Pieces of the Sun

Chapter Twenty One

"She hasn't eaten in three days."

Frypan poked the fire with a stick.

Newt cast a glance over at the white tent were Ari was inside, probably sleeping. "She needs time."

Frypan looked up at Newt. "I've never seen her like this before. Nothing broke her. Ever. Not that night in the Maze, not getting bit by the Cranks-nothing. But this, this is different."

Newt heaved a sigh, sitting down next to his friend. To his left, Thomas sat, staring listlessly into space. After what Teresa had done, Newt was witnessing it eat away at Thomas piece by piece. Where was Minho when you needed him to crack one of his stupid jokes?

"We just have to wait, Fry. Wait and hope. That's all we can do now."

Four days passed. Then a week. Then two weeks.

The small mountain camp grew restless. Newt and the others knew the Right Arm would be moving on soon. They needed to get to the safe haven. They could only hide from WCKD for so long.

~~~~~~~~~~~

I was accustomed to waking up and staring at the white fabric ceiling for hours, remembering I was in a world without Minho. Food tasted like ash. Sleep was the only escape I had. I sank into a pit of despair so deep I wasn't sure if it had a bottom.

But today was different.

Today when I opened my eyes, I made a promise.

WCKD would pay. And Minho would come back.

I sat up, the motion more fluid than it had been in weeks. I stood on unsteady legs and walked to the entrance of the tent. I pushed open the flaps. The view of moutains greeted me, the sun peaking over the edge. The sky was painted in gray and gold and pink. Birds flew from peak to peak, calling to one another in the air.

I took a deep breath. WCKD would pay. They would fall. I would burn them all to the ground.

"You're up."

I turned. Newt stood at the edge of the clearing, hands stuck in his pockets.

"Yeah." I turned to face the sunrise again.

Newt came to stand next to me. "Feeling better?"

"Maybe." I blinked looking at the morning sun. "We're getting Minho back."

Newt paused for a moment. "There she is," he finally said.

"What?"

"There's the Ari I know. The Ari who survived a night in the Maze, who cheated death, who defeated the Grievers. There she is."

The smallest of smiles grazed it's way onto my face. "WCKD is going to pay."

"Every last one of them." Newt agreed.

"We burn them to the ground." I clenched my hands.

"Nothing left." Thomas appeared next to Newt. "We destroy it all."

I looked over at him and nodded. "They took everything from us. So we take everything from them." I looked up at the sun, higher in the sky now a streak of gold against purple mountain peaks.

"And let's bring Minho home."

END OF BOOK TWO