SOJOURNER (III): tmr gally

07: I should be shucking sleeping

Michelle 7

Even though we are underground and out of the desert, we aren't okay to take a break, apparently. My whole body feels like it's buffering. Every step is the same in this dark tunnel. I've heard, from the echoing voices in front of us, that we've been walking an hour. It's much cooler down here, though it's hard to enjoy the difference in temperature when I keep scrapping my arm off of rocks. We have one flashlight lit to help the group move forward, but it is barely any help. Eventually, we stop.

The crowd turns through a break in the tunnel's wall. It's a wide door, into a room.

The room is essentially empty, except for a lantern against the wall. The walls are brick, but cold from the Earth. The room is rather large too, enough for twenty-eight girls to sleep in. Someone lights the lamp, who I don't recognize, and we all make our way into the room.

"It's time," Teresa says. "Aris told me they are about an hour off, and it already took an hour to walk here."

"Is that that shucking telepathy again?" Dawn asks, more annoyed than usual.

Teresa nods. "As far as I can tell, Aris is on our side."

Who the shuck is Aris? Honestly, I don't even care. I don't want to know. I choose to ignore all the advice they have been giving me up until this point. Ella is knocked out against the ground. At this point, she is most definitely asleep.

"I'll be back," Teresa begins to move towards the doorway. Her gait is light and quicker than I expected. It's weird to see her move, and be alive, after so many days of her lying unconscious in a bed, and sitting around sullenly.

"Wait," one of the girls gets up, and hands Teresa her backpack. "Give this to Thomas. Sheil needs to take his insulin."

"Sheil could be dead already," Rose rolls her eyes at the girl.

"I don't think I can, Marie," Teresa frowns.

"Then I am going with you," Marie argues. "And I'll be dead before you can stop me."

Teresa stares the girl up and down, before reluctantly taking the backpack. Silently, she leaves the room.

I listen as her light footsteps hit the ground. It's a rhythm, which becomes a hum, and is eventually lost. I would've gone with her if she had asked me to, but she didn't. I'm kind of thankful, because I just want to fucking sleep.

Harriet gets up from the ground, the only one moving in the room. She peers down the corridor, shining her flashlight.

"Hey newbs, what's her deal?" She turns back to the room, her eyes flashing against mine as bright as the flashlight. Brighter actually, harsher. "Is she alright in the head?"

I shrug, since I assume she is talking to me. You can't really tell with Teresa if she's alright or not.

"I don't like her," Dawn groans, pulling herself into the argument. "but that's just me."

"Teresa's nice," Leo offers. "She just is distant. It's been hard for her. Living in the Glade is hard."

"Boys are hard," I say.

No one argues with that. I doubt that anyone can.

"What about that Thomas guy?" Harriet asks.