Desolation

Chapter Forty Six

((hello everyone!! so sorry that's it's been such a long time since my last update! unfortunately i have been really busy with school, but I should be more free now! i hope that you all enjoy this chapter, and don't forget to vote and comment!))

I cannot move.

I cannot scream.

I cannot react.

All that I can do is stand there, frozen in a state of shock, as I watch the hatch explode in front of my eyes. 

My friends are in there.

And I just blew them up.

It takes me a few moments to process this. And when I finally put it together, I nearly faint.

I want to run towards them, but I physically cannot. My heart has stopped and my legs have turned to Jello. I watch with wide eyes as dense, black smoke billows from the hatch door. Hot tears begin to run in my eyes when I realize that I have probably killed them all. All because I was stupidly curious and entered a password wrong.

And then suddenly, I hear a screams from inside of the hatch.

Some of them are still alive.

My legs instantly unfreeze and I find myself sprinting towards the hatch door and into the swirling cloud of smoke. My lungs immediately begin to burn as I breathe in the smoky fumes, causing me to violently cough. But I don't care. Even if just one person is still alive, I have to get them.

I kneel down, leaning over the edge and closing my eyes as the smoke billows out, burning my eyes.

"HELLO!" I scream.

Smoke immediately fills my mouth, causing me to hack up a lung.

Then, I hear a boy's voice.

"HELP!" the voice screams.

Bracing myself, I grab the ladder and climb down into the hatch. The acrid burning smell heightens as I descend, threatening to choke me to death. When I finally reach the floor, I open my eyes, only to be greeted by a swirling hurricane of smoke.

"WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?" someone shouts frantically.

I recognize the voice as Dylan's and my heart surges slightly when I realize that he is okay. 

And I definitely do not have time to explain what happened right now.

"I...I DON'T KNOW. BUT WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE NOW!" I scream, before going into another coughing fit.

"I CAN'T BREATHE!" I hear a girl's voice scream.

I can't tell if it is Nikki's or Eve's, but at least another person is still alive. My mind instantly goes to Ian and Tristan.

"IAN? TRISTAN?" I call out desperately.

No reply.

My heart sinks down into my stomach. If they died, I will not be able to live with the guilt.

Two figures emerge from the smoke. I squint to see that it is Dylan and Nikki.

"Go up! Get out of here!" I shout.

Without a word, they rush towards the ladder and quickly begin to climb up. Once they reach the top, they shout down to me.

"Tessa, you have to come up too!"

"I...I can't. Not without the others!" I shout up to them.

I have to find them. Adrenaline pumps through my veins as I run through the swirling smoke, searching for Ian, Tristan and Eve. My heart skips a beat when I see orange flames licking up the sides of the walls.