A5 // The Scorch Trials

Chapter 10

           

The rest of that day passed in a blur. The Gladers walked sluggishly across the sand, their motivation from before failing them because of the kid they had just lost. For most of them, they only knew his first name.

Eventually, they were too tired to walk and took refuge in an overturned ship. After minutes of scavenging the desert, they had enough wood to build a pit and using matches found in their bags, started a fire to generate warmth.

As they all lied there, they tried ignoring the elephant in the room. Aris was in and out of their lives in a matter of seconds but that didn't mean that now they had to give up hope themselves.

Minho sat with his body close to the fire, twirling a knife between his fingers and his lips pulled into a scowl. "I thought WICKED was supposed to help kids yet all they seem to do is get them killed." He was beyond angry but not specifically because of Aris but because of everyone they had lost.

"They think they're doing the right thing. The sacrifice of the few for the good of the many," Teresa replied to Minho's comment. This raised some heads; why was Teresa so quick to defend WICKED?

"Excuse me," Newt spoke like the pure gentleman he is and walked away from the camp, the others watching him curiously. Minho made eye contact with Newt's girlfriend who was left with the others but all she could do was shrug her shoulders and race off after him.

She found him sitting on a spare tire with his back to the group. He either didn't hear her come over or he just didn't care because he was silent as she sat beside him. They remained silent for a while, (Y/N) not wanting to say anything that might trigger his anger or get him upset. It was Newt who broke the silence.

"I haven't been honest with you." She glanced over at him, waiting for him to elaborate on that vague statement.

"When we were at the compound and you were gone with your leg, WICKED sent me in for testing. They wanted to see if it was possible to fix the limp in my leg as well and the only way to do that was through testing." He sighed so she reached out and took his hand, hoping that a little bit of reassurance would help him get through the story. "They did something to me, love."

Taking a big gulp, (Y/N) asked, "what kind of something?"

"I don't know exactly," he shook his head and began running his fingers over hers, the feeling of her delicate hand inside his was bringing the comfort he needed to finish what he needed to tell her. "All I know is I'm seeing things, things that nobody else sees but I do."

"You mean—you mean like visions?"

He shook his head again. "Memories. I can see things from before the maze, before any of this maze business. I can see a girl. Looks like me, acts like me, but she doesn't sound like me. And every time I get close to asking her what her name is, she just... vanishes. And then I wake up." Newt stopped his movements with (Y/N)'s hand and looked off into the desert.

"Whatever this means," (Y/N) could see the gears turning in his head and her words brought him back to earth a little, "It doesn't change anything. WICKED might have done something to you while we were there but that is the last time they can get their hands on you, I swear it." Obviously, (Y/N) wasn't much in comparison to an entire army WICKED has tucked into their belt but she figured that as long as she was there, she could protect him from any burden and take it on herself.

Newt dropped the topic and wrapped his arms around (Y/N) and because of the differences in height right now, he set his chin on top of her head, whispering how they should probably get some rest for the long day they would have again tomorrow.

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That following day was the worst one yet. The sun felt extra hot on their already sun burned skin, adding patches of peeling skin from the sunburn, and their water had been finished the night before so their throats were dry to the point that nobody spoke and if they did, it was for emergencies.

Just like the day before, they found a flat place for them to rest for the night, although they knew none of them would be getting good sleep out on the hard desert ground. Even so, they were so exhausted that they all instantly fell to sleep as soon as their heads hit their bags.

They all were woken up in the middle of the night by Thomas's inaudible screaming, his dry throat only croaking out "wake up" where they could barely hear it. He then pointed off in the distance at an outline of buildings and inside them: lights.

"They can help us," (Y/N) was feeling optimistic, probably from the desperation of food and water. Newt smiled to her as much as his cracked lips would allow and helped her off the ground. They slipped their bags on only seconds before hearing (and slightly feeling) the rumbling of thunder. Back in the direction they had come from was a rolling storm, only lighting leaving the clouds instead of water.

"We should go now." Thomas was startled by the giant bursts of lightning and wanted them to quickly get to the lights. A few minutes after he had woken them up, they took off in a run towards the lights.

They just barely made it across the open desert without getting hit by lighting and entered into the dark building. This room, unlike the ones they noticed above it, wasn't lit. The two girls had taken out their flashlights to get a better look at where they were and as soon as they did, something jumped out at them.

The boys protective instincts took over and they reached for the girls to pull them away from the cranks reaching out to attack them. When they realized nobody was actually being eaten to death, they noticed the chains tied up to the cranks, as if they were simply angry dogs on a leash.

From the back of the room, a light was flicked on and the silhouette of a girl appeared. She sashayed her way down the path, perfectly avoiding every advance by the cranks like she owned them. Stopping in front of the group, she eyed them all up and down, her eyes spending a few more seconds on the cook.

She pursed her lips. "You like our guard dogs?" When no one answered, she went on. "It was my idea. I thought that even if they were dying, they might still be useful." Again, the group was silent and eyed her like she was criminally insane. Even so, she was nowhere near as crazy as Ratman or Ava Paige.

"Why don't you all follow me?" She turned around and noticed a second later that nobody moved. "Would you rather stay here with them?" That second question had the Gladers on their feet and they followed the pixie-haired girl into the building.