Restless (2-3)

Teetotaller after this

Beware of intoxication that is mentioned in this chapter...I am not sure if it can be triggering for anyone, but you know just in case. 

Summer...

After a few too long minutes of trying to find our way out of the building, we made it to the staircase. Thomas leading the way down into the alley, but I noticed Brenda falling behind and limping slightly. 

"You all right?" I asked her while Thomas went to check around the corner. 

"I'm fine." She snapped but then hissed when she tried to take a step forward. Rolling my eyes I pushed her to the side and made her sit down. This girl seems to be as stubborn as me, so this won't be easy. 

"If it's so fine then let me take a look, to assure myself," I said already reaching my hand towards the rim of the bottom of her pants and went to lift it up.

"What's wrong?" Thomas asked coming from behind me just as I pulled the fabric up revealing a huge bite mark. Surely made by the crank. A pang of guilt went through me. Thinking that I was the one that pushed the crank into the room

"Shit." Brenda cussed, seeing the slightly bloody mark on her leg.

"Do you have a gauze?" I asked her, through the lump in my throat. This is not the time to be playing the blame game on myself. We need to act fast if we get to the Right Arm in time they might be able to save Brenda. The injured girl shook her head with a sigh. 

Looking around for anything that I could use as a bandage, my eyes fell on my long, green sleeve. Not hesitating a second I ripped one of them off and started tying it around her ankle. It is not the most sterile thing around but at least she won't pick up on anything worse from the outside.  

"Brenda..." Thomas stared at Brenda, mouth agape. I can already see him thinking about the way Winston die just a day ago. His injury also looking so minor and then spreading incredibly fast.  

"Yeah, yeah. I know." Brenda said, trying to play it bravely but I can just see how actually scared she is. I tightened the sleeve around her leg and stood up, helping her up as well.  "Let's just go find Marcus." Brenda started leading us out of the alley. Because me and Thomas have never been...anywhere basically, we would get lost if anyone of us went first and so we let Brenda go first. 

When we stepped out of the alley, I got a view of my surroundings. The city was still a mess, full of fallen buildings, cracked roads, big piles of trash everywhere. But it was a change, to see people here as well. Normal people, not cranks. At least they didn't look like cranks. Which can be taken as a good sign.

They seemed to establish some sort of living place in here. Taking that the buildings weren't safe for use anymore, camping outside them seemed like the wisest option, to be honest.  

"Okay. Try to blend in." Brenda instructed us as we started walking down the street. Filled with people. If we don't count the WICKED compound I don't think I have ever seen so many people together in one place. 

The life out here didn't look easy. People had to camp out on the grounds, using blankets as shelters, or having a makeshift house with whatever they could find. The fact that I saw many little kids around broke my heart just as much as seeing some teens that looked to be my age. Working around their habitats or walking through the streets, in search of food. Some of us were surely lucky to grow up in the WICKED facility and then come join the commoners in the maze for four or so days. 

No hard feelings towards Thomas or Teresa. I just feel like their life wasn't as hard as it was for the rest of the world. WICKED provided them with everything they needed, plus they got comfortable beds and top-notch health care. But again...no hard feelings.