GHOSTING

CHAPTER THREE: DIMLY LIT THOUGHTS

ESTHER almost found herself wishing that hell was hot, the way it was in all the stories, but this was a new type of hot.

A burning cold that nipped at your legs and arms through your clothes and always left you wondering when you would be warm again.

She hated it.

Vera- still letting her curl in at her side- walked beside the girl while they followed behind Lise as she led them across the cold landscape to the growing flames of the fire they'd previously mentioned.

The sight of the fire alone made goosebumps crawl up her arms, it looked so comfortable, everyone sitting around the fire- some snuggling into each other- while a blonde girl seemed to be presenting something to them at the head of the fire.

Lise glanced back at the two girls before pointing a finger at the blonde, "that's Sonya, you'll meet our Leader, Harriet, soon." Esther furrowed her brows, she could've sworn that when they'd first begun to send people into Group B's maze that Lise would be determined the leader, they hadn't expected Harriet.

Their variables had been wrong.

Esther felt something in her drop as if the thing in its entirety was wrong.

All of it.

She softly shook her head, it didn't matter now, if she didn't play by WICKED'S rules she'd be dead in a matter of hours.

She had to play along.

Play the game.

It made her sick to her core.

"Is there anything you remember?" Vera questioned, her voice was softer than Esther had thought it'd be, she'd figured that the girl would be angry and demanding answers but it seemed that instead, she was showing kindness and hospitality.

Esther shook her head, she knew it would be best if she pretended to not have any memories, that was what WICKED would have wanted, it was what they wanted.

"No, I just remember some flashing lights, but that's it."

Neither of the two girls spoke after she answered, instead, they continued to walk towards the fire.

As they began to approach the small meeting of sorts, they found a spot towards the middle of the group and settled themselves into the snow beneath them.

Thank god Esther had changed, otherwise, she'd be freezing.

Turning her attention to Sonya as she spoke, she fought the urge to reply.

"I think that if we start going out into the maze at night, that we could raise our levels of efficiency, we could get out of here within the next week or so."

She heard a dry chuckle from behind her and turned to look for the noise, Esther's eyes landed on Harriet.

"We're not sending people out at night, lord knows we haven't got the resources or people for that." she paused flicking her tongue over the front of her teeth, "but if you have a better plan, please, let me know."

Sonya let a huff past her lips, "I'm telling you, it's a good idea, I don't know how, but, just trust me, please." the brunette of the two gave a soft shake of her head, "we'll hold a vote."

Standing to make herself known, Harriet let her eyes graze over the different faces in the group, "all those that don't want to go out at night, raise your hands."

Esther turned to watch as a few different hands shot up, one belonging to Lucia, another to a girl she recognized as Ada, another as Rosalyn.

That seemed to be it, no one else wanted to risk staying longer than they had to.

"All those that want to go out at night, raise your hands."

Harriet didn't even have to wait to see the number of hands that shot up into the air, she had already expected as much from the group of girls.

Letting her hands settle on her hips, she looked out at the girls, specifically eyeing Sonya after a few moments of silence, "we start going out tomorrow night." a few sighs could be heard throughout the crowd and she found herself waving a hand out in front of her to silence them, "make sure your bags are packed before noon tomorrow." pausing for a moment, she cast a look towards the people behind her.

"Now, does anyone have anything else they'd like to present tonight?"

A hand shot up into the air, Rosalyn's.

"I do!" she chimed clambering to her feet within seconds, offering her a nod of reassurance Harriet sat down and watched as the girl rushed up to the front of the group- the warmth of the fire nipping at the back of her neck- she held a small bowl in her hands, squinting her eyes, Esther realized it held small slips of paper inside.

"I'm sick of being on toilet duties, that being said, it's time to pick new chores."

The small group of three listened as murmurs broke out across the group.

"Has it already been two weeks?"

"I could've sworn we just picked a few days ago."

"This isn't very fair."

Lise and Vera were quick to get to their feet- dragging Esther along with them- eager to be first in line to grab one of the slips, it made it less likely that they got stuck with something as disgusting as toilet duties.

Both Esther and Vera watched as the redhead of the three stepped forward and snatched a slip of paper from the bowl.

Settling herself beside the newbie, Lise gently nudged the girl forward to grab a slip of her own.

Unsure of what all she could get, she randomly plucked a paper from the mass and took a step back to allow Vera access to the bowl as well.

As soon as the three of them had their slips Lise dragged them back to their spot in the snow before they each opened their slips.

"What'd you get?" Vera questioned carefully leaning over Esther to get a look at what Lise had gotten, "dishes." she sighed letting her head roll back, the girl let out a small chuckle- her short black hair bobbing back and forth as she moved her head- "I got kitchen duty."

She seemed more than content with her choice and made it known with a small smile planted across her pale pink lips, "what'd you get?" Lise questioned carefully taking Esther's paper from her grasp.

"Firestarter." the girl mumbled casting Esther a look that could only be described as envious, "lucky." she added handing the slip back to the brunette, "a lot of people enjoy getting that one, you probably will too." Esther gave a short nod of her head, she didn't know if that was supposed to comfort her or worry her, either way, she didn't bother to reply.

"We're short one."

It seemed that at that statement everyone looked up to gaze upon Rosalyn, the group had dispersed into silence and Lise could've sworn that she could hear someone's breathing from behind her.

"What?"

"We're short one." she replied gesturing to the empty bowl, Harriet stood, for what reason, they were unsure.

"Why did no one tell me the newbie had come up already." she stated her voice low, almost as if she was about to pounce and was trying to keep from scaring her prey off, Lise turned to look at her, "thought you already knew, when you didn't show up, we just assumed you didn't wanna come and check it out."

Harriets expression softened- just slightly- "well, I can assure you that wasn't the case, next time, someone please inform me of a new arrival." she paused allowing her eyes to fall upon Esther for the first time, "I'm Harriet." she stated quickly crossing the space between them to extend a hand out to the girl.

"I'm sorry for such a late introduction." she added as the girl reached out and shook her hand, "it's okay." she mumbled releasing the girl's hand after a few moments, "has your name come to you yet?"

She nodded her head, "Esther."

Harriet smiled at the statement casting her gaze out to the rest of the group, "ladies, let's welcome Esther to the glade!" she exclaimed lightly throwing her arms in the air, the girl found herself smiling as a few girls began to clap, quickly catching on to the entire group for a few moments before the sound died out and Harriet was left standing in the middle of the group.

"If that's all for tonight, everyone is free to do as they please, you can sleep by the fire until it burns out or you can go to the barracks." settling herself into a crouching position beside the small group of three she softly smiled at Esther, "as for you, let's get you something to eat, hmm?"

She couldn't argue with that, she was starving.

The last time she'd eaten was the morning before she had been sent down, after that she'd been too nervous to eat as she'd plotted the explosion and how she was going to pull it off.

Holding a hand out to the brunette, Harriet pulled her to her feet- Vera and Lise already moving to stand as well- once the girl had established some balance, she dusted her bottom free of the snow she'd been sitting in and quietly followed behind Harriet as she led them through the large group of girls and towards a shack she could only assume they'd decided on as the kitchen.

Thinking back to it, she couldn't recall many moments of them going back and forth from the small building on the cameras in the security room. She couldn't recall any.

Maybe it was because she'd never been focused on that building.

The barracks and the maze were where the real variables presented themselves.

Esther felt a small slip of worry begin to creep up into her throat, what was going to happen to her friends?

The few that she'd had, at least.

Would they be alright?

She hoped so.

She couldn't bear the thought of any harm coming to them because of her mistakes, she'd have rather been killed by a griever than know they'd met their end at her hand.

It would tear her apart.

And she wouldn't be able to handle the pain it would bring her.

Roughly biting her bottom lip to try and focus on something else rather than her sudden worry, she let her eyes drag over Harriet's appearance, she had thick, long dreads woven through her hair- which she'd used an elastic band to hold out of her face and off her neck- and she wore a brown coat, brown cargo pants and a darker shade of brown brought little life to the boots covering her feet.

"What is this place?" she questioned, Harriet sighed looking over her shoulder to cast her a pitiful look, "not any place you'll like, but, hopefully just a memory with time." Esther frowned, that wasn't the response she'd been hoping for.

Lise cleared her throat moments later, "a labyrinth of sorts, except, there's a way out."

"We don't know that." Vera mumbled glancing off to the side away from the girls, the redhead of the four shook her head, "there is, otherwise, why would we be put somewhere with no way to escape in the case of something like a natural disaster?"

Esther knew why, everyone at WICKED did too.

The possibility of making a maze with no way out had been something they'd contemplated for the first year before building, that was until Thomas and Teresa had presented them with an idea that guaranteed them far more results from their given variables.

One that would lead them to the cure they'd been in search of for more years than either of them could count on their fingers.

It would save humanity.

But for how long?

They'd known the world would come to an end at some point, that its end would rid the planet of the weak, the survivors would inherit the world and what it had left to offer them.

Hopefully, they would bring the world back to its prime and restore its life.

GHOSTING

CHAPTER THREE: DIMLY LIT THOUGHTS