Hiraeth~Thomas, (The Scorch Trials)

EIGHT

"Ok, try to blend in." Brenda instructed as we followed her down the ruined street. I looked around in sorrow at all of the people living in these conditions, knowing that they were just waiting for death, there wasn't anyone who was going to help them. They were alone.

Thomas gripped my wrist to stop me, I turned to him my eyebrows raised in confusion, I felt like I did that a lot but then again I was confused a lot.

"That day when I saw you, you recognised me, how?" He asked I thought back to that day it must've been a few days yet it felt like a lifetime ago, that was the day Alfie was taken. "The same way you recognised me I guess, in the maze after the walls didn't close for the night I was confused because they said it was my fault and so I stung myself and you were there in my memories of when I worked at WCKD." I shrugged and he nodded, "I saw you too, we were friends but we didn't work together?" I had to think hard about this, "um no, we used to but we were assigned to different mazes, you with Teresa and me with Leo." He nodded again. "Do you um remember anything else." He asked kind of sheepishly.

"I remember saying bye to you the day I got sent up?" His face lit up, "do you uh remember what I said?" I shook my head, "not properly, I um remember us crying and you told me it would be ok?" He deflated slightly as the words left my mouth my eyebrows furrowed, "no, yeah that's right." He shook his head, I was confused I felt like there was something he wasn't telling me.

"Hey lovebirds keep up, we're here." Brenda called back to us, I let go of Thomas hand and quickened my pace to catch up to her.

My nose scrunched at the smell as I peered around, "Are you sure this is the place?" I asked her as we walked past a bunch of people, there was music playing so loud I couldn't even hear myself think ."You here for the party?" A blonde asked us coming up from behind. We halted slightly, "No. We're looking for Marcus. This is his place, isn't it?" Brenda asked her. "This is my place." A guy said taking a swig of the drink in his hand. "And are you Marcus?" I asked him, I took in his slicked down hair and purple suit, he looked surprisingly clean but dodgy, I didn't trust him.

"Marcus doesn't live here anymore." He told us, "Do you know where we can find him?" Brenda asked. "Sure, sure. He's over in Zone B." He told us in a serious tone. "Okay. What's Zone B?" Thomas asked from beside me as he discreetly put his hand in mine. "It's where they burn the bodies." The blonde said leaning in to Thomas slightly. "Okay, look, has anyone else been by here... looking for him? Group of kids around our age? They had a girl with them. Dark hair." Thomas asked I was done with this conversation, these people clearly weren't in the right state of mind to tell us what we need to know.

"You know... I think they might be inside. Here. Drink this." He said thrusting a clean bottle full of green liquid into my hands, "What is it?" I asked, "The price of admission. Drink it!" He yelled as I stared down at it, I knew that the group most probably wasn't in there but it wouldn't hurt to check, so I shrugged and chugged the liquid as he tipped the bottle up making more than I wanted enter my mouth, internally cringing at the disgusting taste; I handed it to Brenda who took a sip and coughed.

"Your turn." The guy said handing the bottle to Thomas, he put it to his lips and then the blonde woman tipped it back further, I whacked her hand away and he passed the bottle back. "All right. You three, enjoy the party." The weird guy said pushing us through the fabric and into the building.

The music was so much louder inside, I looked around at everyone having a good time and forgot what I was even here for, I wanted to go and have fun too. "Maybe we should split up. See if we can find the others. Hey. Don't drink anything else." I faintly heard Brenda say but I didn't register her words. My hand pulled away from Thomas's as I made my way forwards into the crowd, "Hey Rose, where're you going?" He asked pulling me back to him. I barely even heard him, "to have fun." I mumbled as I walked away.

Everything was blurring and I was so hot that I peeled my jacket off and began to dance with the strangers, I didn't have a worry in the world as I danced, I swayed to the music as it took a hold of me, I lifted a drink some guy handed me to my lips and took a swig. "Rose?They're not here." Thomas told me, as he spun me around to face him, "who?" I slurred, I doubt he even heard me, "Okay, well... we should keep looking." He told me and I chugged the contents of my cup and then dropped it, "Why? We couldn't find the Right Arm anyway. Not without Marcus. It's over we're stuck here and we're gonna die." I told him, his eyebrows furrowed, "let's just make the most of the time we have left." I suggested.

"How?" He asked I put my arms around him and swayed to the music, "like this." He leaned forward his head resting on mine as we swayed, and then slowly his face inched closer to mine until I could feel his breath fanning my face. He connected our lips, I kissed him back completely forgetting about everything.

When I pulled away I backed up in shock, instead of Thomas I was face to face with Leo, how was he here he was supposed to be dead and where did Thomas go. "What, Rose, what?" Leo asked as he stepped closer to me, "you're not him," I mumbled backing away, he wasn't Thomas, I needed to find Thomas. "Where's Thomas?" I mumbled slightly tripping as I began to walk backwards.

"Wait, Rose, Rose." Leo called after me as I turned to leave, "You're not him." I repeated.

I pushed through the tightly packed crown looking for Thomas, when suddenly someone pushed me into the wall, my head pounded as I hit it, my eyes widened to see Ada in front of me beside her was James, Bert and Winston. "You did this to us Rose." They told me making my eyes widen, "I-I didn't mean to I'm sorry." I cried out, "you got me killed Rose and now it's your turn." Ada sneered pushing me further into the wall, "it's your turn Rose, you'll turn into a crank just like me and then Thomas will put a bullet through your head." Winston chimed in, I shut my eyes tightly, "you're gonna see what it feels like to be shot." James scorned. "No, I'm sorry" I cried before I was pushed to the ground.

"Did anyone see you come here?" I called out panicked, not wanting the boy in front of me to get into trouble. "No, of course not." He replied pushing a lock of hair behind my ear. "We don't have a lot of time. They're sending me up soon." I cried "why did you come, it's too dangerous you could get into trouble." I asked gripping onto his hands frantically, " I just had to see you." He told me making me smile. "Why did you take the blame?" He began to cry I placed my hand on his cheek, "I didn't want you to get into trouble." I told him ignoring the tears that ran down my face.

"But we did it together, you were supposed to let me take the fall." I wiped his tears. "It's ok, everything's gonna be fine." I assured him. "You're gonna forget me." I hugged him and began to cry into his shoulder, "I could never." I sobbed. He placed his hands on either side of my face and kissed me. He pulled away and wiped my tears. "Remember that I love you." He instructed and I nodded.

I wasn't able to reply as the guards came in and grabbed onto my arms, "Come on." They roughly dragged me along, "No!" He called out after me, I looked back at him tears freely running, "I'm sorry, I love you too Thomas! I love you too." I called out as his face faded from my view and I was pulled into another room.