𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐔𝐏, 𝐓𝐌𝐑:
Twisted by the Flare, Newt turns against the Gladers, forcing them into a fatal lineup. Believing sacrifice is the only way, he chooses who will fall. As friendships collapse under the weight of betrayal, the group must...
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SURVIVING is like a storm.
It's real messy and crazy at first. Once the storm clears, everything is destroyed. It takes some time to rebuild it all. Some places are harder to repair than others.
Sometimes, you don't even get the chance to repair the damage before another storm hits.
Sometimes, the storm never stops until it puts you out of your misery itself.
And sometimes, no matter how hard it was to repair the broken stuff, that one storm was the last storm, and you get to see the world for real... forever.
Thomas is currently in the state of repairing everything. While everyone else seems to be way past that point, his mind is still causing storms everywhere, sending him right back to what you could call his checkpoint.
Many of his loved ones got destroyed by the storms. He caused some of the storms. Or two storms hit each other, and it would be either one of them down, or both of them down.
To clarify, Thomas isn't down. As in... dead, not... disabled... or going down on—
Whatever.
Shit's really about to go down anyway.
Because of him.
As always.
Bad Thomas.
𖢻
SUPPLY runs can go all kinds of ways, and they never really end well. It usually comes to two things.
One, you return with a lot of supplies, but blood on your hands.
Two, you return with no blood on your hands, but also no supplies.
Both kind of shitty, like Gally's lung and Newt's leg.
Either way, that one lung really messed it up.
Never mind, we said it was Thomas's fault and we'll stick with that.
Just... because.
𖢻
SO, it all started with a simple supply run.
Well, simple? They have to travel at least a day across the sea to even reach land that isn't connected to the Safe Haven.
Thomas, Gally, Minho were the only Gladers who joined the run. Vince, their leader, also came with, along with Jorge and Harriet. Frypan was busy cooking and Brenda had to babysit some little shits.
Their weapons were all ready. Holsters in their belts, filled with either a gun or knife. An extra gun tucked in their belt. Another knife in their pocket.
Minho's hair, so full of hair gel that it was hard enough to kill some Cranks...
The trip on the boat was boring. They talked their plan through. A lot.
They would go get food, medicine, and hopefully seeds to plant. Vince found a pharmacy they hadn't yet searched, and a new supermarket. That's where they'd be going.
All six of them were silent as their feet crunched the dry sand below them. The stores wouldn't be too far away, just a few miles into the land.
One disadvantage about this world is the Cranks. Zombies in general are horrible, but Cranks really are a different species.
Some of them talk.
About how they want to take your nose, or about the people they lost, or trying to manipulate you into thinking they're normal.
Some of them are way too past the Gone to do that. They can only run after you like crazy. If they catch you, and you don't get pulled out immediately so you can receive the cure, you'll be ripped apart by their hands.
On the other side, once you're dead, you don't come back as a Crank. And there is no ritual about having to damage the Crank's brain to kill it.
And not everyone 'has it in them to turn'. If you're immune, you won't turn into a Crank. No matter what you try, it won't happen.
If you're not immune, you're in deep shit.
Probably already dead by now.
It's almost impossible to avoid getting infected. Direct contact with Cranks, airborne transmission, contaminated surfaces, getting bitten or even slightly scratched... no escaping it.
That's how they've lost some of their friends.
Like the one who was watching them as they took supplies from the stores, ground, and cars.
"That's weird," Minho commented.
Thomas looked up, confused.
Of course.
"Yeah, you're weird, too, but I meant the Cranks."
He then looked around. "I don't see any Cranks."
"That's the point. There's no Cranks."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"We should be happy about that," said Brenda.
"I was just looking forward to our reunion," Minho sighed out, shaking his head in fake disappointment. "It's just strange. Trust my gut."
"I remember you never trusting my gut, and look where that lead to." Gally pressed a finger against the left side of his chest. "So imma pass."
"I thought you two made it up." Jorge frowned.
"Yeah. I thought Gally told Minho that nobody is perfect and that they then forgave each other," Thomas muttered.
Minho held up a finger. "Well, I am in fact perfect, so I took that as a bit of an... offensive comment."
Gally rolls his eyes. "Let's just go back before those Cranks do show up."
The ones watching them—the former Cranks—remain silent and still.
Stealing their stuff once is still acceptable.
If they come back and realize the stores magically refilled, then take all of it, they're crossing a line.
At the third time, they'll be walking away with less supplies. Probably no supplies at all.
And less people.
Probably no people at all.
So way three of how supply runs can go: very wrong.
