“How do you not think about it?” I ask. My mind flicks back to those rooms about every three seconds. They sound so awful; it makes my head throb every time a room is mentioned.

“What will you do when you get out of here?” Theo asks.

He’s on a distraction mission, and I’m grateful. “Lock myself in my bedroom to binge Netflix and eat junk, where I should be now.”

He smiles, but his dark eyes are sad. “I miss junk food.”

“Netflix and junk binge at my house as soon as we’re out?”

“Sounds good,” he replies, managing a slight laugh.

Hazel stands abruptly, and my heart jumps. She looks down and glares, her eyes firing daggers at us.

“Haze, what’s up?”

“You’re planning goddamn Netflix nights while we’re stuck in here? We’re going to die, Piper. Why can’t you accept that?”

Taking a breath to calm my nerves, I stand and clench my trembling hands. “We are not going to die. Stop saying that.”

“Could Hazel please come to the waiting room?” Caleb’s voice calls through the speaker.

Hazel and I freeze, her body going as rigid as mine.

Theo stands and looks up at the camera on the ceiling.

“What’s that? Where’s the waiting room?” I ask, though I have a good idea.

“That’s what they call the corridor leading to the clothes room.”

“No!” Hazel shouts.

She may have been a statue when Theo and I were talking about this place, but her hearing is fine. She knows what it means to go into that corridor.

“This isn’t right,” I argue, stepping to Hazel’s side. She grips my arm, her fingertips digging into my flesh. “She’s supposed to have longer.”

“Could Hazel please come to the waiting room?” Caleb repeats.

Hazel’s breathing quickens. Her eyes widen to saucers. “N-No.”

My heart pounds, the pulse swooshing in my ears. She’s not ready. She can’t do this yet. “Can I?” I shout, looking at the same camera Theo turned to. “Can I do it instead?”

“Could Piper please come to the waiting room?” Caleb says. I can hear the smile in his now musical tone. He knew this was going to happen.

“Piper,” Hazel whispers.

“I’m okay.” I tug my arm out of her grip and walk toward the door. No one says a word, and I’m not sure if that’s because they’re in shock that this is happening so soon or if they never give a pep talk.

What can you say, anyway?

I run my tongue along my dry bottom lip and push the door open.

You are fine, and you are going to be fine.