black veil ◦ scorch trials || thomas

05.

FIVE ; ACHING PAINS 

     Her throat was burning. Very much so. As was every other part of her body. The adrenaline from before had somehow seeped out of her body, leaving her with nothing but exhaustion and fear for what lay ahead. She had never thought they would come this far, that they would actually succeed in escaping, and that she would too.

     Evan felt utterly terrified, in spite of knowing the Scorch and its threats. She was scared out of her mind. Not just because she was among people she hardly knew who could possibly kill her in an instant, but also because she was about to leave everything she was familiar with. The place she had grown up in, the place that held the only memories she could actually remember clearly.

     Yes, she was scared. But other than that, she felt a small sliver of relief; hardly noticeable, but it was there. Relieved that she would leave the place she had seen as her home but in reality was anything but that. Relieved that she was no longer helping them drug unknowing children for their own secret purposes.

     This, however, did not relieve her of the overwhelming fright she felt the second the main doors were opened by a single switch of a handle. Had her mind been clear and collected, she would've wondered why the most important door in the facility was the most easiest to open. She would have wondered how to distract the search party for another few minutes, giving them more time. But her mind wasn't, and so she didn't wonder or think about any of that.

     Her body could have been compared to a rag doll, a sack of potatoes even. Someone had a strong grip on her upper arm, pulling her along with them into the Scorch, though she did not know who it was. Another was spouting nonsense. At least, that was what it sounded like to her. And lastly, there was a jab in her back. Evan didn't need a clear conscious or a high IQ to know someone was holding a gun to her.

     She couldn't find it in herself to care. She couldn't find it in herself to feel anything, except for fear. Evanna was even surprised she could still function properly, move her limbs and unconsciously guide them away from WICKED. She had expected from herself to collapse and break down, to hyperventilate or protest.

     None of that happened. She guided them up the hill and away from the shouts of men and barks of dogs behind them. It was then that it dawned on Evan why they truly bothered to take her with them. Why Thomas was close to risk his life, and the lives of the others, to get her out.

     They needed a guide, and however they had found out, they knew Evan was their person. They didn't care for her, nor did they feel sympathy towards her situation. All they had needed was for someone to guide them and avoid the dangers of the Scorch.

     A tinge of anger made itself present in Evan, almost resurfacing from an ancient slumber. Like her relief, it was hardly noticeable by the amount of fear taking over her body and conscious. But she still didn't try to get away from there. It seemed some part of her, no matter how small or undetectable, wanted to leave WICKED and all it stood for behind. Almost like an internal command, telling her to keep moving as fast as possible.

     "Stay low!" A voice commanded, quickly swept away by the howling wind.

     Evan lifted her gaze and stared at the night sky above her, the stars illuminated the dark hues of black and blue, the pathetic excuse for a moon and the small patches of clouds here and there. She wondered how, on a night as peaceful as this one, she could feel so threatened, so hunted.

     "Evanna, let's go!"

     Snapping out of her daze, the girl tore her gaze away from the stars and blinked before pushing herself up and running in the opposite direction they came from. They had trucks and dogs and guns, the best advantage Evanna could give the others for now was going into hiding.