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The strong smell of burning wood filled the air. I shot up from a hard surface underneath me. My hands patted around, feeling soft dirt and grass. I sat up, discovering I was in the middle of the Glade. Not a single boy was in sight. The sky was dark, so everyone must be sleeping.
I stood up, feeling strangely exhausted. I don't remember falling asleep outside. I made my way toward the Homestead, immediately stopping in front of the hammocks sprawled in between the trees where most of the Gladers slept.
They were on fire.
I ran towards the hammocks, seeing if anyone was still there.
"Hey!" I shouted at the flames. No response. The crackling of the fire was the only sound filling in the silence.
My chest began to sink and rise faster as my breaths shortened to panicked huffs. Where was everyone? I slowly stepped away, my knees going weak at the sight of the roaring flames in front of me.
I swerved around, finding another fire starting up inside of the Homestead. My eyes widened, and without thinking, I barged through the doors. I rushed upstairs, searching for the source of the fire. The doors to the bedrooms were all wide open. I ran into Alby's room, hoping to find signs of life somewhere.
A limp body laid still on the floor by the bed. I crouched down, rolling it to face me. My jaw dropped when my eyes met the leader's. His eyes were wide open, mouth hanging loosely with blood trickling out of it. I threw my hand over my mouth, scooting as far away from him.
"Vanessa..." He croaked, stretching an arm out to me. His bloody hand trembling violently,
I screamed, scrambling out of the room. I sprinted to the end of the hallway, stopping in front of my bedroom. I swung the door open, rushing inside. I froze when something sparked under my bed. Next thing I knew, my sheets and pillows were engulfed in threatening flames. They quickly spread across the room, nearly brushing my boots before I stumbled out of the room, shutting the door behind me.
At this point, I lost any hope of getting out. I frantically ran my hands through my damp hair, letting out a helpless cry. Alby was long gone at this point and there was nothing I could do.
"Help! Someone, help me!" I cried out, leaning over the doorframe connecting to my bedroom. My mouth felt dry and charred from the smoke. I coughed and turned around, making sure the fire wasn't nearing me. I took a step away from the doorframe, feeling my back hit something hard.
I shifted to see what it was and came face-to-face with Minho. But, he didn't look like the Minho I knew. There was a dangerous glint in his eyes that could kill anyone who stared for too long. His hair was all over the place, some strands hanging loosely over his face. His clothes were torn up. Deep burns covered his arms and hands.
"Minho..." I whispered, lightly placing my hand over his chest in a comforting manner. His condition made it hard to look at him for longer than a few seconds. He didn't say anything, only continued to stare down at me.
