I Will Save You When Your Lights Go Out

The morning pressed in with a heavy, suffocating silence. The vibrant hues of dawn, usually a welcome sight, felt like a cruel mockery of the previous night's events. Kathryn sat rigidly on the edge of her bed, her eyes fixed on the floor, a chaotic tangle of thoughts swirling within her mind. Sara, beside her, held a steaming mug of tea, the aroma doing little to dispel the lingering tension.

"We need to talk more seriously about this," Kathryn finally said, her voice a low, gravelly rasp. "We can't just…ignore what happened."

Sara nodded, her gaze distant. "I know. But I don't know what to say. It feels…unreal."

"Unreal is Kendra turning Becca into…that," Kathryn said, her voice laced with bitterness. "We need to figure out what to do. We can't just let this happen to anyone else."

"What can we do?" Sara asked, her voice heavy with despair. "Kendra has all the power. And the audience…apparently they want this."

"There has to be a way," Kathryn insisted, her analytical mind already racing. "We need to understand the rules of this…game. We need to find the loopholes, the weaknesses."

"Loopholes?" Sara echoed, her brow furrowed. "Kathryn, this isn't a puzzle. It's…it's ****."

"**** with rules," Kathryn countered. "Every system has its flaws. We just need to find them." She stood up, pacing restlessly. "Think about it. Kendra said Becca made her choice. But was it really a choice? Or was it a **** reaction to an impossible situation?"

"What are you saying?" Sara asked, her eyes widening.

"I'm saying we need to understand the nature of these 'choices,'" Kathryn said, her voice gaining momentum. "If we can prove that they're ****, then maybe we can challenge Kendra's authority."

"And how do we do that?" Sara asked, her voice laced with skepticism. "We're trapped here, at her mercy."

"We observe," Kathryn said, her eyes gleaming with a newfound determination. "We watch, we listen, we analyze. We find the patterns, the triggers, the pressure points. We learn how this…system works, and then we break it."

Sara took a deep breath, trying to process Kathryn's words. "That sounds…dangerous."

"It is," Kathryn admitted. "But doing nothing is more dangerous. Look at Becca. She's…she's gone. And if we don't act, we could be next."

A heavy silence fell over the room, the weight of their situation pressing down on them. Sara looked at Kathryn, her face etched with worry, but also with a flicker of hope.

"Okay," Sara said finally, her voice barely a whisper. "Okay, we'll do it. We'll observe. We'll find a way."

Kathryn nodded, a grim determination settling over her features. "Good. Because I refuse to let Kendra win. I refuse to let her turn us into…puppets."

"We'll need to talk to Emma and Turner," Sara suggested. "They seemed to be the main people who didn't just sit there and take it."

"Yes, and Abby, too. She was especially upset," Kathryn replied. "But how are we gonna communicate with Turner? He's sure as hell not gonna come down here after the fiasco that happened when he came down here last night. Poor guy probably thinks he's a bad omen or something."

"It's Lana's date night with Turner today, right?" Sara proposed. "And I sure bet that a little elimination isn't gonna stop Kendra from running this show as scheduled. Lana's gonna see him later today."

Kathryn's eyes lit up, a spark of strategic calculation flickering within their depths. "Perfect. Lana can be our point of contact. She's already established a rapport with Turner, and she understands the game, especially these harsh transformations, from a unique perspective."

"And Emma?" Sara asked. "She was the most vocal about challenging Kendra. We need her on our side."

"We'll find her," Kathryn said, her voice firm. "We'll gather our allies. We'll build our network. But first, we need to establish some ground rules."

"Ground rules?" Sara echoed, her brow furrowed.

"For our observation," Kathryn clarified. "We need to be systematic. We need to document everything. Every interaction, every comment, every change in behavior. We need to find the patterns, the triggers."

"Like a science experiment?" Sara asked, a hint of skepticism in her voice.

"Exactly," Kathryn said, her eyes gleaming with a newfound intensity. "We'll treat this like a research project. We'll gather data, analyze the results, and formulate hypotheses. We'll use logic and reason to break down Kendra's system."

"And what about the emotional side of things?" Sara asked, her voice soft. "What about helping Becca? What about dealing with our own fear and grief?"

Kathryn paused, her gaze softening slightly. "We can't ignore those aspects," she admitted. "But we need to compartmentalize. We need to focus on the task at hand. We can deal with the emotional fallout later, once we've gained some control."

"Compartmentalize," Sara repeated, her voice laced with a hint of irony. "That's your answer to everything, isn't it?"

"It's a survival mechanism," Kathryn countered. "And right now, survival is our priority."

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. "It's me, Lana," a muffled voice said. "Can I come in?"

"Speak of the devil. Come in," Sara called out.

Lana entered the room, her expression a mix of concern and determination. "Abby and I were talking," she said, her gaze shifting between Kathryn and Sara. "We think we need to coordinate our efforts. We all want the same thing, right?"

"Absolutely," Kathryn said, her voice firm. "We were just discussing our strategy. We're going to observe, analyze, and find the weaknesses in Kendra's system."

"And I can relay info to Turner," Lana added. "Especially after our date today."

"Excellent," Kathryn said. "We also need to find Emma. She was very vocal about challenging Kendra."

"I saw her earlier," Lana said. "She was in the garden, pacing back and forth, muttering to herself. She seemed…agitated."

"Agitated is probably an understatement," Sara said. "She was furious last night."

"Then we should talk to her," Kathryn said. "We need to bring her into the fold."

"And what about Abby?" Sara asked. "She seemed particularly affected by Becca's transformation."

"Abby's on board," Lana said. "She's determined to find a way to help Becca. She's…she's channeling her grief into action."

"Good," Kathryn said. "We need everyone on the same page. We need to be united. We need to be a **** to be reckoned with."

"And what about you two?" Lana asked, her gaze shifting between Kathryn and Sara. "How are you holding up?"

"We're…managing," Sara said, her voice laced with a hint of weariness. "We're focusing on the task at hand."

"And you, Lana?" Kathryn asked. "How are you dealing with…everything?"

Lana took a deep breath, her gaze distant. "It's…complicated," she said. "I'm still trying to figure out who I am. But I know one thing: I won't let Kendra win. I won't let her turn us into…puppets."

Kathryn nodded, a flicker of respect crossing her features. "Then let's get to work," she said. "We have a lot to do."

---

The penthouse suite, usually a beacon of luxury, felt heavy with the residue of the previous night. Charlotte stirred beneath the silky sheets, her eyelids fluttering open. A dull ache throbbed in her head, a lingering reminder of the emotional turmoil that had consumed her. She sat up, her gaze drifting across the sprawling room, finally settling on the space beside her, where Turner had managed to fall asleep.

A wave of unease washed over her. She remembered the whirlwind of events, the chaotic energy of the elimination, Becca's haunting transformation, and Kendra's chillingly casual dismissal. She recalled the abrupt teleportation to the penthouse and the tension that had hung in the air as a result of the events that had transpired.

She rose from the bed, her movements slow and deliberate. The room was unnaturally quiet, the silence amplifying the anxieties that gnawed at her. She moved towards the expansive windows, gazing out at the breathtaking view of the surrounding landscape. The beauty of the vista offered little comfort, a stark contrast to the ugliness that permeated the reality show.

A sense of isolation settled over her. She was alone, trapped in a gilded cage, **** to play a role in a twisted game. She thought of Becca, trapped in a state of **** servitude, and a shiver ran down her spine. The fear of a similar fate, of losing herself to Kendra's manipulations, was a constant, gnawing presence. Especially since she was one of the least likely people here to play along.

She needed to find the others. She needed to know what was happening, to understand the dynamics of this increasingly dangerous game. She needed to find a way to protect herself, to protect them all.

Charlotte moved towards the door, her steps resolute. As she reached the hallway, she heard the distant murmur of voices. She followed the sound, her heart pounding with a mix of anticipation and dread.

She found herself in the common area, a space designed for social interaction, now serving as a makeshift war room. Kathryn, Sara, Lana, and Abby were gathered around a table, their faces etched with determination. The air crackled with a palpable energy, a sense of shared purpose.

"Charlotte!" Sara exclaimed, a flicker of surprise crossing her features. "We were wondering when you'd wake up."

Charlotte nodded, her gaze shifting between the four women. "I needed to talk to you all. I needed to know what's happening."

"We're strategizing," Kathryn said, her voice firm. "We're trying to understand Kendra's system, to find the weaknesses."

"Turner's still up in his room," Charlotte said. "He seemed…distracted last night."

"I'm sure distracted is an understatement," Abby muttered. "Back up in the lighthouse last night, he was basically catatonic."

Charlotte nodded, her gaze drifting towards the window. "What happened to Becca…it was horrific."

"We're not going to let it happen again," Kathryn said, her voice filled with a newfound resolve. "We're going to fight back. We're going to find a way to break free from Kendra's control."

"And how do we do that?" Charlotte asked, her voice laced with skepticism.

"We observe, we analyze, we strategize," Kathryn said. "We find the patterns, the triggers, the pressure points. We learn how this system works, and then we break it."

"Hate to break it to you, but the system seems fairly airtight," Charlotte lamented. "It's not just Kendra working against us. As she's said before, she's just the middleman between us and whatever upper-level management there is."

"Very true, and we don't know exactly the capabilities of these people above her," Kathryn agreed. "If Kendra herself was powerful enough to inflict transformations on us with the flick of the wrist, who knows how powerful those people could be? But I'm sure we could find something, some loophole, anything."

"And what about the audience?" Lana asked, her voice tinged with a chilling realization. "They're part of this, aren't they? They're the ones making the choices."

A heavy silence fell over the room. The weight of their situation pressed down on them, the realization that they were not just fighting against Kendra, but against an unseen, potentially vast audience, adding a new layer of complexity to their struggle.

"We can't ignore them," Sara said, her voice soft but firm. "We need to understand their influence, their motivations."

"But how?" Abby asked, her brow furrowed. "We can't see them. We can't talk to them."

"We can observe their reactions," Kathryn said, her eyes gleaming with a newfound determination. "We can analyze the patterns of their choices, the trends in their preferences. We can find the levers that control their behavior."

"Levers?" Charlotte echoed, her voice laced with skepticism. "You think we can manipulate the audience?"

"We have to try," Kathryn said. "We have to find a way to turn their influence to our advantage. If we can't beat them, we have to join them."

"Or at least pretend to," Lana interjected. "We can give them what they want, or what we think they want, to buy us some time. Time to find a real solution."

"That's…risky," Charlotte said. "What if we misjudge them? What if we give them something they don't like? Hell, what if they're listening right now?"

---

Unbeknownst to the group, Charlotte's last question echoed with a chilling resonance. In a hidden room, a dark, plush chamber lined with screens and control panels, Kendra sat reclined in a luxurious armchair, a smug smirk playing on her lips. The walls were filled with a multitude of screens, each displaying a different angle of the contestants' interactions. Her fingers danced across a holographic interface, manipulating the feeds, zooming in on the group's faces, listening intently to their every word.

"Oh, they're starting to get clever," she murmured, her voice laced with amusement. "Trying to figure out my 'system.' How adorable."

She paused the feed, her eyes narrowing as she focused on Kathryn's face. "Kathryn, you always were the analytical one. Trying to find the 'loopholes.' But you're forgetting one thing: I make the rules."

She chuckled, a low, throaty sound that echoed through the room. "And as for the audience..." She tapped a button on the interface, bringing up a live feed of viewer comments and reactions. "They're far more malleable than you think. A little drama, a dash of conflict, a sprinkle of romance... they eat it up."

She scrolled through the comments, her eyes scanning the screen. "They love the transformations, the power plays, the emotional breakdowns. They crave the spectacle, the vicarious thrill of watching others suffer."

She paused, her gaze settling on a particularly vitriolic comment. "And they're easily swayed. A little nudge in the right direction, a carefully placed narrative... and they'll dance to my tune."

She leaned back in her chair, her eyes gleaming with a predatory light. "They think they're in control. They think they're making the choices. But they're just puppets, dancing on my strings."

She brought up a feed of Charlotte, her brow furrowing slightly. "Charlotte. Always the wild card. The bubbly one who refuses to play along. But even she will break, eventually. Everyone does."

She resumed the feed, her ears perked as the group continued their discussion. "Let them strategize," she murmured. "Let them think they have a chance. It will make their eventual downfall all the more entertaining."

---

The tension in the common area was thick enough to cut with a knife. Each of them was grappling with the weight of Kendra's omnipresence, the constant feeling of being watched, manipulated. Kathryn, however, was already shifting her focus, her mind dissecting the problem, searching for an angle.

"We're missing something," she said, her voice cutting through the silence. "A resource, an opportunity."

"What do you mean?" Sara asked, her brow furrowed.

"The challenge," Kathryn said, her eyes narrowing. "The last challenge. I placed first. I was supposed to receive a reward."

"A reward?" Lana repeated, her gaze shifting to Kathryn. "What kind of reward?"

"Kendra didn't specify," Kathryn said. "Don't y'all remember at the opening meeting, when Kendra said something about how the winner of each challenge will get some positive transformations or perks or whatever?"

"And you never got it?" Charlotte asked, her voice laced with skepticism.

"No," Kathryn said. "It was weird, Turner and I just kinda got whisked off to our date night without a word of it."

"I think I can help there," Paige suddenly entered the fold.

"How could you help?" Kathryn asked.

"I won the first challenge," Paige blankly replied. "And Kendra's prize for me was some stupid sentence she said about how 'Becca hoped Turner wasn't gonna go soft on me during the date night or something.'"

"Well that kinda sucks, I could've told you that," Abby rolled her eyes. "It kinda comes with the whole ex-girlfriend thing."

"Yeah yeah, blah blah blah, I'm a horrible person and all that," Paige likewise rolled her eyes. "Look, you can go on hating me after we're done, but I'm not gonna let Becca fall by the wayside. Anyways, like I was saying, I think her prize for me went a lot deeper than that, because Turner seemed a lot more...malleable during that date."

"Malleable?" Abby narrowed her eyes, trying to glean what Paige meant by that.

"Look, I got 9 victory points on that date, and let's just say, they don't give those points out for doing...family-friendly acts with Turner," Paige responded, her voice running dry as she recounted her regretful acts and feeling the impulsive need to make it up to Turner before shaking her head. "And I know for a fact he wouldn't have let me do that if he was of sound mind."

"Well, that's not gonna be helpful to us," Lana sighed deeply. "Especially since Kathryn went on her date with Turner this round already."

"Bingo," Paige pointed at her. "That means it's gonna be different."

"And knowing Kendra, she probably hasn't come up with anything yet," Kathryn nodded. "Which means there's a way to leverage it."

"Leverage it how?" Sara asked. "If she doesn't even know what it is, we sure as hell don't."

"That's the point," Kathryn said. "We can make her define it how we want. We can demand it. And we can use that demand to negotiate."

"Negotiate with Kendra?" Lana asked, her voice incredulous. "Are you serious?"

"She has to abide by her own rules, to a certain extent," Kathryn said. "She can't just ignore a promised reward. Especially in front of the audience. It would make her look arbitrary."

"And what if she just gives you something useless?" Charlotte said. "A spa day? A new outfit?"

"Then we escalate," Kathryn said. "We challenge her. We make it clear that we won't be dismissed. We use the audience's attention to our advantage."

"It's risky," Sara said, her voice laced with concern. "What if she retaliates?"

"She already is retaliating," Kathryn countered. "We're trapped here, being manipulated, watching our friends be turned into… something else. We have nothing to lose."

"And what do we ask for?" Lana asked. "How do we phrase it?"

"We ask for information," Kathryn said. "We ask for the rules of the transformations. We ask for the means to reverse them. We demand to know how to help Becca."

"And if she refuses?" Abby asked.

"Then we take it farther," Kathryn said. "I'm sure if the ratings of the show plummet, then her bosses aren't gonna be happy with her, and they may be looking for a change in host."

"It's a long shot," Sara said, her voice hesitant.

"It's our only shot," Kathryn said, her eyes gleaming with a newfound determination. "We need to take control, to seize any opportunity we have. We can't just wait for her to make her next move. We need to make ours."

"Alright," Lana said, her voice firm. "Let's do it. But how do we get her attention?"

"We make a scene," Kathryn said. "We make it impossible for her to ignore us."

"A scene?" Charlotte asked. "What kind of scene?"

"Can't we just do the same thing again?" Abby asked the group. "The same thing that Becca did, I mean. It worked last time to get her attention. So one of us just makes up some sort of sob story about another one of us quitting the game, bada bing, bada boom. We have her attention."

"Yeah, but I'm sure she's gonna see right through that," Kathryn countered. "Especially if she's listening to us right now, which I'm sure she is."

"Then we need something… disruptive," Sara said, her gaze thoughtful. "Something that will grab her attention, and the audience's, without being too predictable."

"How about a protest?" Paige suggested, her voice surprisingly firm. "We all refuse to participate in the next scheduled event. We stage a sit-out, or something."

"That could work," Lana said, nodding. "It would be visible, and it would send a clear message. Hell, it worked for me last time, sure got her attention and got me a punishment transformation, but she can't do that to everyone, right?"

"Then we need to be coordinated," Sara said. "We need to make sure everyone is on board."

"And we need to choose the right event," Kathryn added. "Something with high visibility, something that will generate maximum impact."

"What about the next date night?" Abby asked. "That's always a big deal. It's when the audience gets to see the most."

"Perfect," Kathryn said, her eyes gleaming. "We'll interrupt the next date night. We'll use it as a platform to broadcast our demands."

"But who's date night is it?" Sara asked. "And how do we get everyone to agree to this?"

"It's Lana's," Paige replied. "And as for getting everyone on board, we need to find Emma, Lauren, and Mandy, and we need to make sure Turner understands what we’re doing."

"Turner will be hard," Charlotte sighed. "He's been…withdrawn since last night. He’s probably feeling guilty."

"We'll explain it to him," Kathryn said. "We'll make him understand that this is the only way to help Becca, to help all of us. He may be a bit mopey right now, but he's not stupid."

"And what about the audience?" Lana asked, her voice laced with concern. "What if they don't like what we're doing?"

"We'll give them a show," Kathryn said, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "We'll give them a rebellion. We'll give them something they can't ignore."

"But we need to be prepared for anything," Sara said. "Kendra won't take this lightly. She'll try to stop us."

"Then we'll be ready," Kathryn said. "We'll be united. We'll be a **** she can't control."

"Okay," Paige said, her voice firm. "Let's do it. But first, we need to find Emma. And we need to make sure Turner is with us."

"I'll go find Emma," Abby volunteered. "I think I know where she might be."

"And I'll talk to Turner," Lana said. "I'll explain the plan, and I'll make sure he understands the importance of this."

"Then let's get to work," Kathryn said, her eyes gleaming with a newfound determination. "We have a rebellion to plan."

Abby slipped out of the common area, a sense of urgency propelling her forward. She knew Emma was volatile, her emotions a raw, exposed nerve. Finding her was one thing, convincing her to join their rebellion was another. She headed towards the secluded garden, a place Emma often retreated to when she needed to be alone.

As she approached, she heard the faint sound of Emma’s voice, a low, agitated murmur. She pushed through the overgrown hedges and found Emma pacing back and forth, her face flushed, her eyes wild.

“Emma,” Abby said softly, her voice cutting through the air.

Emma stopped abruptly, her gaze snapping towards Abby. “What do you want?” she demanded, her voice sharp.

“We need to talk,” Abby said, her voice calm and steady. “We have a plan.”

“A plan?” Emma scoffed. “What kind of plan? Another way to sit around and wait for Kendra to turn us into… into whatever she wants? Listen, I gave it my all last night, and that got me nowhere.”

“No,” Abby said firmly. “A plan to fight back. A plan to take control.”

She explained Kathryn’s idea, the leverage they could gain from her unclaimed reward, the plan to interrupt Lana’s date night, the demand for information about Becca. Emma listened, her expression shifting from skepticism to a flicker of interest.

“And you think this will work?” she asked, her voice laced with doubt.

“We have to try,” Abby said. “We can’t just sit here and do nothing. We need to show Kendra that we’re not afraid.”

Emma paused, her gaze drifting towards the sky. “And what about Becca?” she asked, her voice soft. “Can we really help her?”

“We have to believe we can,” Abby said. “We have to believe there’s a way to bring her back.”

Emma’s eyes filled with tears, a raw, **** sadness washing over her features. “I just… I miss her,” she whispered. “I miss the way she used to laugh, the way she used to smile. I miss her.”

“We all do,” Abby said, her voice gentle. “And we’re going to find a way to bring her back. But we need your help. We need everyone’s help.”

Emma nodded, her tears drying. “Okay,” she said, her voice firm. “Okay, I’m in. What do I need to do?”

“We need you to be strong,” Abby said. “We need you to be ready to stand with us, even when things get difficult.”

“Oh, I can do that,” Emma said, her eyes gleaming with a newfound determination. “I’m ready to fight.”

---

Meanwhile, Lana knocked on the door to the penthouse, signaling to Turner that she was ready to begin her date, or at least it would make him think that. She heard sounds of scrambling inside, a hurried "Just a minute!" and then he opened the door. He looked rough, to say the least. He had bags under his eyes, which were both red. His hair was unkempt, and his shirt was even on backwards. Not exactly date attire.

“Turner,” Lana said softly, her voice cutting through the silence.

He turned, his gaze meeting hers, his eyes filled with a deep sadness. “Hey, Lana,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. "Look, I know we have to go on some sort of date today per Kendra's rules, but I really don't know if I have the energy to do anything bombastic."

“It's not that,” Lana said, her voice gentle. “We have a plan.”

She explained the plan, the leverage they could gain from Kathryn’s reward, the protest during their date night. Turner listened, his expression shifting from apathy to a flicker of hope.

“You think this will work?” he asked, his voice laced with doubt.

“We have to try,” Lana said. “We can’t just give up on Becca. We can’t give up on ourselves.”

Turner nodded, his gaze drifting towards the window. “I feel… responsible,” he said, his voice heavy with guilt. “If I hadn’t… if I hadn’t done anything with Sara…”

“It’s not your fault,” Lana said firmly. “Kendra is the one who did this. She’s the one who’s manipulating us all.”

“But I still feel like I should have done something,” Turner said. “I should have protected her.”

“You can protect her now,” Lana said. “You can help us fight back. You can help us bring her back.”

Turner’s eyes filled with a renewed determination. “Okay,” he said, his voice firm. “Okay, I’m in. What do I need to do?”

“We need you to be strong,” Lana said. “We need you to stand with us, even when things get difficult. We need to trust us. And we need you to act surprised when everyone else interrupts our date.”

Turner managed a weak smile. “I can do that,” he said. “I’m ready to fight.”

---

Back in the common area, Kathryn, Sara, Charlotte, and Paige were finalizing their plans, preparing for the rebellion that was about to unfold. They knew Kendra was watching, listening, waiting for them to make a move. They were ready.

"Wait, we still need to get Lauren and Mandy on board," Kathryn said, her voice cutting through the tense silence. "They're less involved, especially Mandy, but their support is crucial."

"I'll talk to Lauren," Charlotte volunteered. "We've always been able to have a straightforward conversation. Mandy, on the other hand… well, good luck to whomever draws that straw."

"I'll go with you," Sara offered. "Two heads are better than one, especially when it comes to convincing people."

Charlotte nodded, a grateful smile flickering across her lips. "Let's go then. We don’t have much time."

They left the common area, their footsteps echoing down the hallway. Charlotte knew Lauren was likely in her room, working on some sort of project or lost in a book. Lauren was a quiet observer, someone who preferred to analyze from the sidelines. But Charlotte also knew Lauren had a strong sense of justice, a deep-seated belief in doing what was right.

They reached Lauren’s door and Charlotte knocked. A moment later, the door opened, revealing Lauren standing amidst a pile of papers and books. She looked up, her expression a mix of surprise and curiosity.

"Charlotte? Sara? What brings you here?" she asked, her voice soft.

"We need to talk," Charlotte said, her gaze serious. "It's about Becca. It’s about Kendra. It’s about what’s happening here."

Lauren stepped aside, gesturing for them to enter. The room was a reflection of her personality: organized, meticulous, and filled with a quiet intensity. Charlotte and Sara took a seat on the edge of the bed, while Lauren settled into a nearby chair.

"We're planning a rebellion," Charlotte began, her voice low and urgent. "We're going to interrupt Lana's date night, demand information about Becca, and challenge Kendra's control."

Lauren's eyes widened slightly, but she remained composed. "A rebellion?" she repeated, her voice laced with skepticism. "That sounds… risky."

"It is," Sara said. "But we can't just sit here and do nothing. We need to fight back."

Charlotte explained the plan, the leverage they could gain from Kathryn’s reward, the need for everyone to stand together. Lauren listened intently, her brow furrowed in thought.

"And what about the audience?" she asked, her voice thoughtful. "How do you plan to address their influence?"

"We'll use it," Charlotte said. "We'll turn their attention to our advantage. We'll show them what Kendra is doing, and we'll make them demand change."

"That's… ambitious," Lauren said, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "But I admire your determination."

"So, are you with us?" Sara asked, her voice hopeful.

Lauren paused, her gaze shifting between Charlotte and Sara. "I'm not one for grand gestures," she said. "But I believe in justice. And I believe in doing what's right. So, yes. I'm with you."

"Thank you, Lauren," Charlotte said, a wave of relief washing over her. "We need everyone we can get."

"What about Mandy?" Lauren asked, her expression turning slightly concerned. "Have you spoken to her?"

"Not yet," Sara said. "We were hoping you might have some insight. She’s… unpredictable."

"That's putting it mildly," Lauren said with a small chuckle. "Mandy tends to follow her own agenda. But I can talk to her. I have a feeling she won’t want to miss out on a good rebellion."

"That would be a great help," Charlotte said. "We need to make sure everyone is on board."

"Then let's go find her," Lauren said, rising from her chair. "We don't have much time."

They left Lauren's room, a sense of renewed purpose propelling them forward. Lauren had said that Mandy would most likely be in the gym during the morning. It would be a challenge to convince her, but they had to at least try.

---

The gym was filled with the rhythmic thud of a punching bag and the clang of weights. Mandy was a whirlwind of motion, her body a symphony of controlled aggression. She moved with a focused intensity, her every action a release of pent-up energy. Charlotte, Sara, and Lauren paused at the entrance, watching her for a moment, unsure how to approach.

"Mandy," Charlotte finally called out, her voice cutting through the noise.

Mandy stopped abruptly, her gaze snapping towards them, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What do you want?" she demanded, her voice sharp.

"We need to talk," Sara said, her voice calm and steady. "It's important."

Mandy scoffed, wiping the sweat from her brow with a towel. "Important? What could possibly be important in this ridiculous game?"

"It's about Becca," Lauren said, her voice gentle. "It's about Kendra. It's about what's happening here."

Mandy's expression softened slightly, a flicker of concern crossing her features. "What about Becca?" she asked, her voice laced with a hint of worry.

Charlotte explained the plan, the rebellion, the demand for information, the hope of reversing Becca's transformation. Mandy listened, her skepticism evident in her narrowed eyes and pursed lips.

"And you think this will work?" she asked, her voice laced with doubt. "You think Kendra will just hand over information? She's not stupid."

"We have leverage," Sara said. "Kathryn's reward. Kendra can't just ignore it."

"And what if she does?" Mandy countered. "What if she retaliates? What if she punishes us all?"

"We're already being punished," Lauren said, her voice firm. "We're trapped here, being manipulated, watching our friends suffer. We have nothing to lose."

Mandy hesitated, her gaze drifting towards the punching bag. "And what about Lana?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Charlotte and Sara exchanged a knowing glance. They knew Mandy's relationship with Lana was complicated, strained by unspoken emotions and missed opportunities.

"Lana is with us," Charlotte said. "She wants to help Becca. She wants to help all of us."

Mandy scoffed, shaking her head. "Oh, I'm sure she does. Seems like she wants to help out anyone but her ol' mother nowadays."

"She's your daughter, Mandy," Lauren said, her voice gentle but firm. "And she's trying to do the right thing."

Mandy's eyes filled with tears, a raw, **** emotion that she quickly masked with anger. "She's not my daughter," she spat out. "She's… she's someone else. Someone I don't even recognize."

"She's still the same as Liam, Mandy," Sara said. "She's still the same as the boy you raised, the boy you love. She just… well, is a she now."

Mandy's gaze softened slightly, her anger giving way to a flicker of sadness. "I… I don't know what to do," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I pushed her away. I hurt her. And now… now I don't know how to fix it."

"You can start by trusting her," Charlotte said. "You can start by believing in her."

Mandy paused, her gaze drifting towards the window. "I… I want to believe," she said, her voice barely audible. "But it's hard. It's so hard."

"We know it is," Lauren said. "But we're here for you. We'll help you. We'll help each other."

Mandy took a deep breath, her eyes closing for a moment. "Okay," she said, her voice firm. "Okay, I'm in. But if this backfires, I'm never gonna forgive you.

"It won't," Charlotte said, her optimism on full display. "And hey, if it's any consolation, Lana's gonna be on the other side of the operation, since it's her date night with Turner."

Mandy nodded, a flicker of hope replacing the doubt in her eyes. "Then let's do this," she said. "Let's show Kendra what we're made of."