Chapter Fifteen

Lily wakes severely dehydrated, rationing melted ice between Andrew and Tom while withholding a small sip for herself. Tom briefly searches the maze for Becca, returns empty, and pushes to wait indoors through the heat, framing Becca’s disappearance as grounds for her banishment. As evening falls, Tom confronts Lily about seeming less ill; she deflects. He urges cooperation and shares a fantasy of fortifying the compound permanently.

After a short sleep, Lily sneaks food and a lighter from the kitchen and finds Becca hidden in the hedge maze with a partially full water jug. They quietly share supplies. Becca plans to sleep inside later and predicts the men will either do the task or quit. She reveals she just turned eighteen and joined the show to expose it, then fixated on humiliating Tom.

Tom ambushes them in the maze, choking Lily and slamming Becca, then wrests the hidden jug and wastefully dumps the remaining water over his face, drinking what he can. Lily pulls Becca away, but they flee blindly through the maze as Becca bleeds heavily from her nose.

Separated directions fail Lily until Andrew finds her; he restrains Lily and calls Tom over, prioritizing water access via the task. Tom arrives carrying a limp, injured Becca, insisting she merely tripped. Lily accuses him of assault and of taking the last water; Andrew counters that Lily and Becca hoarded it.

With Andrew collapsing and slurring, all agree the task must happen immediately to restore water. Despite fear and injury, Becca limps at Lily’s side and leads the group out of the maze, the men close behind.