The Pied Piper officers collected several more teenagers on the way to the third floor checkpoint. Among them was Jay and Amar. Both were quiet and only glanced in Blain and I's direction before walking ahead of us.

Two more boys who I had seen around but didn't know anything about also joined our growing group. The Pied Piper officers called out their surnames outside their block.

"Blayney, Soot" said the officer, "Time to go."

A tall, skinny, young man emerged from the block first. He had a head of short curly hair and a smile which showed a pristine upper row of teeth. There was something elf-ish and innocent about his boyish face.

The other boy was round-faced and shorter than me. Although he was clearly around the same age as the rest of us teenagers, there was an older, tired kind of maturity about him. His demeanor reminded me of a middle-aged man unhappy with life but begrudgingly getting on with things: I could relate.

We all continued on, the two new additions walking ahead of Blain and I. As we continued towards the third floor checkpoint I wondered what it was about these two boys that Hoffman decided was worth inviting them to the special dinner. I also wondered what Hoffman saw in me, but that was such a tired, run down thought burned into my mind I hardly paid it much notice.

A half dozen more additions, three more boys, three more girls, were added to the mass of our group. I recognised their faces but, like the two other boys, didn't know anything about them.

Continuing on with everyone else, I found myself struggling to stay present in the moment, instead losing myself in my thoughts wondering if this might be the last time I would ever be stuck in the facility. It made too much sense to me that Robert Hoffman was going to offer us a way out of life at the facility. He had already said he would be able to find a way to get me out, but I hadn't expected him to extend this offer to multiple teenagers. In some small way I had liked thinking myself to be specially chosen by Robert because of the potential he saw in me, but my suspicion that he was likely saying the same kind supportive things to the other teenagers was probably right too.

The last of the teenagers joining us were already at the third floor checkpoint. I felt a swell of excitement at the sight of seeing Tiffany. She stood with her arms folded next to Mikayla and they were both looking in our direction.

"Hey," said Tiffany, as I reached her and Mikayla.

Unexpectedly she embraced me in a hug. I hugged her back before I felt something hard jab into my shoulder.

"Stand apart," said one of the Pied Piper officers.

I nodded, and stood apart from Tiffany. The others around us also made sure to create some space between themselves and everyone else.

"Hey," said Mikayla.

At first I thought she was talking to me, but that was dumb of me because she was talking in a particular, girly kind of way. She was looking over at Blain affectionately.

"Hey," said Blain, smiling back at her.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Blain's smile made Mikayla look bashful all of a sudden and she looked away. I noticed she, like Tiffany, no longer had her fangs. What a relief.

We were moved through the checkpoint, having our bodies scanned and searched. I had been through this check several times. I wondered what it was they were thinking we might be trying to smuggle out.

"Don't we need these?" said Mikayla in front of me.

The Pied Piper officer that was standing at the end of the checkpoint had taken Mikayla's Meter device and placed it in a plastic tray to go along with the others that had been taken.

The officer ignored Mikayla and then it was my time to have my Meter device taken.

Good riddance, I thought as it was taken off my wrist.

My stomach gurgled, reminding me of how hungry I was. The food in the facility had taken a considerable downturn since the MICE act was put into place. The Pied Piper officials no longer seemed to care about our comfort at the facility because they no longer needed to. In my wildest dreams I hoped we would be given fast food to eat; a big greasy cheeseburger, with oily fries, and cola with ice in it; and lots of tomato sauce. A boy could dream. I was so hungry I was sure I would be grateful for whatever meal was going to be served.

The elevator was already open and some of our group were already standing within. My stomach clenched at the sight of the officer already standing in the elevator. It was officer Black Hair. He lifted his chin and narrowed his eyes as our gazes met. I had to look away first for fear the anger and hatred I had for him would be clear to see on my face. I tried to tell myself that officer Black Hair wasn't an immediate threat, but my body felt differently. I could feel the anxiety in my body climbing, my heartbeat quickening, and a fresh sweat breaking out, particularly under my armpits.

He was the one that had given the order to kill George and, if Abigail hadn't intervened, he would have killed me too. Although I didn't know this one hundred percent certainty, it seemed an obvious truth that wasn't worth trying to deny.

All of the teenagers filled the elevator, along with several Pied Piper officers. The elevator began its way up towards the surface.

None of us teenagers dared make a sound for fear of being in such close proximity to the Pied Piper officers who had their hands on their machine guns (except for officer Black Hair). It felt strange to be moving upward in the elevator knowing the third floor was sinking away along with everyone on it. What if it really was the last time I would be stuck down on the third floor? What would happen to all the teenagers still down there? I hoped Sophie wasn't right.

I found myself thinking back to when I had first questioned myself over whether or not to go along with the evacuation. My friend had warned me against it as best he could, and he had been right not to let himself be evacuated. That decision to go along with the evacuation had led me to Lintern Village, where Abigail had given me the offer to become a willing participant at the facility; back then she had promised two thousand pounds a week and a comfortable stay. I had chosen to go along with it alongside Tiffany; we had promised to stick together after all.

And now we were leaving the facility, perhaps only briefly, but there was a good chance we might be able to leave it for good; no escape plan necessary.

Officer Black Hair spoke up, knocking me out of my reverie.

"Listen up," he said, "When we exit this elevator you will not try to do anything of your own accord. We will direct you to where you need to go. If anyone here attempts to leave the group or in any way attempts to leave our sight, we will take lethal measures. This is your only warning. Do not test us."

Everyone remained silent after this warning. It was hardly needed but still came as a sober reminder of how much danger we were in and how little freedom we currently possessed.

Finally, the elevator reached its endpoint. The elevator door slid aside and I breathed in my first real breath of fresh, clean air in weeks, and braced myself against the chill and what was to come.