Page 67 of The Compound

“The thing is…if the water isn’t working, it might be best if we don’t use the toilet. I can dig you a hole outside, if you like?”

—

When the sun wasabove the skylight, I returned to the maze. I got lost at once and drifted around for a while, until Becca appeared and led me to the right spot. I wondered if she’d let me wander on purpose.

“Did anyone see you?”

“No, no.”

“But you spoke to them? They know the water’s gone?”

“I spoke to Andrew. He knows.”

“Did he ask to do the task?”

“No, but I think he was leading up to it. Do you mind if I take a drink?”

“Sure. It’s hot, right?”

“Yeah. It’s hot.” I took measured sips. It was her water, and I was only allowed to share it out of her good grace. “It’s okay,” she said. “Go ahead and have another pull. We need to stay strong.”

I took one more gulp, and then set it down. There was a lot left. It looked like it would last us days, but I remembered that the water had only been gone for a couple of hours. I wanted to wash, but not in front of her. Sometime while we had slept the pool had been drained and, bizarrely, so had the pond. The fish that had lived there lay on the muddy ground, like nuggets of gold.

“Do you think I could take a small bottle of it with me?”

“Absolutely not. If they see it they’ll have questions. They might follow you here. Did you bring me food?”

“Oh. Shit. I forgot. I’m sorry, Becca. It honestly slipped my mind.”

She looked at me, clearly deliberating whether I had intentionally decided not to bring the food in an attempt to weaken her, or if I was genuinely that empty-headed. “Remember next time, please.”

“Right. Well, I guess I’ll see you later, then.”

“Don’t you think you should stay in the maze until it gets dark?”

“I don’t want to be a bitch,” I said, “but I really, really don’t want to stay in this maze. So I’m going to go, and I’ll see you later.”

I figured I could last until nightfall without another drink, but it wasdifficult. I went to the kitchen to see if any other beverages were left and found Tom looking through the fridge. I tried to slip out without being seen, but he said, “Come here for a minute.”

I stepped back and saw him look me over. “You know the water’s off?”

“Yeah, I know.”

“So, are we doing the Communal Task, or what?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

“Maybe? You don’t want to take a shower? Or have a drink?”

“I was thinking of just leaving, actually,” I said.

“Bullshit,” he said.

“It’s not like we’ll last long without water. And obviously either me or Becca will lose the task. That means that either I’ll get banished, or I’ll be alone without another girl, with just you two. If I leave now, it’s painless.”

He studied me closely. “What’s stopping you then? I’ll walk you out now, if you want.”

“I’m still thinking it over,” I said.

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