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G    A    M    E         O    F
S    U     R     V     I     V     A     L

· 。ﾟ

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞? 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐲?
𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐞, 𝐧𝐨 𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲
𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬, 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐞

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

 
chapter four
calling the shots

    "THIS will be your room to sleep in." The soldier informed Rosie as he opened the heavy door. "The girls can fill you in. They'll be here soon. Make yourself at home." The man shut the door closed leaving her alone in the small room.

The room had two bed bunks, a small closet, and a private bathroom. Besides that, there wasn't much. One bed bunk looked like it was being used. The top bunk bed was undone while the bottom was an attempt at an organized bed with little flecks of blood on the pillow.

Rosie turned to the other bunk figuring that it was the one she'd sleep on. The girl noticed the top bunk was also messy which meant someone was already using it. The bottom bunk was untouched.

The girl laid herself on the bed feeling the soft and comfortable mattress under her body. Her muscles tightened at the touch slowly relaxing and sinking into the mattress. She breathed in deeply realizing she hadn't slept for more than 24 hours straight. They had arrived at the facility and were rushed into doing things. No one had given her a chance to relax until now.

Her thoughts were confusing her as there was some sorts of anxiety moving through her body. She thought of what she'd do when she'd be face to face with Jess. Rosie remembered her more clearly now. But she didn't know if Jess remembered her. The two girls used to be close with one another and Rosie hated herself for what she had done the last time she saw her.

Her thoughts flew out of her head once the automatic door opened revealing a soldier in uniform and three girls shuffling inside. The man didn't say a word when shutting the door shut. The three girls spotted Rosie almost immediately as they entered the room.

Rosie sat up almost hitting herself on her head. "Hey!" The curly headed girl spoke up being the one in the middle as the two other girls looked at one another. "I don't know if you remember me but I'm Jessie!" She greeted, "this is Mara," she pointed at the tallest girl with green eyes, "and that's Samadhi."

"I'm sorry." Was the only thing Rosie could say to the girl in front of her. Her eyes had become watery ashamed of her actions from months ago. "I shouldn't have left you alone."

       Jessie dropped her smile realizing Rosie remembered her. It felt like a big weight had been lifted from her chest. Jessie's eyes also turning watery. The two girls rushed to one another hugging each other tightly. "It's okay, I told you to do it. So, don't blame yourself anymore. I'm right here. I'm alive and well."

"I know that this is a sweet reunion and I am very sorry to break it up but we have things to talk about, Jess." Mara interrupted as the two girls let go of one another. "My apologies, Rosie. That's your name right?"

Rosie nodded feeling a little better with herself. If she remembered Jess very clearly and remembered Kai vividly. Rosie assumed that one day she'd retrieve all of her memory.

"What has Kai told you?" Mara asked before climbing up the bunk with a messy bed.

Samadhi tied her hair up heading to the small sink with a mirror that was hanged up on the wall. She lifted her sleeves revealing scars across her arms and Rosie wondered if they were self inflicted or someone else did them.

"To not trust anyone besides you guys and that this isn't a safe place. Whoever runs this place works for the same people. And that you guys would tell me the rest." Rosie summarized the conversation she had with Malakai.

Jess had sat down on the bed designated for Rosie patting a spot next to her which Rosie took sitting next to her. "How many people did you come with?"

"A few, about seven boys and another girl."

Samadhi finished washing her face as she spoke for the first time, "who's the girl?"

"Her name's Teresa." Rosie replied, "she came up in the box maybe two days before we got out. They've been keeping her away from us. So none of us have seen here since we arrived."

The three girls shared a knowing look which Rosie raised her eyebrow at, "if you have an encounter with her, don't trust her. Don't matter if you guys came here together." Samadhi spoke before taking her shoes off.

"Why?" Rosie questioned

Jess answered this time, "because she might be getting her memories back like us."

"What's wrong with that?"

Jess shifted uncomfortably grabbing a little packet out of her sweater revealing a licorice. "She was the one who called it on Eirene."

And that was enough for Rosie. Eirene wasn't someone she missed because for a long time she didn't know if she was real. But now as things connected and more memories of her flooded her mind, Rosie could physically feel the ache for the best friend she once had. The girl who's blood was tainted on Rosie's hands.

"We're leaving tomorrow evening." Mara explained, "around the time the shift changes."

"Before you keep going. I need to understand what is happening and where are we going?" Rosie asked accepting a piece of licorice Jess offered her.

Mara nodded filling her in, "every day, approximately six to ten kids are supposedly taken to a safe place." Mara explained the situation as Rosie nodded along, "we are tricked into thinking we're being sent somewhere safe when in reality they're putting us in some sort of comma. We think they're brainwashing them or reprogramming their brains with subliminals."

"See the problem with us is that the facility knows something is up with us. They keep us on a close watch but now that you guys have arrived their main focus is your group." Mara stated, "one of your friends from your group unfortunately for him is bringing a lot of attention to himself which makes us lucky. If Jess's calculations are correct, we can make it out of here with not much resistance."

        Rosie knew exactly who they were talking about as Thomas had made some commotion a few hours earlier trying to search for Teresa. "Okay but what's the plan? What do we do after we get out of here?"

        "We look for the Right Arm." Samadhi replied wincing at her arm as Rosie noticed one of the cuts started to bleed. The girl stood up from her bed grabbing a bag under and pulled out a bandage wrapping it around her arm before laying back down.

Rosie stayed quiet trying to remember her memories as she's heard about the Right Arm before. "What is that?"

"It's an army." Jessie answered finishing her licorice. "They dedicate themselves to rescue people like us. They're the people we need to get to."

"And you guys know how to get to them?"

Samadhi let out a small chuckle shaking her head, "not one clue. They won't be found unless they want to be found. You get me?"

"So, you're telling me we're going out there with nothing just in hopes to maybe find them?" Rosie questioned the three girls, "are you guys insane?"

Mara shook her head taking her shirt off to slip into a looser t-shirt causing Rosie to turn the other way feeling a tingle in her chest, "I know you don't have any reason to trust us maybe a little bit with Jess but none with me and Sam. But you should understand that we all want the same thing and that's freedom."

Rosie bit her lip as she ignored the weird feeling that passed through her momentarily. "You don't have to come with us," Samadhi spoke up, "but out of all the options you've got, we're your best shot. We'll get you out of here. Alive."

Jess nodded along, "we can go back to how it used to be. We can find our family, Rosie. We just need to get out of here and find the Right Arm. They'll help."

"I need to tell my friends. They deserve to know what's going on." Rosie reasoned, "I have my cousin with me and they're all important to me. They kept me alive the past few months."

Samadhi threw a brown lunch bag up in the air perfectly straight up that Mara was easily able to catch. Rosie picked up on the girl's sharp movements and stealth. "Neither of us were meant to be in the trials, Rosie." Mara put forth taking out already pre-rolled weed out of the bag. The girl looked through her blankets before grabbing the lighter she had hidden. "They see us as useful machines. We were put there so they could control us. So, we could be their puppets and help them keep the trials going. Your friends are meant to be in the trials. This is their fate, they'll figure it out. One way or another."

       Rosie let out a scoff as Mara was saying a harsh truth that was pissing Rosie off. "You're expecting me to leave the only people I know that are real? How the hell do I know you guys aren't lying to me? I'm not leaving them behind. I'd rather stay with them than go anywhere with you."

      Jess stood up from the bed not understanding why Rosie was turning against them. "Are you serious? Rosie, they still have a long way to go. Wicked will find them if they escape. They will find them over and over again and they will continue to do so. Listen to me, you were never meant to be in that maze Rosie. You have no chance with them."

       Mara shook her head lighting up the joint in between her fingers before adding onto Jessie's comment. "She's right. I know she's right. Samadhi knows she's right. You know she's right. You want to continue the cycle? Or do you wanna finally break it and get out?"

       "I want freedom but I also want them to have it. They've got it worse than I have it." Rosie explained running her fingers through her hair as Jess climbed up to her bed, "I get that you guys have been waiting for me but I have a family that I can't leave behind. I did that once I won't do it again."

"I don't want you to go with us. Honestly I think you're just a waste of space." Mara breathed out the little smoke out of her lips as she shrugged her shoulders letting out the truth, "I really don't care what happens to you and I bet Samadhi doesn't care either. But Jess does and that's why we're still here."

Samadhi grabbed the joint that Mara handed her, "Kai's the one calling the shots so you both might as well get along." Sam inhaled in and out the smoke closing her eyes to feel the tension loosen. "You're coming with us. If you like it or not."

Rosie shook her head about to reply before Jessie beat her confusing her with her statement, "Rosie, we do what you say."

"What?"

The curly headed girl nodded, "Kai put you in charge. So, if you want to tell the guys go ahead. You want to leave with them, go ahead. But we're going with you."

"Unfortunately." Mara muttered

Samadhi rolled her eyes at her friend's attitude, "lock it up, Mara." Sam demanded

"What?" Mara hissed back, "you know I'm right, she doesn't want to go with us! What's the point of listening to her?"

Samadhi licked her lips sitting up even though she wanted to ignore the argument. "We're taking her with us and we're taking her friends if we have to. We promised, Jess."

Mara looked over at her other friend who was sitting with her arms crossed, "fine. But that's it. If they don't want to go with us that's on them. We can't risk more attention, Rosie."

"You can talk to your friends tomorrow." Jess explained, "right now, I have to show what's going on inside this place."

☆゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜★

  
☆゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜★

ROSIE followed Jess out of the air vent jumping down inside a dark room. The girl brought her finger up to her lips telling Rosie to be quiet as she walked to the opposite side of the room. The two girls guided themselves by a small desk light on the opposite end of the room. They reached the other side spotting the doctor that attended Rosie.

      "You are ten minutes late, Jess." Malakai spoke without turning around as the girl shook her head already looking annoyed.

       "Not my fault they took forever to take us to the rooms." Jess replied as she motioned to Rosie to walk over to where Malakai stood.

       He was in the midst of typing information into a computer. The boy glanced to the side as he spotted Rosie, "oh, hey Rosie," Malakai greeted, "we don't have a lot of time before they come to check this section. Come over here."

       Rosie did as she was told walking with Jess reaching Malakai who pressed on a few buttons before a large tv was displaying what the computer had. "I have access to the surveillance cameras downstairs. I'll show you what they're actually doing to the kids who were called today."

       Rosie bit her bottom lip nodding as she watched him type in some words before the large tv displayed what looked like jail cells. In each contained either a devastated kid either crying or yelling in anger.

       Two soldiers entered the room opening one of the cells that contained a young girl maybe 14 or 15 years of age. "No! Let me go! Please! I beg of you! I didn't do anything wrong!"

        The girl in the cell next to her started yelling at the soldiers, "don't touch her! Let her go! Take me! Take me! Please! Don't hurt her!"

     "Nina!" The girl cried out for her friend to save her as the soldiers put cuffs on her.

       Rosie took a step back remembering that name. That name belonged to one of her sisters. "Show me the girl in the cell."

       Malakai raised his left eyebrow up in curiosity, "why?"

        "Just show me the girl in the cell!" Rosie raised her voice before being shushed by Jess, "sorry."

         Kai did as he was told zooming in to the girl in the cell who was named Nina. The girl fell to the floor inside the cell crying as she wasn't able to help her friend. "What? You know her?"

       A sigh left her lips as Rosie shook her head once she got a good look at the girl's face. "I thought it was my sister." Jess and Kai glanced at one another before turning back to Rosie, "it's not."

       Malakai cleared his throat after a few seconds of silence passed, "what they're doing to them is putting them into a delta state where they're asleep but their brain is still rather active. They are messing with their brain making them believe that they are awake and into the maze by themselves. With this scare tactic, the fear and adrenaline create this ingredient in their bodies that develop into their blood system and is what makes a lot of these kids immune to the virus." 

       Rosie nodded taking in all of the information Malakai was giving her as he switched the camera  to another one in an isolated room. "That's what they're doing to them but this is what they're doing to people like you. The glitches in the system. This is a recording of what they did to Samadhi."

        It was a dark room with a little light bulb hanging on the ceiling. In the middle of the room was a girl tied up to a chair. She looked rather weak and worn out. Sweat was dripping down her entire body and the cuts Rosie noticed on her earlier were fresh in the recording.

       The sound of a door was heard revealing Janson in the recording who made his way to the girl. He crouched down using his hand to move a piece of her hair out of her face. "You alright?"

        A few tears slithered down her face as she shook her head, "tell them to stop, please."

        "I need you to do what they say, Sammy." He spoke softly rubbing her shoulder for comfort. "They'll stop if you just do what they tell you to do."

        Samadhi shook her head, "I can't."

         "Yes, yes you can."

         The girl shook her head once again, "no, no! I won't! They want me to kill someone. I don't want to do that, not again!"

       The man stared at the girl as he spoke in a cold tone, "you'd rather let them suffer in pain than help them out of their misery?"

         "I—" the girl parted her lips not knowing what to say, "I don't want to hurt anyone."

        He stood up shaking his head grabbing a hold of her chin tightly raising his voice, "what a selfish and pathetic girl I raised. You're better than that!"

       Samadhi winced at the touch shutting her eyes closed shaking her head as Janson was making her lose her control, "you're not my father so stop acting like it! You didn't raise me!"

        "You're right, I almost forgot. You're my brother's daughter and just as pathetic as he was." Janson spoke a smile forming on his lips as he raised the walkie talkie he held to his lips as he spoke through it, "raise the level up