CHAPTER TWELVE
❞It doesn't matter if I close my eyes or open them, either way I see darkness.❞
INGRID CLEARWATER walked among a valley of multiplying sand dunes and under a scorching sun that made her skin feel dry, and her lips to feel cracked and irregular. In fact, her whole body felt completely out of place as she trudged along down towards nowhere — as per usual. It was another day as to where Ingrid would nearly starve, or die of thirst because she couldn't find something to quench it. Perhaps if her mother were present, her situation would be the polar opposite. But, all remains of the woman who gave her life were long gone, far out of Ingrid's grasp. She had no notion on where to even begin looking for someone who was lost, someone who is dead. Was there even a point in searching for just a body, without a heartbeat and without the melancholy voice she held that sung Ingrid to sleep?
Was Emberly Clearwater still Emberly Clearwater if her eyes were permanently shut tight for eternity? Ingrid couldn't comprehend the latter of it, for it had happened so briefly that it still hadn't fully processed in her young mind. The young mind that hardly bared any sliver of innocence; she had seen it all. Gore, murder, cannibalism. And, now that she was all alone, she was going to have to face it like every other lonely person did — fight. Fight through it like a plague of vexation, but the mere problem was that she didn't have a choice between losing and winning. If she lost, she would lose everything she was. And, Ingrid already lost enough pieces of herself to risk ridding herself of any more.
So, the brunette girl continued on her journey without a word exiting her mouth, or even a slight hum to continually pass the time. Although she had no idea as to what time it was, she could see the sun beginning to creep upon its way behind the earth and let the moon grace its presence. With that in mind, the aforementioned Clearwater girl wandered under a small cave, beginning to prepare a fire. Once she had lit the flames and prepared the logs, she began to pull out her food for the night. She would always savor each bite as if it was her last, because she never knew if it could very well be her last meal.
Ingrid ate in silence, the only sounds echoing through the night being her constant chewing and the thoughts that ran rampant in her mind. Sometimes, an owl would chirp, making Ingrid feel less alone than usual. But, the sound that really awoke her senses was the quick sound of a twig cracking. The aforementioned girl immediately stood up, baring her bow and arrow in her sweaty Palm. She deserted the fire, collecting her knapsack hurriedly as she made her way out of the warm cave.
Another crack pierced through her eardrums, and she jumped in fright, her body turning around frantically to try and catch sight of the person responsible for stepping on the twig. It could be an animal, but if there was one thing that her mother taught her, was that she should never let her guard down in frightening situations. Ingrid's grip on her bow tightened as she slowly exited the cave completely, now back into the arms of the cold night that embraced her. She turned around for a split second to begin a light jog away from the cave, but she could only get so far before the footsteps became a constant paradigm. Her heartbeat thumped against the cages of her ribs, resonating from her feet to the top of her head. Her hands began to shake, and it was then that the girl started a quick-paced jog underneath the starry night. Her sack of arrows jostled every second, but the brunette girl could hardly pay attention to that when she was so frightened of the mysterious person.
And it was then, and only when, the aforementioned girl heard silence that she was hit with a wave of uneasiness, settling even in the deepest nooks of her being. In the dark, she could make out a small human figure nearing her, and Ingrid involuntarily let out a scream, masking the innocent night air with fear. The shadow made its way towards her, and she aimed her bow and arrow without thinking twice. Her hope wasn't to kill; it was to merely faze the person so she could run. Her mother had always told her that killing wouldn't solve anything, only bring a mind full of guilt and lost hope.
The person was now so near her that she could hear their breathing through the sounds of the night, and instead of aiming and shooting, she reached for her knife in her back pocket. Her nimble fingers wrapped around it loosely, shaking constantly from their fear of murder and death. And, without a last thought stopping her in her mind, she plunged the knife into the unknown person's stomach, and the piercing sound of a knife fluttered through her ears. Again, the night fell silent once more, the body falling to the ground.
It was then that Ingrid Clearwater realized what she had done. She had murdered somebody — recklessly and without reason. Now, she was not the monster that lived under her bed when she was younger; she was the monster that lurked in the nooks of the darkest minds.
-
Ingrid's hazel irises came into the sight of the others, and immediately, the girl jolted up from the shock of the blow. She placed a shaky hand over her chest, trying to regain a normal pattern of breathing, but only failing to do so. Beside her, the group held her shoulders as she coughed lightly, her body shaking as her mind wandered back to the memory she endured while she was out. Finally, the brunette girl rubbed her eyes groggily before locking eyes with Thomas and asking, "What- what happened?"
Thomas shared a short glance with the rest of the group present before replying easily, "You were struck by lightning, Ingrid."
"Oh," The aforementioned Clearwater girl sighed, and the others laughed lightly at her reaction before beginning to help the girl up on her feet. Ingrid felt woozy from the lightning, her mind spinning as she struggled to stand on her own two feet without falling back to the ground. Thomas wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and Newt took control of the other side of her as she relied on them to hoist her up. Teresa took the liberty of surveying their dark surroundings, only small cracks of light being emitted through the cracked glass window.
Once Ingrid was able to stand on her own two feet again, she readjusted her pack of arrows on her back before eyeing the room just as Teresa had done. It was completely silent; the only sounds being the low chatter exchanged between Minho and Thomas. She reached into her own knapsack for her flashlight, and she flicked it on, getting a better view of the vast space they were in. Suddenly, a stench wafted into Ingrid's nostrils, and as she looked over at Teresa, she could tell the girl smelled it too. "Hey," Teresa spoke up, pointing her words towards the oblivious boys. "What's that smell?"
Only three quarters of Ingrid's response had exited her mouth before a flashlight was shone in another direction, catching sight of the treacherous monsters they had been running from since the first day they entered the scorch. Ingrid immediately jumped back, flinching in fright. She clutched her flashlight tighter, and she could feel herself getting pulled back by someone who she would only suspect to be Thomas. The creature stayed in its area, chained up to a post and unable to harm the horrified teenagers. That gave Ingrid a small amount of closure - but not enough to soothe her thumping heartbeat. And, just as Ingrid had thought that there was one, the sound of another accompanying it pierced her eardrums, resonating in her mind like a siren. Again, the girl jumped back, and as per usual, she landed straight into Thomas's arms.
"Holy shit! Where are they coming from?!" Ingrid yelled out among the noise of chains shackling and groans, and the group only yelped in horror in response. At this point, everyone was huddled into one small pack as they tried to fend for themselves from the unknown creatures who showed no mercy. Looking into their eyes felt as hypnotizing as ever; like looking into a deep abyss of immense darkness that never ended. Ingrid shut her eyes as a way to rid herself of the images that begged to unleash themselves in her thoughts.
"I see you've met our guard dogs."
Ingrid's eyes shot wide open as her vision locked on a girl who looked to be about their age, baring a flashlight and a facial expression full of sarcasm. She walked past the creatures as if they were of no big deal to her, even if they nearly lopped her head off. She had short hair, as if it had been freshly cut yet still growing. Her clothes weren't as wretched as Ingrid's were, and the amount of dirt on her face signified that she certainly had found shelter. Ingrid wanted to ask the simple question of who she was, but the said girl was too busy raking her eyes over each and every one of them, a puff of breath exiting her mouth. "You guys look like shit."
Ingrid snorted in response, crossing her arms over her chest as she stepped forward from the shadows of her friends beside her, "Excuse me? You don't exactly look like little Miss Perfect yourself."
The said girl rolled her eyes before focusing back on the others behind Ingrid, making it quite clear that she didn't have a comeback for her snarky remark. "Come on, follow me," she suddenly spoke up, and Ingrid's mouth gaped open in shock at the chestnut-haired girl standing in front of them with an expression that seemed harsh. All Ingrid wanted to do was reach out and slap the smirk on her face that continued to grow wider each second. As if Thomas knew, he reached out in the darkness, grasping onto Ingrid's arm. He held her back slightly, and she raised an eyebrow at him as if to question what he was doing. He shook his head in response, and Ingrid slumped her shoulders to subdue her aching pains to punch the unknown girl. At first, no one budged an inch, but once it was clear that she was leaving them behind, they began to ponder their decisions. "Unless you want to stay with them," She threatened, furrowing an eyebrow, gesturing towards the restless atrocities.
With that, they all reluctantly followed after her, and she led them through a maze of musty hallways and such, before prying open a yellow door. Behind that, was a brewing fire and human civilization that bustled about normally. Ingrid swallowed thickly as she saw the array of warm cots that looked extremely comfy to her, and Thomas pulled her closer when he noticed her eyes wandering. "Come on, keep up," the girl beckoned, "Jorge wants to meet you."
"Who the hell is Jorge?" Ingrid whispered under her breath, hoping that it was incoherent, but practically everyone had taken note of it, chortling softly in response. The girl seemed oblivious to it as she brought them up a steep flight of stairs, only stopping when she reached the top and greeted another person. It was only then that Ingrid decided to ask again, this time louder, "Who's Jorge?"
"You'll see," she replied mysteriously, beginning to reprimand the others. "No one's come out of the scorch in a long time. You've just got him curious," She finished her monologue with a quick nod of her head, and Ingrid took the time to notice the pairs of eyes watching her as she strolled past. People of all kind stopped to eye the newbies, and it almost reminded Ingrid of her time she spent with Janson. She would watch the new people come in with wary eyes, and not even take the time to acknowledge them, for they mostly never proved themselves worthy of her time.
"Does anyone else get a bad feeling about this place?" Newt muttered under his breath, and it was then, and only then, that the Clearwater girl looked over her shoulder to see the crowd of people following them on their way to meet Jorge. She shivered slightly at the thought of being watched, gripping Thomas's hand tighter as they were led up another flight of stairs before finally reaching their supposed destination.
"Jorge," the girl greeted,"They're here." Ingrid's eyes frantically averted over the expanse of the room, the several nooks and crannies lined against the wall immediately catching her eye. The man who was supposedly Jorge shushed Brenda before focusing back on the machine placed directly in front of him. Ingrid cleared her throat, hoping to gain the attention they needed so she could escape as fast as she had arrived. It was then that Jorge turned around, and she locked eyes with a man who was seemingly quite older than them. His hands were planted on his hips, inspecting each and every group member present as if they were outcasts. Even though they technically were.
"You ever get the feeling the whole world's against you?" He began to speak, and everyone shared a glance, knowing exactly how that felt. It seemed that if the odds would never work in their favor, for the only things that ever occurred to them were mortality and the death that always looked upon them. "Three questions. Where did you come from, where are you going, and how can I profit?" He began to pour himself a glass of water from a tray, sipping it delicately as he awaited their answers with beckoning eyes.
Thomas stepped forward, releasing his grip on Ingrid's hand, licking his cracked lips as no way to answer the questions entered his mind. "Don't all answer at once," Jorge spoke sarcastically as he poured more water into the glass cup.
"Looking for the mountains," Thomas responded softly, for once his voice not booming out orders. Ingrid liked that side of his voice, nearly as soothing as her mother's had been. "Looking for the Right Arm."
At those last words that he had uttered, a small amount of laughter echoed throughout the room, and even some smiles cracked onto their faces. Thomas looked completely oblivious to the fact that they were laughing at his attempt to search for the Right Arm, but Jorge immediately fired back, "You're looking for ghosts, you mean?" And, with that, he downed the rest of his water in one gulp, focusing back on the group of sleep-deprived teenagers in front of him. "Question number two, where did you come from?"
The answer to that question was not as certain as the others - and could not be reputed like the rest. Where they had all came from was most likely known to them as the enemies' side, which would surely cause chaos to strike again. Ingrid and Thomas shared a worried glance before Minho decided against his better judgement to speak up for them, "That's our business."
A small snort of laugher fell from Jorge's lips, and with a snap of his thumb, Ingrid's arms were pinned behind her back as the others took hostage of them. They all fought back, especially Ingrid, who continuously kicked the man holding her back in the shin, who showed no signs of pain. Suddenly, the girl who had come to their rescue before pushed Ingrid down onto the floor with her boot, scanning over her neck. Tentatively, the said girl backed away from Ingrid as if she was the plague, and the Clearwater girl immediately began to panic, "What? What is it?"
"You were right," she deadpanned for a moment before showing Jorge the machine she used to scan Ingrid's neck, "That girl right there is working for WCKD."
Jorge straightened up hurriedly, readjusting his glasses as he barked out a simple order, "Take her away! Put her in one of the empty rooms, now. We could definitely make use of her."
"No! No! Let go of me, you greasy imbecile!" Ingrid screamed out frantically, thrashing around as she tried to escape the grasp the two heavy men had on her. "No, please! Please let go!"
Thomas and the others began to race after her, and she dragged her feet along the wooden floor as an attempt to slow them down. Tears threatened to spring from her eyes as she caught Thomas's eye for a mere second, hoping to catch a glimpse of him to soothe her. On the other hand, that only made him even more perturbed. "Hey! Let her go! Come on!" He tried to fight back, but the mass crowd of men began to close in on them, surrounding them. Through the crowd, Ingrid caught Thomas's eye one last time.
And Thomas suddenly wished he hadn't released her hand before.
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A/N: Hey guys! I am so sorry about the fact that I have not updated in the longest time! I had so many midterms and tests to study for, and now that I am finally done with them, I can relax and write more. We hit the 1 hour mark in the movie, so we only have one more hour left until the end.
Also, if you guys watch ''The Originals', you should definitely check out my new fanfic about it called 'Seven Devils.' Its about a pregnant witch? AYY ;)
Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and don't forget to vote, comment your thoughts, and follow me on Wattpad. Love you guys so much. :)