Gally's Little Sister

Chapter twelve

Scarlett's POV:
We ran through the darkness of the Scorch, hearing the noises of guards and helicopters from the facility.
By now, we were atleast two kilometers away. They hopefully wouldn't find us. We continued running until Thomas found a building we could take shelter in. Before any of us could object, he went inside. We had no choice but to follow. When we entered, it was clear that nobody had been here in a while. There were tents and and scattered clothing and belongings. People used to live here. What happened to them?
"We should split up. Try to find some extra clothing to keep protected from the sun in the morning. Any extra supplies would be useful as well," Thomas said.
I followed Newt into one of the rooms. I found a few jackets and scarves. I alo found two flashlights. I put on one of the jackets and pocketed both flashlights.
"Newt, what do you think happened to the people who used to live here?"
"I don't know. But I have a feeling something bad." All of a sudden, the lights turned on. And then we heard Thomas yelling.
"Run!"
Thomas and Aris rounded the corner and I heard what sounded like a stampede, not to far behind them. We quickly followed Thomas. I heard the noise getting closer. I risked looking behind my shoulder. Behind me was a group of what looked like zombies. The were covered in veins and had pieces of flesh and hair, even some with limbs, missing. Either way, they were out for blood.
"What the hell are those things!" I yelled up ahead.
"I don't know!" Thomas yelled back.
We ran as fast as we could. we were almost near the exit, when Winston tripped. He fell behind. Newt and I quickly rushed to grab him. A few of the monsters had already tried to grab him. We freed Winston and caught up with the rest of the group. Once we made it to the exit, we kept running until we couldn't hear the noises of those things anymore, and our legs were numb. We all collapsed in a small circle. We decided it was best to stay here for the rest of the night. We found a small cave in rocky area, and started a fire.
"What were those things back there?" I asked again.
"Those are what I heard Janson call 'Cranks'," Aris replied, "They're infected by a disease called the 'Flare'. The sun flares affect you brain and turn you into a ravaged monster who's hungry for flesh. That's what the maze was for. They tested us and our brains to try and find a cure."
"So this is really the entire world now?"
"I'm guessing so."
"Were you in a maze as well Aris?" Thomas asked.
"Yeah. I was the only boy amongst a bunch of girls. Actually scratch that, there was another one, he was pretty young. I barely even met him. We escaped the same day I came up in the box"
"Well before Teresa came along, not to long before we escaped, I was the only girl amongst a bunch of boys."
"When we escaped, they took me away from the rest of my group. I really hope they're okay now."
"I'm sure they will be Aris."
We sat there in silence for a while until Frypan spoke up.
"I never thought I'd say this, but I miss the glade."
"I miss Alby," Newt said.
"I do too," said Minho.
"I miss my bestfriend Rachel," Aris said, " She was killed when we escaped. A member of our group turned on us and pointed a gun at us. Said she was being controlled by W.I.C.K.E.D. Rachel took the gunshot."
All the boys looked at eachother. I put my head down.
"Same thing happened to us," Newt explained, "Except the only person who died, was the one holding the gun."
"I'm sorry. Were you guys close with him? Friends, or was he just another person you shared a living space with?"
I felt a tear roll down my cheek, as I lifted my head.
"He was my big brother," I replied.
Aris looked at me and then the ground. We were all quiet after that. Eventually I fell asleep, leaning against Newt. I worried that night, that maybe Janson was right. Maybe we wouldn't survive a night in the Scorch.