Chapter III

      1

Thomas

AS DAWN FINALLY CRACKED, Thomas yawned and rubbed his burning eyes. He glanced down at Joey and found her barely awake, her eyes mere slits as she sucked in shaky breaths. Tenderly, he touched her arm and whispered, "Joey?"

He felt a gentle shake of her head, and heard a small voice, "No. i-it's me."

Feeling his heart lurch, he quickly lifted her head and swung his legs out from underneath her head. He lowered her back down to the sand and peered worriedly into her brown eyes. "Bellamy?" he asked, his voice softer then before. This time, she nodded slowly, and Thomas placed a firm hand on her good shoulder. "How are you doing?"

Her eyes drifted shut for a brief moment before replying, "It's not ... it's not looking good." She breathed in a shaky breath. "I can't seem to ... heal her. Something's blocking my powers."

"Can you figure out what it is?" Thomas asked, his grip tightening on her shoulder.

Again, she shook her head. "Listen to me, Thomas ... you're not going to like what I have to say. Being in her ... it's making me weak. I need ... need to come out."

"What? No!" He shouted. Shooting a glance towards David, he watched as the younger boy began to stir. Twisting his head back towards Joey, he continued, "Bellamy, if you do that then she will die."

"If I stay in her any longer, then we both will die!" She gritted her teeth, and tears formed in the corners of her eyes. Struggling to squeeze out a few words, she said, "Her pain is my pain." Her fingers dug into the sand, slowly balling into fists. "You knew that when you forced me to save her."

"Forced you?" Thomas shook his head, confused. "I didn't force you to do anything."

"You couldn't let her go!" she fired, anger in her eyes brown, but it was quickly replaced with a chuckle. "The girl in your dreams ... You searched for her for so ... so many years, and now that you've finally found her ... you couldn't let her go." Her face hardened. "Well I, for one, don't want to die today."

"Please, just a little longer," Thomas pleaded. "Give David and I a chance to save you both. I need you to stay inside."

Lifting her head to the sky, she swallowed. Seeming like she was thinking for a good long while, she finally returned the glare and whispered, "If I die in her ... I'm going to come back and finish you off myself."

"Everything okay?"

Thomas jumped as David crouched beside him. "We have to get her help," he began, turning his gaze back down to Joey. "I think her wound's getting infected. Soon we won't be able to do anything else."

"What is Bellamy even doing in there?" David accused, earning a glare from Thomas. David thrust a hand towards Joey. "If he isn't going to heal her then he needs to get out."

"No!" Thomas shouted, and David jumped in startlement from the boom. "If he leaves now then Joey will have zero chances."

"She's already dying, Thomas," David said through gritted teeth. "Nothing we're doing is helping. Bellamy should get out before it gets too dangerous."

"No," Thomas replied again, this time in a softer voice. "I spoke to him just a moment ago. He's good."

David's brow furrowed questionably, and Thomas could tell he wasn't going to buy his lie. "Thomas, I don't—"

"Really. He is," Thomas interrupted, ready to move on. He peeled back the nonstick pad clinging to Joey's wired stitches, and squinted at her wound. Something odd caught his eye and he arched a brow. The wound had turned black along with the closest veins to the mark. "What is this?"

"Oh no," David breathed in a whisper. Thomas lifted his head and watched as David reached over and grabbed the backpack. He pulled out the stone tipped arrow, and lifted it to his nose. He took a few small sniffs, shook his head, and launched the arrow across the dune. "Poison." He turned his gaze towards Joey, and pounded a fist in the sand. "How could we have missed that?"

Thomas gazed at Joey, lying in the sand unconscious. Her breathing was rapid and raspy as she appeared to be struggling to breathe. "We have to move her."

"What?" David snapped. "Move her? Thomas, we could kill her!"

"And what good does it do her staying her?" Thomas jerked his head upright. "You think she'll just magically get better?"

David crossed his arms. "I thought staying here would give Bellamy enough time to heal her, but I don't see much of that happening."

"He's doing the best he can!" Thomas replied angrily.

David scoffed and stood up. "Is that what you call this?"

"I don't see you doing anything to help!" Thomas fired back, springing to his feet. He flung his hands towards David's arms. "You have healing gel inside your body!"

"That's not going to do anything against poison!" David screamed. "Believe me! I would know!"

"Oh, but somehow Bellamy is supposed to be able to bypass it to save her?" Thomas's heightened voiced matched David's. "He's too weak!"

"Then he can join the club!" Huffing, David turned around and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I can't use my powers during the day, and the poison is too much for Bellamy to heal. So what are we supposed to do?"

Thomas rolled his eyes. "I already told you." He knelt down and slid his hands under Joey's back and legs before scooping her into his arms. He grimaced at the pain of having this much weight on his arms, but he clenched his jaw and held her tight. "I'm getting her some help."

David flung himself back around, and called out as Thomas took a few steps. "Where are you going?"

Staring straight into the horizon, Thomas's eyes scanned the vast land of sand with its large dunes, tall rock formations, and heat waves that had already starting bouncing off the sand. Confidently, he stated, "I'm going to find Paradise."

"How?" David asked. "Look around Thomas. There is nothing out here! You're just wasting your time. You don't even know if Paradise exists. You saw what Mr. Magnus was like. He was crazy!"

"I think I'll take the word of a mad man over two dead friends." When he didn't hear a snarky reply from David, he took a deep breath and ventured out into the desert.

     2

David

THEY HAD BEEN WALKING for what felt like hours with nothing but miles and miles of rock and sand. David's eyes drifted from the scorching sand to Thomas, who rotated his shoulders. Shifting his gaze down towards the older boys arms, David could see clearly as the black fabric and gauze had been pulled down and away from Thomas's bicep. The red, irritated, and distorted flesh from the burns he had received just days ago looked better—thanks to what little healing gel David had been able to conjure—but still very very painful.

He averted his gaze, looking down at his black boots that dragged along in the sand, as they pressed on a little longer. Eventually Thomas stopped, his arms shaking. Licking his dry lips, David opened his mouth to speak but instantly closed it. He released a sigh through his nose as he twisted his head to the side. He knew Thomas wouldn't take kindly to his question, but he proceeded to ask anyway, "Want me to take over for a while?"

In response, Thomas shook his head and pulled Joey a little closer to his body readjusting his grip. "I'm good," came his deadpan voice, and he continued on his trudge through the sand.

David didn't immediately follow, giving Thomas a chance to get several paces in front. He huffed in frustration, and balled his hands into fists. Trying to keep his voice under control, he called out, "I'm not going to hurt her!" He still proceeded to shout a little louder then intended. "You know that, right?"

Thomas stopped in his tracks. "So, back there ... in the first Dome ..." He slowly turned to face David. "That wasn't you, huh?"

David narrowed his eyes. "No. It wasn't," he answered sternly. "It was Lucinda. She had me under some kinda spell."

Thomas snorted and rolled his eyes. "Mr. Magnus was brainwashed, and still he resisted."

"After Brianna gave him a little nudge," David defended. Before Thomas could speak, he raised a hand to silence the older boy and took a deep breath. "I know I screwed up, but I'm trying to make up for it." He paused, and Thomas's face softened. "You just have to be willing to trust me."

Thomas glanced down at Joey for a brief second before back at him. "I'm sorry, David." He shook his head. "But I can't. Who's to say that spell won't kick back in?" Twisting around, he pressed on through the scalding heat.

Once again, David didn't follow. He glared at Thomas as Thomas struggled to keep his balance in the soft sand, and David snarled. "I wish Alex had left you in that fire to burn," he whispered to himself, hatred thickening his tone. Remorse instantly hit him like a brick, and his hatred dipped into a deep frown. He hated this place. Hated what it was turning him into.

Furrowing his brow, he looked down as he felt something push against the bottom of his boot. Squinting, he lifted his shoe and squatted to get a closer look. A small scorpion emerged from the sand where his foot had just been; its stinger curling upwards over its body as it climbed free. David cocked his head, and observed its faded yellow armor closely. This creature wasn't like any scorpion he'd seen, and living in a world full of heat and sand, scorpions were seen on the daily but its color was unique. The creature had two large pincers, two of its eight yellow legs stood taller than its body, a hint of black traced its upper armor, and its curved tail held a red stinger. Sure, the scorpion was strange looking, but nothing about it gave off suspicions that it wasn't just a normal little scorpion.

David grinned as he humphed. "Never seen one of you guys before." He leaned in a little closer, studying the color of the scorpions armor. "You're kinda cool lookin'." He jumped as the scorpion hissed, and it dug its stinger into his leg just above his ankle a few inches from the top of his boot. Grunting, he fell to his rear and quickly scooted away. "Why you—" He sprang to his feet and, with one big swing, kicked the scorpion away. It flew a good several feet, and he watched as it gave one more hiss and rapidly buried itself back into the sand.

Clenching his eyes shut, he tried holding in a scream of frustration. "Why are you so stupid?" he yelled at himself, slapping his forehead. "You see a scorpion, you run away! Just like back home!" Bending forward, he lifted his pant leg to see a trickle of blood slowly making it's way down onto his sock from a minuscule hole in his leg. "Geez."

He turned and searched for Thomas only to find his silhouette in the distance. Taking off in a run towards him to catch up, his leg stung and he grasped his thigh, limping the few remaining steps. "So, you were just going to leave me behind?"

"I didn't leave you," Thomas corrected in an irritated tone. "You have two feet. You could've followed if you chose."

David rolled his eyes. He strolled up to Thomas's left side, and continued to stay quiet as they hiked a bit further. After about a half hour more, David began to realize how hard walking was becoming, and he cringed with each step. Gazing up at the burning sun, it felt like the heat of the day had reached its highest point. He stared down at the palm of his dirty hands as he started to feel on the inside like his bones would crack and melt away, bringing excruciating pain to his body as he dragged his feet through the sand. Gritting his teeth, he lowered his hands and looked back up into the distance. No matter how his body felt, he knew that was all it was. A feeling. This was his third day in the second Dome, and he knew from the previous days that this was how his body felt about halfway through the day from the intensity of the heat.

Even though it was easy to let his pain consume him, he tried pushing it aside to stay alert. They hadn't ran into any monster yet, but that didn't mean there wasn't a beast just waiting around the corner ... or boulder.

A soft yelp, almost inaudible, drew his attention to the right where he noticed Thomas grimace and shake his head, more than once, as if something was bothering him or perhaps to chase away dizziness. Arching a brow, David asked, "You okay?"

"It's just a small headache," Thomas lashed. "I'll be fine." As soon as the words left his lips, he grunted through gritted teeth, and his legs nearly buckled. David lunged forward, but Thomas steadied himself and swiftly lowered Joey's legs to the ground. "Take her!" David's jaw dropped open in shock. "Take her now!" Thomas's hands shook as he tried passing her over.

Without further delay, David reached out and grab onto Joey, kneeling down on the sand with her in his lap as he questioned what was happening, and stared at Thomas in perplexity.

Thomas crumpled to his knees in the sand, and clenched his head tightly, giving off the appearance that he was in terrible pain. He leaned over, placing his head on the ground, and released a gut wrenching scream.

David's stomach crumbled listening to Thomas's pain. He knelt there on the sand, his heart pounding against his chest, feeling helpless. His grasp around Joey tightened in fear as all he could do was watch Thomas wither. After a few short agonizing seconds, Thomas shot straight upright, and David's eyes widened in wonder and confusion.

"What just happened?" David asked, unable to keep his voice from heightening. Thomas didn't answer, but rather stared at the ground breathing heavy with his eyes wide open. "Thomas?" David shouted again. "That happened in the first Dome too back in the cave." Thomas's eyes frantically darted around, and David started to get flustered. "Why won't you answer me?"

Snapping his fingers, Thomas's eyes widened as he straightened his back and gazed at David. "A hottentotta tamulus," he whispered. He hopped to his feet and proceeded to yank Joey from David's grip—who gave her back without a fight. "We have to get out of here. Now!"

"Why?" David asked, watching Thomas's facial expressions closely. "What's a hot ... whatever?" He remained seated on the ground until Thomas gave him an answer.

"Also called the Indian Red Scorpion," Thomas explained, lifting Joey off the ground in his arms. "They're one of the most dangerous scorpions on the planet. Their poison can kill you within hours if untreated." He snickered. "And I'd hate to stick around and see the modifications Agcorp gave them."

"You can't be serious," David said, his tone blank. "Poison?"

Thomas arched a brow. "Did you expect a scorpion to not be poisonous in the Dome? I think we've both been here long enough now to know that's Claire's favorite toy." He gently kicked David's leg. "Come on! Get up, get moving! We've gotta get out of here." Thomas quickly picked up his pace, not bothering to see if David would follow.

Before David could even think, he felt the sand below his knees rumble, and he quickly leapt to his feet. He flung his head forward to find Thomas struggling hard to keep his balance, and seconds later a loud noise echoed the vast loud. David's heart lurched and he gasped as the ground beneath his feet started to crumble and sand poured into the earth where a large crack opened in the form of a zigzag and kept widening. Staring at the sand that slid into the cracks like a grainy waterslide, he thought the ground would take its chance to swallow him up.

An ear-piercing shriek filled the air, and David slapped the palm of his hands over his ears. "I hate when Thomas is right," he whispered to himself. A large thirty-foot pincer popped from the earth, and David's eyes followed it upward as it reached high enough in the sky to block the sun. Chunks broke off from the ground and were flung into the air, ramming against David's chest. David flew backwards several feet before landing directly in front of Thomas. He gasped trying to suck in air as all the oxygen had been knocked from his lungs from the force to his chest, and grimaced as he tried to move. "That hurt," he complained, finding it hard to get the words past his lips. A hand suddenly grabbed his bicep and yanked him to his feet.

"Keep moving!" Thomas shouted over the crackling ground.

David ran side by side with Thomas—their hair flapping wildly in the sudden harsh wind. Craning his neck, he looked around to catch even the smallest glimpse of what he could, but his eyes bulged at the giant yellow armored body emerging from the sand. It climbed high, and with the height of its narrow tail, it could've easily been fifty feet tall.

"What is that thing?" David asked, shouting over the screeching noise the creature made.

"Keep moving!" was all Thomas yelled back.

David kept his feet moving as fast as he could, and he stumbled, nearly face planting, as the ground quaked once again and another fifty-foot monster emerged from the sand not far to the left of them. For a split second David closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, almost being able to feel the pincers and stingers drawing close.

Once again taking a chance on looking back, he watched as one of the giant pincers—that could easily snap him in half—swiftly approach them. He closed his eyes, but kept on running as he tried hard to summoned his ice, but all he could feel was the chill in his eyes as he had felt many times when they turned to blue, but it quickly diminished and left him feeling helpless.

David jumped, feeling a heavy thump on the ground, and his eyes shot open. He and Thomas both looked off to the right of them where a red stringer retracted, dragging sand into the air with it. Another hit the ground a few feet in front of them, and they parted ways circling around the stinger.

He looked up to find another pincer loomed above their heads. The scorpion raised its pincer high and began its swift descend that was big enough to crush them all. Crouching, he quickly leaped forward to miss being squashed when his body suddenly slammed into an invisible wall. The brutal force was hard, but surprisingly without pain. He lost his footing and tumbled forward into a summersault before sliding on his stomach as he landed on something soft but prickly. Something familiar, yet foreign.

No longer feeling the ground shaking beneath him, he pried open his eyes and his mouth dropped as he recognized the blades of green dancing in the refreshing wind. Smiling, he chuckled. Grass! He tried swallowing his heart to put it back in its rightful place as it threatened to leap out through his mouth, and he twisted his head to the left until he found Thomas on his knees, Joey still lying in his arms, panting from their chase, but his eyes were aimed upward instead back at David.

He shifted to his elbows, the sun blinding him, and the only thing he saw in front of his eyes was a glimmer. Gulping, he instantly recognized the shimmer of a blade, and he glanced up to see who held a weapon under his chin, but couldn't see anything except a shadowy silhouette thanks to the sun. The only thing he could tell about the figure before him was that she was female by her comforting, yet frightening voice. "Welcome to Paradise!"