Wicked Soldier ☆Minho☆

CH.12

"Do people live down here?" Thomas asked.

"The solar storms forced people underground," Brenda replied, as they continued walking through the tunnel. "Jorge says there are settlements all over these tunnels."

"So, what about Jorge? Is he your father?"

"Close enough." Brenda shrugged, shining her light on the graffiti-covered walls. "Truth is, I don't really know what he is. He's always been there for me. I've always done what he asked, no matter how stupid it seemed."

"So you don't think the right arm is real?" he asked.

They heard a screech behind them, further down the tunnel, and they spun around. Brenda shook her head before continuing to walk, her boots splashing in the puddles. "I think... hope is a dangerous thing. Hope has killed more of my friends than the Flare and the Scorch combined. Almost got Thea killed once." Thomas looked at her but didn't question it further. "I just thought Jorge was smarter than that."

They came to a stop where tunnels branched off in every direction, graffiti covering the walls. "Damn." The two split off, each walking down different paths to check the tunnels.

Thomas walked down one, shining his flashlight. "Hey, I think it might be this way."

He turned to realize she wasn’t behind him. "Brenda?" No reply. "Brenda?"

"I'm over here." He followed her voice. "Look at this."

"What? What is it?" Thomas asked, moving closer to her to get a better look.

On the wall, what looked like dead tree vines were dark red, almost as if they were blood. He shone his flashlight down the tunnel, noticing more vines hanging from the ceiling and sticking out from cracks in the ground.

"What the hell is this?"

"I don't know." Just as Brenda spoke, they heard a screech from a pipe next to them. They jumped slightly, shining their flashlight down it.

Brenda let out a half-sigh, half-laugh as a small rat crawled out of the pipe. The little creature fell out and scurried around them. She slammed her foot down, making it scurry away.

They followed it with their flashlights, but then one of the vines moved. A creature, its strength used to break the vine's grip, grabbed the rat and pulled it to its mouth. They watched in wide-eyed horror as it bit into the rat's head, tearing it off.

A scream escaped their lips as another creature, its eyes gone and black goo dripping from its mouth, growled nearby. More creatures appeared, emerging from veins and pipes.

They turned around to see one of the creatures charging at them. Thomas grabbed a machete from Brenda’s backpack and threw it at the creature, causing it to fall.

They ran past it, the creatures chasing behind them. Thomas followed Brenda as she led the way, the air filled with screeches and growls.

They made it outside but stopped just before the edge of a cliff. They looked around but couldn't see anything.

Two buildings were leaning against each other, and rubble created steps leading up to one of them. Turning around, they saw the creatures getting closer. "Come on! This way!" Brenda shouted, taking him up the rubble steps.