Leo 17

I wake up far too early. Light streams in the windows. I crack my back, shielding my eyes from the bright light. My hair is dusty from the old floor. Two girls I don't recognize are passed out against the doorframe. I wonder if they are the builders that Saph was talking about.

I shuffle out of my sleeping bag, glancing around. Everyone is still asleep. I pull myself off the floor, watching my socks creating a trail. Reaching over, I grab my backpack off the ground, and lift it over my shoulder. No one has stirred yet, thankfully.

I move my feet closer to the door, shuffling back and forth until I am in the doorframe. The girls are just in front of me, legs stretched out and waiting to trip me. If I take one step forward, I can push the door and leave. It would be just that easy. One hand, and I am out of here.

"Don't move," someone says behind me. I feel a knife pressed against the small of my back. The girl has pulled up the back of my shirt, letting the cold metal dig into my skin. I don't turn around to look, so I don't know who it is. All their voices are so old I can't tell them apart yet.

"I thought we understood each other after last night," the girl sighs. It's Hilde. "I really don't want to do this."

Well, then she would let me go. At least some part of this is her choice. She can't pretend the contrary. I don't argue with her though. Instead, my throat tightens. I try to remain as still as possible.

"You can leave," she tells me.

She lowers the knife, so I spin around to look at her. Her dark eyes, lowered by heavy bags, meet mine. She smirks, raising an eyebrow. Although she pretends to be put together, her hair hangs out of her ponytail haphazardly, and her movements are weak. She has her arms crossed over her chest, and her belt in her hand. Quickly, she shoves it around her waist.

"You'd be surprised how your brain tricks you," she begins. "You feel something cold, and metal, and it's a knife."

At least a bit of relief swells in my chest. Before, I hadn't paid much attention to Hilde. From what I could tell, she was in charge of the Runners, or was going to be anyway. She's got a lot of clout, and the girls who follow her around seem to be blinded by her strength.

"But, I'll let you find Dawn," she tells me. "She's a nice enough stick. Didn't want to kill Thomas, and I can't blame her."

"Thank you," I offer, finally finding the ability to speak. My voice is sturdy than I expected.

"But," she freezes, moving around me, "just because I don't think we should blindly murder the stick, doesn't mean I don't want all my friends to survive. So, if you'll just give me your medical supplies, you can be on your way."

What? "Why? None of you know how any of it works."

"Well," she looks around the group, "I'll take my chances with Marie. I mean, we already have injured in our group. Without those supplies, we die."

I follow her gaze. Hilde is right. Without me, they have nothing at all. My eyes land on Saph. She isn't doing well, and if her ankle is broken, and not just twisted, she's done. She needs me.

My group has Clint anyway. Isn't it selfish for me to leave? All because I want to make sure Newt isn't dead? I'm sure they are fine.

She seems to have caught me, so she wraps an arm around my shoulder. "I don't think I need to tell Harriet about this. I wouldn't want you getting into trouble. We all have our doubts sometimes, I get it."

Does she though? Even if she offers me kind eyes, and a wink, I don't think she understands me. Specifically, since I don't think I understand what is going on here half the time?

Most days, I can't even tell if I like Newt. It's been forever since I last saw him, but those feelings don't go away. In fact, I can't even try to ignore them.

His soft blonde hair is just on the other side of that door. His sweet eyes, and warm skin, and all of him. Just on the other side. Within arms reach. I don't know how much longer I can go targeting his group. They are mine just as much as this group is mine.

Dawn has always referred to Group A as us, while Michelle has called Group B home. Ella won't talk about either, and I'd be surprised if she knew teams existed.

Me though, I seem to be caught in the middle. I can't leave them the medical supplies, but I can't stay either. I am my medicine. Why am I needed in two places at once? Why can't we just form one group?

I hear Teresa yawn, as she sits up. I glance over at Hilde, who looks at me, and she digs through her pockets. Pulling out a knife, she knicks her hand, letting blood slip out. She drops to the ground, gesturing for me to come closer to her.

I jump to the ground, throwing my backpack off. Reaching in, I grab the small bottle of alcohol that is running out quickly and put a few drops on her palm. I grab a bandage from inside my bag, wrapping it around her hand once. The cut was pretty superficial, so hopefully she won't bleed through.

"What happened?" Teresa glances over at us.

Hilde sighs, turning away from the girl. "It's nothing."

Teresa gets up, moving closer. I keep my eyes away from the girl. Honestly, I don't know what is going on, so it's best I avert my glance. As a terrible liar, Teresa would catch me in a second.

Hilde rolls her eyes, before looking up at Teresa. "I just cut myself."

"How?" Teresa isn't dropping this.

"How do you think stick?" She asks, finally facing Teresa. "I grabbed my knife in my sleep. My bad."

Teresa seems satisfied with this and walks up. I glance up at Hilde, who only offers me another wink. Honestly, I owe her my life.

Satisfied with her bandages, I let her go. Hilde goes around and begins to wake the rest of the group. We are supposed to get going after all. I roll my sleeping bag, packing it into my backpack. Dawn's is on the floor just a few feet away from mine. For a second, I stare at it.

Moving over, I roll it up and place it under my arm. With it successfully in my grasp, I am ready to go.

"Why are you bringing that?" Michelle moves over next to me, whispering. "We don't need it."

"I'll give it back to her at some point," I swallow.

Michelle sends me a glance, before moving into my ear. "Don't look, but Teresa is staring at you. So is Harriet. Drop the bag."

I do as I'm told, placing it back on the ground. Michelle moves away from me, going who knows where. So, when I stand up, I stand alone until everyone else is packed and ready.

From here, we move down to the basement. Teresa leads the way, followed by a few others. I stay in the back, staring down the stairs. Hilde's two friends linger beside me, staring at me out of the corners of their eyes. I wonder if she told them to do that, or if someone else did.

"There is no passage," Harriet proclaims, staring down into the rooms. All of them they have broken open, with nothing inside them except empty rooms.

"So, now what?" Teresa asks. "We've got to get underground."

"The boys are up on the surface," Sonya reaffirms, looking past Teresa at Harriet. She blinks a few times. "She would send another search party?"

"After the last?" Harriet counters. She looks across the group, shaking her head. "We're lucky only you got hurt."

Teresa steps forward. "We check the next building, and then the next. If we find nothing, we stay on the surface for a few hours, so we aren't just twiddling our thumbs, and then check the next few buildings. Yay?"

Everyone sticks their hands in their air, so I follow suit.

"Nay?" Harriet calls out, biting her lip.

No one answers that call.

So, we make our way back up the stairs, with me letting the others up first. Marie pulls me into the crowd. She puts me on Saph's side. Then, Marie moves around to help Saph move while putting as little weight on her leg as possible.

"Was Teresa always like this?" Marie glances over at me, before gesturing further up.

I don't know how to answer that, so I stay silent. Instead, I let Saph lean against me as we move her through the sand. Saph offers me a firm smile, which I don't reciprocate. I wouldn't know how, even if I could.

Dawn is my Beth. What does that even mean? Beth is Gally. Dawn is... well... there isn't anyone like her. She can't just compare us like that.

The sun is bright against my face. I tilt myself down into the sand. I can hear girls grumbling up ahead of me already. It's going to be a long day.

We get to the first building, and I stay outside with Saph attached to my hip. Harriet is the first to step in, but she immediately slams the door behind her.

"Cranks," she tells us. "I don't know how many."

The group seems to stiffen at the thought. How far gone are they? It seems to come in different stages.

"Number?" Hilde asks.

Harriet shrugs. "At least ten. Maybe more."

"No use wasting time," Teresa moves closer to the door, before pulling her knife out of her pocket.

"You can't be serious?" Harriet demands.

Michelle rolls her eyes, pushing her way through the crowd. In just a second, she is up beside Teresa, opening the door, and letting herself inside.

They are serious. The door shuts behind them, and nobody moves. I drop Saph, a bit too harshly, and move forward.

I run into the building. It is very dark, and difficult to see, and I can hear voices hushing in a whisper around me. I drop to the ground, beginning to crawl. I imagine that if I can't see the Cranks, they probably aren't able to see me. The only thing that will give me away is my shadow in the little light let in by the doorway. I make my way across the floor, listening for movement.

I really don't know what I was planning on doing in here. This was perhaps my dumbest idea yet.

A flashlight kicks on, and I watch as Michelle takes a hammer to a Crank's skull. She pulls the metal out of the guy's head, spraying her and I with blood.

She must see me on the ground, because she moves over, grabbing hold of me. She reaches into her belt, moving around, until she finds a knife.

"Use this," she tells me, her eyes sharp and peering into me.

She can't be serious. I don't use knives. In fact, I barely use any weapons. If I had anything, it would be a bat, or something.

I can hear something charging towards us, and Michelle tosses me her flashlight. A Crank rambles towards us, and she kicks it in the chest. It falls to the ground, beginning to pick itself up. The man still looks human. He has dark skin, budging with black veins, and pupils so dark I can't recognize the humanity behind them.

He charges for her, and I run for him. With the flashlight, I swing and crack him in the head with the metal. The light flicks off. He falls to the ground, and Michelle hits him in the head with a hammer, again, and again, until I think I might throw up and until he has stopped moving.

She pauses, leaning over to me and clicking off the flashlight. "Or use the flashlight, I guess."

I wipe either blood or sweat off my face, since I can't tell. Michelle is panting beside me.

A flashlight clicks on, blinding me. The light is diverted, and once I stop seeing spots I notice Rose, facing us.

"They're alive still," she calls over her shoulders. "Lucky sticks."

Harriet moves over, and I can see the blood clinging to her shirt. It's fresh, and wet. Sonya is behind her, hers splotched red. They came in to fight too.

"Come on," Harriet manages. "We got them all. Let's check the basement."

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Exams are done, so there are going to be a TON of updates soon. Thank you for your patience!