Emma tried to protect her face from the harsh winds and sand, but that was proving to be a challenge. It was night, the stars becoming brighter the further away from the building they got. If the situation were different, she would be admiring the sky. There were no stars in the Glade. Something she never understood.
Now there were stars, but she no longer cared.
The sound of vehicles was still distant, which was a good sign. WICKED was searching for them, but they weren't close. The hills and sand made it hard for them. Still, they needed to find somewhere safe, even if it was just for the night. It was too dark to navigate, and they needed to come up with a plan.
Teresa ran down a hill, slipping slightly as she struggled to catch her balance. "Hey," Thomas yelled. "Teresa, wait up." The last thing they needed to do was lose each other.
"I think we lost them," Minho hollered from behind her, but Emma couldn't see him.
Emma slid down the hill after Teresa, her body hitting what felt like glass. "What is this?"
"There's a hole," Teresa said. Emma glanced to her left, realizing Teresa was right. There was a hole in the glass.
It could lead to shelter. Right now, anything was better than being exposed. Teresa ducked inside without a word. Emma didn't hesitate to follow. Entering the building, she was immediately met with silence. There was no wind, no sand blinding her. There was a slope of sand, which she stumbled down.
"Teresa. Emma," Thomas shouted when he could no longer see the two girls. The group of boys panicked when they realized they had entered an unknown area alone. "Wait!" Emma looked up, watching as the boys started to enter. "Get inside!"
They slid down the slope one at a time. She stepped back, not wanting them to run into her by accident. The area was large, much larger than Emma had imagined. The structure was clearly buried in the sand a long time ago.
Suddenly, someone rammed into her shoulder. "Sorry," Jack muttered, dusting himself off.
"It's fine," she said. "You okay?"
Jack glanced up at her. "Yeah, are you?" All Emma could do was shrug. She hadn't been okay in a long time. Not since the Glade, not since losing Gally.
Minho slipped off a bag, which he had picked up at some point. Digging through the pockets, he pulled out a flashlight. "Where are we?"
None of them knew the answer. "We need to keep moving," Thomas said.
"No-"
"Let's go."
"Thomas, stop," Teresa snapped, waving her hand. "What's going on?"
Thomas sighed. "It's WICKED." The group surrounded him, listening closely. "They lied. We never really escaped. Aris and I found bodies."
"What do you mean," Minho questioned. He didn't understand what Thomas was saying. "Dead bodies?"
"No, but they weren't alive either." Emma exhaled shakily, trying to digest the information. It was a lot. "They were strung up with tubes sticking out of them. They were being drained. WICKED wants something inside of us. Something in our blood. We have to get away from here."
Emma almost couldn't believe what she was hearing. They never escaped WICKED. It was all a lie. She let the men escort her out of the Maze. She left Gally behind, and for what? To be held captive all over again? It wasn't right. It wasn't fair.
"Okay," Newt broke the silence. He believed Thomas. "What's your plan?" Thomas stared at him blankly. "Seriously? You dragged us out here."
"I-"
"We followed you, Thomas, and now you're telling us you don't have a plan?" Emma knew Newt wasn't actually angry with Thomas. He was lashing out because of his fear. "You have no idea where we are going or what we are doing?"
"Wait," Aris said. Emma glanced at the unfamiliar boy. "Janson said something about people in the mountains. It was some sort of resistance or army."
"The Right Arm," Thomas finished for him. "If they are against WICKED, then they might help us."
Newt looked utterly baffled like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "People hiding in the mountains. Mountain people. That's your plan?"
"Newt," Emma spoke up. "I don't think we have any other options."
"Emma is right. This is our only choice."
"Hey, guys," Winston spoke. "Come here." Emma turned around, noticing the boy kneeling on the ground. "Minho, shine the light over here." He did as told. Shining the light where Winston pointed, the group noticed footprints. "Someone's been down here."
"Okay," Thomas muttered. "Let's go."
They followed the footsteps deeper into the building. Emma wasn't sure about anything happening around her. Nothing made sense, but she couldn't focus on the unknowns. Right now, they needed to find a place to rest.
Minho stopped at a door, where the footsteps led. He shared a look with Thomas, who seemed to understand. "Let's open this." The two grabbed the bottom and opened the door.
Inside was a room with sleeping bags and abandoned lanterns. Someone had once stayed here, but it was clear they were long gone. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust. Emma picked up a flashlight for herself before handing one to Jack. Frypan turned on the lantern, illuminating the room in a gentle glow.
"I think people lived here."
"Where are they now?" Emma wasn't sure and didn't want to think about it.
Thomas grabbed a jacket. Dusting it off, he slid it over his shoulders. "Pack some stuff. Anything you think we might need." Emma inspected the room. "We'll split up. Search the building before meeting back here for the night. Sound good?"
"Yeah," Newt agreed. "Here." He tossed Thomas a flashlight.
He easily caught it. "Thanks, Newt." The blond nodded at him before looking away. "Be careful, guys."
"We will," Teresa promised him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was cooler in the building. The first thing Emma did was find a backpack. Something that wasn't torn and would last. She wasn't sure how long it would take to find the Right Arm and wanted to be prepared.
So far, it was stuffed with flashlights and water. She had yet to find any food, only wrappers. Teresa was by her side. Jack a few feet away, fingers gliding over dusty shelves. He looked up, catching her eye. The short boy offered her a friendly smile. Something she was unable to return even if she wanted to.
Emma was exhausted mentally, emotionally, and physically. Since escaping the Maze, she rarely found sleep. Her dreams were nightmares that consisted of Gally dying. A piece of her died in the room he did, and Emma feared she would never get it back. Deep down, she knew things would never be the same. She would never be the same.
She thought when they escaped, their troubles would be over. How wrong she was. Things were harder than ever. Gally was gone. WICKED was after them. She didn't have a home. Nowhere was safe.
It seemed Gally was right, after all. He didn't believe in anything after the Maze. Said if things were harder, she wouldn't survive. Emma knew he was right. She couldn't imagine surviving this.
Newt and Frypan filled their bags in the other room. Teresa ventured into another room, and Emma followed numbly behind. It held abandoned mattresses and books. Teresa moved her flashlight on a mannequin. She gasped, backing into Emma. Neither were expecting it. Newt looked up at the sound, immediately on edge. "You guys okay?"
"Fine," Teresa answered for them. "Sorry, Em."
"It's fine," she responded.
The girl eyed her, a frown on her face. "You okay?"
Emma refused to meet her gaze, knowing Teresa was looking at her sympathetically. Her blue eyes were always full of emotion, and Emma feared she would get lost in them. Rather than responding, she gestured to a table full of clothes. "Look."
"Great, this works. We should pack extra."
Emma set down her flashlight and took off the shirt she was wearing. The shirt that smelled of roses. The shirt that WICKED provided her. Grabbing a new black top, she slipped it over her head. Teresa got dressed beside her. Next, Emma unbuckled her belt. She grabbed a pair of tan loose pants and put them on. Lastly, she grabbed a dark brown jacket. Opening her bag, she stuffed a scarf inside, along with three shirts, a pair of green pants, and socks.
Zipping the bag closed, she slung it over her shoulder. "There are shoes over here."
Emma walked around the table. "Nice." She began searching through the shoes, which were either too big or didn't have a second shoe. Finally, she found a pair of black boots. Taking off her shoes, she put the new ones on. They fit perfectly.
"Come on." The others were moving into a different area. Teresa nudged her friend forward. Emma went willingly.
The group met in what looked like a large hallway. Winston and Jack had emerged from a back room, both carrying bags. Emma hoped they found food somewhere. Thomas and Minho were the only two missing, but she wasn't worried. Emma knew they would come back. "Hey, where are-"
Suddenly, all of the lights turned on. "Well," Newt muttered as he looked around. "I guess they found the lights."
With the lights on, the building seemed even bigger. The center of the building expanded several levels with sand piles on each floor. Whatever this place was, it was evident it hadn't been used for its original purpose in a very long time.
Emma ventured down the corridor cautiously. "What's going on?" The lights flickered but remained on.
"No idea," Frypan responded.
"Hey," someone screamed distantly. Emma turned around, noticing Thomas and Minho running toward them. "Run! Run!" They all stood there. "Go!" Something was chasing them. Emma took a step back, lips parting.
"Shit," Newt whispered in shock.
"Run!"
"Go," Frypan yelled. "Go, go, go." Emma started running in the opposite direction. Whatever was chasing them snarled loudly. Thomas and Minho were getting closer, but now more things were pursuing them.
"Go, come on!" The group merged as the two joined them. "Let's go." They ran up an escalator.
"What the hell is chasing us," Winston screamed. Emma didn't dare to look back.
"I don't know," Thomas responded. "Keep going!" They got to the top but had no exit strategy. They were simply running from the things chasing them. "Don't look back."
"Move! Come on." Emma wasn't nearly as fast as Minho and Thomas.
"Where are we supposed to go?!"
"I don't know!" They ran as fast as they could from the things chasing them because that was all they could do. "Just keep moving." One of the creatures appeared in front of them. "Oh no."
Aris picked a rod off the ground and charged forward. "Aris!" He hit the creature in the legs, causing it to fall—the group split in order to avoid it. Thomas, Emma, and Teresa were forced onto an escalator. More of the creatures were running toward them. "Go," Thomas told them. "Keep going!"
Emma stared at the creature crawling toward them. Its body was decaying, and it was covered in a black liquid. "Oh, gross." Suddenly, one of the creatures leaned over the railing.
Luckily, Teresa acted quickly. She grabbed a stick and bashed it into the skull of the person attacking her. Emma moved backward and rushed up the steps.
"Come on!" The three began running up the stairs. Emma refused to look back, too scared to see if the creatures were close.
Once at the top, the group collided, but everything was happening so fast. Faces were blurry. People were moving quickly. "Let's go!" They couldn't stop. The creatures were still after them.
"Where do we go," Winston screamed.
Frypan spoke next. "We have to find a way out of here."
Emma knew he was right. They wouldn't survive in this building. "Just keep going!" But she wasn't sure where. A loud crash behind her caught her attention. "Newt!" Emma froze, whipping her head around to see Newt on the ground. One of those things was on top of him.
"Newt!" The fear she felt was overwhelming. Newt was her best friend, and he was being attacked.
"Help me," Newt cried as he tried to fight the creature. Thomas wasted no time. He never hesitated as he ran toward Newt, kicking the creature off him. It fell through the glass and out of sight. He grabbed Newt's hand and pulled him up.
"Thanks, Tommy." Behind them were more creatures, a lot more than before.
"Newt." Emma reached out for him, needing to feel him. She needed to know he was still here. That she hadn't lost him too.
"I'm okay," Newt assured her, slightly out of breath.
"Come on!" Thomas nudged Emma forward. "Keep going!" And they did. They kept going. Emma ran beside Newt, looking around for a way out.
That was when she realized something. Searching the faces around her, she realized Jack wasn't there. "Oh my," her body went cold. Jack was gone. "Where's Jack?"
Thomas looked around but didn't see the former Gardener. He was gone, lost in the chaos. "Shit."
"This way." Minho turned down a small hallway. "Through here." It was a narrow, dark corridor. But Emma was still thinking about Jack. Her friend was gone, and they hadn't even noticed.
They tried to open the first door, but it was locked. Then they tried the second and third. Those were also locked.
"Come," Thomas screamed.
"I'm trying." All of the doors were locked. They were trapped.
"Just keep going," Teresa cried.
"They're coming!" The closer the creatures got, the louder the shrieking became. Emma could barely hear it. All she could hear was the blood rushing to her ears. She could feel her heartbeat in her fingertips.
They couldn't go back, only forward.
But the end of the hall was a dead end. There was nowhere else to go. Frantically, they pulled at the door handles. All of them were locked. "No!" They were trapped, and the creatures were getting closer.
Thomas banged on the door. "Get us out of here!"
"Hurry!" Emma was terrified.
"This one!" Thomas found a loose door lock. He kicked it, but it didn't budge.
"I can hold them back." Winston held up a gun. He began shooting at the creatures. The sound echoed, bouncing off the walls. Emma ducked her head down, but it did nothing to help the sound. It was painful.
"Come on!" Minho, Newt, and Thomas were kicking at the door, but it didn't break.
"Open the door!"
"Move," Frypan yelled. They did. The man backed up before ramming himself into the door. The lock broke, and the door swung open.
"Yes!" They ran through the door, but they weren't safe yet.
Winston ran through the door last, but one of the creatures grabbed him. He hit the ground hard. "Winston!" The creatures dragged him partially back inside.
"Help me!" Newt and Thomas grabbed his arms. Winston wailed in agony. Minho tried to hold the door closed. Emma stood beside Teresa, blinking in horror. She willed herself to move but was frozen.
"Pull!"
"Keep pulling!" Emma snapped out of her trance and grabbed Thomas, pulling him back. Teresa did the same to Newt. After what felt like an eternity, they pulled Winston through the door. Minho slammed it closed, but the creatures were strong. They tried to push it open.
Thomas moved to help Minho. "Go. Go, hurry!"
Frypan and Newt helped Winston stand up. Emma ran ahead with Teresa. They needed to get out of here and find a safe place to hide from the creatures. They needed to rest. She knew they wouldn't be able to carry on without sleep.
The two girls ran out of the building through a broken wall. It was dark outside. This part of the building was in ruins. Broken cement pieces littered the area. "Keep going." Teresa was already climbing down.
"Teresa, wait." Emma followed her. It was a struggle, and through the desperation to escape found herself to be careless with her movements.
"Emma, Teresa," Newt spoke, searching for them. He could barely see the two girls in the darkness.
"Come on," Emma waved her hands. "We're down here."
Teresa crawled over a ledge. "In here." She ducked out of view. Emma jumped over the side, landing on the uneven rock below. Teresa had found a small den between pieces of rubble. It was far down, nearly at the bottom, and deep enough to keep them hidden.
One by one, the others joined. Emma backed herself against the wall, shoulder digging into Teresa's side, but the girl didn't seem to mind.
Thomas struggled to turn off his flashlight. There was screeching as the creatures searched for them. Emma shut her eyes, trying to control her breathing.
Teresa was squashed in the corner, pressed against Emma. Aris's knee was against Frypan's chest. Newt had curled into himself on her other side with Minho beside him. Thomas was in the front. His arm extended to make sure everyone was safe.
Emma kept her eyes closed and hoped the creatures wouldn't find them.