Everywhere, Everything ◆ Thomas ◆ TMR

018 - We Just Triggered The Ending

The sky was grey.

It wasn't the sun that had woken her like usual. It had been the small hands shaking her to consciousness. When she opened her eyes in her hammock, there was no night sky or early morning sun. There was no pink hue from a sunrise, or even a glint of the bright yellow orb.

Above her, was what looked like a ceiling.

She almost felt a weird happiness amongst her fear. Because she'd always, always, thought something was wrong – with their night sky especially – and as it turned out, she was right. So maybe it was more like pride than happiness.

The sun being gone could not be a good omen.

No sun meant no crops, no vegetables, no food other than meat. Was it purposeful? Theresa did say that things were going to change. So did Alby. She sat up so quickly she almost fell out and got to her feet, the same determined feeling burning through her body as the one she'd had in that memory with Thomas.

"Ari?" Chuck whispered uncertainly next to her. He must've woken her up. His eyes were wet with tears, his breaths coming out shaky as he stood next to her, holding something tightly in his palm. His figurine.

"Chuck," she breathed. She wiped the tears from his cheeks and gave him a quick hug. Leaning down to his level, she put gentle hands on his shoulder. "Hey, it's gonna be alright. Go find Newt or Thomas, okay? I have something I need to do."

"I – but what's happening?"

It was times like these that she was really reminded of his young age. He must be absolutely terrified. He certainly looked it. He'd never cried in front of her before. "I don't know, Chuck, but it's probably just some machinery that's broken, or something, okay?"

The lie tasted bitter.

"Machinery?" He said, confused, making her sigh.

"Look, go find Thomas, okay? He'll protect you – you'll be okay."

With that, she turned her back on him and left. It hurt her, as if a knife had lodged itself between her ribs and were stabbing at her heart. But she needed to get to Teresa urgently. She didn't know why, but she knew by now that it was important for her to trust the instincts she had.

Thomas taught her that more than anything. They'd have never gotten as far as they had if it wasn't for him and his stupid recklessness. They'd never been so close to getting out.

She ignored every curious stare as she flung herself through the door of the homestead, stomping her way up the stairs. Jeff looked stricken when she opened the door.

"How is she?" Ari asked immediately. No time for formalities such as a good morning. Her stomach growled from hunger, but she ignored it. "Any changes?"

Jeff shrugged, his eyebrows pinched. "No, the same as always, why?"

"Has she said anything new?"

"No. Again, why?"

She sighed and pulled up a chair next to the Med-jack. "Thomas and Minho might've found a way out, Theresa keeps mumbling about things changing – can't be a coincidence," she explained, her knee bouncing. "Just thought she might've said something."

"No," he said, defeatedly. "She hasn't."

"What do you think is going on?" She asked him, letting out a breath.

Jeff simply shook his head. "I don't know, but whatever it is, it can't be good."

There was a pause between them, a long silence. When was the last time they'd really seen each other? Things had been so chaotic, and she'd been running around the place so much that she hadn't really had time to work in the Med-hut like usual. She'd only seen Clint and Jeff for reports between Theresa shifts for the past few days.