the scorch trials
chapter ten

❛❛ i can't always make the decisions ❜❜

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Jorge was the first to wake up as the morning sun cracked the sky but didn't wake up anyone else and left the station to scout the area. Not long the plan came to him on how they should get across the massive rift, he eventually saw the way how they get across. He went back to the building to wake everyone up.

Poe was awoken by Newt, who smiled down at him when he opened his eyes. He was still too tired as he tried to smile back, he rubbed his itchy eyes before he got up. "We moving now?"

"Yeah, Jorge says we need to get moving while we have light"

Poe sighed sharply, he shifted his head around and found Anton by his side who looked he had just woken up as well. The boy winced as he stretched his arms. "You all right, bud?" Poe nudged the boy's arm.

"Yeah" Anton exhaled sharply, rubbed his tired face. "Are we getting close?"

Anton already knew that they were not close even though he hoped. Poe had the same thought, "I hope so" how long do they have to go on? The mountains were still a long way to go, could be another couple of days until they find the Right Arm, or if they're lucky enough to find sort of transportation.

Jorge was already outside when the rest of them left the station, the man was standing few feet from the cliff and gazing across the rift. There are about dozen of tall buildings or more on the other side, every one of them had parts missing and somehow still standing. This ruins was once a city until it was ravaged by the solar flares. The morning's weather was less humid but as the sun goes higher, the temperature grows and the teens wouldn't want to walk under the sun for another hours like yesterday.

"Got an idea how to get across then?" Minho stopped and stood by Jorge. The rest of the teens stood behind him.

"Depends on what you all prefer—" Jorge turned around and looked at the teens. "Climbing or walking?"

Everyone wrinkled their brows, expressing confusion at the man. "That depends" Nico replied, "You thinking about climbing down there then climb all the way back up there? Or walk around this?" He motioned at the rift.

Jorge chuckled, "No—" he then pointed at their right, "We climb... or we walk" and pointed on their left. On their right was further, ahead was a fallen building on their side meeting and leaning against a tall building on the other side. They'd have to climb on that fallen building that's leaning against the building that stood on the other side, and then climb back down on the tall building. On their left was another building but a fallen one, it laid across the rift like a bridge but it looked simple that they'd just have to walk on the building to get across.

Teo sighed loudly, "Ah shit" he whined.

"Both sides are safe to cross, but the bridge— might be slightly rough, depends on where you walk and the climbing, one slip and you fall" Jorge added. "I've crossed the bridge merely few times and here I am... so quicker way, or the slow way?"

Poe glanced left to right. The climbing would take all of their time, waste more time and lose light sooner. As for the bridge, the building looked unstable, like it could crack in half any moment. It looked as though it's been laying there for quite sometime now, it can't fall down today, can it? Maybe if only they're in a large group? They are in fact a large group and they may have to go walk on the building a few people at a time.

"I say we walk" Anton uttered, "Not fond of climbing, really"

Everyone glanced to the left, looking at the bridge, the rest of the Gladers and Icers were skeptic and reluctant about the bridge, some were thinking of the same as the boy while the rest wanted the other way just to be more safe. Neither of the two pathways were a hundred percent safe.

"Which path do you prefer, Jorge?" Poe asked and everyone turned their glance at the man.

"I can't always make the decisions, hermano"

"You're the one leading us to your guy, Marcus, so—" Minho shrugged.

The man sighed peevishly as his eyes rolled, "All right, I say we take the bridge" he began to walk to the left. "Don't blame me if any of you fall through"

The teens followed Jorge as they made their way to the bridge. Winds began to pick up when they reached the building, the building was laying across the rift like how a tree lays on the ground after being tipped and ripped off it's roots and soil. Instead of roots and soil, it's all dirt and solid ground.

They halted at the building's bottom and gazed across. Poe found himself standing on the edge of the cliff, looking down, it could be a hundred feet down and he wondered if anyone had fallen down. There could've been at least one or two people that fell. Staring at the rift also made him to question how this earth cracked. The solar flares couldn't have done that, or it's been like this before the flares came.

"We'll go only few at a time" Jorge turned around and looked at the teens, "I want you— you and you to follow me" he pointed at Teresa, Aris and Teo, "follow my steps and remember, only few at the time. Don't go until we make it to the end"

Poe nodded as the rest did the same. Jorge stepped onto the building, Teo was right behind him, followed by Teresa then Aris. The four of them were walking seven to ten feet from each other as the rest were watching. There were planks, about two side by side, maybe few dozens of them, all lined from the start of the bridge to the end. Jorge, Aris, Teo and Teresa walked onto the planks slow and carefully. Poe saw Teo trying to keep his balance as he walked forward and even had his arms stretched out. Teresa did the same, followed by Aris. Passing the halfway into the bridge might have a slight difficulty.

Another few moments have passed, as Jorge reached the end, that's when he signalled at Poe and the rest to come. "Okay shanks—" Minho began, "Poe, you go on, Anton can come with you, and you, girl, and Nico. Go. Frypan, Newt and I can go last"

Poe exchanged looks with Anton, who nodded, telling him that he's ready. When Poe looked at Newt, he said, "Careful, alright?"

"'kay, I'll lead" Poe took two big steps forward over a small hill before stepping onto the building. He halted for a quick moment, there was a gap between his feet and the plank about three feet away, he leaped over the gap, it was too dark to see what was in the gap but it looked like it used to be a window. The plank was wobbly as he began to walk forward, there were many gap under the plank, jagged windows, holes on the walls, there were some gaps and holes that he can see, like he can see through the building to the ground hundred feet below.

Anton walked ten feet from behind him, and Leigh was behind the boy while Nico was the last. The soft winds whistled within the building, just under Poe's feet, the winds were almost calm but the further he goes, the winds decided to make the teens have difficulties to walk on the plank. The winds have come and gone like waves since they woke up. They come in unexpected moment then the next moment, it's all calm.

The world had decided to call the winds onto Poe and the other three behind him. A wave of winds blew onto the building and onto the four teens. Poe almost lost his balance, he had his arm shielding his face, there was like a rain shower but instead with sands and dust flying within the winds. The girl was the one one who had the idea that she kneeled down and gripped on the edges of the plank she was on. Nico saw what she was doing, so he did the same. Meanwhile Poe stood at his tracks to wait for the wave to pass by.

Once the wave passed, it was all calm and clear again. Poe shifted and glanced back, Anton was still standing on the plank meanwhile Leigh and Nico were kneeling down. "Everyone good?" He asked them.

"I'm good" said Anton.

"Yeah" the girl replied as she slowly stood up while Nico responded with a wave.

Then they kept going until they reached the end. Minho, Newt and Frypan went through the same thing, another wave of winds came on them but the tree of them came through. They managed to come through. As everyone were finally at the other side, they made their way into downtown.

Surrounded by buildings, some were connected to each other, small and tall ones. Jorge and the group of teens walked down the empty and quiet streets. Most buildings they've passed were still standing, but most of their windows were gone, the cars that were abandoned long ago stayed on the sidewalks and in the middle of the streets. The winds whispered through the buildings, and a whirlwinds came into the streets in spirals, making the old papers to dance.

"Are we close to this Marcus guy?" Frypan asked.

"We're getting close to Zone A" Jorge replied.

"What's in Zone A?" Minho questioned.

"Marcus. And hopefully Brenda and your friend are there already and waiting for us"

The further they went into downtown, the sounds of a fainted booms began to be heard and other noises ahead as the group went through alleyways.

"Before we enter Zone A, try to blend in, all right?" Jorge implied, "the non-immunes really hate the Munies"

"Munies?" Said Teresa.

"The Immunes. Cranks really hate them"

"I don't think any of us are Immune anyways because we lost one of our Gladers by the Flare" Newt explained. Poe immediately thought about Winston.

"Immune or not, just try to blend in" Jorge added as he proceeded.

They arrived to what it seems to be a small community in the streets. The group went through the gates and found the place. The building ahead had a large flag hanging down that read "ZONE A". To their surprise, there were people, maybe around fifty to hundred of them wandering about in the streets, the streets on the sides were filled with tents and sheets hanging. People walking by and across.

Poe was stunned to see that he spotted a child who looked no more than eight, holding hands with a mother. There were also elderly, some people looked sickly and very poor. Their faces full of miserableness and loss of hope. Some people stared at the group, as if they already knew who they were, or the group are just new and fresh faces coming and joining the community.

They kept going ahead until they reached a building with a flag on it, there were noises within that building, what it sounded like was loud music. The people in front of the building looked strange, like they were all in daze and half-drunk out of their minds.

There was an unfamiliar male voice behind Poe, "Are you here for the party, little lad?" A young brunette man who looked to be in his twenties approached Anton. "You're way too young for this place, little laddie"

The boy didn't respond to his question but to step away from the man. Poe halted but Leigh was the one who pulled the boy into the group and the man expressed a creepy grin at Anton and Leigh. Poe didn't proceed until Anton was at his side and kept him closely.

The teens followed Jorge approaching one of the men standing by the entrance of the building. "I'm looking for Marcus, where is he?" The entrance was a mess, seems like whoever decorated the place just put the decorations in random places, the old and cheap looking chandeliers hanging above the entrance. The people at the entrance turned their attention to Jorge and the group.

"He's—" The man who was responding looked the same as others, like he's been dozed by drugs or is half drunk. He wore odd garbs as well, like he just put on whatever piece of clothing he found. "He's in there... Partying, I suppose"

"Thank you" Jorge's tone was high and somewhat sarcastic.

"Ay, you can't go in there until you take a drink" he lift a glass bottle that had green-ish liquid in it.

"How about—" Jorge pulled out his magnum pistol and point it at the man's face, "—if you don't let us in, I'll put a bullet into that miserable face of yours?"

The man didn't look too frightened at all, he merely raised his hands weakly, raising his brows and expressed a sly smile. He took a step back away from the entrance.

Jorge turned his head at the teens, "Go" the teens were reluctant to move and go inside but until Minho did and then they followed him. Jorge was right behind them.

Poe halted after he went through the hanging sheets or curtains and found himself in a strange place. There was a slow music with soft beats playing, people were dancing very slow, there were plain lights hanging around the large room, curtains and cardboards were blocking the windows. Some lights blinked rapidly. The smell was the worst, it reeked of sweat, and rot. Some people were standing around in daze, and there was also cheering going on somewhere in the corner.

"Let's split up, see if we find Thomas and Brenda" said Minho, "but don't wander off alone!" He nudged Frypan and Teo to come with him.

Anton followed Poe around as they all began to scatter around the room in two or three people per group. There was a spot where it was all crowded and a lot of people were huddling together as they danced, making Poe to go through with difficulty. One of the women tried to dance with him but he moved away from her.

"Poe!" Anton called.

Poe snapped his head around, but the boy wasn't in his sight, or he was being over-towered by dancing-people. "Anton?!"

"Poe!"

Poe pushed his way through between the people and went around them. "Anton!"

"Poe!" He didn't sound he was close by, like he was going further away. Poe got anxious. He went back, from where he walked from and went straight ahead until he got out of the crowd.

"Anton!" He yelled as he glanced at the crowd but there was no response from the boy.

"Hey!" Nico came to Poe's side, "We found Thomas and Brenda, Jorge took Brenda upstairs. Minho and Frypan have Thomas and they followed Jorge"

"I lost Anton" Poe replied frustratedly then began to walk around the crowd before going back into the crowd. A moment later, he bumped into Leigh.

"I can't find the others, I couldn't find Thomas or Brenda" Leigh said.

"They already found them and they're gone upstairs" Poe told her, "I'm looking for Anton" he went on to look for the boy through the crowd as he was followed by Leigh.

The people that were dancing around them, they kept bumping onto them but those people didn't mind at all and they kept on dancing to the music. One woman tried to grab onto Poe who begged him to dance with her, but he move away from her and managed lost her into the crowd quickly.

"Poe!" Leigh called from behind. He turned around and saw her over the crowd. She pointed on her left. "There!"

He followed her gaze, he looked over the shoulders and heads of the people dancing. Ahead there was Anton, he had his back against a pillar as the same young man from outside had the boy pinned back and held a knife against the boy's face. Poe rushed to the boy, pushed himself through the people and he had to shove them aside this time.

Before he got there, Nico was already there and he grabbed the man on the shoulders, yanking him backwards away from Anton then shove him down to the floor. Poe rushed to Anton, the boy was holding his bloodied hand, Poe grabbed the boy's shoulder and looked at his face, "You okay?"

Anton pulled down his sleeve to stop the bleeding on his palm, he nodded frantically, "Yeah"

Poe turned around and glanced at the man on the ground. "I was just trying to help the poor lad!" The man replied with a smile, "Poor little lad was lost like a little lost puppy"

Poe was only angry for hurting Anton, "I could kill you!" Poe yelled as he stomped forward toward the man but he was stopped by Nico.

"Let's go, let's go" Nico gave Poe a light push away from the man, "We gotta meet the others"

Poe didn't turn his attention from the man until Nico made him turn around. The two followed Leigh who was guiding Anton to the exit or to the stairs.

The stairs were by the exit, from where they came in from and there was a dark hallway but they managed to find the stairs. They climbed up about two staircases before finding Frypan waiting on the floor that Jorge and other were at.

"Where've you guys been?" Frypan asked then he saw Anton. "Anton, what happened to you?!"

"I'm fine, I just got in a little trouble, that's all" the boy replied.

"All right, come on, this way" Frypan lead them down the hallway and they went in the first room they reached. The rest of the teens including Jorge were there, and also Thomas and Brenda who were both unconscious but looked rather they've passed out. There was another man with them, an unfamiliar man with a crimson suit. Brenda was sleeping on a sofa while Thomas was on the floor with cushions under his head and there was Teresa at his side.

The unfamiliar man was half-conscious and he was being tied onto a chair by Jorge. Poe immediately assumed this man was Marcus. "So... this is the guy we're looking for?"

"Right you are, hermano"

*****

Okay, not the best chapter, I guess?
These last two chapters are merely the side of when Thomas and Brenda were separated from the group and thought I should add this side story of what happened to Jorge and the group instead of focusing on Thomas and Brenda, you know?

I think in the next chapter comes to that talk that Poe promised to Teresa???

I know I haven't written anything these past two weeks and I thought, I should take a little break from writing, because us, writers do need breaks :)