𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐒 - 𝘚𝘊𝘖𝘙𝘊𝘏 𝘛𝘙𝘐𝘈𝘓𝘚

18 ~ 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙢

Newt

Something was sneaking up on us in the middle of the night. I could just sense it. And it wasn't Cranks; Cranks would be making those disgusting noises. This – this creature, was much more humanlike, and careful with their footsteps. Somehow that made it more haunting. So, the only thing that seemed logical, was to yell out.

"Something's coming!" I shouted, met with grumbles from my sleeping friends. Lottie squirmed in my arms.

"What? What is?" Jorge demanded, switching on a flashlight and shining it right in my face. I hissed and turned my face away. "Sorry," Jorge said and shone the light at a tree instead. At this point, everyone was awake.

"I don't know what it is," I replied, finally able to sit up when Lottie rolled off of me. "I just hear it... and feel it. Someone's watching us."

"I feel it too," said Satomi, making me jump since she had suddenly appeared at my shoulder.

"Cranks?" Alex questioned fearfully.

"No. Not Cranks. Cranks wouldn't be this careful." Satomi said. "Everyone shut up, let me listen."

We did. Without speaking, we all went back-to-back. Jorge, Thomas, and Brenda all had their flashlights out and lit so we could all see the forest around us. The beams of light cast eerie shadows on the trees, causing my heart rate to increase by the second. I reached for Lottie's hand, mostly to comfort myself more than anything.

"They're people," Satomi concluded. "Hey! Who's there?"

Silence.

"Hey! Do you need help? Food? Water? We have it," Minho shouted as an offering.

"Minho, shut up," Brenda snapped. "You can't just offer things to strangers in this world."

"Well if it keeps them from killing us-"

"Quiet, hermanos," Jorge called, his voice louder than everyone's. "We mean no harm. We're trying to find the Right Arm."

Lottie snickered so quietly only I could hear her. "That rhymed," she whispered, and I held my breath to keep from laughing as well.

There was suddenly a voice I'd never heard before. "Jorge? Is that you?" A light that wasn't ours flickered on in the woods. All three of our lights pointed towards that one, illuminating three people: Two girls and a man. The man was older, about Jorge's age, with black hair and scruff on his face. The two girls were younger, about our age. They both wore bandanas over their faces so I couldn't really see what they looked like, but the first one had dark eyes and hair which was in cornrow braids. The second one had blonde hair, with eyes the color of honey. My eyebrows drew together at the sight of her. I could have sworn I'd seen her before.

"Laurence?" Jorge said.

"Jorge," said the man – Laurence – again. "Who are they?"

"Kids. Immunes."

"You're sure?" Laurence eyed us suspiciously. "Have you tested 'em?"

"No," said Jorge slowly. "But they came straight from the Maze. How could they not be?"

"You never know," said Laurence grimly. "We have a way to test them back at camp, but we can't do it when it's dark. You guys will just have to sleep on the outskirts for the rest of the night I'm afraid..."

"It's nothing we aren't used to," Jorge said patiently. "I think we're just glad to have finally found you guys."

Twenty minutes later, Laurence called out that we were getting close. I could tell we were, too, because the trees were scarcer here. The air also seemed thinner. We must have climbed a bit more. The ground was no longer covered in pine needles. Instead, it was loose rock. I made sure to place every step carefully; I didn't want to do what Thomas did yesterday and nearly slip down the mountain.