[ five ].
CHAPTER FIVE
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    WHAT WAS THIS PLACE? Where was she? Rosalind's mind couldn't stopped trying to get an answer to that one simple question, but perhaps it wasn't as simple as she thought.

    The unknown of her location shouldn't have been an aspect new to the girl, because if Rosalind really thought about it, did she knew where the Spring was? Did she knew where was the place that she had lived for the past four years of her live? The scary truth was that Rosalind didn't have a single clue.

    Were these boys like her? Did they knew where they were? Rosalind prayed that they did, otherwise she feared she may never discover herself.

They hadn't answer any of her questions, but why would they? They had already the advantage in numbers, not to talk about the fact that weren't as clueless as the girl was right now.

Rosalind didn't know how to make them talk but it seemed that they were having the same problem.

    The girl had spent only a few minutes in this place, and she was already missing home.

    It was strange, how before this day Rosalind hadn't ever considered that prison of stone walls her home, because she knew - even without her memories - that she didn't belong there. But at this moment the Spring was her only home. It was the place where her friends were, the place where she had been welcomed and cared for by the icers. With time they became a family, it may not have been the traditional one but the love that they held for each other made them one.

In return for their love, Rosalind made everything she could to give hope to the icers, make them see that they had a chance. A chance of being free.

    But now she felt like she broke her promise. For the second time, Rosalind hadn't kept her word, and that make her feel a complete failer.

    It had been her job to lead them through the maze towards their homes. To reunite them with their families, see the girls cry on their parent's shoulders, memorize every detail of their faces in fear that they would forget them again.

Although in pain Rosalind, she wouldn't be there to witness all that. Oh no, the girl had other plans in mind. Firstly, she would make sure to end the life of the monsters that made their lives completely miserable. And only then her, her mind would be at ease and she would return to her true home.

    Dreams. That had been nothing but dreams of a sixteen-year-old girl that no matter how much the world told her to, she didn't give up. Would she now?

"Rosalind...alright, we just want to know how did you get here, alright? No one ain't gonna hurt ya?"

    That voice broke Rosalind from her thoughts. Her eyes darted to the blonde guy.

    "Just tell me where am I", her plea was directed to the blonde boy, that seemed to be the only reasonable one.

    "You're in the Glade" the dark-skinned boy spoke instead.

They could have told her that she was in the freaking moon, it wouldn't d have made much of a difference. But at least now Rosalind had no doubts that she wasn't indeed in the Spring. Everything that occurred since her mysterious awakening in the maze was finally making sense, at least as much as it was possible.

"Good, I'm glad we clear all your questions. Now, how about you tell us how did you get in the maze?" Gally had his arms crossed, his intense stare unflattering.

"How long have you guys been here?"

Rosalind purposely ignored the boy. She didn't know if he didn't like her or if it was his way with people, but the girl was getting sick of his attitude towards her.

"Alby, we should just through her in the pit. Maybe then this shank will realize that she isn't the one in charge."

Oh, look who's getting cranky, she thought, chuckling to herself.

"No." the dark-skinned boy - Alby - spoke, then turn to look at her, "As Newt here said, we are not going to harm you. We just want to ask you a few things." This boy seemed to be older than the others, not only from his looks but by the way he portrayed himself.

    Should I trust these people?, Rosalind thought. How could she know that it wasn't a trap to lead her straight into their slaughtering place? Rosalind was already picturing it.
The only light that entered the place was through a hole in the ceiling, right above where she stood, tied to a pole, hands above her head, vulnerable, unable to see their faces hidden in the dark, a perfect scenario where their attacks would come as a surprise making her death even crueler. Her screams would eco ‒‒

"Ahem."

    The dark-skin boy was looking at her, eyebrows raised.

    Rosalind would never admit but she felt heat trailing from her neck to her cheeks. Nevertheless she held her head high and acted as if nothing had happened.

"Why should I trust you?"

"Maybe because I save your ass from getting stung and becoming one crazy shank."

"Wait, you saw a Griever?!" A dark skin boy exclaimed before she had time to speak - followed by the cries of the other boys.

Did he say Griever? Okay, now they're just making up words, Rosalind thought.

"Hey! Shut it, shanks!" The older boy shouted making the chattering slowly die.

"What the bloody hell happen out there Minho?" Newt asked incredulous, his eyebrows furrow, but before Minho had time to answer the "leader" spoke.

"I want every Keeper in the Council Hall in five minutes. The rest turn back to work. Gathering after supper" Rosalind didn't know what had happened, but in those mere seconds there was a sudden change in the "leader's" behavior which cause the girl to actual fear for her life.

    Reluctantly most of the boys parted ways, expressing their disagreement as they went, some taking several glances back at the girl as if she would transform into a monster, while their back turned, and eat their heads.

    Rosalind felt slightly more at ease now that only a small group stood before her.

"You have two options. Or you get throned in the pit, or you come with us and tell us all you know." The tension could be felt as they waited for Rosalind's decision. She truly didn't understand the sudden change his behavior, not even a minute ago he was all peace and love.

"And if I chose to go with you, what then, huh? You're just gonna let me go?"

"Did you heard what the girl said?" Gally gave a humorless laugh, "Let you go!? Maybe you should take a look around shank. You are trapped here, that is if you aren't one of them, which I really doubt you aren't."

Rosalind tried to stare at him with a blank look, but her eyebrows still furrow.

And he said I'm the crazy one, she though.

"I will go with you. But after you won't keep me here. No matter what I tell you."

    Rosalind was going to risk in going with them, she had to. She needed to know more.

Rosalind could see in the leader's eyes that he was pondering her proposal.

"Alright, follow us." The "leader" turned around after a few words were exchanged with the blonde boy, who nodded in response.

    The girl stood waiting, until every last boy was at least three meters away from her and then she would follow, but her plan was cut short when two of them remain in their spots, eyes strained on her. Minho and blonde boy.

Greeting her teeth, the girl reluctantly moved to follow the small group that was already a few meters away. Now Rosalind was the one afraid that Minho and blonde boy turned into monsters and bite of her head.

As Rosalind passed Minho and the other guy, her eyes meet dark brown ones that seemed to look right int her soul. Strangely, it didn't make her one bit uncomfortable, she felt something but there were no words to describe what she had felt.

Maybe I was just going to throw up.

    Rosaind took one last glance, and as she expected to two boys were already following a few feet behind. The girl tried to discreetly slow down her pace, hoping to hear their conversation.

    "What are ya talkin' about?", she knew it was blonde guy speaking, the accent gave it away.

    "I think that shank as been in the maze before"

    "Minho that's not possible. She wouldn't have survived one night out there."

     "Yeah, I don't know about that"

    Rosalind could feel their intense stares on her back. And then, as if knowing she was listening, their voices lowered.

    The girl was so focused on the ones behind her that she didn't notice where she was being led to. Before her stood a structure made of wood. Well, one thing she knew about these people, their talent for the build was...well...just not there.

    The shape of the structure immediately made her think of a tent where the circus took place. Rosalind remembered those with great detail, she must have enjoyed them immensely in the past, she thought.

      Rosalind felt reluctant to enter. What if they were lying? Maybe as soon as she passed the door they're gonna stab her from behind and then that's it. Should she really go in there?

     From her perifocal vision, Rosalind caught site of the two boys standing a few feet away. Her gaze never left the open door as one of them approached from her left. From the mope of blonde hair, she knew who it was.

     He stopped. Rosalind was expecting him to say something, anything but instead she was meet with silence. The girl slowly turned her head and stared at him with a curious look. When she looked into his eyes, some sort of familiarity invaded her. It was an odd feeling, it was obvious she hadn't seen him even in her faraway dreams. Man, am I sick or something?

When the boy just stood there, Rosalind understood what he wanted.

     Without thinking more about what she was getting herself into, Rosalind walked straight through the door, her steps never falter, even as she felt she was walking straight into hell.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE

I'm so sorry for taking so long to update. I wrote like six versions of this chapter because I didn't like anything of what I wrote. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.