23. Abandoned Mall

Play - I Wanna Be Yours by Arctic Monkeys - on repeat

As the group continued to trudge their way up the sand dune the sounds of guards orders mixed with the strong wind, continued to push the group further and further. "Alright, come on. Keep going!" Thomas encouraged.

As he looked back he saw quad bikes being pulled out guards at the steering wheel. "Shit" he stated as they started to drive towards them. "We'll lose them in the storm!" Coming closer and closer the group hid at the top watching the search for them go on. "Everybody, go, go, go. Stay low. Stay low!"

Running through the dark deserted the group stayed close together "I think we lost em!" Minho informed. Coming up to a building the group just watched as Teresa ran ahead. "Where are we even going?"

"What the hell is this?" Winston asked.

"Come on!" Teresa shouted as she stepped inside.

"Teresa, wait! No, don't go in there!" Thomas warned.

"Get down here!" she shouted back.

"Get inside!"

"Aris, get in!"

"Let's go Fry!"

Each of them all slid down the sand ramp and into the abandoned mall. Minho went into his backpack and pulled out a torch, as their heavy breathing filled the air around them they looked around at the mess in the building. "Where the hell are we?" Minho asked.

"Some abandoned shopping center?" Athena answered as she looked around.

"We gotta go." Thomas said.

"No," Teresa answered.

"We gotta keep moving."

"Thomas, stop!" she shouted, causing the boys to jump back slightly and Athena looked the girl up, down as she went through thought processes. "Tell me what's going on."

"It's Wicked." he replied, walking up to her. "It's Wicked. They lied to us. We never escaped. Me and Aris, we found bodies. Too many to count."

"What do you mean? Dead bodies?" Minho asked.

"No, but they weren't alive either. They had them strung up. With tubes coming out of them. They were being drained. There's something inside of us that Wicked wants. Something in our blood."

"Probably the fact we're immune. Like she said in the video." Winston suggested. As the group around him agreed Athena stayed silent and shifted uncomfortably, which only Newt seemed to pick up on from the girl standing next to him but didn't want to say anything right now.

"So we have to get as far away from them as possible." Thomas continued.

"Okay. So, what's the plan?" Newt asked, only to be met with silence. "You do have a plan, right?"

"Yeah. I don't know."

"Well, we followed you out here, Thomas and now you're saying that you have no idea where we're going or what we're doing." Newt snapped back his voice cracking a few times.

"Wait." Aris spoke up from the right side of Athena, "Janson said something about people hiding in the mountains. Some kind of resistance or army." he explained.

"The Right Arm." Thomas said. "The right arm. If they're really against Wicked maybe they can help us."

"People. In the mountains. Mountain people." Newt breathed out starting to get more annoyed. "That's your plan?"

"It's the only chance we have."

"Hey, guys." Winston exclaimed, grabbing their attention. "Check this out. Minho, give me a light" The group walked over to Winston who was bent on one knee looking at the ground. As Minho shined the light it revealed footprints. "Someone's been down here."

All walking round skeptically the group looked round the abandoned building, using his torch Minho shined it through a stores barricade to reveal supplies.Water, Clothes, Snacks. "Come on. Open up." Minho said to the short girl standing next to him. As the pair lifted up the barricade the group walked into the dim store. Finding flashlights, Newt passed one to each of them. "Looks like people lived here." Minho theories as he picked up some used clothes.

"Where are they now?" Newt asked.

"I wouldn't say far." Athena pointed out. "There's still water and a few snacks left. Wouldn't make sense for them to leave it all behind."

"Let's pack some of this stuff up." Thomas said as he put on a jacket.

"What if people need this?"

"We aren't taking it. Just the bare minimum of what we need." Thomas said to calm the girl down. "Anything you think you might need. We'll split up and see what else we can find. Meet back here."

"Wait, Thomas." Newt said as he threw the boy a flashlight.

"Minho, Thea. Let's go."

Nodding she started to walk towards them but she quickly stopped in front of Newt and looked at him. "Pick me up a coat please?" she asked which he nodded to, she gave him a quick kiss on the lips which he returned and started to walk out to meet the other pair. "I'll be right back. Plus if anything it will be me saving those two." she said as she picked up a metal baseball bat and walked out the shop.

As the three walked through the wrecked building they came across what seemed to be an abandoned market. "Thomas" Minho spoke up.

"Yeah?"

"All those kids we left behind back there. I don't wanna end up like that." he said with a grimace on his face, as he looked to the side he saw Thomas unreactive, "Hey. do you hear me?"

"Yeah, I hear you." Thomas replied in almost a whisper.

"Good, now what are we looking for out here?" Athena spoke up, trying to defuse the morbid tension in the previous conversation.

"Signs of life. People. Survivors. Anyone who can help us. Like you said earlier Thea, people might not be far away." Thomas said as he looked at some electrical wiring.

"In the nicest way possible. I don't think I would like to meet people who have been stuck in a place like this, if i'm going to be honest." she said to which Minho breathlessly chuckled at.

"She does have a point." as he turned round he looked forwards to see a body lying on stacks of supplies, with a plastic bag round his head. "Does he count?"

Cautiously walking over, the three shined their torches at the body to reveal almost a skinless skeleton with black and dark blue almost veins going around the thin sheet of skin. "Shit" Thomas exhaled as he looked at the lifeless body.

"Is the power on?" Athena asked, to answer her question, the dark haired boy brought his hand up to the lamp and flicked the switch three times, for nothing to happen.

All looking at each other Minho looked at the girl, "They had power."

"De ninguna manera (No way)." She replied as she rolled her eyes.

Thomas' light shined past the girl causing the pair to turn their gaze to what seemed to be a power source as many wires were attached to it.

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As the five continued to look through the shop Frypan walked up to the pile of clothes and pulled out a navy blue waterproof coat. "Hey Newt," as the boy turned to look at his friend he carried on "Would this fit Thea?"

Grabbing the coat off his friend he inspected it "Um, ye should do." he confirmed as he shoved the clothing into his bag.

As she turned a corner Teresa's gaze fell on to a human figure. Breathing out a startled breath, she looked closer to see it was only a mannequin, her breaths still heavy. "You alright?" Newt asked the girl almost out of sight.

"I'm fine."

Bringing over a jug of water and some water bottles to the table Newt looked up at Frypan to see his gaze at the other side of the shop. Following his gaze Newt found Teresa who was dressing into new clothes. Putting his middle and index finger on the right side of the boy's chin and turning his gaze back to the table.

"What?" Fry asked with an innocent look on his face. To which Newt scoffed and smiled at the boy. "You do it to Athena all the time."

"Because she says I can."

"As we are on that topic wanna explain why you two took so long in the showers?" Frypan asked with a knowing smirk and his eyebrows going up and down.

"You're as bad as Minho." Newt replied as he shook his head and chuckled.

"Are we wrong tho?" as Newt stayed silent Frypan chuckled at the boy, "Who knew it would be you first."

Saying this caused Winston and even Aris to chuckle at the statement. "Alright, alright. Can we let this go."

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Coming up to a door the two boys pushed them open slowly as Athena tightened a ready to swing grip on the steel bat. As the doors opened they were shown with nothing but darkness, putting her torch in her bag she still held a tight grip on the bat as they slowly walked in.

Looking round they saw many wires hanging from the ceiling and filing cabinets. Walking towards a chicken wire gate the light shined to reveal what appeared to be a memorial for someone. Many people in fact. As Thomas walked closer to the gate Minho and Athena stayed where they were standing, staring at the gate with caution.Looking at each item as he passed them he walked up to the fence.

Feeling a nudge at his ribs Minho looked down at the girl to see her nod in the direction of his right. Walking over the pair looked to see maybe some type of power source. "This looks promising." Minho said as he started to flick switches.

Bending down Thomas shone his torch through the fence to see pillows and blankets. All abandoned.

"Try that one." Athena said as she stayed stood up.

Following instruction Minho turned the switch to the side to receive a loud engine start up. "Hey, Minho, wait." Thomas exclaimed almost in panic looking back at the pair.

As the machine powered up more lights in the hall started to flicker on one by one. Hurringly going through the mall turning each light on. Turning round with a smile on his face Minho turned to look at Thomas, his smile instantly fading "Thomas watch out!" he cried.

Turning round towards the fence Thomas was met with the presence of a woman running into the fence screaming and shaking it. "Get back, get back." Thomas said as he put a protective arm in front of his two friends shining the light at the woman.

"Jesus." Minho breathed out.

"I don't think that's Jesus." Athena mumbled.

"Her eyes." Thomas pointed out at the screaming woman. But Athena couldn't help but see a slight similarity in the way the woman's skin was pigmented.

Before she could say another word a manly groan came from behind them, instantly turning round the three turned to see a man just like the woman eyes pooled black, black saliva falling out their mouth, dark blue and black vines through their skin struggling to walk his way to the trio.

"Oh, shit." Minho exclaimed.

As the man ran towards the three Athena walked forward and swung with as much force as she could at the man causing him to fall to the ground beside her. "What the hell is that thing?" Minho asked the three to walk past it and started to make their way to the exit.

"I said we shouldn't meet these people!" Athena shouted looking at the woman behind the fence and the man on the ground.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A/N- Still have no wifi but here we are. Please be sure to vote and comment any questions you have.