The Escape ~ Gally TMR

Chapter Eighteen

Shai's POV:

The heat had died down substantially as the sun set behind the horizon of sand dunes, leaving us in the dusk with our thoughts.

"We're probably no more than a day or so away from the buildings we saw." Jona said reassuringly as we set our packs down on one of the sand hills that overlooked a great expanse of nothingness. I nodded, sipping from a water canteen before passing it over to Lilli.

"We'll rest here and head out at day break tomorrow. If we don't keep moving the sun will fry us alive" Lilli chuckled morbidly. Jona agreed as we all snacked quietly on the food that we'd scrounged up from the wreckage of the Berg. Personally, I was surprised at hw willing Jona had been to help us- it made me question whether or not he was actually happy with his decision to work for WICKED. I eyed him carefully as he finished him bread and apple, spitting the seeds out absentmindedly into the sand as though it were a game. His hair was laden with a layer of sand and sweat, the curls sticking defiantly to his pale forehead as combed through the rest of his locks with his fingers. It reminded me, in a way, of how Minho used to fix his hair. Of course, it was with far less attention to the details, but nonetheless it was similar. I turned to see that Lilli and Chris had striken up some sort of game involving rocks, maybe to see who could toss one the farthest- which once again left me with Jona.

"It's gonna get cold once the sun's completely gone- we need to get a fire going." Jona muttered, dusting his hands against his trousers and standing to rummage through his pack. I furrowed my brows together in confusion.

"I hate to break it to you- but there's no kindling for miles around- just saying, dude." Jona chuckled, shaking his hand as he pulled a small box from the pack.

"Using firestarters." He held up a few self-burning matches, each about two inches thick and several inches long. I felt my cheeks flush slightly, something I was most definitely not used to.

'Right. Firestarters." Jona smiled slightly, kneeling down to dig out a ditch in the sand where he could place the firestarters.

'They won't burn as long as real wood might, but it should last through the night." I nodded absentmindedly, sitting down in the sand beside him. I wasn't entirely sure why I trusted him, it's not like he was the most trust-worthy of people- being that he worked for WICKED and all, but for whatever reason I found myself enjoying our conversations. Well, maybe not "enjoying" per say, but at least they weren't awful. I don't know honestly, maybe a part of him made me forget reality a bit....and, I guess that was nice. He struck the matches against each other, a small fire starting as he placed them strategically against each other, sitting back a bit as he let the fire grow. I watched the flames flicker, making shadows against the sand dunes as the sun slowly tucked itself away, down behind the hills that were beyond our mortal grasp. I sighed, pulling my legs up to my chest, resting my head lightly on my knees as I let my mind silence for once in my life.

"So...tell me about him." His voice broke through the silence. I glanced up, raising an eyebrow, watching subconsciously as his hazel eyes reflected the light of the fire.

"What?"

"Your man. Mino...or whatever his name is." Jona chuckled lightly; funny how despite his laugh I didn't feel that he found the topic very humorous.

"Oh, Minho."

"Yeah. Him." I was silent a moment. What was I supposed to say?

"What do you want to know about him?" Jona smiled slightly, as though he were pleased with something I had said- though I couldn't quite place it. He chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.