SOJOURNER (III): tmr gally

06: I should keep running

Dawn 6

"Are you in agreement?" Harriet asks me.

Her voice echoes around the room. If any of her girls are awake, they are busy packing their bags. I forced Leo back to sleep earlier. She keeps getting up, every couple minutes it felt like, to check up on Ella.

If we are really going to go into the Scorch, as that shank called it, then she is going to need to be restless.

"With the decision to kill Thomas?" I ask, eyeing her.

Harriet nods. Her black dreads fall into her face slightly, hiding her eyes. "Before we agree to do anything, we make sure everyone is on the same side. It isn't a democracy. We don't vote. We have consensus."

"We let people disagree with us," I try to keep my voice still, but I can feel the anger scratching at the back of my throat. "We didn't make everyone come with us to fight the Grievers."

"You have fewer boys because of it," Harriet rolls her eyes. "Boys can be so dramatic. They don't seem to understand there is a bigger picture to things. Sheil, Lott, and Jay were always starting fights. Emil was quiet though."

I wonder which one of them died in the Maze. Maybe that's why she is so opposed to fighting. Maybe she loved him.

I hope it's not whichever one was supposed to be me.

Harriet turns to me. "You didn't answer my question."

I guess I didn't. "I don't know that I will ever agree to kill someone."

"We are unanimous in everything," she tells me. "I'm not asking you to kill someone. I'm asking if you are with us."

"I am," I say, although I am fairly certain I am lying. "Even if I'm not a hundred percent on killing Thomas."

"Good," Harriet agrees. "We aren't a hundred percent on that either. It could change once we get through the Flat Trans. On this side though, we are one front."

She steps away from me, moving further into the room. "Now, wake up your friends. We'll have to be going in about ten minutes."

She walks into her room, and I do as I'm told.

I go into our space, poking at Leo. She sits up, groaning as she lifts herself off the bed. Silently, she puts her belt on, as well as the extra bag the girls had. Apparently, only one of their boys made it out with a backpack, so Leo gets to carry the supplies all five of us need for the trip. I am guessing she has already packed all that klunk she was carrying around a few days ago, since the belt looks empty.

Leo doesn't mention the comments that the man made yesterday. I expect her to, at any second, but she doesn't. I doubt she remembers whatever thing he was thanking her for, especially since he said as much, but I can't help but wonder what she did to help before we got here.

As she stretches her arms above her heads, slowly cracking her back. I get a better look at her face. At the bags under her eyes weighing down every movement.

I know she is wondering too.

Leo moves over to Ella. She still isn't awake.

"How long will she be out?" I ask, trying to make myself feel normal with Leo again.

"Hopefully she'll be up tomorrow," Leo offers, as she feels for her pulse. "Maybe even tonight if we are lucky."

Michelle gets up from her bed, slinking across the room. Her hair is just as wild as ever, and she makes no attempt to calm it. In every direction, a different strand spout. She hasn't taken a shower since we got here, and she both looks and smells like it. "Am I carrying her through?"