The New Distance [The Scorch Trials Book]

p r o l o g u e

About two hours later the helicopter landed in a clearing surrounding a nondescript building with several rows of windows. The man and other rescuers shuffled us through the front door and up a flight of stairs, then into a huge dormitory with a series of bunk beds lined up along one of the walls. On the opposite side were some dressers and tables. Curtain-covered windows checkered each wall of the room. They all looked at it with distant and muted wonder while I questioned everything in my head. The place was full of color. Bright yellow paint, red blankets, green curtains. The sense of normalcy was too overwhelming. Too good to be true. I was uncertain of all of it.

"I've been shucked and gone to heaven." Minho said upon entering. A staff of nine or ten men and women greeted us there, dressed in normal clothing. Their faces were smiling.

However if they found joy in all of it, I didn't. There was feeling at the bottom of my gut that just wouldn't go away. I tried convincing myself that this was it. It was over. But a silver of doubt hung over my head like a gloomy rainbow in a sky of thoughts.

Beds were assigned, clothes and bathroom things were passed out, my head was bandaged up and I was given some medicine. And then dinner was served. Pizza. Real, bona fide, greasy-fingers pizza. I devoured each bite, hunger trumping everything else, the mood of contentment and relief around me was palpable. Most of the Gladers had remained quiet through it all; perhaps worried that speaking would make everything vanish. But there were plenty of smiles. It was almost unsettling to see happy faces after all we've been through.

Soon after eating, no one argued when they told us it was time for bed.

Despite all the distrust I held in this situation. I couldn't say no. I felt as if I could sleep for a month.

The staff put me and Teresa in a separate room before I could even bid Thomas and the Gladers goodnight. It made the queasy feeling rise inside of me. I didn't like being away from Thomas and the other Gladers. They've been more as a home to me in the three days I got to know them than in the fifteen years I've lived with what's left of my family.

"I call dibs on the top bunk." Teresa said as soon as we were left alone in our room.

I smiled. "Go ahead," She climbed up on top and I made myself comfortable on the bottom.

"Hey, Teresa," I said from below.

"Yeah?" Teresa sounded so tired the word was barely heard.

"I don't trust any of this," I said. "It just doesn't feel right. Do you think we're safe with these people?"

Teresa seemed to be pondering the answer for a while, and then she answered. "Yeah, I think we're safe."

I let silence take over our short conversation. Then the tears came. One trickled down my left temple, into my hair. A full minute of tears passed before I pulled myself together and stopped. I rolled over and I was glad that it was only me and Teresa in the room so that no one else could see the pained expression that had settled across my face. And for a moment, the uneasy feeling almost left my gut. Almost.

And for now, almostwas good enough.