The Deadliest Generation: The Desert of Death

Chapter Four: Mistake?

Thomas's wall of suspicion and anger crumbled to pieces. These kids weren't lying―he could just tell. The look of horror that had taken hold of Aris was one he knew well. River had the exact same expression on his face when recalling the Spiral Games.

Thomas had felt it multiple times himself and had seen it on too many other faces. Too many young faces. He knew exactly what kind of terrible memories made someone look like that. He also knew that Aris definitely had no clue what had happened to Teresa. 

"Maybe you should sit down," Thomas said. "I think we have a lot to talk about." 

"What d'you mean?" Aris asked. "Where'd you guys come from?"  

Thomas let out a slight laugh. "The Maze. The Grievers. WICKED. You name it." So much had happened, where could he start? Not to mention that worry over Teresa was making his head spin, making him want to run out of the room and search for her immediately, but he stayed. He could barely finish his sentences. 

"You're lying," Aris said, his voice having dropped to a whisper, his face now a full shade paler.

"No, we're not," Newt responded. "Tommy's right. We need to talk. Sounds like we've come from similar places."

"Who's that guy?"

Thomas turned around to see that Minho had returned, a pack of Gladers standing behind him on the other side of the doorway. Their faces were scrunched up in disgust at the smell out there, their eyes still full of the terror of seeing what filled the room just behind them. Their faces morphed into a sudden look of confusion.

"Minho, meet Aris," Thomas said, taking a step to the side and gesturing toward the other boy. "Aris, meet Minho."

Minho stared at Aris for a couple of moments, seemingly unable to have a sassy comeback for once.

"Look," Newt said. "Let's take down these top beds and move them around the room. Then we can all sit and figure out what's bloody going on."

Thomas shook his head. "No. First, we need to go find Teresa. She must be in some other room."

"Isn't one," Minho said.

"What do you mean?"

"I just checked this whole place out. There's the big common area, this room, our dorm room, and some seriously shucked doors that lead outside―where we came in from the bus yesterday. Locked and chained from the inside. Doesn't make any sense, but I don't see any other doors or exits."

Thomas shook his head in confusion. It felt like a million spiders had just spun cobwebs through his brain. "But ... what about last night? Where'd the food come from? Didn't anyone notice other rooms, a kitchen, anything?" He looked around, hoping for an answer, but no one said a word.

"Maybe there's a hidden door," Newt finally said. "Look, we can only do one thing at a time. We need to―"

"No!" Thomas snapped, feeling a sink in his stomach at Newt's sudden drop in expression. "We've got all day to talk to this Aris guy. The label by the door said Teresa should be here somewhere―we need to find her!"

Without waiting for a response, he headed for the door back to the common area, pushing his way past boys until he was through. The smell hit him as if a bucket of raw sewage had been spilled over his head. The bloated and purple bodies hung like carcasses of game set out by hunters to dry. Their lifeless eyes stared back at him.

A familiar, sickening tickle of revulsion filled his stomach and triggered his gag reflex. Closing his eyes for a second, he willed his insides to settle. When they finally did, he began his search for some sign of Teresa, concentrating with all his might on not looking at the dead people.