Pieces of the Sun

Chapter Seventeen

I woke up in a white hallway.

Disoriented, I climbed to my feet. What the hell... A clicking and whirring sound came from where the hallway was dark. I froze, my heart stuttering in my chest. The Griever rolled into view, it's disgusting body leaving a trail of slime as it went.

I whirled and ran, faster than I ever had. A silent scream was formed in the back of my throat as I sprinted down the hall and swung around the corner. But the Griever was there, suddenly in front of me. I skidded to a halt and spun around. But there was another one behind me too.

Suddenly I couldn't move, my feet melded to the ground. The Grievers inched closer and I threw my arms in front of my face. I couldn't do this again, not like this, not like the Maze-

"Ari!"

I flung my eyes open and sat up. I was in the warehouse. Minho gripped my wrist. "Hey, Ari, look at me."

I turned to face him the shadows across his face making it look gaunt. Or maybe we all looked that way. Wasted and hopeless from WCKD.

"Ari," Minho said again. "Say something- you were thrashing around and-"

I shook my head. "It was just a dream. I'm fine."

"Promise?"

"Yes, Minho." I grabbed his hand. "I promise." I glanced around. "Did I wake you?"

"No. I was awake. We're heading out soon anyways."

The people around us were up and milling about, moving things and shouldering packs. "We probably should wake the others." I nudged Newt with my foot. He blinked and sat up. "Time to go," Minho told him. Newt nodded and turned to Thomas, shaking him awake.

I stood and stretched, my body aching and sore. Minho did the same beside me. Vince appeared in front of our group. "We're leaving in ten. I'd tell ya'll not to pack too much but ya don't got anything with ya anyways so don't worry 'bout it."

"Did he ever say where we were going?" Newt asked.

Minho looked at his friend and then shook his head. "I'd assume the safe haven. But it can be around here. Or anywhere close for that fact."

"We hope," Thomas said. Teresa was glancing around with a frown on her face. I wondered why. We finally had a stroke of good luck. I'd say we deserved that much.

"Alright everyone, load up!" Vince was waving his arms forward and our group shuffled along with the rest of the people. We stepped outside, the sky still dark. No signs of the sun yet.

"Well would you look at that," Newt said a slight laugh to his voice.

I followed his gaze and the smallest of smiles crept onto my face. "Well shuck."

In front of us was a line of at least half a dozen cars and trucks. Rusted and old but in working order, people were piling in. Vince strode by and tossed me a pair of keys. I caught them in my hand. "Hope ya know how to drive!" And with that he was gone.

I looked at Minho with raised eyebrows. "Do you?" He asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, I mean I feel like I've done it before. Not that I remember but-"

"That's reassuring," Newt said. He patted my shoulder. "Just don't kill us please."

"It's okay, Ari," Chuck spoke up for the first time in while, coming to stand next to us. "I trust your driving skills."

"That makes one of us," Clint muttered walking past the kid and slinging himself into the blue SUV in front of us. I looked to Minho who just shrugged. "I call shotgun."

We all piled into the car, Winston, Clint and Frypan smashed in the back row. Newt, Thomas, and Chuck occupied the second row. "Teresa!" Thomas called. "You coming or what?"

Teresa turned from where she had been gazing at the empty warehouse. "Yeah." She climbed in next to Thomas, smashing Chuck and Newt over even more. I slammed the car door shut and twisted the key in the ignition. The engine sputtered and then rowed to life.

"Moment of truth!" Newt called as the car in front of us began to move.

I rolled my eyes. "Shut up." I pressed the gas and we eased forward, moving along smoothly.

Someone sighed from the back. "Well that's a relief," Frypan said.

Minho chuckled and glanced out the window. The caravan of cars moved slowly at first and then picking up speed. "Now this it what I call traveling in style," Chuck said nodding his head. Newt shook his head next to the boy and I let out a small laugh. Minho glanced at me. "It's been a while since I heard you laugh."

I blinked. "Haven't had much reason to, I guess."

"Yeah. Things are finally looking up. We've got a shot at this."

"We've got more than a shot." I looked over at him. "This is gonna happen. We're on our way to freedom."

"Good that," Newt said from the back.

"Screw WCKD!" Frypan cheered from the back.

"Screw WCKD," I said. "Screw them all."

We stopped hours later after driving nearly all day. Portable canisters of gasoline were passed around, each of the cars refilled. I had no idea where Vince had gotten the resources but I wasn't questioning it. "It's enough for a few days, just to get us to the mountains," he'd said. "From there it's on foot."

I sat next to Minho, gazing at the flames flickering in front of us. The warmth felt good as the sun set and temperatures dropped. Chuck already laying down, eyes closed. Newt spread a spare blanket across him and I grinned at him. He shook his head at me. "He grows on you."

"Mmhhmm." I leaned back into Minho's chest. He rested his chin on the top of my head, intertwining our fingers. Clint and Winston were already passed out cold across the fire and Frypan was finishing off the last of his water. Thomas and Teresa weren't in sight.

"What do you think the safe haven will be like?" Newt's question broke me from my thoughts.

"I dunno." Frypan shrugged. "I can't imagine a world without Cranks now."

"Yeah." I glanced out at the landscape. "Or anyplace that wasn't scorched by the sun and is now a desert."

"It's got to be far then. Maybe across the ocean." Minho's voice rustled my hair.

Across the ocean. I hadn't thought about that. I was about to say something else when Thomas came bounding up the the fire. "Have you guys seen Teresa? I can't find her."

I frowned. "No. We haven't."

Newt stood. "Wait- she's coming back right now." He pointed. Teresa was approaching the fire, slowly as if each step was weighing her down.

"Teresa! Where did you go- I was looking for you..." Thomas's voice trailed off as Teresa stepped into the firelight, her face streaked with tears. She gripped a black radio in one hand. "Teresa," Thomas stepped forward. "What's wrong? What happened?"

I rose to my feet, Minho standing with me. Teresa glanced at us one by one. "I'm sorry," she finally whispered.

"Sorry for what?" Newt asked.

"I'm sorry." She said again. Her eyes focused on me. "I did what I had to do."