The Desolation (The Maze Runner)

2. The taste of the desert dust

The small flat suddenly felt too crowded. She had lived here alone for three years, and now a group of strangers had found their places on her apartment's floor. Most of the boys were sitting and discussing how lucky they were to meet her.

"We still need to find Thomas," muttered the dark haired boy.

After introducing himself as Minho, he sat on the only couch in the room.

"He's fine, Brenda's with him," said Jorge.

The pilot was looking at the girl that had saved their lives with a lot of suspicion.

"What are you doing here?" he asked when she gave them water in bottles and some snacks.

"Hiding from people that could use me like they're using you or them," she sat on the chair next to her desk.

"Are you gonna help us to get out of the city?" asked the blonde boy.

"Yes," she didn't look at him.

She tried to relax. It was just a strange feeling he caused, one she didn't want to accept. It wasn't necessary. It meant trouble. Big trouble.

Hours passed and the boys were trying to figure out how to find their missing companion and the girl Brenda, who turned out to be Jorge's friend.

"She's probably leading him through the tunnels. A lot can happen there but if they survive, they'll come out somewhere. Probably when they'll be forced to do it," the girl looked at the group.

"So what do you think we should do?" asked Minho.

"Go to the northern edge of the city and patrol the line crosswise the entrances of the tunnels. If they survive, they have to go out somewhere there," the girl turned to him.

"What's your name, by the way?" he asked.

"Call me Salsa," she smiled a little.

Jorge glanced at her and shuddered. He had probably heard her name before but he concentrated on his feet and remained silent.

"So tell me your story, Mr Minho," Salsa looked at the boy.

His face darkened but he slowly started to talk about the experiments, describing all the horror they'd been through- the Maze, their escape and the new trial. He told her everything to the point where she had rescued them.

"He'll survive, your friend," Salsa got up. "Looks like they think he's the one."

"What one?" Minho asked in confusion.

"The one that has the cure in his head," she got up and left the room.

It was too crowded. She had spent the last few hours avoiding the brown eyes of the blonde boy. He wasn't looking at her either.

Salsa tried to relax and took a little walk around the building.

She shivered when she heard footsteps behind her. Grabbing the knife out of her belt, she turned around but it was just the blonde boy.

"Jorge sent me to tell you that we're setting off at nightfall," the boy blushed a little.

"What's your name?" Salsa looked at him.

"Newt," he smiled, staring at his feet.

"Do you want to see the sunset?" she pointed behind them.

"Sure," he followed her up along the concrete stairs.

They remained silent while they climbed up to the roof of the old skyscraper. The sun was setting somewhere around the beginning of the torn mountain ridges and the city was glittering in the sunlight. The wind was bearing the desert dust, but it was cooling.