"Ughhh," Minho groans, holding his head.
I sit next to Newt and Lucy. She is also having a major hangover at the moment. I glance over at her, and she's laying on her back groaning in pain. "Whyyy did I drink that crap?" Lucy mutters.
I shrug and look up at the stars. So far our entire group is staying behind an abandoned building in the Crank City. The sewers are not even that far, but Thomas suggested that we wait until everyone is sober again.
"Hey, Maya, is it?" Newt asks, grabbing my attention.
I turn my head towards him. "Yeah?"
His eyebrows furrow, and I can tell he is trying to sort his thoughts. "For some reason, I feel like I know you. But I just can't remember," he says finally.
I sigh, and try to bottle up my emotions. I can't get emotional over this now. "We were close once. But there's nothing we can do about it now."
"I just wish I remembered," Newt sighs, leaning back. He then glances at me, a look of curiosity on his face. "Were we close?"
I laugh. "I guess you could say that."
He nods, then faces forward, seemingly not amused as much as I was.
"I wish you remembered too," I mumble under my breath, as I stare up at the night sky.
Newt glances at me. "What was that?" he asks.
I shake my head and stand up. "Nothing. I'm gonna go check on the others."
Harriet is laying on her back, staring up at the stars. I walk over to her and sit down.
"Hey," I say.
She glances at me. "Hey there."
"Feeling better?" I ask.
Harriet sits up. "Definitely," she says, then frowns. "I shouldn't have taken that drink, though. It was stupid of me."
I don't know how to respond; I mean she is right in a way, but Jett threatened everybody to drink it. She didn't want to take any chances.
I just nod in response, and Harriet laughs lightly. "What d'ya know, Maya over here is smarter than all of us."
I laugh. "I don't know. It takes a real genius to drink something a stranger gives you."
Harriet lightly punches me on the shoulder and then lays back down. She exhales exaggeratedly. "You're something else, Maya."
"I'll take that as a compliment," I reply quickly, and stand up. I yawn and find a place to lay down.
I settle on an area that is kinda secluded from the rest of the group, but not too secluded. I stare up at the stars, and feel shivers race down my spine as I hear catcalls in the distance. I close my eyes and fall into a much needed slumber.
*
When I wake up, I can barely move. I groan, and successfully roll onto my side. A headache ravages my brain. Someone then lightly kicks me in the side. I look up, and it's Lucy. She looks down at me with a playful smirk on her face.
"Wake up. Sewer day!" she exclaims.
I sit up, rubbing my temples. Right now, I feel like I'm the one who is going through an hangover, and I didn't even get drunk.
"I feel like crap," I mutter.
"Ironic, huh?" Lucy smiles.
I nod. "Definitely."
I stand up, my stomach growling with hunger. When was the last time I actually ate something? I stretch my muscles out and then walk over to the others who are talking as a big group.
Sonya has the food, so I'll find her. After a few minutes of glancing at people, I finally find the back of Sonya's head and poke her shoulder. She turns around. "Could I have a bite to eat?" I ask.
She nods, and bends down to get her bag. She pulls out a can of refried beans, and I happily take them from her. Thank goodness we took food from that stash we found in the abandoned building a few days ago.
I pull open the can with the tab, and am greeted by a big chunk of refried beans. I don't bother heating it up or anything; I plunge my fingers in the can and scoop out a handful of beans.
I shove the pasty beans into my mouth and swallow it immediately. My stomach grows content with each handful of beans that enter it. I notice shocked glares from the others, but I could care less. When you're this hungry, manners don't apply.
I finish the entire can, not even realizing that I might've had to share it. Sonya looks at me, shocked. "Dang, Maya. You were hungry!"
I wipe my mouth and smile. "Yeah. Good thing you have those other cans of food."
Sonya nods, and continues talking to the others. I notice Jackie walking over to me. "Hey," she says. "I don't know if your friends told you, but I'm going to be apart of your group when we enter the sewers."
I nod and smile. "Sounds good. Maybe I can formally introduce you to them when we do."
Jackie laughs and scratches the back of her head. "That'd be nice."
"Listen up," Brenda yells.
Our attention is pulled to her, as she stands with her arms crossed. Her eyes have bags under them.
"We're gonna start walking to the sewers. Then, you will break up into your groups that we put you in yesterday. Got it?" she yells, her voice booming. I see Jorge inch up behind her.
We all murmur yes, and Brenda nods proudly. Jorge then steps up to talk. "There was no excuse for what happened last night. For those of you that rounded us all up last night, every last drunk one of us, we're sorry and want to thank you," he says, then his aged eyes glance at me.
I don't respond, but just keep my gaze to the floor.
"Okay. So we're all ready?" Brenda asks.
We all nod in response.
Brenda nods and we start walking.
It only takes us a few minutes to reach the sewers. I almost gag at the repugnant smell. Lucy covers her mouth with her hand, and clenches her stomach.
I notice Minho clenching his nose, a disgusted look on his face. "That smells worse than Frypan's soup!" he exclaims.
A dark skinned boy looks over at him, offended. "Hey!" he yells.
"Let's just go," Thomas insists, his head down. There's no doubt in my mind that he is thinking about that girl Teresa and what she must've said to him.
"Hold on there Speedy Gonzalez," Brenda snaps, gesturing for Thomas to stop. "Let's break into groups, remember?"
We start moving simultaneously into our groups. Soon enough, Harriet, Newt, Minho, Jackie, and another boy have all gathered around me.
"Group change," Brenda says. "I will no longer be in Maya's group, since they now have Jackie. I'll be switching to Thomas's group, okay?"
We nod, although I feel a little uneasy since we basically lost our tour guide.
"How will we find a way out?" Harriet says, like she's reading my mind.
"Easy," Jorge answers. "The groups who don't have Brenda or I for a tour guide will be taking the sewer that goes straight the entire way. You'll see the light at the end of the tunnel."
"And by that we don't mean dying," Brenda remarks, rolling her eyes. "As long as you follow our instructions, you'll be peachy. If you see a Crank that is way past the Gone, kill it. They can't be saved."
"And what does a Crank way past the Gone look like?" I ask.
Brenda snaps her head towards me, her face scrunched up in annoyance as if the answer is obvious. "You'll know," she replies simply.
"Any more questions before we move?" Jorge asks.
No one answers and Jorge nods. "Okay then. Let's go!"
We start moving and enter the sewer. The smell is even worse. People around me are gagging. My eyes water from the stench and I pinch my nose shut.
Soon, we are emerged in darkness, so we pull out flashlights. "This sucks," Minho growls, the sewage sloshing beneath our feet. We quickly stumble upon the four tunnels that split off.
"Group 2," Brenda says, and I watch her finger that is illuminated by the flashlights point to the tunnel directly in front of us, "You'll take this path. Go straight the entire way. If you encounter Cranks, kill them."
We all nod, and then I look over at Minho who is at the front of our group. He scrunches his face up in disgust and looks down the long tunnel.
"And good luck," Brenda mumbles, her voice uneasy. Something tells me she knows not all of us will make it out of the sewers. I glance at Lucy and Sonya, and they look at me with a concerned look on their faces. I hope that we'll all be reunited on the other side of the sewers.
We begin walking down the long tunnel, Harriet at my side and Jackie and Newt behind, while Minho and the other boy lead the way.
We walk for a good amount of time without exchanging words. It's only when we hear a faint chuckle in the distance that someone decides to speak up.
"How long did they say this walk would take?" Jackie asks, her voice strained.
"I don't know," I reply, trying with all of my might to not catch a whiff of the horrible stench that lurks around us.
"I hope soon," Minho whispers harshly. "I'm gonna shucking pass out if I have to smell this klunk any longer. Literally."
"We just have to hang on until we can get out of this bloody place," Newt mumbles.
Harriet remains quiet and doesn't bother to put her two cents in. I grow a bit fatigue, and my thoughts venture to the fact that the Flare is taking over my body. How long do I have until I become insane like the Cranks? More accurately, how long do I have before I become a Crank?
My thoughts are interrupted when a loud shriek fills the air. We all stop in place, and my heart skips a beat. What if that was one of our friends? Oh, who am I kidding. It probably was. I desperately pray that it wasn't anyone important to me.
"Let's keep moving," Harriet insists, moving again. I can tell she has the same thoughts as me.
I hesitate, searching for another noise, but there are none besides our feet sloshing through the waste beneath us.
"I wish we could just find the exit already," the boy, who I still don't know the name of, states eagerly. He holds the flashlight in front of us, guiding everyone through the tunnel.
I shiver, as a sudden feeling of being watched crosses my body. I dare not to look behind me, and choose to keep walking.
"Hey, the exit is up there!" Jackie points ahead.
I turn to look, when suddenly, a loud rumble fills the air, and the ground is sent shaking beneath us. I fall into the slosh of waste, and watch as debris fall from above. My body threatens to empty it's contents from my stomach, but somehow, I hold it in. Everything mutes in that moment as the loud rumbling continues to fill the air. I shield my head, and locate Newt, who is shielding himself as well.
The flashlight has fallen from the unnamed boys grasp, and is now at a resting position, pointing directly ahead. I can see the faint traces of sunlight at the end of the sewers. Then, my world literally crumbles, as I witness a large chunk of debris fall into place over our one and only exit.
"No!" I scream, and eagerly get to my feet. A portion of light remains, and that is when I really rush now.
Everyone else gets to their feet eagerly, and I motivate them to run. We start chasing after the space of light. The ground ceases to rumble, but there is no time to be thankful. There is still the chance of an aftershock, and that is where things could be bad for all of us.
My legs burn with effort as we reach closer and closer to the blockade that almost completely covers our exit. My heart freezes as I hear a scream and the sound of a body hitting the sloshy ground. I turn around, and Harriet is being pinned down by some sort of inhumane creature.
As I come closer, I can see that it faintly resembles a human being, except it has sores all over their body, a large red gash in its chest, and black wispy pieces of hair attached to its head. The things eyes are consumed by blackness, and its skin looks like it'd been dipped in acid. It howls at Harriet, it's teeth yellow and jagged. That is what Brenda meant by a Crank being past the Gone.
I hurriedly grab a piece of fallen rock, and slam it across the Cranks head. It falls backward, and growls angrily like a dog with rabies. I help Harriet up, and hear Newt and the others chanting for us to hurry up.
We help Harriet through the space in between the exit and the rocks. She wiggles through, then lands safely on the other side. The Crank howls and lunges for us. The unnamed boy steps in the way, and allows the Crank to attack him. Minho screams.
I stare in horror at the scene of the Crank tearing the boys flesh away. Jackie grabs my shoulder and turns me away from the scene. The boys' anguished screams of pain fill my ears, but somehow, Jackie's words get through to me. "Let's go," she says firmly. Although she may not admit it, but I can see the fear in her eyes.
I wearily nod, and she and Newt help me through the space. I wiggle through, and land on the other side with Harriet. I'm greeted by the Suns' harsh rays and the dusty atmosphere. The tall skyscrapers now stand mere inches from me. I turn back around and watch Jackie wiggle her way through the tiny space. The ground shakes again, and I grow worried. What if Minho and Newt don't make it out in time?
After Jackie lands onto the ground next to us, Minho is the next to go through. He struggles, as his hefty build is a bit harder to navigate through the tiny space. Newt chants encouraging words to him from behind.
"Hurry!" I yell, feeling the ground rumble even more. That Crank won't be satisfied forever either.
We grab Minho's hands and tug on him. He screams with pain and we hear Newt grunt. Then, finally, Minho slides out of the space and onto the ground with us.
I inch up to the space and watch Newt attempt to climb through the barely visible exit. I see the Crank in the background, it's crouched figure outlined in the dark. Newt sweats with effort, but doesn't show any signs of fear. That's what I admire the most about him.
I push rocks out of the way, and grab Newt's hands. He locks eyes with mine, and for the first time in a long time, I see a glint of recognition flash before them. I pull, grunting with effort. When he doesn't budge, I try again.
Soon, everyone joins me in my efforts of pulling Newt to safety. We try furiously, but he still doesn't budge. He begins to fall back in the sewers, the rocks nearly blocking my view of him.
I shed a tear, and watch him helplessly. This can't be the end. He stares at me, a mixture of emotions hidden behind his eyes.
His face turns into a look of determination, and then he walks back up to the space, and begins moving rocks away. I join him, hoping that there is still a chance of him making it out. Minho joins me, then Jackie, then Harriet.
He climbs back through the hole, and looks at me. He nods confidently, and whispers, "Pull."
I nod firmly, and we take ahold of his strong wrists. We pull, grunting with strenuous effort. I sigh as he still doesn't budge.
My arms fall to my sides, and I begin to cry, feeling helpless. Newt can't die. Not now. He needs to remember me. He needs to remember us.
Newt reaches over and tilts my chin up, and his warm brown eyes stare into mine. "Maya, you can do this. I believe in you," he whispers.
I wipe the tears from my eyes, and latch onto his wrists one more time. I glance at the others, and they nod. I feel a surge of determination fill my body. On the count of three, we all begin to pull. I grunt with immense effort. Newt is going to be okay, I tell myself. Suddenly, Newt flies out and lands onto the ground, and the space where he occupied just mere seconds before caves in.
I fall onto my back, breathing in heavily. I glance over at Newt, and he scoots over to me, his face dirty with debris. I sit up, and smile weakly.
"I remember you, Maya," Newt whispers, and those words change my life forever. He gently grabs my face with his hands, and in one quick movement, his lips make contact with mine.
It's an electrifying moment; my first kiss with him. He quickly lets go, and I'm staring at him in disbelief. His eyes prove his statement to be true, and I can see the recognition brightening up his eyes like never before. Newt remembers me. I don't know how, but he remembers me.
My eyes water, and I want to scream with happiness. But we can't celebrate now. We have to find the rest of our group. As much as I want this to be over, it isn't. It's only the beginning.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OMG Newt remembers! :D Finally!
Anywho, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! It's very long, and I was contemplating on making it the last chapter in the book, but I decided against it! This book will be ending soon though. :( But fear not, for there will be a sequel! :D Question for today is...
Q: Who do you think that unnamed boy was?
That's it! Thanks for reading and answer in the comments. :)
-crankynewt