Song - Arcade (Duncan Laurence)
As we rested beside our fire in an old ruin for shelter, my brain tried to comprehend all the different aspects of pain and grief I should be feeling. It felt as if I was already dead, but my sick murderer just kept stabbing and stabbing at my stomach for pure enjoyment. My mind couldn't figure out whether to grieve, rage, or carry on with our journey so instead I just lay with my head on my backpack, far enough away from everyone to just stare at the flames crackling and popping in the still night.
The usual comfort I gained from my brother, or my two best friend's presence made no difference to the growing, gaping hole in my heart. The names of my dead loved ones just kept growing. Mum, Dad, Ben, Alby, Jeff, Chuck, Gally and now Winston. On top of that, I tried to grapple with our current position. The middle of the desert. No food. No water. Our destination, which may be completely pointless, still miles ahead. The entire Wicked organisation on the hunt for us. And my brother right in front of me... but he doesn't even remember. So instead of dealing with the ever-growing weight on my shoulders, my mind and body went numb, and I just watched the orange flames flicker back and forth, listening to the crackles and the soft conversation between the others.
"I thought we were immune?" Minho muttered while fiddling with his knife.
"Not all of us... I guess," Teresa sighed, head on her backpack.
"If Winston can get infected, then we should assume so can the rest of us," Newt decided, eyes not leaving the fire and hand not wavering from Tom's thigh for a second.
"I'd never thought I would say this... but I miss the Glade,' Frypan croaked, puffy eyes and tear-streaked face still prominent in the dim orange glow of the fire.
I mulled over his words. It hadn't occurred to me ever that I agreed with him. Although we were captives... the Glade was the freest I had ever felt since Wicked ripped me and Newt away from our parents. I missed my hammock under the stars. I missed the med hut. And I missed the people I loved not being frightened for their lives. But most of all I missed the person that could even now make me smile when I think of his sly grin... but also shiver when I picture his hollow, grey, dead face.
With the sudden silence that blanketed the group, I decided that was a sign of sleep. I closed my eyes, body and mind so exhausted that it was hard even to find sleep. To soothe my relentless thoughts, I pictured the Glade. How the treetops looked at night from my hammock. How the sun rose over the wall at dawn. How the birds chirping, wind whistling, and boyish shouts blended to create the lullaby in my mind that sent me to sleep.
The hours began to slur together. Each step blurry in my memory because our destination never seemed to get closer. The haze of the desert enveloped us, and the harsh sun beat down on our skin. I used my jacket over my face for some sort of protection, but it didn't stop the growing tightness in my muscles, dryness in my mouth, and headache in my brain. The eery silence of the desert almost drove me mad. My eyes flickered open and shut until I was just following Thomas in front of me blindly.
Once we finally stopped for the night and the sun had gone completely under the horizon, I practically collapsed onto the ground. I almost fell asleep right there but before I did I felt Minho lie beside me and cover my bare shoulders with another jacket. His jacket. I would have said thank you, but sleep had already grasped me by the hands and was pulling me deeper down.
I don't know what pulled me out of my slumber, but my eyes flickered open, almost impossible as every part of my body ached. For a moment I thought I was still dreaming because I saw... lights. Lights like a city. Really close. We were almost there.
"Hey," I choked while lifting my body off the ground. "Hey guys! Guys!" I finally yelled shaking Thomas, Newt, and Minho. Them and the others started to wake up and rustle awake.
"Newt, Thomas! Get the fuck up! Look, I see something. Over there," I pointed over to the lights.
"Woah... what is it?" Minho croaked finally standing up along with the others.
"You see it? Its lights," I cried in disbelief.
"We made it-"
BOOM!
A thunderous sound behind us followed by the rumbling of clouds made us all turn. A storm. A thunder and lightning storm. Barrelling towards us. Another lighting strike hit the ground only a hundred meters in front of us and made us all jump.
"Fuck," I cursed.
"Let's go... we gotta go. Come on," Tom instructed as we all grabbed our backs and turned toward the lights.
As we sprinted for our destination the growing thunder and lightning roared behind us, like a beast chasing down its prey. Soon the lights moulded into what seemed to be a massive factory or warehouse. We sprinted faster.
"Hurry!" Tom bellowed.
"Let's go!" Newt hollered.
I turned around and caught a glimpse of Teresa lacking behind the group.
"Come on Teresa!" I screamed while slowing down to grip her arm and pull her along with me. We started to pass through the final piece of desert littered with abandoned cars when Thomas dropped back to Teresa and I,
"Ella, go! I've got her," He barked while grabbing hold of Teresa. I followed his instructions while sprinting further forward, up beside Newt and Minho. We were almost there. I could see the door we needed to reach. We were only ten meters away. We could make it-
ZAP!
A sudden rush of energy, light, and sound struck our group sending Thomas, Minho and I flying to the sides. I heard the ringing in my ears from the sudden absence of any sound. My body ached but I got to my feet registering the sudden shift in events. I looked at the others. Aris and Newt sprinted back to us. Thomas also off the ground, hobbling to...
"Minho," I whispered to myself, "Minho!" I cried. He was on the ground. Deathly still. I stumbled to his side at the same time the others did.
"Minho!" I screeched. He remained unresponsive.
"Come on get him up!" Newt barked as he and Aris lifted him over their shoulders. Thomas grabbed me by my upper arm and pulled me in behind them.
"Move!" Frypan bellowed from the door he held open. Tom practically pushed me through the door before Fry banged it shut behind us.
Darkness enveloped us. No sign of the lights we saw just minutes ago.
"Put him down," Thomas ordered,
"Watch his head," Aris warned.
"Who's got a light?" Tom hissed.
And suddenly a single flicker of light illuminated Minho's face on the ground. Newt and Thomas crowded over him.
"Minho!" Thomas screamed while trying to shake him awake. I stared at everyone, struggling to comprehend yet another unthinkable situation.
"El, come on! We need you now!" Newt barked, pulling me back into the present moment. I scrambled to Minho's side beside Newt and across from Tom. I checked his pulse as Thomas kept screaming in Minho's face.
It was faint... really faint. No. Please.
"Come on man!" Newt pleaded. The desperation in his voice almost sent me to tears once more.
"Come on Min!" I screeched into his chest, grasping his shirt in my hands.
Not another. I can't lose another-
"Ugh," Minho groaned while shifting his head.
I snapped my head up to watch him gently flicker his eyes open. Everyone sighed in relief. My relief almost sent me to tears again.
I pounced on him, wrapping my arms around his head.
"Oh my god," I choked. I felt his arms softly pat my back.
"Are you okay?" Tom asked him as I pulled away, beaming into his confused face.
"Yeah... what happened?"
I couldn't contain my chuckle,
"I think you got stuck by lightning," I sighed.
For a moment he stared at the roof, perhaps contemplating what I just told him. But then his face creased into a grin.
"Oh,"
The three of us laughed in response to that.
"Come on, let's get him up," Thomas instructed before we all reached for his body and gently pulled him to his feet.
"Nice and slow," Newt affirmed.
As we got him up, he looked at us wearily but still with a grin on his face.
"Thanks guys,"
I wrapped him in another hug and he folded his arms across my back. I sighed and pulled away,
"Don't do that again," I chuckled.
He just smiled cheekily in response.
"What's that smell?" Teresa murmured from a few meters further into our new location,
SCREECH!
The outline of a creature appeared from the shadows and reached for Teresa. We all screamed, and Tom, Newt, and Minho surrounded me instantly.
But the creature pulled away just before reaching Teresa. Or better yet something else pulled it away. It was connected to a chain.
"Behind you!" Teresa screeched while retreating to us. We turned and saw another leap for us but was pulled back at the last second. And then another on our left. More and more cranks appeared from the shadows, all held back by chains.
"Oh shit!" Tom cursed. I gripped the back of his jacket tight. And then an unfamiliar voice echoed throughout the room.
"I see you've met our guard dogs,"