The Forest Trials | Newt

004

Jennifer's feet trudged through the rubble and dirt that scattered the floor. The heat scorched down onto the back of her neck and back and her heavy breaths filled the air.

"How much further?" Thomas asked from behind.

"Why, are you tired?" She asked back.

"Yes, very,"

"Well then mate, you've got a really depressing next few days," she scoffed as she continued uphill before stopping at the top "But I wouldn't worry, because a change of scenery has almost improved my mood," she said as she gazed out, the group eventually joined her side in all utter awe.

The group just stood and stared out over the horizon, taking in the scene. Everyone was quiet, they had never seen something like this before; from what they can remember that is. "Well then, we aren't going to get very far gawking are we?" Jennifer spoke as she continued down the sandy hill towards where the group's eyes were set.

None of them moved, not even blinked only the slow raising of their chests revealing they weren't dead in motion. They didn't think places like this still existed, didn't think they could still exist but... clearly, they were wrong. Which Jennifer wasn't surprised about.

"That's a very weird way of walking, it doesn't seam very sufficient either," Jennifer said from the bottom of the hill, her black boots planted in the vibrant green grass that complimented the flourishing leaves of each tree.

The place wasn't sandy or sunny, but shady from the vegetation that roofed the forest; shielding the floor of bushes and ferns from the sunlight. They could only hear the sound of wind rushing past each leaf.

The group walked down slowly, following Jennifer's path but kept their eyes on the greenery. It reminded them of the Glade, the luscious carpet of the forest and the trees in the orchard.

"How- this-" Thomas breathed trying to make a word after the sight of the forest.

"Can we please hurry up," she coached motioning her arms forwards as she walked.

"How is this possible?" Gally asked.

"Well Gally, this here is a tree. Do you know what that is?" She spoke softly as if talking to a child making Gally scoff "The scorch just increases the heat of the sun. This forest is surrounded by mountains so in the mornings and evening it's shielded from the rays meaning it only experiences sunlight 33% of the day," she explained as she walked.

"Really?" Minho asked rhetorically.

"No I just made all of that up on the spot. WICKED built a protective dome over it to preserve it. They thought some plant in here might help cure it but it didn't,"

"Wait WICKED owns this?" Thomas asked quickly as he began to step away slowly, he wasn't going back, none of them were.

"Oh calm down, Thomas. Your not the main character, I am that's why I'm so funny and cool. WICKED wants you, yes, but not as much as me. Do you know what they would do to kill me? I'm enemy number one your blood supplier number one. Which one sounds cooler?"

"WICKED had control over this dome and your bought us in here?"

"No, my point in about a year ago I went in, killed the lot and now it's abandoned,"

"You killed them all?"

"Yes Thomas, that's what I just said,"

"How?"

"Well, my little friend put a bullet through their brains," she said as she bought a small pistol up from her pocket and twisted it around before burying it back down into her cargo.

It was quiet for a bit while the group walked over bushes and trampled plants. All of them are now on edge in case this did belong to WICKED and she was just luring them in...

And maybe she was?

Newt wasn't far from the front, his ankle was feeling better. Normally by this point, it would begin the ache but it hadn't yet, he wouldn't go as far as to say it was good as new but better than before for definite.

He, himself wasn't 100% sure he trusted Jennifer either like the group. Sure she was useful in retrospect with her medical degree and just experience in the Scorch but so far she had nearly killed them a few times and he didn't like the cat as it made him sneeze excessively.

But he was thankful that she did seem just a bit nicer to him compared to how she was with everyone else. He didn't know why or what he did to gain her kindness, maybe because she had tried to kill him within her first breaths of waking up and she was trying to gain forgiveness but that didn't seem like Jennifer.

He was also pretty certain that if Gally didn't get himself killed, Jennifer was going to kill him. Which wouldn't be ideal but if he was choosing Jennifer or Gally...

He sneezed again before glancing down at the black cat that was now walking beside him. He just stared at it until he heard a voice. "I think your allergic, Blondie," She spoke.

"To your cat?"

"No, the leaves," she scoffed, as she bent down picking a leaf from a plant that grew just at the bottom of a tree.

"What's that?" He inquired as he looked at the green leaf and then at her.

"This..." she trailed as she bought her water bottle from her bag and shoved the leaf inside of it. "Do you have a lighter?" She asked.

"Uh- yeah," he pulled a lighter from his side pocket and handed it to her.

"Well light it," she rolled her eyes as she bought a box up from the side of her rucksack and lit herself a cigar on Newts flame before shaking her leaf and water mixture.

"What is that?" He furrowed his brows as she breathed in the cigar.

"A cigarette,"

"I still don't know what that is," he shrugged making her sigh loudly.