Lost to the Scorch

Chapter 21: Audrey

Once the Gladers and members of Group B had figured out that the creature's power source was somehow linked to the bulbs that were all over it's body, defending themselves and attacking got a little bit easier.

Somehow, during the fight she had managed to stay fairly close to Newt. Every time a thing got too close, they would both attack it and fight it off. It was a lot of work, and took more energy than any of them had.

"Duck!" Newt yelled from her right, and she quickly squatted down. She quickly looked around to see how the others were doing, and instantly wished she hadn't. What kind of twisted safe haven is this? She thought, as she saw a two lifeless bodies lying on the ground, covered in wounds. One Glader and one Group B person. That was it, she'd had enough.

When it was safe to do so, she stood back up and started aiming her rusty old sword at every blub she could, letting all her anger out on the yellowish, wrinkled beast.

Then the lighting started, sending Thomas flying and effectively killing the monster behind him. The white light exploded through the sky with deafening cracks of thunder, throwing dirt in every direction. Burning a few monsters to a crisp, sending people flying backwards and tearing people apart right before her eyes.

She spared a glance at her watch. They had ten minutes left, just ten.

Suddenly, Newt was dragging her with him, towards the very pods that the monsters had come out of. Minho and Thao had already started towards the same one, dodging a few zigzagging bolts as they hit the ground.

"Hurry!" Newt called, and Audrey sped up, practically jumping into the pod once they reached it. Newt followed in after her, then Thao and Minho. "We've got to close this."

And so they did, pulling on the half that was leaving it open. It closed, leaving the noise of outside to become a hollow thrum.

"What kind of safe haven tries to kill everyone off first?" Audrey mumbled, shifting a little to give everyone else room. She was glad they were okay, and in this pod with her.

"One set up by WICKED."

"Do you think everyone else did this?"

"Probably. Tommy and Casey definitely did." Newt sighed, pulling Audrey to his side. "Glad we're all okay."

"How much time do we have, until the supposed rescue?"

"Five minutes." Minho said, shaking his head. "Dunno why I'm surprised. How we thought WICKED would just let us wait out the time to get the cure, after all the shuck they've done to us..."

"Yeah, didn't exactly plan on being holed up in a Griever pod to avoid being killed by a monsterous light bulb guy and a thunderstorm." Newt grunted, and Audrey moved closer to him.

A boom and crack shook the pod, making a split in the ceiling enough that water began pouring in, splashing all over everyone. Something hissed and steam seeped in as well, the lighting having heated up the outside material.

"This was not the kind of shucking shower I was looking forward to!" Audrey heard Minho laugh bitterly. "We're not gonna last much longer in here!"

"Only a minute left!"

A sound started up outside. Faint at first, barely discernible over the noises of the storm. A humming. Deep, and low. It grew in volume, seemed to vibrate everything.

"What is that?"

"Dunno, can't be good. Thirty seconds!" Newt announced.

"I say we get out of this thing before it blows. That humming sounds like maybe it could be a Berg or whatever Jorge had called it." Minho said. "Or even if it's not, we need to know what's going on."

So they opened the door, taking the chance to look out at what was going on. A berg was slowly lowering to the ground. The four of them jumped out, lighting flashing, monsters still attacking. a door on the bottom of the Berg began to slowly open.

"Go!" Audrey screamed, running across the wet sand. Out the corner of her eye, she spotted Casey and Thomas, running just as hard. Audrey's heart was pounding. This is it, keep going.

A dozen of the creatures came from around the side of the berg. Some of their blades were dripping with blood. "Run! Charge 'em!" Minho screamed, brandishing his knife.