The Girl From The Right Arm

Chapter 28

"It's all my fault!", The girl sobbed to herself, ignoring the questioning looks. She was caught in her memory when her mother was shot and couldn't get out. "It's all my fault.", The girl whispered to herself again.

"Aria?", She heard Thomas ask, "What's going on?"

"It's my fault.", She continued to sob to herself. "It's my fault that. I killed her," sobbed Aria. Thomas took the sobbing girl in his arms and stroked her head soothingly. The girl buried her head in his good-smelling chest and clung to him as if he were the last person on earth.

After a while, Aria straightened up and wiped the tears from her face. "I'm impressed," said Jorge, "You guys almost lasted a whole day." Brenda turned to the four and shook her head, smiling.

"I'm sorry. I didn't wanna bring you guys into this.", Thomas apologized.

"Hey. I think what he's trying to say is thanks for saving us." Frypan intervened.

"You're welcome.", Brenda grinned at Thomas.

"Last time it wasn't that many cranks." Aria shrugged when Frypan looked over at her.

"Hey, don't get your hopes up. That checkpoint back there that was the city's last defense. If that was overrun, chances are the city, too.", Jorge laughed.

"Yeah, unless they figured out some other way to keep the cranks out," Newt said, looking out of the car at the city. Jorge looked out of the car and immediately stopped the car. The group got out and Aria stood in front of them and looked down at the city with wide eyes.

"Seems like more people came to the last city.", She sighed.

"But you are not surprised by the many people that a wall was built around the city. In which Minho and Aris are trapped.", Thomas said reproachfully.

"Didn't I mention that?" Aria asked contrite.

"No.", Thomas exclaimed in frustration.

"The wall won't be a difficult hurdle anyway. Getting into WICKED will be complicated.", The girl sighed.

"Let's go to the city.", Brenda said and got back into the car. Aria followed her and sat down next to Frypan, who gave her a friendly grin.

"What?" She asked when he was still staring at her after a few minutes.

"Nothing," he smiled.

"Now tell me." Urged the girl.

"I just think it's funny how Thomas didn't notice that you had your eye on him," the boy whispered in her ear. Aria opened her eyes and turned to Frypan.

"I haven't, Fry," she hissed.

"Nah, you can't tell me that.", The boy grinned again.

"Shut up," Aria hissed at him, trying to hide her red cheeks.

***

"This place has really gone through hell.", The girl heard Jorge say. "We just gotta stay together.", Thomas answered.

"We are the voice of the voiceless! They hide behind their walls, thinking they can keep the cure for themselves, while they watch the rest of us wither and rot. But there are more of us than there are of them." a man on a cart through a megaphone.

"Lawrence." Aria sighed quietly to herself and looked after the car.

"And I say we rise up and take back what is ours!" The man continued to shout. Aria watched the car go and nodded to a masked man, who nodded back. She smiled slightly and looked at Thomas, who had been staring after the car.

When she saw a flash of red on the back of his neck. "Thomas!", She said immediately and took hold of his neck, "What is that, Jorge?", She asked and pointed to Thomas' neck.

"I don't know. Come on, we have to go on." Jorge shrugged and waved to the others.

The small group followed the crowd. "That's it. That's our way in.", Said Thomas and ran into the crowd. Aria exchanged a look with Frypan before running after Thomas.

"Thomas. That is not what you're looking for. We have to find Lawrence.", Aria yelled at him and grabbed his hand.

"I came this far. I'm not turning back.", Thomas called to her over the crowd and tore himself away from her and kept walking. Aria rolled her eyes and stopped. She looked around searchingly when she saw one of the masked men. Determined, she ran up to him, who has already made eye contact with her. She fought her way through the crowd to meet him.

"Aria. Nice to see you again.", He nodded to her.

"Thanks James. Where's Lawrence?" She asked him.

"Still the same place.", He answered her. Aria nodded to him and kept walking. She ran all the way back and came to a deserted street. She looked around briefly before opening one of the road covers and jumping in.

Sighing, she switched on the light that someone had installed and was immediately greeted by a gurgling. "Oh shit.", Aria opened her eyes when she noticed a crank. She immediately picked up her pistol, but it flew out of her hand when the crank tossed her on the floor. He gurgled at her. Aria hissed and kicked to get the hideous creature off her. She hissed as the crank bit her shoulder. The girl screamed and shrieked around her. She reached for her pistol and grasped it. She quickly released the safety catch and shot the crank. Hissing, she pushed the motionless creature down from her and held her shoulder. Sighing, she looked at the crank. Her face twisted in pain, she got up and felt her way forward. She stopped at a small ladder and climbed up. She pushed the lid open and climbed up.

"Aria?" Asked a surprised voice. "Hello Lawri.", She greeted the man. With a hiss, she closed the lid and stood up.

"You got bitten," Lawrence stated as he glanced at her shirt, which was covered in blood and slime from the crank.

"Then we have something in common.", Aria smiled pained and pointed to his medicine, which prevented him from immediately turning into a crank.

He rolled his eyes. "Walter, get Hanna. She should take a look at Aria's wound.", Lawrence ordered one of his men who were sitting in the room with him.

***