Deadly Atmosphere | Aris Jones [3]

4 || The Crank Tunnel

There was a darkness around me. I felt a chill come over me, my breathing uneven. Looking around, I didn't see anyone, and it scared me.

"Hello?" I called out, but there was no answer. I looked around once more and spotted a familiar face behind what looked like a glass wall. "Aris?"

He ignored me as he was reading a file in his hand. I shook my head, trying hand motions to get his attention. I raced towards him in a frantic manner. I banged on the glass, but he never saw me. "Aris!" I shouted again. "Aris! Aris, it's me, Piper! I know you can hear me!"

"He can't hear you." I turned around and saw Teresa standing there.

"What have you done to him?" I asked, panting, my blood boiling.

Her expression never changed. "I've done the right thing."

"Piper!"

I opened my eyes wide, gasping, then squinting from the sunlight in my face. My heart was beating so fast as Aris' face disappeared from my mind. I looked over at Sonya, sighing in relief. "Sonya," I breathed out.

"Are you okay? You were having a nightmare. You've been out for hours, ever since we left, basically," Sonya stated.

I sat up, nodding my head. "Yeah, I'm fine. Where are we?"

"Far away from camp, that's what," Maeve spoke up. "It'll still be awhile before we get to the city."

"At least we can plan some more before we get there," Gwyneth pointed out.

I looked out the window and stared at the ruins of the world, the sand blowing all over. Behind us was Thomas, Newt, and Frypan in their truck. We were the only ones out here, as everything looked abandoned. That was obviously a good thing, since the last thing we wanted was to get caught by WICKED or Cranks.

"Do you think Vince is pissed that we left?" I asked.

"We're probably less problems to deal with in his eyes," Harriet said.

"Yeah, less people to take to the Safe Haven," Maeve added.

"I feel bad that we left Jorge, Brenda, and Aurora behind," I admitted.

"Maybe it's for the best," Maeve responded. "We're already putting ourselves in danger. I don't think we need any more lives at risk."

We passed a billboard that stated a mandatory infection check in just a couple of miles. Judging by the rust and dirt, it was old, making me believe that we wouldn't get stopped. It didn't matter, because I was positive that all of us were fine.

When we arrived at a tunnel, we stopped out trucks and got out, taking a closer look. Newt turned towards Thomas. "You want us to go in there?" he questioned, pointing towards the dark abyss. Thomas didn't respond, his head down low at the map in his hands. "I don't wanna come across as too negative, but if I was a Crank, that's exactly where I would be."

"I don't think we have much of a choice," Thomas confesses, facing up at the tunnel.

"Then we might as well go in and get it over with," I said.

Newt gave a long look at the tunnel, then nodded his head, walking back to the truck. "All right. I get shotgun."

"And I'll drive," I added, taking the keys from Harriet.

"Um, no, because you're a terrible driver," Gwyneth retorted, handing them back to Harriet.

"She's right," Harriet muttered, smirking at me.

I rolled my eyes and got back in the backseat with Sonya and Maeve squished on both sides of me. Harriet started the truck and followed the boys in. As we entered the dark, the lights on our trucks lit up. We slowly drove in, our eyes scanning our surroundings. I already had a bad feeling about this, but we couldn't turn back now.