Light ➳ TST, Thomas [2] ✓

Chapter {5}

In no way would I ever think our safety was so short lived.

Not at the sight that welcomed us as we ran outside. The emptiness in darkness that like a carpet overran the night air, the starless sky whose bleakness a good representation of our current situation. In front of me a shadow creeped...my shadow in white light behind like a reflector whose tracks kept pushing through dusty wind.

My steps were urgent and fast. My hair whipped back by the force of dirt in the wind and my eyes a constant target to the grains carried by swiveling air. I couldn't see much, not through the dusty layer over my eyes that aside there rested on my lips every time I have already removed it.

However, I kept moving. Kept holding onto Nico's hand as we both struggled after every sand dune in our way. The sound of pursuit behind us never faltered, that awful mechanical whirring so similar to Grievers and that beeping of a electrical device.

"Everybody go, go! And stay low!" Thomas yelled urgently, almost invisible in darkness as Nico forced me to crouch down effortlessly. I saw him nod barely visibly, following him once he had started to move forward. We stayed like that for quite some time, dragging on our elbows through the sand desperately, as flashing lights and a sound of motor faded into the wind.

Then, I stood up again, dragged myself through the sand, running as fast as I could only so I'd reach others as they have already moved at faster pace than Nico and I. Our group was leadless, wandering through the sandy, deserted area like a few lost travellers. "Teresa, hang on. Stay together!" Thomas shouted at the girl, whose figure has started to move toward a faded structure covered in sand. It seemed faraway, that frame of wasted metal and glass punctured in shards in its middle that shone on light of the moon, our only light in that storm.

I followed her, stable on my feet as any other sound or conversation I depicted earlier slowly disappeared behind yelling and urgent footsteps in squeaking sand. "Wait Aria, don't go in there!" Somebody's hand brushed mine fleetingly, barely had any effect as, seeing that Teresa has slipped into another even darker room, I braced myself for anything that might be down there.

Strangely, nothing was there but a mountain of sand at the window that like a slide went all the way toward a slightly scarier sight of complete darkness. As my feet touched down onto much more stable ground, I could depict shapes of what seemed like furniture; a sofa and a desk packed with many different items.

The sight left a creeping feeling of fright to crawl through my veins, that empty and almost too dark, seemed to be only a part of our problem then if it weren't for that awful smell of something half rotten and acid. Like two different worlds, that place was a big contrast to the outside world whose emptiness stretched on as good as I've seen.

I couldn't catch any movement between those dark objects, nothing at all as I stayed staring through the dust. Slowly, my vision cleared, and further away I could see a door like the ones covering a garage. However, it didn't perk my interest as much, not as much as the movement beside me. Boys joined Teresa and I, gazing at the sight with half fear and half astonishment.

It lasted for barely second, after which Thomas spoke up. "Where the hell are we?" He looked around himself, instant panic on his features, that I've only wished to say something that would calm him down. "We gotta go."

"No, Thomas, stop." Teresa answered rather urgently, afraid but still sounding confused and not too sure. "Tell me what's going on."

I took in a breath, shaky in the silence. "It's WICKED, Teresa."

"They lied to us. We never escaped. Aris and I found bodies, too many to count." Thomas began panicking, his breathing increased as slowly the words sunk heavily into my mind. After what we've been through, I'd expect them to do something yet even worse that now, I have realised was exactly that. Were exactly those bodies.

"What do you mean? Dead bodies?" Minho was the first, after a short silence to speak even without the panic I and presumably others have been feeling.

"No, but they weren't alive either. They had them strung up, tubes coming out of them. There's something inside of us that WICKED wants. So we have to get as far away from them as possible." Thomas explained hurriedly, with great distress as if remembering that sight brought him more bad memories. I looked down at my feet, inhaling another short breath as the group has fallen into silence again.

To say I cared for what WICKED or my mother did would be something of a lie, yet all those kids that Thomas and Aris have found in that way drained and used for nothing more but a sick experiment, made me think, maybe all those bad things they've done so far have to come to daylight and be their own downfall. It made anger well in me, and sadness nest in my head as if waiting for a right moment just to show them we could stand and fight. And that was what I promised myself...to fight, to do what ever it took just to take them down.

"We followed you our here Thomas! And now you're saying you don't have any idea where are we going or what are we doing!" Newt's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, bringing back the harsh reality of what we were faced with.

"Wait, Janson said something about people hiding in the mountais. Some kind of resistance or army." Aris spoke up as well. "The Right Arm."

"If they're really against WICKED, maybe they can help us." Thomas suggested with a twinge of hope in his voice, that no matter how good in seemed to it looked terrible to go wandering off somewhere when we didn't even know what was there, or most importantly if that resistance really existed.

"People in the mountains? Mountain people? That's you're plan?" Newt answered disbelievingly, sarcasm laced his voice as he pursed him lips tightly.

"It's the only chance we have." Thomas breathed out.

Nobody dared to say anything after those words, only silence again fell over us in anticipation. "Hey guys, check this out!" Winston's voice called from the ground. "Minho, give me your flashlight."

As the older boy pointed a beam of light where Winston showed him to, a tingle of distress ran down my spine at the sight. There were footsteps, all atop each other and lightly pressed in sand as they slowly began to fade. "Maybe they are still here." I spoke up, eyeing Thomas who leaned over the markings as if wanting to gain answers as quick as possible. I did too, the sooner we knew if there was help the quicker we could escape as far away from WICKED.

"We'll check that out. Minho, come on." He stood up.

"Wait, before you go... just be careful, okay? Both of you." I smiled lightly at him.

I felt two strong arms wrap around me in a hug, Thomas drawing me toward himself so I could lean my head onto his shoulder. I heard him inhale next to my ear, then a swift kiss on the side of my head. "We will."

(A/N):

Hello...damn I feel like with every chapter this books get less and less descriptive....pls I wanna know what you guys think?

I tried to squeeze in a Tharia moment. I hope you liked it😂

Anyway, have a good day or night!!