CHAPTER ELEVEN
( GOOD )

     I JOLT AWAKE WITH A start, breathing rapidly. I wrap my arms around mysef, and begin to shake. My memories are coming back. And somehow, that thought scares me. I don't want to know what happened before I got here. I use to, but not anymore. The truth is starting to wear me down.

"Grace?" Thomas asks groggily, rubbing his eyes. It's then that I realize that it's dark outside. Did I sleep the whole day? "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I manage to say, moving away from Thomas. I crouch in the corner of the Slammer, and pull my knees to my chest, resting my chin on my knees. "It was just a nightmare."

"You sure?" He asks, a concerned look forming on his face.

"Y-yeah," I nod unconvincingly. "I'm fine."

I can tell that he doesn't believe me, but he pushes it away.

Grace?

A voice appears in my conscience. I don't recognize the voice, but I know for sure that it's not Thomas. It's a girl.

Who are you? I ask, keeping my eyes on the Slammer wall. How can you talk to me?

It's Teresa. The girl answers. I know you remember me. I can talk to you like Thomas can. I'm have to warn you . . . It's urgent that you listen to me, I'm the only-

I immediately stop talking to the girl. Teresa? She's the girl from my memories. The girl who didn't like me. But why?

"Grace?" Thomas kneels in front of me. "You spaced out. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Just go back to bed, Thomas," I dismiss the boy, still staring forward.

Something isn't right here. Am I the only one in the Glade that's getting their memory back? Am I the only person here, other than Thomas, that can talk to people telepathically?

"Please answer me.," Thomas places his hands on my shoulders, shaking me slightly. "Grace? C'mon, talk to me."

I bolt up from my sitting position, and shove Thomas away from me.

It's like I'm not myself. It's like someone is controlling me. I yank on the Slammer door, trying to rip the door from its hinges. I repetitively pull on the door, despite the lock that keeps me locked inside.

With a last forceful yank, the lock on the door snaps, allowing me access to the Glade. I walk into the darkness outside, ignoring Thomas as he calls for me.

I move towards the map room, still not fully understanding what I'm doing. What's going on?

Thomas runs to the Homestead, calling to the other Gladers for help.

I kick down the door to the map room, and barge inside. The moonlight from outside shines through the room, giving the room a little illumination. But still, I keep walking.

Suddenly, my leg jerks downward, sending a harsh 'crack' sound through the wood below me. This happens several times, before a hole is made in the floor. My instinct tells me to climb into the hole, and grab something.

No matter how much I fight myself, I still find myself jumping into the hole. I land on my feet, with my eyes wide open. I'm shoved forward, to a small crate. I grab a knife from the open crate, and climb back up, into the map room.

I trudge away from the map room, heading straight for the closed Maze walls. By this time, Gladers are rushing towards me, scared and confused looks on all of their faces.

I keep walking, my eyes dead-set on a certain spot of the wall. Once I arrive at the walls, I begin to scrape the knife against concrete.

"Grace!" Newt yells, pulling me away from the wall.

I simply shove him off of me, and go back to scraping. The Gladers stare at me as I keep scraping, not stopping. After that, no one tries to pull me away from the Maze.

I back away from the wall, and take a look at what I've carved.

Jaws drop around me, everyone staring at the carving.

"W.I.C.K.E.D. is good," I murmer. And before I know it, the world around me goes black.

___♕___

"Surprisingly, I didn't fail." Grace chuckles, holding up her test paper. Thomas peeks over her shoulder, a grin spreading across his lips as he sees 'A+' scribbled on her paper, in red ink.

"I knew you wouldn't fail," Thomas sits his chin on her shoulder, placing a soft kiss to Grace's cheek. "I believed in you the whole time."

"But what does this mean?" Grace looks at him. "When will W.I.C.K.E.D. come for us?"

Thomas shrugs, wondering about the subject himself. "They'll come soon enough. I wouldn't worry about it though. I passed the test, too."

"I'm glad I'll be with you." She smiles, placing her forehead against his.

"Bleh." Aris rolls his eyes from the chair beside Grace. "I don't want to see that stuff. Can you two stop?"

"We're not lovers." Grace snaps. "So shut your lips, Arie."

"It's Aris." He corrects her. "And I didn't say you were lovers."

"I consider it as a strong friendship." Grace lays her chin on her hand.

"I've just been friend-zoned." Thomas mutters to himself. Aris bites his lip to hold back laughter.

"Guess who passed?" Teresa chimes, crouching between Thomas and Aris. "Meeeeeee!"

"That doesn't count." Grace points out. "You already work for W.I.C.K.E.D."

"So do you." Teresa sticks her nose in the air, jokingly. "Besides, everyone here is in W.I.C.K.E.D. headquarters already. Ava and Jansen will be here to collect us in a little bit."

"How much is a little bit?" Grace raises an eyebrow. "You should know, Miss I-know-everything-and-work-for-W.I.C.K.E.D-because-I'm-smart."

"Since when is that Teresa's last name?" Aris speaks up.

"Since now." Grace states, crossing her arms over her chest.

The door at the front of the door opens, and in walks Ava Paige. Her hair is pulled back in a tight bun, and her clothes are carefully ironed.

"Hello, children. We're here to collect the talented immunes, for our new experiment, in order to save the human race."

___♕___

3rd Person P.O.V.

"I tried to warn her." Teresa pulls at her hair, clearly getting frustrated with Grace's decisions. "Why couldn't she have just listened?"

She watches the projection of the Gladers, looking frantically at Grace- who is unconcious at the moment.

"What's the meaning of this?" Ava steps over to Teresa, warily eyeing her.

"Did you control her?" Teresa asks, turning to Ava.

"Well, of course." Ava chuckles. "Who else would've controlled her?"

"Dr. Paige, I respectfully disagree with your decision. Now is not the time to be using the chip. Her memories are already returning to her. This could result in-"

"In her elimination." Ava nods, finishing Teresa's sentence. "I know this, Teresa. It will make her weak, to the point that her subjects will blame her for the strange occurrences. It's exactly what we need as a responce."

"Why is that?"

"Before Grace was Swiped, she was informed of the concequences. And still, she demanded to be sent into the test zone, because of Thomas. She understood completely of what were to be done, after she completed her requested assignment. This is just the beginning of carrying out our agreement."

"How will they blame her for the occurrences- just from her sudden lack of weakness?"

"They'll wonder, Teresa." Ava explains. "And soon enough, she'll have to tell all of the others why she's been losing her will. We'll break her down to an extreme point, to where she'll want to die. We can turn all of them against her. Yes, it may be hard to watch, but it has to happen."

"Is there another way?" Teresa asks hopefully.

"Unfortunately, no." Ava replies. "This is just the start of the goal experiment. But at the same time, it will be the end of Grace's relationships between her surrounding peers. Soon enough, there will be no Grace. There will only be a shell of what she once was."

"What will happen after she's . . . ?" Teresa asks, her voice growing silent.

"We'll completely control her." Ava says firmly. "She'll fully understand what we need her for. She's the controlling subject that we need for the Scorch."

___♕___

Grace's P.O.V.

My eyes open in an instant, taking in the light and Gladers that surround me.

"Grace?" Newt asks from beside of me. He looks at me with a look of happiness, and relief.

"W-what happened?" I croak, placing my hand on my aching head.

"Alby, she's not staying in the Slammer anymore." Newt states.

Minho, Thomas, Alby, Garret, Nik, and Chuck are gathered around me, all looking confused.

"I need a serious explanation," sit up, gripping onto Newt for support. "So, who's gonna give me the answers that I'm looking for?"

_______