The next morning, I am determined to draw some information out of Muriel Two. I have to know more about where she came from and what she meant about the experiments; I have to do something other than sitting around feeling useless.

My attempt before the guests arrive is unsuccessful. As soon as I swim to her, she disappears under the surface to swim her laps. It's clear she's not going to open up unless she can trust us, and in order to trust us, she needs to feel like she belongs.

Before the Dining Experience, the girls and I play a round of Guess the Guest. Muriel Two watches from across the enclosure, and I take it as an opportunity to lure her in.

"You want to play with us?" I ask.

For a moment, she looks hesitant. "How do you play?"

I shrug. "You just pick out a guest and describe things about them."

She raises an eyebrow. "What's the point?"

"Because it's fun," Jewel says. "You do know what fun is, don't you?"

I shoot Jewel a warning look before turning to Muriel. "Look, I'll show you," I say. I turn and wave at a man in the corner before blowing him a kiss. He quickly pulls his phone from his pocket and presses it to the glass, signaling for me to do it again. I blow another one, and he smiles behind his camera.

"His name is Lucian," I say, taking in his thick, circular glasses. "His favorite thing to do is sing, but he loves a good book. His favorite month is June because he loves being in the sun and his favorite color is yellow because it reminds him of sunflowers."

After a brief moment, Muriel Two quietly scans the enclosure, her eyes falling on a tall, thin man in the corner. "He's lonely," she says, meeting his small, dark eyes. "Even standing in the middle of a crowd, he feels like he doesn't belong."

I turn to look at the man in question. He stands slightly away from the rest of the guests, his eyes small and glassy-looking, as though he's recalling a painful memory he's unable to escape.

"My bet is that he's been here before," she says. "Maybe as a child. Now he's back to recapture that same feeling of happiness he once felt, hoping it will fill the void in his chest."

The rest of us are silent as we continue to look at her. Eventually, Jewel says, "Way to make a game depressing," before dipping below the surface. Asia quickly follows her, until it's just Muriel Two and I watching each other, something strange passing between us.

Even though I don't want to care about her, I can't ignore the pulling feeling I feel toward her. She is more like me than anyone I've met. It doesn't matter that she is aloof, or constantly putting on a performance. There is an invisible thread that bounds us.

"What happened to you before this?" I ask. "What did you see?"

She tenses slightly, though her expression gives nothing away. "What do you mean?"

I shake my head, unable to explain it. For a moment, it's like she'd dropped her veil, and I was able to see the sadness that clung to her soul. "You have that same look that the old Muriel used to get," I say, grabbing her arm before pulling her close. "How did you know about them getting rid of us after the tests? What happened to you?"

She searches my eyes for what feels like forever. "I saw the truth," she says, pulling her arm away, and then she dives into the depths of the water, disappearing under the ripples.

By the time the evening comes around, I have already decided I am going to escape. I know I'll be taking a big risk, that I am possibly about to ruin the lives of all four of us if this doesn't work, but I can see now after what Crystal has done that things are only going to get worse. If there is ever a good time to act, it is now, while I still have access to Reece's pass.

At seven P.M, I use the treadmill as usual, not wanting to do anything differently in case Reece gets suspicious of my change in routine. He has been watching me like a hawk this past week, and he is clever enough to pick up on any subtle differences.

My heart pounds, adrenaline charging my veins. This is it. This is the moment that will forever define me; the moment I either attain my freedom, or I don't. The thought has me swimming against a current of fear, but at least there is hope amidst the waves.

I shower and get dressed before climbing into bed. Across the room, the doorknob turns and I sit up against the pillows, my eyes wide and teary.

Reece carefully takes in my expression from the doorway before closing the distance between us. "What's wrong?" he asks.

I get to my feet, trying to look as unthreatening as possible as I shyly meet his gaze. Reece seems to be the most compassionate when he thinks I need help, and I'm counting on that working right now.

"I'm okay," I say, blinking a few times. "I just have something in my eye that I can't get out."

Reece doesn't even think about what he's doing as he tilts my chin with his fingertips. The pads of his fingers feel warm against my skin, leaving me feeling cold. I didn't think it would be this easy to fool him, and the way he so quickly dropped his guard has my stomach in knots. It seems Reece has more humanity in him than the others combined.

It is his humanity that is going to get him killed.

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