Ticking Time Bomb [THE SCORCH TRIALS]

CHAPTER TWELVE

The person was now so near her that she could hear their breathing through the sounds of the night, and instead of aiming and shooting, she reached for her knife in her back pocket. Her nimble fingers wrapped around it loosely, shaking constantly from their fear of murder and death. And, without a last thought stopping her in her mind, she plunged the knife into the unknown person's stomach, and the piercing sound of a knife fluttered through her ears. Again, the night fell silent once more, the body falling to the ground.

It was then that Ingrid Clearwater realized what she had done. She had murdered somebody — recklessly and without reason. Now, she was not the monster that lived under her bed when she was younger; she was the monster that lurked in the nooks of the darkest minds.

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           Ingrid's hazel irises came into the sight of the others, and immediately, the girl jolted up from the shock of the blow. She placed a shaky hand over her chest, trying to regain a normal pattern of breathing, but only failing to do so. Beside her, the group held her shoulders as she coughed lightly, her body shaking as her mind wandered back to the memory she endured while she was out. Finally, the brunette girl rubbed her eyes groggily before locking eyes with Thomas and asking, "What- what happened?"

Thomas shared a short glance with the rest of the group present before replying easily, "You were struck by lightning, Ingrid."

           "Oh," The aforementioned Clearwater girl sighed, and the others laughed lightly at her reaction before beginning to help the girl up on her feet. Ingrid felt woozy from the lightning, her mind spinning as she struggled to stand on her own two feet without falling back to the ground. Thomas wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and Newt took control of the other side of her as she relied on them to hoist her up. Teresa took the liberty of surveying their dark surroundings, only small cracks of light being emitted through the cracked glass window.

Once Ingrid was able to stand on her own two feet again, she readjusted her pack of arrows on her back before eyeing the room just as Teresa had done. It was completely silent; the only sounds being the low chatter exchanged between Minho and Thomas. She reached into her own knapsack for her flashlight, and she flicked it on, getting a better view of the vast space they were in. Suddenly, a stench wafted into Ingrid's nostrils, and as she looked over at Teresa, she could tell the girl smelled it too. "Hey," Teresa spoke up, pointing her words towards the oblivious boys. "What's that smell?"

Only three quarters of Ingrid's response had exited her mouth before a flashlight was shone in another direction, catching sight of the treacherous monsters they had been running from since the first day they entered the scorch. Ingrid immediately jumped back, flinching in fright. She clutched her flashlight tighter, and she could feel herself getting pulled back by someone who she would only suspect to be Thomas. The creature stayed in its area, chained up to a post and unable to harm the horrified teenagers. That gave Ingrid a small amount of closure - but not enough to soothe her thumping heartbeat. And, just as Ingrid had thought that there was one, the sound of another accompanying it pierced her eardrums, resonating in her mind like a siren. Again, the girl jumped back, and as per usual, she landed straight into Thomas's arms.

"Holy shit! Where are they coming from?!" Ingrid yelled out among the noise of chains shackling and groans, and the group only yelped in horror in response. At this point, everyone was huddled into one small pack as they tried to fend for themselves from the unknown creatures who showed no mercy. Looking into their eyes felt as hypnotizing as ever; like looking into a deep abyss of immense darkness that never ended. Ingrid shut her eyes as a way to rid herself of the images that begged to unleash themselves in her thoughts.