𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐒, thomas ✓

sixteen.

16

CRANKS

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"Guys, what the hell are those things?!" Winston yelled, the group of nine now running up another set of escalators. Rosa's heart practically beating out of her chest as they continued to rush through the abandoned mall. 

"I don't know! Just keep going!" Thomas replied with a shout, him too running out of breath.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they reached the top of the escalator but were promptly attacked by another Crank, Aris hitting it in the face with his metal bat despite their complaints, the body was sent sliding along the floor and towards the group that backed away. Thomas and Teresa got stuck in the entrance to another escalator, "Go around!" he screamed as they were attacked by more and more of the creatures.

Rosa directed the other Gladers to the parallel flight of stairs, where she was nearly tackled to the ground as she skidded along the floor. She was the first one to stars to climb the stairs, and she was the first one to nearly get killed by one of the Cranks. She kicked the torso and watched as it fell several stories and land with an echoing crack, knowing that she could have had that fate instead. 

The two groups met in the middle on a new level of the mall, "Where the hell are we going?" Winston called, all of them going back to sprinting. 

"We gotta find a way out of here!" Frypan replied, his voice dripping with fear as his eyes widened when an even louder screech from below them.

A crash and shattering of glass erupted from beside Newt and Rosa who struggled to keep up with the group due to injuries, one of the Cranks had tackled Newt yet barely missing Rosa who also fell down with them, rolling to the glass railing that would stop shoppers from falling. Rosa jumped up, kicking the body off Newt as it pinned him down. The Crank was thrown off Newt and hit the glass railing, shattering it before falling down several levels. She quickly pulled Newt up, "Are you okay?" she asked, both of them continuing to run.

"Yeah, thanks Rosie," he muttered, still in shock and out of breath, finally stopping at a small door that guided them down a narrow, brick hallway. 

The tightness of the hall made Rosa feel claustrophobic and seemed to pull the air from her lungs even more due to stress and paranoia. She pulled on ever door handle that she could see, none of them would open. Rosa knew that the others were trying to talk to her or Thomas, she couldn't tell, but it was as if she couldn't speak or answer them. 

The screeching intensified as the Cranks filed into the same hall as them, Winston's shouts for them to hurry up being the loudest seeming as he was at the back of the group and closest to the attackers. The only door that was open, was at the end. A dead end. 

There were three red, emergency exit doors. The only one that slightly budged was the middle one, which only opened enough to show the lock on the other side that kept it from opening fully. Gunshots fired behind her as Thomas and Minho kicked the doors to open them, Rosa almost paralysed in fear. She watched as Frypan threw himself at the door and finally opened it, all of them running behind him. 

Rosa felt a hand pull on her bag and screamed, Winston's eyes widened and he pushed Rosa out of the way and took the attack for her, the Cranks hands pulling him to the ground and out of the doorway, the group worked together to pull him by the arms as he screamed in pain, Rosa holding back her pleads for him to be safe as she tugged on his arms to get him free.