Ticking Time Bomb [THE SCORCH TRIALS]

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER NINE
❞Wander deeper into every beautiful experience. adjust your grip on beauty as you encounter it— fleeting phenomenon. taste the proof.❞

          THE SUNLIGHT HIT their face scaldingly, depriving them of any coldness they felt. A light breeze dusted with sand as it passed them by, causing them all to cough simultaneously. Ingrid's eyes averted wildly among the scenery, taking her aback as she eyed the wreckage in front of her. Beside her, Teresa held an equally shocked expression, the two of them not even bothering sharing a glance. There was cold blood between the two; yet no one paid any mind to it. In fact, Ingrid herself deemed it as utter annoyance that she always had towards anyone. On the other side of her, Newt exhaled a deep breath, his eyes boring into the sunlit blue sky. And, it was then, and only then that Ingrid truly noticed the wreckage that had occurred before the group of teenagers set foot on this land. Buildings had their tops tore off, charred pieces of glass scattered amongst the rest of the damage. It didn't even look like a real place anymore, more like a terrifying nightmare that would eerily haunt them forever.

         The group of teenagers began to walk off the rocks they stood on and into the piercing rays of the sun. They walked in a straight line, one behind the other, for a little while before a boy named Frypan spoke up, "What the hell happened to this place?"

            Behind him, Newt squinted to look up at the fragments of the skyscrapers that remained standing tall, replying easily, "I don't know. It doesn't look like anyone's been here in a long time."

            Aris chimed in as well, "I hope the whole world's not like this."

            Ingrid smiled at his words, wishing she had a peaceful memory of when she was incredibly young, when the days of her life were still filled with laughs and smiles. When things were different, different in a way where life came easily to everyone. Where darkness never plagued their souls, but only light did. "I don't think it's all like this. It was probably really nice before. You know, with people smiling, laughing."

            Newt nodded in agreement, "It looks like it could've been a beautiful place."

The group all silently agreed with Newt and Ingrid's statement as they continued to walk below the scorching sun that scalded their skin with sweat. Suddenly, Thomas stopped the pack of teenagers, the sound of a helicopter up above invading their hearing. Ingrid's eyes widened as she heard the sound too, her orbs locking onto Thomas as she immediately went into panic mode from the sound that could only signal towards one thing - Janson. "Get down! Now!" Ingrid ordered as she ran under a small bypass that covered the teenagers completely. Between the cracks of the rocks, she could make out a large helicopter that ate up the sky hovering over them closely. The group sat in silence even after they had witnessed the helicopter flying past them, now miles away from the bypass they hid under.

They were trapped. Utterly, and completely trapped. No matter which turn they took, they would always be wanted by WICKED, and haunted by their past actions. Although Ingrid didn't want to admit it, she couldn't fight the fact that she nearly wanted to go back, and cuddle into her warm blanket that had been made for her. Her warm bedroom that made her feel safe; made her feel as if she was at home. And, even though she couldn't remember her first home, she remembered the one Janson had provided her with. That was the home that she could see. She was homesick. Beside her, Minho shook his head in disbelief, "They're never gonna stop looking for us, are they?"