Run With Me ➵ Newt [2]

TEN | the explosion

"We have to go," Jorge said, getting to his feet shakily.

"But..." I faltered. "But Thomas and Brenda-"

"We can worry about them later," Jorge cut over me. "We need to move - now! Before WICKED traps us here."

I followed him and the others reluctantly into the mountainside, the air around us hot and dry. The noise of the Berg engines were still loud, but they faded away the further we walked. We trudged on for what seemed like hours, Jorge urging us to move faster. I could tell my friends were exhausted - we only had at least four hours of sleep last night - but we continued walking, ignoring our sore back and limbs. 

I kept thinking about Thomas and Brenda, wondering if they were still alive. 

Jorge led us down a steep slope, our shoes slipping and sliding as we tried to keep our balance. It didn't help matters that it was pitch-black; I pulled out my flashlight from my bag and shone it around, but I knew that the battery wouldn't last that much longer. Finally, we reached the end of the slope and stepped out into the outside. It was still dark outside, the sky a sea of murky grey clouds and stars. 

We stepped away from the mountains and emerged into a ruined city, its countless buildings and skyscrapers looming over us eeriely as their shadows stretched along the ground in the moonlight. Even though it was quiet and there was no one to be seen, I had the strangest feeling we were being watched.

"Come on, this way," Jorge whispered. "And stay close together. Don't get separated."

"Hold on, where exactly are we going?" Newt asked.

"We're going to find Brenda," Jorge said tiredly. "Oh, and your friend too, I guess."

"Whoa, whoa, hold up." Minho stepped forward, making a time-out gesture. "First of all, we're freaking tired ya shank! We haven't slept at all! Second of all, how do you know if Thomas and Brenda are still alive?"

"There are many ways to escape the building, hermano," Jorge said. "Brenda's a smart girl - I know she would've escaped the building with your friend by now."

"Whatever it is, can we please search for them when daylight comes?" I said, every word laced with exhaustion. "You said it yourself - our friends might have escaped the building, so why can't we just rest now and find them later?"

Jorge sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Fine." He relented finally. "Follow me, I know a safe place in this city we can hide out in for the moment."

We followed him then, shouldering our backpacks and trudging through the dirty, empty streets. Though we tried our best to keep as quiet as possible, our footsteps and heavy breathing still echoed through the air. The creepy feeling of someone watching had vanished, though I still stayed close to Newt's side, hugging myself for warmth in the coolling night as I tried to ignore the shiver that ran down my spine. 

Jorge led us down into an alleyway and opened a metal door - it took him a few tries because of how old and rusty it was, but the door finally gave way after the fifth try. It swung open with a horrible screech and we filed inside quickly. 

I rummaged around my bag and pulled out my flashlight. Its light shone weakly through the dimness, a sure sign that the battery was running out. The others did the same, the faint glows flickering. We glanced around us warily, and found that we were in some sort of abandoned restaurant, with kitchen countertops and stoves hugging the walls on one side with fridges and cupboards on the other. Dust covered every surface and cobwebs hung in corners.

"There's some canned food in there," Jorge said, nodding towards the fridge next to Teresa. "There's not a lot so you kids will have to share. There's also a sink somewhere in the bathroom behind here, so you can wash up if you like."