To The Shucking End

Chapter 19

Remember when Tanya believed that there was hope for them at the end of the Scorch?

Yeah, she took that all back on the third day they went hiking through the desert.

They ran out of food rations the day before and now they'd run out of water as the sun scorched their skin and they seemed to be trekking through a landscape of endless sand. Their lips were cracked, their skin dry and their tongues parched.

With no shelter in sight between them and the mountains, they were left with no choice but to camp on the ground.

Tanya was getting better at sleeping after she'd flinched in her sleep the night before and accidentally hit Frypan who'd woken her up before her nightmare could get too bad.

Tonight, however, she didn't have the chance to have a nightmare because they'd barely fallen asleep when Thomas had woken them up and it was a very good thing too for multiple reasons.

Not only did he prevent Tanya from having nightmares, but he alerted them to a sight that made her take back her take back.

He saw lights in the distance at the base of the mountains.

Lights that meant people - survivors.

And it almost meant a good chance at surviving the massive electrical storm that had formed out of nowhere.

The lightning bolts were loud in addition to the thundering thunder as they struck the ground, heat radiating from them and sparks flying as they hit the broken-down cars they ran around as they neared the building.

They almost didn't make it though, when a bolt hit a car and ricocheted as it knocked Minho off his feet.

Everyone had rushed to his side as their ears rang, at least everyone except Tanya who'd just stayed frozen in her place until Aris grabbed her arm.

"Come on Tanya! We have to move!" he urged as he pulled her into the door Teresa and Frypan had wrenched open and ushered them inside.

While the boys gathered around Minho and tried to wake him up, Tanya just stayed with her back against the door, unable to move.

Eventually, they got Minho to wake up, all of them sighing in relief as Newt then approached Tanya from where she was pressed against the door.

"What just happened?" he asked. "I know you might be mad at Minho but -"

"First of all, you have no idea what I've been through," she snapped. "And I just - Newt, I couldn't move, ok? And I hate myself for it. I just -"

Newt cut her off as he pulled her into a hug.

"Listen, I know it's not easy what you've gone through, but the only way you can fix yourself is if you fix things with Minho," he said as he pulled away from her.

"I know," she sighed. "It's just going to take some time."

"Come on," he said, an arm around her as he escorted her inside to where they were pulling Minho to his feet.

"Thanks, guys," Minho exhaled before his eyes settled on Tanya.

"Are you ok?" she asked, a genuinely concerned expression on her face even if it was a little pained.

Minho nodded.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm alright," he answered even though he was just struck by lightning.

"Good," she replied.

That was the extent of their conversation, but it was the first words she'd spoken to him in days that wasn't her snapping at him - the first time she'd spoken to him properly since Gally's death.