The Desolation (The Maze Runner)

16. Blossoms

"Come here," she heard Minho's voice.

He found a place where the trees weren't so close to each other and there was a clearing over the ground. Brenda and Jorge put their jackets down and laid on them.

"I'll sleep out there," Salsa pointed to a place right from the orchard.

"Are you crazy? We have to stick together," said Brenda.

"I'm sleeping on the rocks. You can join me if you want, anyone?" she looked at them.

Jorge closed his eyes and Minho looked away. Thomas hesitated for a second, but sat next to Minho on the ground.

"Fine, see you in four hours," she said, looking at her watch and moving back to the valley.

The walk along the trees made her shiver. They were so ghostly.

She felt better when she stepped out of their shadow and into the valley. She placed her backpack on the ground, using it as a pillow and laid down while covering herself with the jacket. She closed her eyes trying to sleep.

But her visions made it impossible. She turned around, trying to focus on the memory of her parents but there he was again. Looking at her with deep dark eyes and smiling. Newt. She took a shuddering breath and looked at the sky. He was somewhere there, even more scared than she was and she couldn't help or comfort him.

She missed his everything. She felt the hard rock under her back. Yesterday these were his warm arms. She tried to sleep, she needed it, but even when her body was so exhausted from walking and worrying, and pain, she couldn't sleep.

Salsa finally fell into a sleep-like state, but a crack and someone moving over the ground woke her up. She took the gun out from her jacket, opening an eye.

"Hi, may I join your camp?" she heard Thomas' voice and put the gun aside.

"Sure, here's another comfortable rock," she said.

Thomas smiled.

"Brenda will miss you," Salsa closed her eyes again.

"I'm not sure about her and Teresa," Thomas sighed.

"Lay down and sleep. We'll need every sleep we can get," she said.

Thomas took a place on the ground and rolled his jacket as a pillow under his head.

"Teresa and the rest, they'll protect Newt even from himself," muttered Thomas facing her.

"He isn't with them. WICKED took him to the Cranks," Salsa felt so mad again.

"What?" Thomas nearly jumped up. "How could they do that? We need to go and get him out of there!"

"I threatened Janson so now WICKED is taking care of him. I hope they won't let anyone hurt him. We must hurry up with our mission, every day counts. Now sleep," she said.

"Where is he?" Thomas laid down and looked at the stars.

"The Crank Palace around Denver," Salsa sighed.

"This world sucks so much," he whispered.

"I know, thanks," she tried to sleep but she couldn't anyway, so why not talk. "They say there are only three more components needed for the cure out of 12,000 they have already."

"If there's a cure, we'll find it," Thomas looked at her.

"But will it be too late?" she felt pain again.

"Why did you decide to sleep here and not under the trees?" he changed the subject.

"Why have you come here?" she asked.

"I trust you," he smiled a little.

"So turn around and look at the trees, what do you see?" she asked.

He moved and faced her with his back.

"There's something strange about them," he said. "They're very alike."

"Exactly alike, there are only four patterns. Real trees don't have the exact same branches," she said.

"They aren't real trees, but why are they here?" he turned to her.

"I wish I knew," she closed her eyes again. "Sleep."

Thomas moved and looked at the stars again.

He missed Teresa and Salsa missed Newt. They were in the same sad situation, neither sure if they could ever see them again. An hour passed and both of them fell asleep. Somehow it was easier for Salsa to sleep when Thomas was around. He was her only friend here.

A scream made them jump up.

"Brenda!" Thomas looked around in horror.

"Wait," Salsa took the gun.

Seconds later, they saw Brenda. She fell on her back screaming and shaking, but there was nothing attacking her.

"Do you see anything?" asked Thomas.

"The blossoms, they cause hallucinations," Salsa started.

She scanned the space under the trees. Jorge ran, chased by something that wasn't there, and Minho fought with a knife against an invisible force. Brenda screamed again. She tried to kick and hit around her.

"Brenda, don't move!" shouted Salsa, kicking her backpack and then shooting above Brenda's body.

The red light that came out of her gun hit a tree and disappeared. Salsa shot two more times.

"What are you doing?" asked Thomas.

"If it's real, it should act like a real monster," said Salsa loudly.

And it did because Brenda stopped screaming and fighting, and got up.

A moment later, Jorge ran out of the orchard glancing behind him every two seconds.

"On the ground, Jorge!" shouted Salsa.

He lied down and she tossed the lightning bullet above his body. He looked behind him and sighed in relief. Few minutes later, Minho appeared between the trees. He was sweaty and exhausted, still holding his knife. Suddenly all three turned around in fear.

"It's not real, these are hallucinations caused by the trees," said Salsa. "Come here, sit down and rest."

They were sitting in a circle and waiting. Brenda, Minho and Jorge glanced around and shivered every few seconds.

"It's so horrible, they're everywhere," muttered Brenda, moving closer to Thomas.

"They're uglier than Grievers," Minho shook his head.

"Oh, get away with your fangs!" Jorge tossed a stone behind him.

"How long will they see it?" asked Thomas.

"No idea," Salsa stared at the stony ground. "Tomorrow we should reach a small city at the end of the valley, and cities are more dangerous than deserts now. At least the left behind ones."

She looked up at him. Brenda screamed again but calmed down and tried to concentrate on the ground.

"We'll be so over after this night," whispered Thomas.

"Try to sleep, I'll take care of them. I can't sleep anyway," Salsa was sad.

The pain was flowing through her, growing bigger with every second.

Thomas nodded and laid down. The night seemed endless.

Thank you for your support. What do you think about the trees? What do you think about Salsa and Thomas becoming friends?
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