The Broken Healer

Chapter 10: Chaos

She was crouched on the ground, unable to breathe or think straight. She vaugely heard rushed footsteps. She felt hands on her shoulders and a blurred face before her. It was trying to talk. Newt was saying something, but she couldn't hear or process what was being said.

Newt shook her shoulders, he was still trying to talk. And like a switch was turned on, her hearing kicked back in.

"Evelyn. Listen to my voice. Where are we, right now?"

"Uhh..." She stuttered, she had to think. Her hand felt the cool metal of a wall. "The...it's the Berg."

"Good. Who is here on it with you?"

"Just...just you.. it's just us."

"Why? Why is it just us?"

"Because... it's'cause we 're not immune... because we're crazy."

"You know I love you, right?"

"Yes..." Her chest didn't feel so tight. It still hurts. It would probably always hurt. But the wild panic was gone, now just a deep loneliness and sorrow. The tears slid silently down her face.

"I love you too Newt."

Newt pulled her closer for a moment. She collected herself and pulled away wiping her tears.

"We need to leave. I can hear something outside."

Newt nodded. "Cranks."

Evelyn stood up, her legs felt shaky. But she was up. Once she had her bag and newt had his backpack on the stood infront of the berg ramp door.

"Well. Our last chance to change our minds." Newt said quietly.

She shook her head and pushed the button to open the door. As soon as the door opened they were hit by the loud ambient noise of people, erratic and...off. Cranks. They weren't there when Evelyn and Newt said goodbye. It must be close to night now. That's when Cranks come out.

They must move in packs and groups. They must be everywhere outside the walls. Those wild past the Gone, trying to get inside the walls for no other reason than the madness inside told them to. Desperate for food, like the primal animals they'd become.
What she was becoming.

Evelyn couldn't see the fully past Gonners, but she heard them. It made her shiver. It made her think of everything she had gone through in the Underneath. The cranks, the fighting, the fear. Newt reached for her hand, and intertwined his fingers with hers.

"You left a note for the others?" She asked.

Newt nodded, "left it on the table."

Evelyn nodded again. Itching with irritation and anxiety. She needed off the Berg, she needed to walk away. Leave her loved ones behind...it's for the best, she told herself. She didn't want them to see her turn into a mad raving cannibalistic former human. They had seen enough already, she had tried to hurt too many friends already. No ..this was for the best.

Newt wasn't as far gone as she was, but she could see it taking over. His always gentle eyes weren't so calm anymore. He smiled less and frowned more, his muscles were tense and stiff. He would soon reach her stage...and by then she would probably be way past Gone. Hopefully he would keep his promise and end her miserable crank life before then. He promised.

With one more shaking deep breath she took a step away from the Berg, Newt right beside her. They took another step...and another and another. They kept going, not looking back. Away from the Berg and their friends, their family and towards the wild unhinged noises of the cranks.

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The streets were chaos, a mass disorder, nothing made sense. But yet it did. It made sense to Evelyn. It didn't frighten her, the chaos around her. It felt...normal. She thought back to the wildness of Goose and the club, it scared her at the time...now she probably would have enjoyed it.