″ i knew it would all come crashing down when i came to the point where i would leave the whole world behind for you. ‶
[Winner of the E-Awards: "Best Series"]
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Olivia, Newt and...
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When my eyes flutter open, the whole world is hanging upside down. I feel pressure around my ankles and my head is sore. I look up and see my feet above me, rope knotted around them. I am suspended over a large opening, one snap of the rope could send me plummeting to a fifty foot death.
I gulp.
I look around me and see the others slowly starting to wake up, rubbing their eyes and squealing as they take in their current state of being.
"Good job, Olivia. You really have a way with words." Minho says, groaning as he tries to swing around, only causing him to bump into others. A chorus of "stops" sound from the Gladers, and soon, everyone is swinging around. I get dizzy and feel nausea rise up into my throat.
"Shut up, Minho." I reply, rolling my eyes even though he can't see me. I am having trouble breathing and my head is throbbing. "We need to get out of here."
"Not just yet." Jorge's voice sounds from behind me. I look him over while I continue to spin in circles.
"Why did you tie us up?" Newt asks from next to me.
"My friends want to kill you, but I disagree. You came from Wicked. That means you are very valuable." He says.
"Is the blood rushing to my head, or is this shank not making any sense?" Minho questions.
"You guys are immune. At first I thought you were lying, but if you were infected, you'd already be showing it. Therefore, I have decided to help you. Brenda and I will get you through the scorch in return for safety at the end of your trials."
"Why are you helping us?" I ask. It seemed suspicious that the decision would come so easily.
"I don't want to be a Crank. If there is a cure like they promised us, I want it. Brenda and I will take you through the scorch. Stealth over numbers, and Brenda's the only one I can trust here." He walks over to me and grabs my arms, pulling me over to him. I see boots walk over and a knife being pulled out. Someone, I assume the Brenda girl, slashes the rope and my feet fall down over the edge before Jorge pulls me up. I still have a lingering headache and my stomach is turning. Brenda and Jorge free the others and some of them throw up a little.
Suddenly, a loud boom sounds from the distance, rattling the floor. I struggle to maintain my balance.
"What the shuck was that?!" Minho yells.
The ceiling above us cracks and chunks of concrete begin falling to the ground, getting bigger and bigger by the second.
"Someone set an explosion!" Jorge yells. "We need to leave now!" He grabs a satchel and swings it over his head. He waves his hands, ordering us to follow him.
I turn to Brenda, the strange girl I barely know. "What happened?" I ask her.
She slings on a similar bag as Jorge's onto her shoulders, tucking her pixie cut behind her ears. "One of the Cranks probably heard us and what we are planning. So they–Watch out!" She yells, pulling my arms as something crashes behind me.
It sends a vibration through my legs as it connects with the ground, sending Brenda and I toppling over. I cough through all the dust and particles in the air.
I turn my neck and see the ceiling caved in in front of us, blocking our exit. Brenda jumps to her feet and runs to the destruction, attempting to find holes to slip through and lifting up pieces of debris.
"There's no way we're getting through that," She says and wipes off her hands. She slips a walkie talkie out of her bag and presses a button before talking into it. "Jorge! Jorge can you hear me?"
A crackle sound comes from the machine before a familiar voice echoes out. "Brenda, are you safe?"
"We're fine. The brunette girl got us stuck. We're gonna have to go through the Underneath."
"Okay. Be safe. Meet us at the supermarket. These kids are headed for the mountains and they don't even know it yet, over."
She stuffs the thing away and turns to me. "What's your name?" She asks me, sharp eyes darting over my face as she crosses her arms.
"Olivia." I say, voice trembling.
She takes notice and laughs. "Well, can I just say you're stupid? Rule one, don't stop. Listen and do what Jorge and I say if you don't want your ass killed." She says it all with a smile on her face, which reminds me of something Minho would do.
I nod.
"Follow me." She says and begins rummaging through the rubble of the explosion.
"How long have you lived here?" I ask as she throws bits and pieces aside.
"A few weeks. We have to move around a lot." She answers, not taking her attention away from what she is doing.
"Is Jorge your dad?"
"No, but sometimes it seems like it. He's all I have. And I've always done whatever he tells me to, no matter how stupid." Her last words seem to be aimed at me. I hear her mumble a yes as she pulls some rocks off of a door in the floor, tugging on it to take the top off.
"Do you not think–"
"You know, you ask a lot of questions. Can you just come over and help me with this?"
I walk over and crouch down next to her, pulling on the gate and it swings off.
"This is the Underneath, it runs throughout the entire city. Brace yourself, they'll be full term down here," She says, staring down into the darkness. Who knows how far of a drop it is.
