SONDER (IV): tmr thomas

35: I should die for them

Michelle 35

Gally drives the van. I didn't know that he knew how to drive. Both of us are full of surprises.

I find myself gripping the handle near the roof until my knuckles turn white. Gally is spinning us around, faster and faster. The streets are covered in Cranks, most of whom duck out of our way when they see us coming.

"Maybe we should've walked," Thomas suggests. I can hear him gulping behind me. My eyes can't turn away from the road before. I think this might be the first time I've ever sat in the front seat of a car, and it's making me nauseous. "We could've gone by without getting noticed."

"You want to risk Dawn like that?" Gally asks.

I cast a glance back at her. She is sprawled out in the third row of seats, her hair hiding her face in Minho's lap. Though she is mostly hidden, I can see black veins forming on her neck that weren't there days ago. The others are accustomed to it, but I'm not. She's getting sicker.

In fact, I doubt Leo has even notice. At least, I doubt she has even acknowledged how much Dawn's skin glistens with sweat, and how grey her teeth are getting.

"How's it back there?" I call to Leo. I can't help myself from sniffing and looking down.

"Fine," her voice is a quiet peep. At least there is that.

Gally turns us around the corner, and I feel the wheel lift off the ground below me. It crashes into the ground, sending Thomas flying back.

"We're good," he groans.

My eyes fly over to Gally. I want him to see my death glare, but I think that I would rather he continue to concentrate on the road. So, I simply cross my arms over my chest and hide the anger that pumps in my veins.

"Watch out!" Thomas shouts.

My eyes fly forward to stare at a Crank perched in the middle of the road. We are rapidly approaching her. I hear the engine roar as Gally presses his foot down against the ground. My hands dig into the sides of my chair, waiting for impact.

At the last second, she rolls out of the way.

"You got lucky," Minho told us.

"If I didn't speed up then we would've hit her slowly and had to stop," Gally tells them. I feel us jolt as he breaks and whips around a corner. "She got lucky, not me."

"There are Cranks everywhere," Leo says. I spin around to see her right next to Thomas, staring down the windows. Her jaw slacks and her eyes widen. "There's got to be hundreds."

"Newt said that they were planning on taking over," Thomas tells her.

"Would you both sit down before you are catapulted through the window next time Gally breaks?" I shout, rolling my eyes at the pair of them.

Neither of them says anything else, which hopefully means that they are in their seats buckled and ready to rumble.

"You're lucky that I'm driving with the lights on," Gally tells them. "It's drawing attention, but it's better than driving through the dark."

"Just slow down," I whisper, sparing him a glance.

Gally sighs but obliges. I watch the arrow on the dashboard lower. We slow. Not enough to keep Leo and Thomas from smashing against the dashboard, yet enough that I'm confident they would leave. Concussion absolutely. Death, perhaps. But not definitely, and that is the best which I can ask for at this rate.