Thomas let out a strangled gasp and had to grab onto Sadie's shoulder for balance.
"Thomas! Thomas are you okay?" Sadie asked watching as he clutched his head in frustration and swayed on the spot. He griped Sadie's shoulders his eyes wide and almost crazed. She's talking in his head again.
"Sadie I need to talk to you!"
"But what about-"
"C'mon Sadie!" Thomas grunted grabbing her arm and breaking into a run. Sadie had no choice but to stumble and sprint after him Newt and the others calling after them. He guided them through the Deadheads, scraggly branches and tree limbs whipped by them as they ran. All of them reaching out like a pair of grasping and gnarled hands. When they had finally reached the small forest area behind the Deadheads he stopped, plopped on the ground and held his head in his hands.
'Thomas what's going on?" Sadie whispered kneeling next the Glader. "What about Teresa? She's still back there." Thomas groaned and shook his head slightly before looking up at her with a worried and pained glance.
"She's in my head again Sadie. She keeps talking in my shuck head." He blurted his eyes skirting the forest around them nervously. Sadie couldn't blame him; she too had the odd feeling that someone was watching them. Sadie peered over her shoulder anxiously but saw nothing.
"What- what did she say?" She asked focusing her attention back on him. Still unable to shake the feeling, Sadie pulled out her Runner's knife and gripped it firmly by her side.
"I don't know. She- she just keeps saying these things about triggering something. Her memory's fading but she remembers me. And then she said that the Maze is a code." Shudders traveled up her spine and the hair on the back of Sadie's neck stood on end. The Maze is a code? Sadie could feel her head beginning to spin now as blank memories tried to piece themselves together. It felt so familiar. She could almost touch it she could almost see it. But the puzzle pieces were messed up and confusing like someone had scribbled out their pictures.
"Did she say anything else?" Sadie asked, trying to keep Thomas talking. But before Thomas could answer a twig snapped behind them. Sadie jumped to her feet and whirled around her knife lashing out. Their intruder let out a surprised yelp and backed up their arms raised in surrender.
"It's me! It's just me." She gasped. "It's me Teresa." Sadie blinked in shock and dropped her knife-wielding arm to her side where it hung limply.
"Teresa?"
"Sadie?" The girl surged forward and pulled Sadie into a tight hug. "Oh thank god." So she is awake. It was weird seeing her friend up and walking again it had almost become routine for Sadie to check on her coma-induced state after a day of working in the Glade. Teresa let go of Sadie hurriedly and turned towards Thomas her blue eyes wide and very much alive now that she was no longer in a coma or spouting out bizarre warnings and messages. "Forgetting about you was the worst part." She whispered to him. Sadie shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably, she suddenly felt like she was intruding on what was meant to be a private reunion.
"You remember me?" Thomas asked looking up at her. Teresa sighed and sat down on the ground in front of him patting the seat next to her for Sadie.
"I think so… I just can't- can't explain it." She answered throwing her arms up in frustration. "It's like I'm watching a movie that I've seen before and I recognize all the characters but I just can't remember their faces, their names, or any of the places in the movie… or- god this isn't making any sense is it?" Sadie frowned and gave Teresa a sympathetic look remembering how confused she was on her first day, and how confused she still felt.
"How do you know me though?"
"I don't know. I think I knew you guys before they sent us into the Maze. It's all so screwed up right now Tom. I just know you two are my friends." Sadie's mind flashed back to her dreams she could almost feel the cold metal of the helmet being placed on her head again, she shuddered and shook her head. It doesn't matter. They're both here and they're both my friends. Sadie instructed herself giving Teresa a small nod and clapping a hand down on her friend's shoulder giving her and Thomas a small smile. Thomas leaned forward and shook Teresa's smaller hand in his large one.
"I like that you call me Tom." Sadie and Teresa shared a look and snickered. Oh Thomas you need to work on your game. Sadie thought while Teresa rolled her eyes. They spent the next couple of minutes catching up; well… as much as three teens with memory loss could catch up on anyways. It was slow and frustrating work, Teresa remembered about as much as they did which wasn't saying a lot. And neither of the two could explain how they were telepathic.
"There you guys are!" Alby shouted suddenly running into the forest, a few guys falling in behind him. Alby looked even more pissed off and bad tempered than before, if that was even possible. "How did you get out? The shucking Med-Jack said you were there one second and gone the next." Alby questioned giving Teresa a dirty and suspicious look.
"He must have forgotten to mention the fact that I kneed him in the groin and climbed out the window." Teresa stated climbing to her feet. Alby turned and gave one of the boys in his group a disgusted look while Sadie and Teresa snuck in a quick high-five.
"This is all bullshit, I want to know who you are." Alby said jabbing a finger in Thomas's chest. "And who this shank girl is!" Sadie stepped forward instinctively.
"Alby, Teresa and Thomas are-"
"Teresa? Oh so you know her name now?" Alby demanded turning his burning gaze on her. Sadie furrowed her brow and squared her jaw stubbornly.
"Well I came up with her in the shucking Box didn't I? Of course I know her freaking name." Sadie retorted fiercly, her protective mode kicking in. Even if Teresa was awake Sadie was still the girl hovering over her. Blocking out storms like an umbrella.
"And you didn't care to mention it to anyone? What is wrong with you Sadie!" Sadie shrunk back slightly from Alby. "We don't have time for this klunk, get the girl and put her in the Slammer 'til we figure out what to do with her." Alby ordered waving the guys behind him forward.
"Wait what? Alby what are you doing?" Sadie asked her and Thomas stepping in front of Teresa protectively.
"What the shuck does it look like I'm doing."
"What's your problem Alby?" Thomas yelled angrily. "Yeah we know her and she knows us but she can't remember anything and neither can we!" I can. Sadie thought guiltily looking up at Alby. And you remember too. Alby stepped forward his face a mask of rage.
"You better get outa the way Greenies."
"You can't just put her in jail for no reason. You didn't put me in the Slammer when I got here." Sadie fired back her own temper beginning to build. Alby shook his head in frustration and reached out towards her snatching Sadie's right wrist in a firm grip.
"Drop the knife shank." He ordered his voice low and dangerous. Sadie jerked back in surprise. She hadn't realized she was still holding her knife. She gave Alby a confused look but still refused to drop the knife. "You were a different story girl." Alby spat out like an insult. His hand tightened around her wrist.
"No I'm not Alby." Sadie growled wrenching away from his grasp. "She didn't do anything!"
"You know exactly what they did Sadie!" Alby answered back in a voice so low no one else but Sadie could have heard it. Alby's dark eyes met hers they were angry, fiery, and terrified. "You know what they did." He repeated almost pleading with her to admit it. "I saw you there, they did this to us. To all of us, they sent us to this hellhole. You were on our side! You know!" Sadie felt like a cornered animal, she could feel everyone's eyes watching them as Alby's eyes seared hers. His expression practically begged her to give him some comfort, to try and ease some of his own confusion. But how was Sadie supposed to do that when she was just as scared and just as confused? I do know. I do. But it's not their fault. Sadie wanted to scream; she couldn't let them lock Teresa up. Newt? Newt, where's Newt? Sadie thought her eyes searching the gang of boys but none of them looked familiar. And then Sadie's mind spun out of control again.
"Come on Sadie just sit down." Teresa pleaded plopping onto the edge of a bunk bed. Sadie was younger now, the oldest she could have been at the moment was thirteen but she felt so much older. She wasn't a child anymore, which meant she was old enough to think for herself.
"This is wrong Teresa. This is so freaking wrong!" Sadie yelled pacing back in forth in the small room they shared. "We can't go through with this. We can't help them make this- this death trap!"
"They'll kill us if we don't." Teresa whispered giving Sadie a hard look, she had to grow up too fast, they all did. How can you just sit there! We're no better than killers, we're monsters! Sadie felt hot angry tears streaming down her face, they were turning them into killers forcing them to use their intelligence for something evil, something wicked.
"I won't let them make me! They can't control me!" Sadie screamed whirling on her best friend.
"We don't have any say in it." Teresa reminded her hugging her knees to her chest as her eyes darted back and forth following Sadie while she paced angrily. Sadie stopped and wiped at her face furiously. Sadie looked around their small living quarters desperately; it was a small square room with plain white walls. It contained nothing but a bunk bed and two armchairs, leaving the girls to do nothing but be consumed by their thoughts. They probably did that on purpose. She continued to scan the room until her eyes landed on a small air-conditioning vent.
"Well I do now." Sadie stomped towards the vent yanking an armchair after her. She propped it against the wall and clambered up tugging the vent's face out of the wall.
"They'll catch you." Teresa commented walking towards her friend and steadying the chair for her.
"Oh please, they're too busy wasting humanity's resources on cruel experiments to bother buying any security camera's. Plus they don't think we're crazy enough to try and escape." Sadie responded inspecting the vent. It was just large enough for her to be able to wiggle through. The only question was; what would she do once she got out?
"That's because it is crazy." Teresa interjected, helping her friend gather any clothes and supplies they could find.
"Then why aren't you stopping me?" Sadie asked raising her eyebrows as she stuffed all of the clothes into a bed sheet. Teresa shrugged and gave Sadie a small, sad smile.
"I guess I'm just afraid that you might be right."
"I am right Teresa."
"What if they find a cure Sadie? What if they're right?" Sadie shook her head stubbornly and tossed her makeshift bag into the air duct.
"They're evil. Now hurry up and get your stuff we need to go."
"I'm not coming with you Sadie." Teresa whispered. Sadie's heart wrenched painfully her head snapping down to look at her best friend, one of the few people that she could actually call family. "I can't leave Thomas Sadie. I can't. And I think they can do it, I think they can find a cure." Sadie climbed off the chair and hugged her friend tightly more tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
"Goodbye Teresa." Sadie mumbled pulling away and clambering towards the vent before she could loose her nerve. The duct was a tight squeeze, but Sadie would still be able to wriggle her way through it. She'd have to live on her own, find some transportation and get out of here fast. Where there any trains or buses left out in the aftermath of the Flare? Sadie gripped the inside of the vent her fingers already numbing from the cold air blowing out. "Are you sure?" She called from behind her not daring to look back.
"I'm sure Sadie. We have to trust them. Wicked is good Sadie. Wicked is good."
Sadie snapped back into focus she gasped loudly as the memory disappeared from her mind like smoke. Everyone was still watching her closely and Alby still looked pissed as hell.
"You do know don't you?" And then Sadie made the mistake of nodding. "Alright take the girl boys."
"No!" Sadie yelped slapping her palms against Alby's chest and sending him stumbling backwards. She didn't care. She didn't care if they sent her here she didn't care if they helped the Creators. And Sadie certainly didn't care that she had run away and left Teresa in the past, because she would protect her now.
"Sadie!" A new voice called out stepping between her and Alby.
"Newt?"
"Sadie do you know what time it is?" He asked his voice tense and gravelly. Sadie looked from him to Thomas in confusion. Stunned by the break in the heated argument. Thomas was the first one to look down at his watch. His eyes widened in horror.
"What? What's wrong?"
"The doors aren't closing Sadie."