It was quiet for a few seconds, then muffled whispers passed from girl to girl.

"The last one?" Emmeline said softly. "Does that mean there won't be any more Blondies?"

"What about supplies?" Helen added, looking into the Box. "There are a few boxes, but do you think it'll go down?"

"Let's not jump to conclusions," Harriet said calmly. "It doesn't seem like there won't be anymore new sticks, but it didn't say anything about supplies." I was surprised on how easily she was handling the situation, but she wasn't in charge for nothing.

"Collective Meeting," she decided. "Rachel and all Keepers to the Meeting Room. Everyone else, go back to your jobs." When nobody moved, she said sharply, "I said go."

The Glade burst back into movement, everyone busying themselves with cleaning and taking care of whatever the were doing before the boy arrived. The Keepers made their way toward the Meeting Room on the topmost floor of the Homestead and helped me up the stairs. Harriet came in last, closing the door behind her. We all looked at her, waiting expectantly.

"This is our second Collective Meeting in so many days," she started. "Something weird is going on, with the boy coming right after Rachel. He was almost dead, too, and that note. That note was something entirely different. Things are changing."

Changing. That word stirred something in my mind, and my dream came flooding back in waves. I stiffened and Harriet noticed instantly.

"What is it, Neil?"

Now everyone was looking at me. I shifted uncomfortably in my chair and said, "Nothing, just remembered a funny dream I had last night." Harriet, looking unconvinced, made me tell them everything.

"Seems like the girl worked or works for the Creators," said Ginny slowly, twisting her dark hair around her finger. "What did she mean when she said you'd be seeing her soon?"

I shrugged helplessly. "I told you, it was just a funny dream."

"But the girl - did you know her?" Sonya said. I rubbed my eyes.

"Dunno, I think so. She did seem kinda -" I stopped mid sentence. "It was her! Remember that memory I got from the Changing? It was her! With Rachel! She must work with the Creators or something!" Rachel frowned.

"Then, shouldn't I also remember her?" she asked nervously. "I mean, I probably worked with her too if you saw me."

"Nah, you didn't go through the Changing," Harriet assured her. "And in case you get any ideas" -she looked sternly at Rachel- "We don't have enough Serum to bring you back, and we don't know if we're getting any more." Rachel nodded.

"Well. . . any ideas, everyone?" asked Jenny. Harriet shook her head.

"There's nothing much we can do with that information," she advised. "We don't even know if it's true or not - just like Grace said, it could all be a silly dream."

Everyone nodded, agreeing with Harriet. We started to get up, heading for the door. But suddenly, Rachel gasped and her hands flew up to her ears.

"What's wrong?" Harriet barked as Rachel began to run out of the room. Jenny and Emmeline quickly blocked the door and Rachel said, "There's something in my head! Like, a voice! A boy's voice! Getitoutgetitoutgetitout!"

We looked at each other, starting to panic. What was she talking about? Rachel seemed to be getting more distressed by every passing moment and Harriet quickly said, "What do you mean?"

"I mean," said Rachel, "that there's a freaking voice talking to me! In my freaking head!"

"Ok," said Harriet. "Okay, um, what's it saying?"

"I dunno!" Rachel yelled, her hands still over her ears. "Something about — something about endings, and, uh, hang on, memories? What the heck, dude? He's creepy. Woah, he knows my name! Who's Teresa? Or Thomas?"

"I - I - ask his name or something!" Harriet suggested in a panicky sort of voice.

"Ok - wait, how do I do that?" Rachel scrunched up her nose.

"Try, like forcing the words out of your mind or something," Ginny proposed. "Like, visualize them and then push them out."

"That's a funny - woah, it worked! Okay, uh, he's saying 'I can't remember' and - wait, he does remember! That's freaky. Uh, I think he's called. . . Eros?" Rachel frowned. "What kind of name is that? No, wait, sorry. Aris. His name is Aris. Yeah."

"Ask him where he is!" Olivia, Keeper of the Builders, called out. Rachel quickly sent out the message to whoever Aris was and said, "He doesn't know. Somewhere black? Somewhere dark. Very dark, very cold, but he feels something. A hand? I dunno, that's what he makes it sound like."

"Do you think he's in the Healing Shack?"

All the voices stopped and everyone turned to stare at me. I shrugged.

"I mean, it makes sense, doesn't it?" I continued. "A boy - we got a boy in the Box. Somewhere dark - the kid at the Healing Shack is comatose or something. A hand - that would be one of the Medics, taking his pulse or something like that." Everyone stopped to ponder my words and Harriet finally spoke up.

"He's right, you know," Harriet said slowly. "That could be him. I dunno much about comas, but I s'pose it's possible that he could be half-aware. Rachel, Sonya, Grace, follow me. The rest of you, go back to your jobs." We stood up and the rest of the Keepers left, but Rachel and Sonya stayed behind with me. Harriet opened the door for us and led us to the Healing Shack as quickly as she could.

We must have been a funny sight. A Blondie, both of our leaders, and a girl trying to keep up with them on her crutch, all heading toward the Healing Shack. We burst through the door and a confused Clary directed us behind a curtain and Harriet quickly shooed Molly and Clary out of the Healing Shack so we were alone with the boy.

He was lying on a few layers of sheets on a wooden bed frame and we surrounded his bed.

"Rachel? Can you keep talking to him?" Harriet asked as she gently put a hand on his arm. "Does he feel anything?"

"Wow," Rachel breathed. "Yeah, he does."

"How about now?" Harriet removed her hand and Rachel shook her head.

"It really is him," Sonya said, staring at the boy. "Shuck, it really is him. He's, like, half awake or something. When do you think he's going to wake up completely?"

No one had an answer. Rachel stayed for a little while longer after we left and joined us in time for Jenny's spaghetti. The rest of the Gladers were cheery enough, but those who had been at the Collective Meeting were quiet.

Over the course of the next week or two, Rachel visited Aris daily and learned some more about him and the Creators. They were called WICKED and were running some sort of experiment on us, the stupid shuckfaces. Something called the Trials and - what were they called - Variables?

It wasn't much, but it was something. The boy never woke up, but Clary saw improvement and assured Harriet that he should be fine in a bit.

Then, one day, as Molly was checking over my cast. I heard a sharp intake of breath and whipped my head around. Molly frowned at me but her eyes widened as she realized where I was looking.

Aris.

"Go get Harriet and Sonya," I told Molly. Thankfully, she didn't argue and charged out of the room as I limped over to the section Aris was in. I pushed back the curtain and stared at Aris, who had propped himself on his elbow.

"Aris?" I asked tentatively. Aris furrowed his brow.

"That's me, yeah. How do you know?"

I smiled. "Rachel told me."

Aris's eyes widened. "Rachel? You know Rachel? Where is she?"

I shook my head. "No questions now, Blondie. Gotta wait for Harriet and Sonya.

A minute later, Harriet joined me with Sonya at her heels. They both looked a little winded, and a second later, Rachel skidded into the room.

"Rachel?" Aris asked.

"Aris," she said with a wide smile on her face. "Finally up, aren't you?"

Aris shrugged. "I guess," he said, "But I don't remember much. Just my name, you, and. . ." He closed his eyes. "What's WICKED?"

"All in good time," Harriet said. "C'mon, you must be starving. Jenny probably has some leftovers and we need to introduce you."

***

WORD COUNT: 1491

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From Wikipedia:

"Emmeline Pankhurst was a British political activist. She is best remembered for organizing the UK suffragette movement and helping women win the right to vote."

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Just when I thought my chapters couldn't get any worse, this beauty shows up. I feel like I'm rushing the story a lot cuz I can't wait for Grace to get to Group A. We're so close to 60 reads!!! Anyway, vote and comment if you like it.