Chapter Text
Meg took a step to the side and leaned against the wall with her arms still crossed, “Vigo, huh? That’s a strange name.”
Vigo chuckled, “I suppose it is. Fitting though, wouldn’t you say?” He held his arms out and gestured to himself.
Meg had to admit that Vigo didn’t seen threatening at all, if anything he seemed exactly the opposite. He was a charming guy who’d been nothing but nice to her so far, not even asking why she’d been spying on him. She’d hear him out, even if The Entity had something to do with their meeting.
“Formalities aside, what’s the deal with the golden toolbox? Regular metal not good enough for you?”
He waved dismissively at her question, “Oh, quite the opposite. Metal is actually so useful to me that I run out often. I am an inventor after all, and I have to craft my projects out of something! I’ve found metal does the job quite well, and it’s fairly easy to scavenge.”
“How is gold easier to scavenge than metal?” Meg asked, confused.
“I didn’t scavenge the golden toolbox!” He answered, turning around and picking up where he left off with his current project on the worktable, “I asked for it.”
“Yeah, because as we know lots of people have solid gold toolboxes just lying around.”
“I didn’t get it from anyone in the realm. The Entity gave it to me.” He said it as if it was a passing thought.
Meg stood up straight at that, her arms unfolding from her chest. The Entity gave it to him? Since when was The Entity in the charitable mood? It didn’t care about anyone trapped in this world let alone their petty wishes. That could only mean…
Meg swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat, “So you work for The Entity.”
Vigo glanced over his shoulder with a proud smile, “More or less. You catch on very quickly, Megan. It’s no wonder The Entity chose you.”
The ease that Meg had initially felt in Vigo’s presence was long gone.
“I didn’t tell you my name,” she said flatly, growing more unsettled by the second.
The Entity had chosen her? For what? He couldn’t possibly mean chosen for trials. No... he meant something else entirely.
She suddenly was very aware of how exposed she was. How, if Vigo really wanted to, he could do anything he wanted to her and get away with it. He had The Entity’s blessing, after all.
Vigo seemed to sense her sudden mood change and looked back over his shoulder, “You don’t have to worry, Megan. I’m not going to hurt you, and neither is The Entity. We need you to complete a task for us, that’s all.”
“You and your task and go to hell!” Meg shouted at him, getting offended that he would even consider asking her to do something for a being that forced her into a living hell every single day. A being that made her suffer unimaginable pain that no person should ever have to go through once , let alone thousands of times. A being that took her away from her dying mother to play it’s twisted game of life and death. The Entity would have to kill her, because there was no way in hell that she’d ever help it for any reason. She’d rather die for real.
Vigo finished whatever he was doing and took his gloves off, putting them inside of his pocket. He turned around and gave Meg his full attention, “Believe me, you will want to hear what I have to say. I can understand your weariness of The Entity and I, but we can make it worth your while. If you would just hear me out.”
“There is nothing you could possibly offer me that would make me help the thing that kidnapped and tortured me.”
“How about your freedom?”
Meg’s angry expression melted away from her face in an instant. She felt a feeling that she hadn’t felt in a very long time. Real hope. She never thought that she’d ever escape this world, figuring that The Entity would keep her here for the rest of eternity. She could go home. She could see her mother again. She could continue her life where she left off like nothing ever happened. She could live again .
Before she could open her mouth to speak, she heard heavy footsteps coming from behind her.
Meg looked over her shoulder, every thought going through her head fizzling in an instant when her eyes landed on The Trapper quickly walking towards the two of them. Her eyes shot open as she took several wide steps backwards out of fear. What was he doing here? Did he follow her here to finish the job? If he killed her outside of a trial would she die for real? She didn’t want to find out.
Meg bumped against Vigo’s worktable in her attempt to get as far away from the killer as possible. He watched her with a curious expression on his face as she cowered away. He jumped in realization a moment later, “Oh! I’m so sorry, Megan! I should have mentioned that every killer comes through here after a trial on the way back to wherever they’re going. Seeing as you’re a survivor, that’s something I probably should have mentioned.” He took a slow step in her direction, “I’m truly sorry.”
Meg completely ignored him, her full attention on the giant masked murderer that just stepped inside the building. She lowered herself defensively, ready to sprint away at a moment's notice.
The Trapper raised his hands in front of himself, motioning for her to stop, “It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you.” His voice was rough and low pitched, suiting his unusually large frame well.
Meg eyed him with surprise. She didn’t know that he could talk. For some reason it angered her, the fear and rage blending together into a dangerous combination in the pit of her stomach. Her eyes darted to the weapon he was holding in one of his hands that was still dripping with blood from the previous trial.
He followed her gaze to his weapon and almost instantly turned around and tossed it out of the building towards a pile of bushes on the other side of the dirt trail. He turned back around towards her and raised his hands again, staying rooted to his spot at the entrance, “We’re not in a trial. I’m not going to hurt you,” He assured again.
Meg didn’t believe him for a second, staying where she was with her back pressed against the brick wall behind her.
The Trapper sighed, turning his head towards Vigo who was just watching them in the corner, “Can you please do something for once?”
Vigo looked back and forth between the two before glancing at the killer with an uncomfortable look on his face, “What do you want me to do? You’re the one who has killed her countless times.”
The Trapper stared at him in annoyance before looking back at Meg, “If I wanted to hurt you I would have by now. Look around you.”
Meg hesitantly turned her head to look at the room around her, her eyes darting back and forth between her surroundings and the killer standing in front of her.
“You’re completely surrounded. There’s nowhere for you to run. I could easily kill you if I wanted to, but I don’t want to.” He raised his hands to show her they were empty, “I don’t have a weapon. I have no intention of harming you.”
Meg cautiously stood a little straighter but she didn’t let her guard down, “Telling me I’m surrounded is a funny way of letting me know that you’re not gonna hurt me.”
He stared at her for several seconds, “I’m not good at this.”
You’re good at killing my friends , Meg thought bitterly, her frown deepening.
The Trapper sighed and turned towards Vigo, “Can we have a moment, please?”
Vigo nodded and quickly made his way to the entrance with an awkward expression on his face, “Say no more. I’ll be outside.”
And in an instance, Meg was alone in a room with The Trapper.
He watched her stand there for a moment before speaking, “You can’t trust him.”
Meg coughed out a laugh in disbelief, “I can’t trust him? ”
“Just because it’s coming from me doesn’t make me any less right. He is an incredibly talented manipulator. What did he promise you?”
Meg couldn’t believe what was happening. She was having a casual conversation with someone who had just tried to kill her not ten minutes ago. She wanted to laugh at how ridiculous the idea was, let alone the fact that it was actually happening .
“Do you think I have any desire at all to be near you let alone speak to you?”
He ignored her comment, “What did he promise you?”
“Freedom.”
He looked at her in surprise like he hadn’t expected her to say that. Meg guessed that he didn’t offer freedom lightly, which gave her another tiny flicker of hope.
“What does he want you to do in return?”
“You mean, what do I want you to both do in return for your freedom!” Vigo corrected and walked back inside the building with a sly smile on his face.
The Trapper glared at him, “Were you eavesdropping?”
“Yes.” He stepped over and stood between the two, looking back and forth at each of them, “The offer extends to you as well, friend.”
Meg could barely process what was happening. She was so confused as to how she ended up in this situation that she forgot to be afraid of the killer and The Entity’s employee of the month standing five feet away from her.
“You haven’t even said what you wanted me to do yet,” she reminded him.
“Right,” he said as he walked over to his work table and picked up a short stack of papers, skimming through them one by one, “There is a place within The Entity that is not like any other. This region is large, and is completely out of reach of The Entity’s influence. There is a man inside who is not supposed to be there. He is extremely dangerous, and possesses knowledge that I believe he is going to use to destroy everyone inside of the realm.”
“What knowledge does he possess?” The Trapper asked.
Vigo’s smile vanished and his features grew serious, “Before he cowered off into that place, he stole a journal of mine containing all of my research. I’m sure you’re both familiar with pustula flowers?”
Meg hadn’t heard about pustula flowers in a while. She vaguely remembered that they sprouted during trials and oozed an orange goo-like substance that smelled absolutely rancid. She also recalled with a shiver down her spine that for the duration of the plants appearing in trials, some of the killers had been super charged and ultra aggressive, exhibiting strength and endurance like she’d never seen before. In fact, The Trapper had been one of them. Meg glanced over to see the killer cringe at the memory. She didn’t feel empathy for him, but she could imagine how horrible that must have been.
“All too familiar,” The Trapper mumbled, “What about them?”
Vigo continued, “Well, as you know, the nectar that secretes from the pustula flowers has many effective properties. It enhances every single part of you, your strength, your speed, your agility, but it also significantly decreases your brain function and ability to experience emotion. For the lack of a better word, you’re a snarling beast with a one track mind. But, when deluded properly,” he turned and grabbed one of the breakers on his table, “It can be used in a concentrated dose to enhance your abilities and retain most brain function. You become a very dangerous person very quickly. The nectar is the concentrated excrement of the emotions The Entity feeds from its killers and survivors. Think of it like toxic waste. It’s why once every year The Entity has to discard the waste, leaving it weak and vulnerable for weeks at a time. It’s the only thing in the universe that can harm it. It won’t kill The Entity, to my knowledge nothing can, but it knocks it on its ass for a while. Whoever is infected with the nectar, which inside of the body changes into a virus like substance called blight, is immune to The Entity’s influence, leaving a huge window open for anyone to come to this side of the realm and kill every last killer and survivor while The Entity isn’t around to make sure you come back to life.”
He watched the liquid inside of the glass beaker swirl around for a moment before setting it back down and turning to them, “The journal that was stolen from me contains every note and conclusion I’ve drawn during my experiments with pustula nectar. This man has the ability to storm The Entity and destroy the entire realm and be completely invincible while doing it.”
Meg was starting to grow concerned at what Vigo was saying. If this man came and killed everyone she loved, what would happen? Would their souls be trapped inside of the realm forever? Would they simply cease to exist? Both thoughts scared Meg, so she tried to push them out of her mind.
“How long do we have until he comes to destroy us?” Meg fearfully asked.
Vigo lowered his head in thought, “Let’s see… The blood moon rises in eight days… it takes forty-eight hours for the serum to synthesize…” He looked up at the two of them with wide eyed-realization, “You have ten days.”
Megs eyes wandered towards the ground as she weighed her options. Was Vigo telling the truth? She really had no way to know. Even working for The Entity, they both wanted the same thing: for everyone to stay unharmed. He really had nothing to gain from lying, and it wasn’t like Meg or The Trapper had any real power in the realm, so even if this man hiding in some hidden away part of The Entity was really dangerous, nothing would really change would it?
Meg gave the killer standing in front of her a cautious look. If he was telling the truth, Meg had seen first hand what the nectar from the pustula flowers did to someone when they were infected. She knew the strength that they would give someone. In the chance that Vigo was telling the truth and she disregarded him, every single person that she loved in this world would die. Is that a risk she was willing to take?
The Trapper spoke while Meg was in thought, “And what is the downside to this man coming and killing everyone inside of the realm? One could argue that a true death and a final escape from this place would be an act of mercy.”
Meg stared at him in disbelief. He really was a psychopath, wasn’t he? Who would just be okay with letting everyone they love die? To give up so easily? Her shocked expression turned to one of anger quickly as it made sense to her in an instant. Of course he could care less. There was nobody that he loved. He didn’t care what happened to the people around him. After all, he did spend almost every minute brutally murdering said people. But still, did he have no sense of self preservation?
Meg could feel her fear for the killer melt further towards disdain every minute she spent in his presence.
The hooded man clasped his hands together, “Dear Trapper, The Entity doesn’t want you to die,” He gestured towards Meg, “None of you. It had always planned to release you when it is done with you.”
The Trapper stood still, not really sure how to respond to that she could only guess. The Entity had always planned to release everyone? She didn’t even know how to process that. She didn’t know what to believe anymore. Her entire world had changed in the blink of an eye and only because she’d just so happened to find a toolbox during a trial. It all just didn’t make any sense.
“Why us?” She finally asked, “What’s stopping you from going there and getting him yourself?”
Vigo frowned, “I knew you would ask that. Well, the man trapped is a dear friend of mine. He doesn’t understand what he’s gotten himself into. The last time we saw each other we got into quite a large… misunderstanding. He doesn’t like my agreement with The Entity, which I do not blame him for. It’s hard to understand the intentions of a god, after all. He would see me, know it’s The Entity’s doing, and refuse to return and listen to reason. He thinks he understands what he couldn’t possibly because he has my research. He doesn’t know what kind of power he holds. I think we can all agree that power like that doesn’t belong in the hands of one man.”
“So why the toolbox and the key? Why not just make The Entity give you a few people to go after him?” She asked.
“Because, Megan, this man is extremely cunning. He is always ten steps ahead of anyone and everyone. Just anyone traveling into the forbidden part of The Entity would be certain death before they could even locate him. Traveling to this part of the realm is dangerous. The Entity has natural defense systems to stop someone from accidentally finding themselves there, but this man is smart. He looks in places where others do not.” He turned and flashed Meg a smile, “Just like you. He will see that in you immediately and it will increase your chances of gaining his trust immensely.”
“So why me too?” The Trapper asked.
His smile waved slightly, “Because it is not a one man job. Some of The Entity’s defenses are random and brutal. If Meg were to find herself caught in one of it’s traps, there would be nobody to save her. Sometimes, you just need a little brawn to help out if need be.” He seemed to realize something and started laughing to himself, “I’m sorry, but I’m just now seeing the irony in asking you to help free Megan from traps!”
Meg blinked at him, unamused, “Well I’m sorry, because there’s no way in hell i'm going to put my trust into a murderer.” She crossed her arms and glared at The Trapper.
The killer stared right back at her, “You cannot expect us to get along, Vigo. Not with everything that has happened in trials.”
“Oh, I don’t expect you to. That’s why I have extended the offer to someone else who is good at keeping others grounded.” Vigo stepped to the side and looked over The Trapper’s shoulder, “Here he comes now.”
Meg followed his gaze, her eyes landing on none other than The Wraith heading towards them. The way he walked was careful and with purpose, a certain grace to his movements that Meg never stopped to notice before, but now that she was here in this strange situation and was slowly being surrounded by killers without the constant threat of death, she could notice things like that. The Wraith had also been known to be one of the least brutal in trials, sometimes showing mercy that the others did not. A small part of Meg respected him the most out of the other killers, but it extended only as far as one could respect a killer. He was still a murderer, she had to remember that.
When he reached where they were standing, Vigo put an arm around the much taller killer and turned the both of them to face Meg and The Trapper, “Philip here is going to accompany you on your journey. If Megan is the brains and Trapper is the brawn, then Phillip is the heart. Don’t let his status as a killer fool you, he is an absolute sweetheart.”
“Philip?” Meg found herself blurting out loud involuntarily, “He has a name?”
The much taller killer gave her a slightly annoyed expression while Vigo chuckled next to him, “Of course he has a name! I know survivors have some hard feelings towards killers…”
Yeah, you could say that,
“...But they are still people taken from their lives just like you.”
The Wraith squirmed a little against him, looking a little uncomfortable. Unlike The Trapper, The Wraith didn’t have anything covering his face but a thick layer of mud and dirt, so she could see his expressions clearly.
Well, actually Philip , she supposed. It was at least less of a mouthful than saying The Wraith every time. She glanced over at The Trapper, wondering what his name was.
No. Meg mentally slapped herself. She couldn’t be humanizing the killers. Having names didn’t change the horrible things they had done. There also had to be a reason why they were chosen to be killers while the others were chosen to be survivors. She could only imagine what they had done in the real world to be chosen for a life like this. She had no interest in being anyone’s friend, apparent sweetheart or not.
Vigo patted Philip on the shoulder before coming to stand between the two, “He will keep you two from, well, quite literally tearing each other’s throats out.” He put a hand on The Trapper’s shoulder who cringed at his touch, “Who knows? Maybe you’ll get along after a while.”
Meg severely doubted that.
Philip turned and gave Vigo a pleading look, making him frown in response, “I told you, Philip, I can only extend the invite to you. The Entity can only afford to lose two killers. I thought you and Sally had an understanding.”
Philip was visibly upset but lowered his head in reluctant acceptance anyway, giving Vigo a slight nod.
Meg felt an odd emotion she couldn’t place watching a killer express vulnerability and sadness so openly in front of another killer and a survivor. It was so very… human of him. She tried not to dwell too hard on it.
Man, her list of world shaking things to try and forget was getting longer and longer by the minute.
This entire situation was just mind boggling, and she was beside herself standing there wondering how and why she was standing there entertaining the idea of her potential freedom and having casual conversation with these… monsters. Two people who had killed her over and over again and someone who was working with the thing orchestrating her hellish eternity.
But also offering her freedom.
She had to get away from all of this. It was all just too much.
Vigo looked over to her and seemed to notice that she was beginning to become undone at the seams, “Megan, are you alright? I understand this might be a bit much but I do need an answer as soon as-”
She held up a hand as a motion for him to stop, “Please just… I need… I need some air. I can’t deal with this right now.” She made a wide berth around the other three and stepped calmly outside of the building and headed towards the trees. She crossed her arms and watched the ground as she walked, her thoughts swirling in her mind.
She heard the others squabble and argue most likely over her but she didn’t have enough patience or mental capacity left to care. She crossed the treeline and let the calming presence of nature sooth her nerves, the sound of cicadas and crickets chirping in the distance giving her mind just the slightest bit of give. She knew that nothing here was real, and that there were no bugs or birds or hell even squirrels in those trees but somewhere along the line she stopped caring and just kept walking, letting herself get fooled for a sliver of peace and quiet, which was as rare as diamonds in this place.
Vigo’s offer and the events of the last ten minutes echoed in her mind over and over as she continued forward, stepping cautiously over loose branches and roots that littered the forest floor. Nature had always found a way to make her feel better when she was in the real world and she so desperately wished to have that back now that she was here, but no matter how hard she tried to pretend, something was always not quite right with everything around her. She sighed and pretended anyway, letting her emotions and feelings run loose now that she was finally alone.
Meg fought back the urge to have a breakdown, but what else was she supposed to do? Go back and tell Vigo yes? Abandon everything and everyone and run straight towards the finish line without a care in the world?
Meg was disgusted that a big part of her screamed yes. That’s exactly what she wanted to do. She wanted to be selfish for once. She wanted to turn tail and sprint back to that crumbled building, tell Vigo yes, and walk into the sunset hand in hand with The Trapper and The Wraith. She stifled a smile at the thought of running back inside of her old home and into her healthy mother’s arms. Going back and finishing her last year of college. Finding someone and starting a family of her own. Living her life .
The other parts of her were furious that she would even dare to consider it. All of her fellow survivors that she had come to love in the years that she had been trapped here all stood in a line, looks of betrayal, sadness, and disgust littered on their faces. Why did you leave us? After all we did for you? Did we really mean that little to you? All it took for you to abandon us was for The Entity to dangle a carrot in your face like an animal? What makes you so special? Why do YOU get to live on? You don’t deserve a second chance any more than we do. You’re just as horrible as the killers you claim to hate. We will never forgive you.
Meg cringed and shook her head, trying to clear her head of those thoughts. She knew deep down that most of her friends would be happy for her. They would plead for her to take the chance and live her life. She knew she would do the exact same for them. She could picture Claudette standing next to her with a hand on her shoulder, giving her the saddest smile while telling her that it was okay. Encouraging her to live her life and be happy for all of them. No matter how much she knew this was probably true, the guilt was overwhelming anyway.
She never imagined that she would hesitate at the chance to leave The Entity’s realm. Somewhere along the line she had taken all of the bad and decided to place the good above it all. The small moments where she genuinely laughed and connected with the people who all just so happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time like her. Even though she’d also be leaving behind the years and years of torture and pain and death, leaving behind the people she considered her family was still a huge price to pay.
She wondered around the forest for what felt like an hour, weighing her options and making up hundreds of scenarios in her mind of all the things that could possibly go wrong. What did defense systems mean? What if the killers stood there and watched her die and went on without her towards their own freedom? What if she did everything and got to the end and it was all a trick and she woke up next to the campfire again like she’d done a thousand times before? What if-
She heard the crack of a twig behind her. She jumped and snapped her head around, her eyes landing on The Wraith standing not far away. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized very suddenly that she was alone out here with a killer who could probably do anything he wanted to her and she would be helpless to stop it. Meg took a cautious step back and tensed up, ready to sprint away at a moment's notice. The Wraith blinked at her and held his hands up similarly to how The Trapper did earlier.
I’m not a threat, his hands said. Yeah well, his actions said otherwise.
Meg narrowed her eyes and crouched slightly lower into a defensive position, “Are you following me?”
He thought for a moment before giving her a curt nod, looking around before perking up as some though went through his mind. He stood up straighter and started moving his hands in front of himself, posing his fingers and hands in strange ways. Meg watched him in confusion, not sure what he was trying to do.
His hands slowed to a stop as he noticed the bewilderment on Meg’s face. He let out a sigh before motioning to his mouth and opening it, his fingers wiggling in front of it and moving away towards her. It clicked in her mind then. He was speaking sign language. Meg didn’t know a lick of sign language.
He didn’t seem to be trying to attack her, so she relaxed slightly and frowned at him, “I don’t speak sign language. I don’t understand you. Can’t you speak?”
The Wraith seemed a little disappointed at her confession as he shook his head slowly. He couldn’t speak.
“Are you mute or deaf or something? Why can’t you speak?” Meg curiously asked.
He cringed at her question and hesitantly pointed at the sky, his hands coming above his head and his fingers forming claws that twirled down around him. Meg guessed that he was talking about The Entity, what else could that be?
“The Entity took your voice? So you’re not deaf?”
He nodded.
Meg let out an annoyed huff, “Well, since your ears appear to be working, you will clearly hear me tell you to leave me the hell alone.” She turned away from him and kept walking, trying to pick up the internal scenario she was pondering before she was interrupted.
She didn’t even make it three steps before she heard his footsteps following her once more.
Meg groaned under her breath and turned to face him again, “What do you want? I told you to leave me alone! I have zero interest in talking to someone who has killed me hundreds of times!”
He went still at her words with a horrified expression on his face. The low growling that came from him hitched as his eyes trailed to the ground. He looked slowly back up at her and raised his fist, drawing a circle around his chest, giving her a pitiful pleading look with his eyes. Meg didn’t need to understand sign language to know what he was trying to say.
I’m sorry.
Meg honestly didn’t know how to react. Either this killer was a master manipulator, or he was being honest. But if he really was sorry… Why did he do it? Did The Entity force him to do it? Is that why it took his voice? Considering those possibilities was opening an endless stream of revelations that contradicted everything she thought she knew about killers and she just couldn’t handle it. There was no way. She thought back to her recent trial against The Clown; that giant grin plastered on his face when he bellowed out a disgusting laugh as he stood over her bleeding body.
No. Killers were monsters. All of them. If they were truly good people, they would have stood up and said no. Told The Entity’s to go fuck itself. There’s no such thing as a good murderer. She had to believe that.
She glared at him, saying nothing. He blinked at her and frowned, giving her a quick motion for her to follow him before he turned around and walked away. Meg watched him go, her firm expression softening slightly. She couldn’t believe that he left her alone and just… left it up to her if she wanted to follow or not. The Wraith was a big dude he could have just grabbed her and forced her to go back but he didn’t.
She took a short cautious step forward, contemplating following him. Meg had no idea why she felt compelled to follow him, but she did. She owed him nothing. She owed everyone involved in this jack shit. If she wanted to, she could turn away and continue trekking through these woods. She would probably end up back at the campfire eventually. This would all become a distant memory and she would be reunited with her friends. She would be back.
Back to being slaughtered every single day after looking freedom in the face and telling it no.
Meg was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t even realize that her feet were carrying her forward, following close behind The Wraith. Her heart was carrying her when her mind would not. Before she even knew what was happening, the crumbling building came back into view along with The Trapper and Vigo standing in front of it waiting for the two of them. All Meg could manage to do was let her mind go blank, unable to understand why she had ended up here. Her conscious screamed at her to turn around and go back to her friends. Go back to the little bit of good she had left in this hell.
But Meg was human. She was scared. She was selfish. She wanted to be home again so bad, even if it meant abandoning her friends after everything they’d all been through together. The image of Claudette mangled and broken lying in a pool of her own blood flashed in Meg’s mind. Meg remembered how she had looked at her in the eyes with such love and understanding as she mouthed those two words that guided Meg right back to Vigo.
Leave me.
And just like that, Meg’s mind was made up. No matter the danger, or the naive hope, or the potential for the disappointment of her life, the risk alone was worth it.
She would see her mother again.
Meg could feel her usual strength returning slowly as her hesitant steps became more sure by the second. She would do this for her friends. They would understand. They love her and want her to be happy.
“Have you made up your mind?” An unfortunately familiar gruff voice asked her as she neared the building.
The same could not be said for her newfound companions, but they didn’t matter. All that mattered was the prize at the end of the journey. She just needed to stomach her hatred and disdain and focus on the future. She could do this.
Vigo moved forward and met her halfway on the dirt trail with his hands clasped together excitedly, “Yes! We’re very interested in knowing if you are going to accept this task asked of you. May I remind you that freedom is your reward if you manage to capture this intruder?”
Meg lowered her gaze and considered one last time everything that could possibly go wrong, and all of the things that could go right. Any shred of doubt she had left was quickly washed away and replaced with something she thought she had lost forever: pure, unadulterated hope. Meg realized in that moment that this was everything that she had ever wanted, and it was being offered to her on a silver platter. How could she say no?
Meg looked back up and met Vigo’s eyes filled with newfound determination.
“I’ll do it.”
After all those lost years spent trapped inside of this strange world, Meg Thomas finally had something to hope for, and she’d never felt more alive.