(UNDER MAJOR EDITING) 𝐒𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐌𝐄 || 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐓

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘 𝐓𝐖𝐎

There were scattered clothes and old water bottles. Which is why I find it suspicious. People treasure this stuff, why would it be abandoned?

It reeked of decomposing bodies. A nostalgic smell of cranks.

"I have a feeling that cranks could possibly be hiding in this building somewhere." I said.

Most of them exchanged worried glances, indicating that they would keep my comment in mind.

"And why would we believe you, Sarah? You kept many secrets from us according to Janson." Newt accused.

"Yeah Janson: the guy who kidnapped you. And anyways I wouldn't tell you anything about myself when I've only met you, what? A day ago?"

"Doesn't matter. The bottom line is, you aren't trustable." He concluded.

"Idiot." I muttered under my breath before going through a different pile of belongings.

I drowned out whatever Newt decided to say next.

I heard someone coming up to me.

"Hey."

Winston.

"Hey." I said back.

"I just wanted you to know, I trust you. It's understandable for you to not tell us everything after meeting a day ago." He said as he went through a pile of junk.

"Thanks..." I awkwardly responded.

---

I walked behind Minho and Thomas.

I watched as Minho went up to an electronic box, wires tangled.

"Minho, don't do anything stupid." I said.

He continued playing around with the switches.

Creaking echoed in the room, I grimaced at the loud noise. After a few moments of silence, the lights flickered on.

"Shit." I mumbled to myself, knowing that if there are cranks, they are most likely aware they have visitors.

Minho's face held a grin until he glanced behind Thomas. "THOMAS WATCH OUT!"

A crank jumped out of the darkness, the only thing keeping it a distance from Thomas was a fence. The all too familiar screeches filled the air. They're awake.

Another crank came from the shadows, and ran at Minho. He took a metal pipe and swung at the crank's face.

"What the hell is that thing!" Minho yelled while backing Thomas and I away from the zombie-looking creature. To think that used to be a human.

"It's a crank, idiot. Good job turning on the lights. Now they know we're here." I said before running full speed to find the others. Minho and Thomas behind me.

I ran and didn't look back. Thomas and Minho got delayed by having to block the door with a cabinet nearby.

I stumbled up the broken down escalators, seeing the others altogether with bags of supplies.

And then, I started shouting.

"HEY!"

"HEY! RUN!"

They stayed frozen for a second, before seeing Thomas and Minho not too far behind me - being chased.

"Oh, shit." Newt mumbled as I passed him.

As we were going up another broken down escalator someone asked, "THOMAS, MINHO WHAT THE HELL ARE THOSE THINGS?" I answered subconsciously.

Too much adrenaline in my veins to recognise the person who asked.

"THOSE ARE CRANKS, I'LL TELL YOU MORE ABOUT THEM LATER. JUST RUN!"

More horrifying screeches and groans came from the cranks. For some odd reason, this was comforting. It reminded me of the times before the maze.

A crank came from the shadows and came at us. Aris held a bat in his hand and ran to hit the crank in the leg.

More and more cranks caught up to us. I held Aris' jacket sleeve to pull him along with me, making sure he doesn't go out of my sight.

We continued running but as I pulled Aris with me I got tingle in my veins, telling me something was off. I let go of Aris' sleeve and stopped running.

He halted a few meters ahead of me.

"SARAH, WHAT ARE YOU DOING."

"JUST KEEP GOING." I shouted and then started scanning the surroundings for something that was out of place.

Just as Newt was about to pass me, I saw a crank in an abandoned shop. I guess this used to be a mall.

The crank jumped through the glass, shattering it then tackled me and Newt.

These cranks got smarter. That's not good.

A disgusted yell left Newt's mouth, I pushed the crank off of the floor; the screeching getting more and more distant as the crank fell.

Thomas came up and pulled Newt up, Minho doing the same to me. "Thanks, Tommy." Newt said before he started to run once again.

We ended up in a small, narrow hallway. Thomas started pulling on doors but all of them were locked.

Winston screamed as the cranks started to show up at the end of the hallway, where we came from.

We ran to the other end of the hallway. Thomas found a door that had a lock on it, he kicked it multiple times but the lock wouldn't budge.

"I'll hold them back." Winston said. He started shooting the cranks that were coming at us.

They were getting closer and closer.

"MOVE." I snatched the gun out of Winston's hands and aimed at the lock on the door.

The door bursted open but I stayed in the hallway, making sure everyone got out.

There was a place big enough for all of us to hide in. We all huddled up and calmed our breathing, the sounds of cranks never ending.

Aris gripped onto his bat, I could tell he was scared. I pulled him into a hug and whispered comforting words into his ear.

After half an hour, the screeching died down and I could see the drousyness in everyone's expressions.

"You guys go to bed, I'll keep a lookout for cranks." I told them.

"No." I looked at who said it and of course, it was Newt.

"No?" I started to get fed up with Newt and his unnecessary bickering.

"For all we know she could leave while we're all asleep and leave us to die."

"Feel free to stay up." I muttered.

"Just listen to her." Aris said.

"Thanks Aris. Now go to sleep guys, we have a long adventure ahead of us."