I hear the distant sound of boots hitting the concrete floor. I can hear them coming nearer and nearer until they eventually stop, just outside my door. I don't bother to open my eyes. I don't bother lifting my head. I stay curled up in a heap on the cold floor, my arms wrapped around my knees, just as I've been the past week.

"It's time. Get her up." A muffled voice from behind a mask orders. I recognize the sound without having to look up. It's one I've grown acquainted with over the past few months. I feel my body being lifted from the ground, handcuffs immediately clamped down on my wrists. 

I can't process what's happening. My body is too weak; my mind too fuzzy and jumbled up to be able to understand. I just let the guards practically carry me out of my room and down the corridors of WICKED by my upper arms, my legs barely able to hold my body weight. 

Every room blends together. The bright white walls and tiles and fluorescent lighting  makes every room and corridor feel the same. I don't bother trying to keep track of the turns we take or how many flights of stairs I'm forced to climb. If I'm being escorted to my death, what's the point?

"Wait!" A voice behind us calls out. The guards stop in their tracks and turn around, forcing me to follow. The sound of heels clicking fast on the tiles echoes through the corridors, bouncing off the walls. I try to make out the woman's form as she approaches us, peering through the hair covering my face in order to see. 

The woman slows to a stop in front of us, gasping for breath. "There's no time, ma'am. She's meant to be on the train by 06:30." The guard in front of me says, his tone urgent despite it being muffled by the mask.

"I know, I know. This will only take a minute." Teresa replies. The guard nods and steps aside so that she can see me. Her eyes immediately soften when she lays eyes on me, her shoulders slumping slightly. "Oh, Venus. What happened to you?" She asks softly.

I don't respond, merely staring at her through my hair. When she realizes that I'm not going to talk to her, she sighs, reaching into the pocket of her pristine lab coat and pulling something out of it. 

She reaches out for my hands. The second that her skin touches mine, I feel myself recoiling from her, my stomach churning at just the thought of her perfectly clean skin touching my grimy, dirty skin. 

"Venus, please." She pleads, her eyes begging with mine to cooperate. She reaches out once again and, this time, I don't recoil. I feel something being dropped into the palm of my hand, my fingers immediately forming a fist over the object. "I saved it for you. I figured you'd want it back."

I look down and open my hand to see a leather cord crumpled in my palm. My eyes widen as they find the ring, just as I remember. 

"Everything's gonna be okay. I promise, Venus." My eyes meet hers, a spark of anger starting a flame in my chest as I look at her. She turns her gaze to the guards, nodding at them to signal that she's done. The one behind me grabs my upper arms again, the other one tightening his hold on his gun. "I hope we see each other again soon." Teresa says to me, offering me a halfhearted smile.

"I don't." I croak, my hands tightening into fists around the necklace. Teresa's eyebrows furrow slightly. "If I see you again, I'll kill you," I promise her.

Teresa's face falls. I stare her down until the guards turn me around and begin whisking me down the corridors once again. I can feel her eyes burning into the back of my skull until we round a corner.

A burst of bright light blinds me, my skin burning the moment the light makes contact with it. I screw my eyes shut tightly, biting my tongue to keep from making any noise as I'm dragged outside.

I can hear commotion all around me. guards are shouting out orders to one another, people are shouting, a low rumbling sound cutting through the air. I force my eyes open as I'm pushed forward, desperate to see what all the noise is.

A minimum of a hundred kids surround me, waiting as the guards force their heads down and scan the backs of their necks before they're herded into the compartments of a huge train. I scan the crowds frantically for a familiar face, but the guards are pushing towards one of the compartments too quickly.

"I guess this is goodbye for now." A voice says as a man approaches me. I look up and meet Janson's eyes. "Safe travels." He sneers. His eyes glint with malicious laughter, yet he keeps the rest of his face straight. 

I feel rage bubbling up inside of me. The corners of his lips curl up into a sinister smile as he looks down at me. I can't stop myself from spitting at his feet, looking back up at him with the most hateful glare I can muster. His smile fades, his eyes narrowing slightly. I see his nose twitch before his hand makes contact with my cheek. My head is whipped to the side at the sudden contact, the force of his skin on mine burning into my cheek. 

I look back up at him slowly, tears stinging my eyes despite my efforts to keep my emotions down. His lips twitch up into another triumphant smile. Janson nods once at the guards and walks away.

"Venus?!" I hear a voice that sounds too familiar cry out. My head whips up in the direction of the voice. "Venus, is that you?!"

He's pushing through the crowds, trying to fight off the guards as they try to detain him. He forces himself to the front. My eyes meet his just as he's tackled to the ground, his hands held forcefully behind his back.

"Minho?!" I try to shout, but my voice catches in my throat, coming out as a whisper. The guards behind me shove me into the compartment of the train, ignoring my weak attempts to break free of their grasp and run to Minho. 

I'm immediately forced down onto a chair at the back of the compartment, my wrists held tightly in one of the guard's hands as the other tightens handcuffs around them. The handcuffs are attached to a long chain that connects to the ceiling, ensuring that there's no way for any of us to break free and run. The guards check to make sure the cuffs are tight before walking out of the compartment, leaving me with thirty or so others, all of us dead quiet.

I can hear the commotion still going on outside, the guards still shouting at each other and herding every kid onto the train. I'm positive that they won't put Minho in the same compartment as me, but at least I know he's alive. At least I've seen him alive and not just had to take Teresa's word for it. At least I have that much to hold on to. I can feel my cheek already bruising, the back of my neck tingling. 

My voice is still caught in my throat, a lump forming as tears flood my eyes. I allow my tears to fall down my cheeks and catch the hair still covering my face. My fingers fiddle with the necklace in my hands absentmindedly as I stare into oblivion.