The Memoriam Files: Minds [EDITING] ✔

| Chapter 16, Calm after the storm

|I never thought I'd meet someone like you

|I ran, Hidden Citizens

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Lisa's P.O.V.

My tears had dried but outside it had started to rain. It was like someone had sucked the ocean and spit it out over our heads in fury. Lucky for us we were inside although there weren't much of us left. I didn't care to count how much Gladers were left, all my attention was for Minho and his wounds. Most of them were not bad but some would leave scars. I had already stichted four, with a thread from the scarf Dawn had handed me and five of them were wrapped in cloth that I used instead of bandage.
Suddenly someone placed a hand on my shoulder and I looked up. It was Dawn, she smiled at me and sat down next to me.
'I wish I could help,' she said and doubted for a second. 'But I think I would only make it worse.'
I smiled tiredly at her and put the scarf down. 'No, you would be a very good doctor.'
She frowned but then noticed my sarcasm and grinned.

I sat down next to Minho, finally leaving him to sleep. Dawn sat down next to me as well and together we looked at the other Gladers. Who were all asleep. My eyes wondered to the blond haired british Glader.
'You really love Newt don't you?' I asked suddenly.
'Yeah, I do. Why?' Dawn asked, her tired voice sounded surprised.
I shook my head. 'I just noticed how much time you two spend together.'
Dawn sighed. 'You never know when it's over.'
'That sounds depressing,' I sighed.
Dawn smiled. 'I know, and you're right I really do love him.'
I nodded. 'Yeah, I guess you do.'
'And what about you and Minho?' Dawn asked suddenly.
I frowned, trying to keep my face blank although my insides were suddenly shaking. 'What about us?'
She grinned. 'Don't play dumb with me. Don't you think I've noticed the long stares he gives you. The way you laugh about his stupid jokes. And of course how he tries to make a fool out of you but always ends up giving you advice or even a compliment.'
I took a deep breath and stared at the ground. 'How do you always see those things?' I asked, playing with my hair.
Dawn shrugged. 'I watch people.'
I gave her a slight push against her shoulder. 'Creep.'
She laughed, making me feel slightly better. 'Maybe we should get some sleep as well,' she said after a while and I nodded.
Dawn lay down in a comfortable position and closed her eyes. It was like the sleep took her away almost immediately.
I smiled down at her, my little sister.
Then I looked at Minho and decided that this time, it was my turn to keep watch. So I took my gun and Minho's knife and sat with my eyes wide open in the dark. I would show them I could keep them safe, that I'm not a monster. Not to them.

The night passed and so did the storm, the lightning became less and less strong and after a while the rain disappeared as well.
It was almost morning when the first Glader woke. Newt. He just sat there, against the wall, staring at the floor. I didn't talk to him, not even sure what to say.
It wasn't until Thomas asked him. 'You okay there?' That I noticed he had woken as well.
'Okay? Yeah, I guess I'm okay. We're alive-guess that's all that bloody matters anymore.' The bitterness in Newt's voice when he answered Thomas couldn't have been stronger. Then I noticed that Dawn, who was lying next to me had woken up as well. She winced at Newt his words but didn't move and kept on pretending to be asleep. I frowned at her but didn't say anything.
'Sometimes I wonder,' Thomas murmered, making me turn to him.
'Wonder what?' I asked, making the two boys look at me.
Thomas sighed. 'If being alive matters. If being dead might be a lot easier.'
'Please. I don't believe for a second you actually think that,' Newt answered.
Thomas smiled. 'You're right. Just trying to sound as miserable as you.'
Newt gestured wearily toward Minho. 'What bloody happened to him?'
'Lightning strike somehow got his clothes on fire. How it did without frying his brain I have no idea. But we were able to stop it before it did too much damage, I think,' Thomas answered.
'Before it did too much damage?' I shot back. 'I had to stitch him four times, he has wounds that will leave scars. Shank, remind me not to hire you as my doctor anytime soon.'
Newt let out a sarcastic chuckle. 'Yeah, good that.'
'Ooohhhh.' This long, drawn-out groan came from Minho. His eyes fluttered open, then squinted as he caught us staring.
Dawn sat now up as well, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She didn't look happy.
'Oh, man. I'm sucked. I'm shucked for good,' Minho groaned.
'How bad is it?' Newt asked.
Minho looked at me. 'Ask the lady who tore my shirt off.'
Immediately all the three of them turned to me and I felt a blush crawl up my cheeks.
'Shut it shuck face. It was just to treat your wounds,' I snapped.
'Yeah, right, but you liked it,' Minho said, smirking at me.
'Oh shut up,' I yelled, hitting him on his arm. 'Why are you like this? I did safe your shucking life. Guess I'll just leave you to die next time.'
Then I stood up, walked to the other side of the room and sat down. I knew I might be acting childish but right now I didn't care.
Minho slowly pushed himself in a sitting position, grunting and wincing with every small move. But he finally did it, legs crossed beneath him. His clothes were blackened and ragged, the bandage I placed there visible.
Yes, I did take of his shirt but how else was I suppose to see and take care of his wounds? How could I know that he was awake when I did that?
'Can't be too bad if you can still piss people off,' Thomas said with a sly smile.
'Shuck it,' Minho responded, making me wanna smile without even knowing why. 'I'm tougher than nails. I could still kick your pony-lovin' butt with twice this pain.'
Thomas shrugged. 'I do love ponies. Wish I could eat one right now.' His stomach grumbled and gurgled.
Dawn smirked. 'Did you just make a joke?'
'Did Thomas the boring slinthead actually made a joke?' Minho replied. 'I think he did,' was Newt's response.
'I'm a funny guy,' Thomas said with a shrug.
'Yeah, you are,' Minho responded but then he looked around and lost his interest in the small conversation. His twisted his head to take in the rest of the Gladers, most of them asleep or lying still with blank looks on their faces.

'How many?' he asked.

I took a deep breath and decided that I wouldn't be the one delivering the depressing answer.
When I first came in the Glade there forty or fifty guys. Now there were only...'Eleven,' Newt said.
My heart sank into my stomach.
'So, what, six died in the storm? Seven?' Minho sounded completely detached, as if he was counting how many apples we'd lost when the packs had blown away.
'Seven,' Newt snapped, showing his disapproval of Minho's atitude.
Dawn winced again and suddenly I wondered if everything was alright in their perfect love story.
'Seven,' Newt repeated in a softer tone. 'Unless people ran into a different building.'
'Dude,' Minho said. 'How're we gonna fight our way through the city with only eleven people. There could be hundreds of Cranks in this place for all we know. Thousands. And we don't have a clue what to expect from them.'
I didn't believe it. I honestly didn't believe it. I thought Minho was trying to protect us, but now all he did protecting himself from feeling anything.
Newt let out a big breath. 'And that's all you can buggin' think about? What about the people who died, Minho? Jack's missing. And so are Stan and Tim. What about them?'
'Whoa, whoa, whoa.' Minho held his hands up, palms facing Newt. 'Slim it nice and calm brother. I didn't ask to be the shuck leader. You wanna cry all day about what happened? Fine. But that's not what a leader does. A leader figures out where to go and what to do after that's done.'
Alright he did have a point there. And to be honest that was what I expected from a leader, but he wasn't just a leader. He was also a friend and another Glader. If he didn't get to be sad for his fallen friends it was only a matter of time before he would explode.
'Well, I guess that's why you got the job then,' Newt said, but then a look of apology washed over his face. 'Whatever. Seriously, sorry. I just...'
'Yeah, I'm sorry too,' Minho said but rolled his eyes. Lucky for him Newt didn't see it because his gaze was back to the ground again.

Luckily Aris scooted over to join us so the conversation went into another direction.
From the other side of the room I saw Dawn looking at Newt with a look on her face that I didn't understood. What was going on?
'Ever seen a lightning storm like that?' The new kid asked, slowly making me turn to him.
Thomas shook his head, as did I. 'Didn't seem natural. Even in my klunky memories, I'm pretty sure stuff like that doesn't happen normally,' Thomas spoke.
'But remember what Ratman said,' Minho responded. 'Sun flares, and the whole world burning like hell itself. That'd screw up the climate plenty enough to make crazy things happen. I have a feeling we were lucky it wasn't worse.'
'Not sure lucky is the first word I'd think of,' Aris said.
'Yeah well,' Newt pointed at the broken glass of the door, where the glow of sunrise had warmed the world. 'Least it's over. We better start thinking about what we're gonna do next.'
'See,' Minho said. 'You're just as heartless as me. And you're right. We better figure things out before we have a bunch of those crazies show up. But I'm telling you, we gotta go find food first.'

'Food?'

I frowned and looked up. The voice came from above. The others looked up as well.
A face looked down at us from the shredded remains of the tirth floor, that of a young hispanic man. His eyes were slightly wild.
I reached for my gun but then realized I left it at the other side of the room.

'Who are you?' Minho shouted.

Before I could stand up and make a leap for it the man just jumped through the hole in the ceiling, falling down toward us.
At the very last second he crumpled into a human ball and rolled three times, then sprang up and landed on his feet.
'My name is Jorge,' he said, his arms outstretched as if he expected applause for his acrobatics.
Well, he wasn't going to get one. Not from me.
When he seemed to realise he wasn't going to get any applause he dropped his arms, his face suddenly turning dark. 'And I'm the Crank who rules this place.'

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GUYS I WENT TO SEE INFINITY WAR!

I won't give you any spoilers I just want to say that this movie is amazing. Go see it but know that there is nothing that can emotionally prepare you.

So, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a comment or a vote and I'll see you all wednesday!

xxx
-Me