Left Behind -Gally-

Chapter 38

Emma tried to protect her face from the harsh winds and sand, but that was proving to be a challenge. It was night, the stars becoming brighter the further away from the building they got. If the situation were different, she would be admiring the sky. There were no stars in the Glade. Something she never understood. 

Now there were stars, but she no longer cared.

The sound of vehicles was still distant, which was a good sign. WICKED was searching for them, but they weren't close. The hills and sand made it hard for them. Still, they needed to find somewhere safe, even if it was just for the night. It was too dark to navigate, and they needed to come up with a plan.

Teresa ran down a hill, slipping slightly as she struggled to catch her balance. "Hey," Thomas yelled. "Teresa, wait up." The last thing they needed to do was lose each other.

"I think we lost them," Minho hollered from behind her, but Emma couldn't see him.

Emma slid down the hill after Teresa, her body hitting what felt like glass. "What is this?"

"There's a hole," Teresa said. Emma glanced to her left, realizing Teresa was right. There was a hole in the glass.

It could lead to shelter. Right now, anything was better than being exposed. Teresa ducked inside without a word. Emma didn't hesitate to follow. Entering the building, she was immediately met with silence. There was no wind, no sand blinding her. There was a slope of sand, which she stumbled down.

"Teresa. Emma," Thomas shouted when he could no longer see the two girls. The group of boys panicked when they realized they had entered an unknown area alone. "Wait!" Emma looked up, watching as the boys started to enter. "Get inside!"

They slid down the slope one at a time. She stepped back, not wanting them to run into her by accident. The area was large, much larger than Emma had imagined. The structure was clearly buried in the sand a long time ago.

Suddenly, someone rammed into her shoulder. "Sorry," Jack muttered, dusting himself off.

"It's fine," she said. "You okay?"

Jack glanced up at her. "Yeah, are you?" All Emma could do was shrug. She hadn't been okay in a long time. Not since the Glade, not since losing Gally.

Minho slipped off a bag, which he had picked up at some point. Digging through the pockets, he pulled out a flashlight. "Where are we?"

None of them knew the answer. "We need to keep moving," Thomas said.

"No-"

"Let's go."

"Thomas, stop," Teresa snapped, waving her hand. "What's going on?"

Thomas sighed. "It's WICKED." The group surrounded him, listening closely. "They lied. We never really escaped. Aris and I found bodies."

"What do you mean," Minho questioned. He didn't understand what Thomas was saying. "Dead bodies?"

"No, but they weren't alive either." Emma exhaled shakily, trying to digest the information. It was a lot. "They were strung up with tubes sticking out of them. They were being drained. WICKED wants something inside of us. Something in our blood. We have to get away from here."

Emma almost couldn't believe what she was hearing. They never escaped WICKED. It was all a lie. She let the men escort her out of the Maze. She left Gally behind, and for what? To be held captive all over again? It wasn't right. It wasn't fair.

"Okay," Newt broke the silence. He believed Thomas. "What's your plan?" Thomas stared at him blankly. "Seriously? You dragged us out here."

"I-"