The Scorch → Newt²

09 → "A WAY OUT"

09 → "A WAY OUT"

"THOMAS!" MINHO CALLED. "Thomas! What happened?"

"I ... I don't know." Thomas stammered. "Who was that? Who was down there screaming?"

"Frankie, I think." Winston answered. lHe was right next to me, just making a joke, and then it was like something yanked him away. Yeah, it was him. Definitely him."

"What happened!" Minho repeated.

"Look." Thomas answered. "I heard him screaming, and ran up here to help. I jumped on him, tried to pin his arms down, find out what was wrong. Then I reached for his head to grab him by the cheeks — I don't even know why — and all I felt was ..."

"What?" Minho shouted. Thomas groaned.

"His head wasn't a head." Thomas continued. "It was like a ... a big ... metal ball. I don't know, man, but that's what I felt. Like his shuck head had been swallowed by ... by a big metal ball!"

"What're you talking about?" Minho quizzed, clearly not convinced.

"Didn't you hear it rolling away right after he stopped screaming? I know it —" Something bumped into Adeline's foot, causing Adeline to shriek slightly. Adeline stepped back in disgust.

"It's right here!" Newt replied. There was a heavy scrape, then Newt grunting as if he was trying to pick it up. "I heard it roll over here. And it's all wet and sticky — feels like blood."

Adeline let out a disgusted shudder, and she felt like gagging. "That's disgusting."

"What the klunk?" Minho half whispered. "How big is it?"

Gladers erupted in questions around them. Adeline fought the urge to throw up.

"Everybody slim it!" Newt yelled. "I don't know." Newt carefully handled the ball to get a feel for it. "Bigger than a buggin' head for sure. It's perfectly round — a perfect sphere."

"Adeline's right. We need to run." Thomas agreed. "We need to go. Now."

"Maybe we should go back." Someone said. "Whatever that ball thing is, it sliced off Frankie's head, just like the old shank warned us."

"No way." Minho responded. "No way. Thomas is right. No more dinkin' around. Spread out a couple of feet from each other, then run. Hunch down, and if something comes near your head, hit the living crap out of it."

No one argued and they started running, far enough apart not to trip over each other. Adeline didn't stop; she didn't dare to.

—

One of those metal balls got one someone else. Adeline didn't stop. After a while, Minho called for everyone to stop, and Adeline was grateful. Doubling over, she panted to catch her breath. Frypan was the first one to recover enough to speak;

"Why'd we stop?"

"'Cause I almost broke my shins on something up here!" Minho shouted back. "I think it's a stairway."

"Well, let's go up 'em!" Frypan said.

"Ya think?" Minho responded. "What would we do without you, Frypan? Seriously."

Ahead, Adeline made out Minho's footsteps as he ran up the stairs. People followed suit, everyone following Minho. When it was Adeline's turn, she couldn't see the first step, so she tripped. From behind, someone — presumingly Newt — caught her before she fell. Nobody knew when another metal ball might attack, and Adeline was ready to get out of here. A bang sounded from above. It didn't sound like footsteps.

"Ow!" Minho yelled. Then, there were a few grunts and groans as Gladers bumped into each other.

"You 'kay?" Newt asked the Runner.

"What'd ... you hit?" Thomas called up.

"The shuck top, that's what. We hit the roof, and there's nowhere else ..." Minho said, trailing off. "Wait! I think I found —"

A click cut him off, and then a bright stream of light burst through the room, burning her eyes, causing Adeline to cover them instinctively. After a moment, the darkness returned.

"Shuck me." Minho said. "Looks like we found a way out, but I think it's on the freaking sun! Man, that was bright. And hot."

"Let's just open it a crack and let our eyes get used to it." Newt said. "Here's a shirt — wedge it in there. Everybody shut your eyes!"

Adeline covered her eyes with her hands once more. After a minute or so, Adeline lowered her hands. It took a few minutes before the brightness became bearable. Minho and Newt crouched just beneath the door in the ceiling. Everything around them was made of grey metal.

"Anybody blind now?" Minho asked. "I feel like my eyeballs are roasted marshmallows."

"So what's out there?" Adeline asked. Adeline's eyes burned. She rubbed her eyes, but they still burned. Minho shrugged as he peeked through a crack of the door with a hand shielding his vision.

"Can't really tell. All I can see is a lot of bright light — maybe we are on the shuck sun. But I don't think there're any people out there." He paused. "Or Cranks."

"Let's get out of here, then." Winston said. "I'd rather get a sunburn than get my head attacked by some ball of steel. Let's go!"

"All right, Winston." Minho replied. "Keep your undies on — I just wanted to let our eyes adjust first. I'll throw the door all the way open to make sure we're okay. Get ready."

"One. Two. Three!" Light and heat burst down the stairwell as the door opened. Newt and Minho were moving to get out of the blinding sunlight coming through the fully open door.

"Aw, man!" Minho said. "Something's wrong, dude. It feels like it's already burning my skin!"

"He's right." Newt said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't know if we can go out there. We might have to wait until the sun goes down."

Groans of complaint erupted from the Gladers. Adeline was still rubbing her burning eyes, when Winston suddenly screamed out;

"Whoa!" The boy shrilled. "Watch out! Watch out!"

Winston was pointing at something right above him. He backed up a couple of steps. On the ceiling, just a few feet above their heads, a big glob of silver was seeping out of the ceiling. It grew bigger and bigger. Then, before anyone could react, it detached from the ceiling and dropped. Instead of splattering on the steps at their feet, the goop of silver flew horizontally, directly onto Winston's face. Winston let out horrific screams and he fell and started tumbling down the stairs.