Bruises | The Scorch Trials

Chapter 8

The sound of my boots echo off the dunes as I trudge wearily besides Newt. My throat feels like sandpaper and my limbs feels like weights are attached onto me- subsequently causing me to want nothing more than drop down into a deep slumber. But I knew I could not.

Eventually, Minho called for a break. Wasting no time, I flopped down onto the hard surface. Besides me, Newt lay with his eyes closed and a frown etched onto his perfect features. I hadn't even realised I'd been staring until he said, "What are you staring at?"

I blushed lightly and looked down. Awkwardly, I replied. "Nothing."

He just grinned at me in return. To which I replied a sheepish hint of a smile.

Sleep came easily that night. But good things never last, so they?

"Wake up! JESS WAKE UP WE HAVE TO GO!"

My eyes shot open to an anxious Aris looking down at me. I had hardly registered his panicked expression when he yanked my arm up and dragged me behind him. My senses started to come to. Humongous flashes of white-hot light littered the sky- highlighting the angry black clouds hanging ominously over the gladers. I forced myself to put one foot in front of the other. Keep going! Come on Jess!

No sooner had I thought that, when an agonised yell came from behind me. Hair blows in my face obscuring my view of the two gladers on the floor, but nevertheless, I make sense of the situation. Frypan latches his hand onto my arm, dragging me to the safety of an abandoned shack. My eyes never leave Aris and Newts as they drag Minho after me.

As soon as he is safely on the ground, the gladers crowd around him, begging him to wake up. All I could do was stand next to Teresa and watch on, helplessly: powerless to stop death from taking those closest to me.
A gasp of breath pulls me from my thoughts. Realising it came from Minho, my lips curl up into a grin, happy that the sarcastic glader is alive.

That happiness is soon swept away with a scream from Teresa. A crank lunges at her, missing her by inches. Thomas pulls her to him as Newt does the same. With my back pressed against his back, I can't help but think that if I was in any other position, I would totally have blushed.

The cranks continue to claw at us, but fail miserably when chains prevent them. Two figures appear from the corner of my vision. I squint curiously at them. One of them- a girl I see- has very short dark hair and fiery brown eyes. "You guys look awful." She states. My attention turns to the boy besides her. I gasp slightly as I realise he is already looking at me. He looks like he wants to cry, hug me, scream at me or maybe he wants to do all three. How could I forget him? How could I forget my other half? My link to my past? My twin brother.

"Theo."

A/N: A little plot twist at the end there. I really want Theo to be an important character in this story.
Also, I can't think of any ship names for Newt and Jess... please comment your ideas.