The Stranger in the Mirror - TMR/TW

Chapter 2 - Edge of the world

Thomas lay in bed through the night, not able to fall asleep but wanting to get as much rest as he could. But as he was finally beginning to dose off, he heard a scream.

Thomas jumped out of bed, grabbed his shirt from the chair, and ran out the door. A small crowd had gathered, just frozen.

"What happened?" Thomas asked Frypan, pulling him aside.

"He... he said he was hearing voices... Then- h-he vanished." Fry said in complete shock.

"What does vanished mean?" Thomas asked in exasperation.

"We were just talking... then he started fading out... he didn't even realize it was happening until his torso was mostly gone..." Fry said. Unable to believe he was saying this. It couldn't be possible.

"Okay, fine, okay, the common factor so far was voices. Fry, find Minho, and gather the leaders. This can't wait."

Thomas rubbed his brow as he went to talk to the others. Fry had left in a trance, but they'd all been through so much crap they were kinda used to it at that point.

Thomas had a hard time believing what Fry had said though. Fading out... that made it seem like Fry and the others were hallucinating. But if that had been the case, what made that happen? And where was the person that vanished?

Minho ran up to him. His body was alert but his eyes and expression were clearly sleep-deprived.

"Frypan saw it happen... he said that he faded out..." the words felt wrong in his mouth. Thomas didn't know how else to say it though.

"Faded out...?" Minho asked. As confused as Thomas had been. Fry walked up to them. Still in a daze.

"Fry, tell Minho what you can. I'm going to go see if anyone else is gone..." The word gone felt wrong. They couldn't have just vanished. Someone had to have seen them...

It just didn't make sense...

Thomas walked around and found out two more had been taken. Mylee had been one of them. Brenda wasn't there when it happened.

Thomas sat in his hut. Trying to pool his thoughts. With everything he knew. He couldn't figure out how it was happening. All he knew so far was that it was connected to hearing voices prior to actually vanishing.

Island predator was probably out of the cards now. But he couldn't just sit here...

Thomas shook his head and started packing a bag. Just the necessities, he would run to where Gally had been. He had to see if it was the same. Plus he was in desperate need of a run.

He tightened the straps to his pack and walked out. Though the sun was barely coming up. The Safe Haven was in disarray. People comforting others. Minho ran up to him exasperated.

"Where do you think you're going? Six people are gone now. I need you here." Thomas sighed.

"I'm going to see if Gally's really gone. The only thing I can suggest is, try to keep everyone together. If anyone hears voices. Watch them. I'll be back sometime tomorrow." Thomas said, checking the straps again.

"What if you're taken?" Minho asked seriously. With a look in his eye that meant he was not going to let Thomas leave willingly.

"It's me we're talking about. I'll just run away. Besides, I'm taking this." Thomas held up his pistol.

"What about your stitches?" Thomas just glared.

"They're out, I'm better. You know this." He said. Shaking his head and walking back towards the edge of the woods. "Bye Minho!"