**This song: Psycho in My Head by Skillet, 100% gives me Alex vibes by the end of this chapter and into the next book... **

Fresh air blew in Alex's face. She sighed in relief. Even if there were cranks, it was definitely better up here than down below. Alex dumped the bags at the top and hurried back down the ladder. She picked up Chloe, she had to put her girl over her shoulder, fireman style, and get back up the ladder. It was definitely harder than she thought it would be. She had to stop every few rungs to adjust the girl, and her calf was shooting sharp hot pain up her leg.

Eventually they made it to the top. Alex climbed out carefully, placing Chloe down. She pushed the lid back over, it looked like an old man hole cover. Alex shuddered. Too many horrible things down there.

Alex took a minute to spin around, looking at their surroundings. She was standing in the middle of an empty street, broken buildings on both sides. In the distance she could hear screams. Further down the street there looked to be booths or camps set up, but there was no one around. The sun was setting again.

Shuck. So I was down there for 2 days and a night? And how long was I out for? A whole day, probably...Who knows how far Minho and them got! What about Thomas and Brenda? They didn't make it out of the building before it exploded!

She heard another scream. She shuddered again. They needed to get off the street and hide for the night. Any of these buildings would do. Alex picked up the backpacks and then the girl, who was still out cold. Alex slowly crept down the street. Looking for a building that at least had a door.

Near the intersection of another street, Alex found a small shop that had a door sort of attached still. She slipped quietly inside.

Ha! Thomased the door, even holding another human. 8.5 execution.

She stood still listening. There were no sounds. She laid Chloe down in a corner with the backpacks and pulled out her gun. Regardless of it being quiet, she was going to do a quick sweep. Just to be sure. She clicked her light on, and held it up under her wrist that was holding her pistol at the ready, keeping it stable. It seemed a natural stance.

I guess Captain trained us for building sweeps, seems like I know what I'm doing. Or at least I hope. Thanks Cap!

She swept the big main room and kicked open the door in the back. It looked like it used to be a staff room. A ripped couch pushed up against a wall, there was a small window on one wall. A table in the middle and a fridge in another corner. And a few cupboards lined the one wall. It was clear.

Alex crept down the short hall to the next door. She kicked this door open too. Swinging her light back and forth. It was a small bathroom. It was empty. She kicked open the last door, it was a storage room. And it looked like it was picked over a few times. Empty boxes and broken crats lay on the remaining shelves and garbage lay on the dusty floor. Alex sighed in relief.

She went back to the front and picked up Chloe and the bags and carried her to the couch. Alex laid her down, covered her up with her jacket. She dug in Chloe's bag and found what she was looking for. She held it in her hands for a moment. It was such a simple childhood thing. It made her miss Chuck even more. Her eyes started to sting. She quickly sniffed and tucked the little stuffed bunny under Chloe's arm. Alex made sure the small window was closed and the ripped blind was pulled down. Alex grabbed the first aid kit from her pack and went to the small bathroom.

She closed the door and tried her best to scrub the blood off her face and hands. The sight of the blood was making her breathing come in short gasps. Her throat felt tight and she felt really warm. Too warm. She pulled her shirt off, trying to cool herself off. The tears started falling.

Stop! Stop crying! It won't bring them back! And it doesn't help you now. Stop! This isn't what soldiers do! But I'm not a soldier! I'm a kid who just wants to go on a date! I don't want to make life or death decisions! I don't want to have to take on caregiver responsibilities! I just want it to stop! Stop crying Alex!

Alex splashed some cold water on her face. She looked up to the dirty cracked mirror. She shrieked and stumbled back into the wall behind her.

The girl looking back at her had green sickly pale skin, black ropy veins crawling up her neck and face. Her eyes were black pits of rage, rimmed red. She had black phlegm dripping down her chin. The reflection cackled at her.

"All that blood on your hands! You didn't get them out. You couldn't even save Adam, and that was only two Grievers! You killed Alby and Jeff and Matt and Chuck ..you couldn't even save Chuck! You're worthless! Then you got Clint and Leo and A.J. and Winston killed! And now Zach's blood is on your hands now! And you really think you can save Chloe? You can't even save yourself. This is going to be your fate soon!" The girl in the mirror cackled.

Alex's heart was thumping against her ribs, threatening to explode. Alex did her best to choke back a sob.

Will I turn into a crank? Chris bit me, but that was a controlled environment...was he a true crank? This crank took a chunk...how does that work? Being immune? Alby..I need your big brother fatherly advice! What do I do? I'm so lost! And so alone!

Alex looked back into the mirror, only to see the crank had changed to Chris's crank face, laughing at her again.

"You'll be mine soon Sweetheart. And I can do all the things I've dreamed about. It's your fault you know. You deserve it all."

Alex cried out as she punched the mirror. The cranks disappeared, leaving Alex alone and panting.

Alex slid down the wall, her head in her hands. She pulled her hair, trying hard to keep herself glued together, she was cracking. She couldn't do it. Newt was her glue. Her mind was drifting into the dark empty blackness. She needed her anchor. She needed Minho.

She stayed crouched in the corner of the bathroom with her hands gripping her dirty hair, until she was cold and shivering. She pulled the first aid pack towards her. And slowly rolled her pant leg up. The bite mark was red and swollen. The flesh around was red and raw. There was dried blood and black goop from the cranks mouth. Alex gagged. This needed cleaning, so she took her boot and sock off, stood up and tried to clean her calf as best she could in the sink.

She pulled out the little bottle of disinfectant. She shoved some of her shirt into her mouth, knowing this was going to sting like a mother shucking Griever. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and poured some onto the wound. Alex screamed onto her shirt. Clamping down as hard as she could, tears streaming down her face. The sting slowly went away. She took out a long roll of gauze and wrapped it up. Rolling her pant leg back down, putting her dirty sock and boot back on, she stood up. The cut on her head from the lightning storm was already scabbed and healing. Her ankle was swollen and sore. But it would heal.

Alex limped back into the other room and saw Chloe was stirring. Alex sat on the couch beside her, waiting for the girl to wake up.

________________

Chloe sat up slowly, with a groan.

"Hey sleeping beauty." Alex smiled at the girl. She just groaned again.

"My head hurts!" She whimpered.

"Ya. You took a pretty hard hit to the head. No blood though. No stitches! So that's good" Alex tried to say brightly.

"Whoop de do." Chloe moaned. She looked around, her face fell, she frowned and her eyebrows knitted together. Alex already knew where this was going to go. Alex looked at the ground and closed her eyes. Waiting. Dreading the inevitable conversation.

"Where's Zach?" Chloe asked. Alex fiddled with the hem of her shirt.

"Chloe..." Alex said quietly. She looked up into the child's eyes.

She will never have to know the full truth.

_____________________________________________

**Uh oh. Do we have the beginnings of a cranky Alex?

**Was she lied to about being immune?

** What's going on inside Alex's mind? Think she's slipping too far?