𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐒 - 𝘚𝘊𝘖𝘙𝘊𝘏 𝘛𝘙𝘐𝘈𝘓𝘚

3 ~ 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙚

Lottie

On the third day at the facility, the WICKED guards forced me out of my cell earlier than normal. They had to practically drag me up the stairs and down the hallways. I was too weak to carry myself, due to the tiny meals and the torture that I'd endured. I could barely see where we were going, since both of my eyes were swelled shut, but I could tell that we were not going in the usual direction. Instead, they brought me down a darker hallway, and into an even darker room.

They pushed me onto a medical bed and strapped my wrists and ankles. The counters that lined the walls were stacked with medical supplies. Doctors rushed around, not even giving me a second glance. They were filling syringes with different colored liquids. There was a sort of uncomfortable nostalgia of it.

"Now, ma'am?" A middle-aged nurse asked Ava Paige in the corner of the room, who I hadn't noticed until now.

"Yes," said Chancellor Paige, not breaking eye contact with me.

"What am I doing in here?" I asked.

"You didn't give us what we needed. So, we will have to take it without your consent, I'm afraid. We're taking your memories."

"No!" I cried, and tugged at my restraints. What were they going to do with my memories? Could they read them? Look at them like looking at a television? If that was the case, why couldn't they use that technology to make a cure to the Flare, instead of doing it this way? Either way, I didn't want them sifting around my thoughts. "I'd rather die!" I protested, but it was no use. A sedative had been prepared, and the middle-aged nurse holding it approached me. "Please don't!"

"I'm sorry," The nurse said, and she actually did sound remorseful. But it didn't stop her from tapping the inside of my elbow to find a vein. Her thumb slid over the plunger – and she fell to the floor, electricity coursing over her body. I looked down at her in confusion. The room went silent, before another doctor fell from the electricity. The room was suddenly filled with bullets of the stuff, striking down doctor after doctor.

It was all happening so fast, I had time to do nothing but blink at my surroundings in surprise. Never before had I seen something like this. What was even weirder is that all of the bullets of electricity were whizzing straight by me, like they were purposely missing me.

A boy suddenly ran into the room, around my age. He had brown hair and blue eyes – like the ocean. He was holding a gun. It seemed as if the electricity bullets were coming from it. The doctors left standing hurried over to the corner with their hands in the air. The boy then aimed the gun at the Chancellor and Teresa, who exchanged horrified looks. The sight of the boy – who was very familiar – caused a smile to form on my face.

"Thomas?"

The boy grinned, and saw my glance towards the gun in his hand. "It's a Launcher. Doesn't kill, but causes immense pain." He turned back towards the Chancellor and Teresa.

"Thomas, what are you doing?" the Chancellor asked.

"Get out of this room, and I won't shoot." Thomas was staring directly into Teresa's eyes, as if he was trying to convey a message through them. She shook her head. He nodded. I watched them curiously – it was as if they were having a silent conversation.

"Thomas!" The Chancellor shouted. "Stop this madne-"

Thomas pulled the trigger, and Ava Paige went down, her body trembling with the electricity. Teresa gasped. "Thomas!" She said out loud. "I can't believe you!"

"Teresa." Thomas said calmly, still aiming the Launcher. "I don't want to hurt you. Just leave the room."

"Thomas..." Teresa looked heartbroken. "You know I can't-"