TWENTY EIGHT

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I couldn't help it. I laughed. It was an absurd thing to hear. The ending. Like a doomsday. And how can one person simply trigger the ending? "Chuck taught you jokes while I was gone?" I said through giggles.

Teresa gave me a straight face. "This is not a joke. My dream and everything else makes sense that it's the ending."

I coughed and collected myself, facing Teresa now. "Okay, fine. You triggered the ending. What now?"

She moved back, her eyes wide. "What do you mean "what now?"

"Well, I don't know, you come with all this information. I thought you would know what to do."

She shook her head. "All I have is the information." She moved her eyes around. "I'll trust, you'll keep it to yourself?"

"Do you plan on telling anyone else?"

"I don't know yet. No one seems to trust me."

I wanted to point out why they didn't, but decided against it. "I wouldn't wait until the last second. Might help a lot more if you tell someone right now."

"I just did." I gave her a blank face. "Right."

I got up and gave Frypan my dish. "Have you seen Chucky around?" I asked him.

"He was with the new girl."

"New girl was with me just now." I scratched my shoulder. "I'll look for him. See ya later."

"See ya."

I wanted to grill Chuck on what Teresa told him. She was with him all day. I know he talks a lot but she had to get something in. I looked in all his usual Slopper spots and when I didn't find him there, I looked in his hiding spots. One of them being with Winston. He liked to be with the Animals.

That is where I found him.

The wave of blood was a slap in the face. I had to hold back my gag and pushed through. Chuck's smile was a nice distraction. "Jane, you're back already."

"Yes I am. How was hanging with Teresa today?"

He shrugged. "It was alright. She barely talked though. So I told her about everything I learned and stuff that happened before she got here. And when she was in her coma."

I nodded. "Yeah, she doesn't really say much." At least she hadn't told Chuck. Everyone would have known by now. He was petting a sheep, the animal's coarse hair as curly as Chucks. I smiled. "Could this by any chance be Sammy?"

Chuck ducked his head. "No. Winston didn't want to hear my begging. But, he decided I can keep this one."

"What made him do that?"

Chuck looked at the sheep as he spoke. "He said since the sky stopped working and the supplies haven't come up then that means we won't be here much longer. You'd think that would make him not want to give it to me. But Winston is a pessimist I guess."

I frowned, then looked around. A lot of the boys were back to working, but they looked towards the box as they worked. My eyes widened. It was supply day. "Why wouldn't it come up?"

Chuck shrugged. "Winston said it had something to do with Thomas and Teresa."

"I triggered the ending." Teresa's words came back to me. Of course it was her. Of course. I couldn't keep this to myself anymore and I hoped that she would have said something to someone by now.

"Thank you Chuck." I jogged away, looking for my friends. They were not out here. I found Newt in the homestead, muttering about. "Hey Newt."

"Hey Jane. Minho just told me what you guys were up to today."

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