered, "make something between us civil for once."
Claras lips parted as realisation washed over her, but maybe a little too late, because she was suddenly pulled back by the guards behind her, they secured cuffs around her wrists. She couldn't fight as it was too strong but she tried.
"I was wrong to think you'd co-operate, maybe I thought, after your time in the maze you'd realise. But I have been fooled by you before. You've never been willing to work with me. Even before the maze. I was blinded by you and your story. But not any longer Clara."
She continued to struggle but she knew there was no use.
Ava stepped closer, "I want you to remember how much was sacrificed for you and my cause. I want you to understand why WICKED is good."
Janson stepped in her peripheral vision, he was running his finger up and down the needle with a dangerous glimmer in his eye.
"It's a shame we have to depart like this Clara, I was hoping for something… less tension less?" Ava said like a question.
"I'd write a farewell card but I have no idea where the hell you're going," she seethed.
Ava chuckled, "not me, you." Her eyes flickered to the men who had the iron grip on her, "Janson, proceed with giving subject A/B17 the removal of the Swipe, and then contact me when she wakes."
Claras eyes widened before she felt a stabbing pain in her neck, she felt the liquid being pushed into her skin. Her body went limp as she began fading out.
She felt Avas stare through the screen as she whispered, "and remember Clara, WICKED is good."
The last thing she registered was the clicking of heels before her vision went black.
Her earliest memories were vivid, but meaningful, they were connecting to the feeling of fear and worry. She remembered sun, scorching hot sun that stung your skin and made you break out in a furious sweat, even if you were only in the rays for a few moments.
She also remembered water, a tsunami of brown dirty water that washed through the city and collected up people.
She saw faces, faces melting off their bone like wax to a candle, screams, horrifying screams that cut through the air and she remembered still bodies that washed away beside her as she ran.
And then the clearer memories became to come.
She saw her parents, her father, carrying a girl with ebony black hair and icy blue eyes, Teresa. Her father was tall, built, he had tan skin and black hair like Teresa and oak brown eyes. And her mother, who was carrying her, the same blue eyes both Teresa and Clara shared with Claras blonde hair.
Her mother was a beautiful caring woman, everyone loved her. She was smart and sophisticated. Her younger self remembered her listening to old records whilst staring out at the broken world through the window in the living room. That was during the better times.
Her father was a humorous man who liked to make light of things, but the Flare and the Sun Flares changed this. He became serious quite quickly, suddenly all that mattered to him was the survival of his two daughters and wife. He was always kind to Clara, right to the very end.
Her parents loved each other very much, they loved their daughters very much. But love couldn't stop The Flare.
Teresa must have been no older than six, herself maybe four or five. But the memories were clear as day and as frighting as night.
They were running, for what seemed like a life time, sometimes from the water, other times to find shade and every now and then from people. It was soon decided they were to move from the city to the hills where they found a community to live in.
It was good, sustainable and reliable, the people were nice and supportive and they were safe. That was until the ships arrived and shot darts at them.
Her parents grabbed Teresa and Clara, running from the people in the green suits but they weren't safe. Her parents stumbled to the ground as the darts found their skin. The darts soon found Teresa and Clara as well.
Clara remembered feeling pain, excruciating pain tearing through her body like nothing she had ever felt before. And when she woke the next time she was inside a closed in hut, her head pounded like there was something inside, knocking away at her sanity. She remembered screaming, crying, yelling things that didn't make sense.
At the age of five she had already lost her mind once.
But she did remember screaming the same sentence possibly a thousand times over.
"MY HEAD HURTS!"
Because it did, a pain so excruciating she felt like giving in then, throwing herself against a wall and ending it right there.
But she didn't.
And as the days passed she became better, the pain seeped away slowly and soon enough she was able to make her way out of the hut, to find the town empty, except for one.
"Deedee," Clara whispered, "what happened here?"
Deedee, that was Teresas name before the maze.
"Athena, they've gone, all of them," Teresa whispered back.
"What about Mummy and Daddy?" Clara whispered, her eyes scanning the broken village before her. Her nostrils filling with the stench of rotting flesh.
"The cold killed them, it almost killed you," Teresa frowned, tears springing up in her blue eyes, "I don't know how we are still alive. Everyone else who got hit died."
It wasn't long before they left the village, there was no point staying, even though they were both young they knew that. And then they met some unlikely companions.
Lana. Alec. Trina. Mark.
She remembered them being cautious of them first, they were aware she had the illness and had shown symptoms and mysteriously recovered. But apparently she still had evidence of the illness, a purple vein that ran down her forehead.
But despite the caution they decided to help Clara and Teresa, it was obvious from the start the strangers cared for them. Especially Trina, she would cuddle and hold the girls when we were upset and tell them it was going to be okay.
They were separated soon after, the girls were taken by a bunch of Cranks and held captive inside some old houses which was occupied by Cranks. Clara remembered being hit and kicked and cut, she remembered crazy people scaring her and hissing at her. She cried many times in that house, she was only young.
Over the days she was held there she became increasingly sick, like she was before, her head began throbbing once more, equally as bad. But then she was saved and taken to a place which was called the Flat Trans were she parted with Trina, Mark and Alec.
Trinas last words to her stuck with her.
"You're special Athena. You can save the world. Promise me, promise me you'll be brave."
She promised before letting go of her hand and crossing the Flat Trans with Teresa. She remembered looking back at Trina, the way that she looked at her made Clara feel like she was carrying humanity on her shoulders. Like she was their only hope. Trina knew that better than anyone.
After she crossed the Trans that is when they came across WICKED for the first time.
She was separated from Teresa for weeks until the illness which was named the Flare cleared once more. She was labelled as special, and maybe she was, she survived the Flare, twice.
It was unheard of, a miracle. Clara quickly became a beacon of hope, not just for WICKED but for the Cranks who weren't past the gone. The news of her survival spread across the Trans like a wild fire, the people needed hope. And they clung onto this piece of hope like a life line.
If she could survive the Flare, why couldn't they?
She remembered being constantly guarded, escorted like she was precious cargo. She remembered the Cranks past and before the Gone fighting to get into WICKED. Just to get Clara. Like if they had her in their possession they were cured.
They couldn't be more wrong. Technically Clara wasn't cured herself, she still had the Flare pumping through her veins. It had never stopped. So far she had just managed not to be killed by it.
And then she met Ava, she explained the situation and said how Teresa and a boy named Thomas were creating the maze. She was given a task of what was to roam inside them.
The first time she met the other Gladers was at a meeting. She was sat up the front of the room with Teresa, Thomas, a boy named Aris and a girl named Rachel. She was in the middle of the two pairs, looking down at her lap, her fists clenched together under the table. As Ava spoke the others before them stared, but mainly at the small blonde haired girl who hadn't been introduced yet. But it was clear that she was different to the rest. Her blue eyes which burned with fury gave it all away.
A girl so young shouldn't feel such fury and hate.
A boy, around the same age, with blonde hair and a thick British accent stood up, "and who's she?" he asked, pointing to Clara.
Clara looked up as Avas eyes found hers, Ava smiled, "this, dear Newton, is Clara. She's special, different to the rest of you. She isn't immune but she survived the Flare. Twice."
The boy Newton squinted, "how?"
Ava shrugged, "we aren't sure, but that's what we are here for, is it not?"
The boy nodded and then moved his eyes to Clara, he then smiled slightly. She tilted her head to the side with confusion. Shouldn't he be scared? But before too long her own lips tilted up into a small but kind smile.
The creation of the Grievers came next, she worked on that for most her time with WICKED, Newton and Clara became close friends quite quickly and they often found themselves in each other's dorms when they couldn't sleep because of night terrors threatened their slumber.
Newt had memories of his own. She found out he had a sister, who died in the early stages of the Flare, he told her everything, as did Clara. Their deep connection was what seemed to remind them that everything was going to be okay.
Teresa drifted further from Clara and hardly talked to her, and when she did she was cold and bitter, she was focused on the trials too much to worry about her sister, or at least that's what she said.
Clara became close with most of the Gladers, mostly Minho, Chuck, Sonya, Harriet and Alby. Minho and Clara were extremely close, he was slightly older than herself and Clara saw him as somewhat of an idol. He taught her a lot about self-defence, but most of all he taught her how to run. They pair were always up to mischief, pulling pranks around the headquarters and frequently getting caught. They were partners it crime, two of a kind. But Newt was her best friend and everyone knew that, especially Ava.
It wasn't long before Newt and Clara had a connection deeper than friendship, one they wouldn't understand until later on, once it was too late.
When Clara completed the Grievers with the addition of the Changing liquid that's when things began to get bad again. Ava found out about the Changing liquid from Teresa, but it was too late by then to change anything. So instead Clara was sent up into Group B early, the first of the Group.
The last memory was sketchy, but still terrifying.
A needle, much like the one she only saw moments ago, pain in her neck, Newt crying and banging on the glass door, and then she was fading away, with it the memories from her past. That's where her journey inside the maze began.
(Newt P.O.V)
"How long until you think they'll let us see her?" Minho asked as he pushed a bread roll down his throat.
"She mightn't have even woken yet," came Thomas' reply.
"I hope we get to see her soon, this waiting is killing me," Teresa said, the guilt eating her up.
Newts knee bounced up and down beneath the table with the nervousness and longing he felt to see Clara. All he wanted was to hold her, tell her she'd be okay. Because he knew how she'd be feeling. He felt the sorrow and sadness himself.
"If I know Clara at all then I know she'll pull through, she always does," Frypan added from his place upon his bed.
"The shuck girl couldn't die, even if she tried. She's probably immortal or something," Minho smirked.
Newt rolled his eyes but chuckled despite his stupid explanation. Janson had told them she would be okay, but he wouldn't believe it until he saw it for himself. He needed to see her and decide for himself if she was okay.
They were currently seated in a large room waiting to be taken to where they would be testing the Gladers to see if they were physically okay. They were able to shower and get changed before being provided with a large meal. Newt had managed to sleep a little, but it was restless and filled with visions which disturbed him and pulled him back to reality. The Gladers didn't speak much, they were all still in the raw stages of processing what just happened. He doubted any of them would ever fully comprehend and accept the events of the last three years.
The Gladers looked up as a door swung open, Janson stood with a smile upon his face, "follow me."
They obeyed and followed Janson quietly down the corridors until they reached a double set of doors which he pushed open, revealing a large room filled with medical equipment. Teresa was separated from the group and followed a woman, looking back over her shoulder and briefly meeting their eyes before doing so.
They were then seated and given various amounts of injections and had fair amounts of different tests conducted on them before they were finally able to go. Thomas was removed from the group as they headed to the dining hall.
Once inside they quickly noticed that they weren't the only ones occupying this facility. And they certainly weren't the only ones to enter the maze. There were more groups than just Group A and Group B.
Despite the new developments Newts mind was elsewhere, he couldn't tear his mind from thinking about Clara. All he wanted was her safety, to insure a future for her and maybe for the two of them. If that's what she wanted. He wanted to see her run, not away from something or someone, to run for the sake of running. To run to feel freedom. He wanted to see her plan a future that didn't involve the maze. He wanted to see her do simple things. Like stare out at a landscape that wasn't the Glade. To marvel at a proper sunset. To wake at dawn and not have to fear the day ahead.
All he wanted for her was happiness, to feel the bliss of living. And he hoped he'd be able to do that beside her.
"Newt," Minho said, suddenly interrupting his thoughts, "you alright?"
He blinked before nodding. Minho frowned, "look, I know you're worried about Clara. But you have to trust me when I say she's fine. She's gunna be fine, alright? And even if she's not you and I will make sure of it."
Newt smiled slightly before nodding, he was just about to turn back to the conversation when he heard Thomas speak.
"Teresa?"
Newt followed his eyes to where Teresa was being escorted by a bunch of guards on the other side of a glass panel. Thomas stood, his brows furrowed his eyes followed Teresa.
"Thomas you can't-" but Newt cut himself off by what he saw next.
The tip of a stretcher came into view, a bunch of guards surrounding it and an unmoving being placed on top of it. Newt subconsciously stood and slowly walked to the glass panel, his eyes glued to the unmoving figure, trying to get a glimpse of who it was. Deep down he knew who it was, but he needed to see it to believe it.
And he wished he hadn't.
Clara looked pale, her chest was rising and falling rapidly and her blonde hair was plastered to her face with sweat. There was a purple swollen lump upon her neck. Her eyes moved frantically beneath her lids, her fingers twitched at her side and her mouth was occasionally forming unspoken words.
She looked worse than she did in the maze.
"Clara!" he called through the glass although he knew quite well she wouldn't be able to hear him. He paced along the side of her stretcher, the guards around her quickly noticing the boy on the other side of the panel and pushing the stretcher along faster.
In front of her Teresa turned around, a terrified expression upon her face as she stared at her sister, and then she made eye contact with Thomas and Newt before turning back around once more.
The two girls disappeared from sight not a moment later.
Newt and Thomas were stopped from following them by a guard who was standing by the door, "can't go past here boys."
Newt and Thomas exchanged a meaningful glance before Thomas asked, "where are they taking them?"
"Just to the clinic to do some more tests," he answered shortly.
"What's wrong with Clara?" Newt blurted out, the man glared at him before answering.
"She woke from the operation and her body went into shock, she lost a lot of blood very quickly. It was likely to happen," he explained shortly.
"Can we see them?" Thomas asked, when the man didn't reply he continued, "they are our friends and we want to make sure they are okay."
"Not yet, there will be plenty of time for that later. Now, get out of here and sit back down," the guard snapped.
Newt and Thomas exchanged a look before heading back to their seats.
As much as Newt wanted to deny it he knew something wasn't right. They both knew it.
A/N:
So there it is *BAM* the first chapter to the sequel. Hopefully this chapter explains a bit of the confusion from the ending as I know there was so many questions left unanswered in the last chapter.
I want to know what you thought of this first chapter so PLEASE leave me a review! To know your thoughts and to know people are still enjoying my story encourages me to update quicker! So even if you have never reviewed before on my story but enjoy reading it please leave me a review!
If you are currently wondering when Clara and the Gladers will be reunited I will have to say in about one or two chapters time. And if you are also wondering if there will be some fluff, the answer is yes…
I really hope you guys liked reading the first chapter as much as I loved writing it!
Believe me when I say there are some HUGE twists to come!
Until then!
Later Gladers!
x
