𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐒 - 𝘚𝘊𝘖𝘙𝘊𝘏 𝘛𝘙𝘐𝘈𝘓𝘚

9 ~ 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙪𝙨

Newt

We didn't encounter any more Cranks during the rest of our journey in the tunnel. Maybe they knew that Satomi would just shoot them dead the moment they attacked. We walked and walked, and I wondered how much farther as I rubbed my bad leg irritably. 

Just as I thought it, however, Satomi, who had been leading, stopped in her tracks and looked up. We followed her gaze to see a circular metal door in the ceiling; most likely our way out. Satomi turned back to us. 

"I need to get on someone's shoulders." she said. 

"Newt'll do it," Minho volunteered me, and with a glare at him, I stepped forward. Satomi swung herself onto my shoulders. I held her legs so that she wouldn't fall off, and walked right under the door. I heard clanking as Satomi pulled a few latches, and the door swung open, letting a blinding light shine in. I heard everyone hiss, and block their eyes. I, however, cried out as sand rained down onto Satomi and I, making me cough.

"Sorry," said Satomi. "Probably should have warned you about that."

"Probably." I agreed, but then felt the weight leave my shoulders. I looked up into the brightness and saw from her silhouette that she had climbed up into the Scorch above. I stepped on Frypan and Minho's hands to give me a boost, and hauled myself up as well. I was greeted with a gust of wind, and was grateful for Lottie's scarf to prevent it from getting in my mouth.

A few minutes later, we were all standing in the hot sun. I was already sweating, and I hadn't even started walking yet. Satomi pointed at a city in the distance, just barely visible over the dunes. It didn't look any better than the one we ran into when we were attacked by the WICKED ship. "That's where we have to go," she said, and set off at a determined pace, hoisting her ratty backpack higher on her shoulders.

"Man, I would kill for some pancakes right now," Clint grumbled, rubbing his growling stomach as he walked. "Don't think you could whip them up for us, eh, Frypan?" 

Frypan rolled his eyes. "What do you want me to make them out of? Sand? 'Cause that's all we got."

"Stop talking about food," whined Minho. "You'll just make us all hungrier." 

So, we walked on without any talk of food – and of any other things. We stayed silent, immersed in our own thoughts. I, for one, was wondering how Lottie, Brenda, and Thomas were faring. If they even survived the collapse of the ceiling, of course. But the others had convinced me that they were all right. Jorge said he had seen Thomas reach for Lottie before they were blocked from view, so maybe he was able to reach her in time and pull her to safety. 

But then there were the Cranks to worry about. But Brenda was always prepared, Thomas was a smart shank from WICKED, and Lottie could take care of herself. She showed just as much when she ran into the Maze at night with two Grievers chasing her.

It would be my fault if she died. I should have been the one to push her to safety. I should have been the one to go after her at the other WICKED facility. I should have... I just should have done more. 

"So... you're fifteen." Minho asked Satomi from up front. I heard her scoff. 

"Yeah."

"Don't you have... parents or something?" 

I rolled my eyes and moved closer, in case Minho asked any more ridiculous questions and Satomi decided to beat him up.

"I did," Satomi replied softly, surprising me. "I lost them both when I was very young; six. Cranks stormed our apartment; there were no survivors. Except me."

"How?" Minho asked; quite insensitively, I thought. "If you're okay talking about it, of course." He added after catching my glare. 

"No, it's fine. It's been nine years, after all." Satomi said. "I only survived because of my parents. They helped me out of the window and on to the roof. I turned around to help my mother through, but they shut and locked themselves in, after telling me to run. It was their dying wish, so that's what I did. I turned and ran across the roof, climbed down the gutter, and ran as far as I could. And I've been by myself ever since."