SONDER (IV): tmr thomas

016: I should look harder

Ella 16

The device in my hands continues to beep. A red man stops in front of me. I can't see his eyes behind the large gas mask which obscures his face. He puts something up to my face, which pricks the back of my neck. I try to see him, but to no effect. He nods to the other red men with him, and they move off.

I raise the device again. I was told to follow the green dot, which has been zooming in overtime.

Whatever I am following sped up only minutes ago, rushing out of sight. Although I am nearing the spot, I am not where I am supposed to be.

The wall on me spreads out in a violet graffiti. I drop the device in my hand, approaching it. I let my hands rest on the cool concrete. It is smoother than I had expected, though not as nice as her skin. I can't believe I lost her again.

Finding the betrayer is more important though. Whoever stole her from me and ruined my plan with WICKED is a substantial threat still. It is as all-encompassing as her. When I dream at night, I try to imagine which one she is. Unlike all of my other memories, the traitor is crowded in smoke. Whoever it is, deserves to be hunted, and to die.

"Oh stuck," I hear someone stumble behind me.

I turn around, cocking my head to the side. It is a girl. She blows her dark black hair out of her face, looking from the left to the right.

"Ella?" She asks, leaning in towards me. "What are you doing here?"

I look down to the GPS tracker on the ground, then back up to the girl in front of me. If she recognizes me, she must be from the Maze. In fact, she probably fled with the betrayer. I step on the GPS tracker, smashing it with my foot.

"I'm looking for the others," I tell her, glancing up at her from the ground. "WICKED sent me to find them."

She glances down at the GPS tracker beneath my foot. "Well, WICKED is probably tracking us with the chips in our heads anyway. Let's go."

The girl leads me through the crumbling city. It surprises me that people live in the epicentre. Here, it is like the Scorch, only colder. Fewer Cranks but more paranoia. Eyes linger on me, and mine linger back. I look for the Smoke Man everywhere I go, since it is either him who follows me or smoke which crowds around the Earth.

I remind myself that I am in a place called Denver, and this place is in the mountains. It is only natural to get lost in the fog here.

We eventually make our way to a building that I assume is abandoned. The girl with me leans down, knocking on the window which peaks out above the ground. The screen slides open, and the girl tucks herself inside the window.

I follow after her. The rocks under my feet are slippery, but I manage to slide in. She helps me down on to the ground.

"Look who I found roaming the streets," the girl offers.

I look around the dim-lit room. Here is Group B, still missing Eli. My eyes scan the ground, searching each face which stares back at me.

Sonya steps forward, tucking hair behind her ear. "Ella."

Ifrown. The betrayer isn't here.