DISTURBANCE!
CHAPTER THREE.
the future world.

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HER EYES DIDN'T OPEN TO REVEAL THE BLEACH WHITE CEILING OF THE FACILITY WHEN HER MIND RESURFACED. Instead, the girl felt a strange rush of sensations give her a sense of overwhelming horror, succeeding in making her forget- for even a split moment- that her body was still strapped down on the hospital bed.

click. click. She felt a prod at her head, the silence clouding her ears fading away to reveal sounds of terror, increasing all around her now so much to the point it was inescapable. click. click.

Her natural instincts as a human being kicked in when she heard a woman wail for help in the distance. She held a boy no older than the age of ten in her arms, the limp arms of the boy flopping as she sobbed uncontrollably. "Someone help me! Someone help my son!"

Before her feet could even move an inch from the ground, armed men were already on the scene. They wore little to no protection for themselves, barely looking human with the way their faces were scarred and bloodied as they held rusted guns. "Get back! Get back!" They warned, raising their weapons.

The woman flinched, holding her son tighter as tears streamed like an unstopped tap. "P-Please. H-He hasn't been infected long, I swear. He's not dangerous yet."

click. click.

"Yeah, that's how it always begins." The biggest man of the three of them snarled, saliva dripping from his mouth to his chin as he looked at the woman in a deep hatred. "It always begins as one little bite . . . but then it gets worse."

"He just needs some help." The lady lamented as Rita was left to watch in horror at a distance. When did this happen? When did humans become so . . . inhuman?

"We can help him by putting a bullet in his head!" One of his comrades implored, raising his weapon in order to shoot. "Step back!"

"He just needs a cure!" The mother crowed in a deep agony as if in physical pain, sinking into herself.

click. click.

The man with his raised weapon shook his head, anger seeping through every fibre of his body as he limply shook his head. "There is no cure." And with that, two shots rang through the sky.

Rita screamed as her hand clamped over her mouth at the red that invaded her sight, tears starting to build in the corners of her now blurry eyes. Her throat choked on a sob, her green eyes blinking rapidly as a precaution to stop the waterworks.

Then- as soon as it was done- the men walked away at the crime scene they had committed, unaffected. The action horrified Rita, making her feel like she was going to spew her guts out. How can a human being do that to someone?

Rita had no time to even think of fuming over to the men who wore selfishness like a mask as her weeping eyes caught something in the distance. Turning round, her pink lips fell agape.

click. click.

Thomas coughed madly as he huddled for warmth against a corner, wrapping his arms around himself. His face was badly sunburned, his lips cracked in what looked to be dehydration as his face sunk in a starved look. Regardless, Rita knew it was still her Thomas- her Thomas that needed her help.

"Tom."

Rita's feet came to an abrupt halt in the rough, sandy ground; now only a few feet away from them. Her green eyes pooled with tears as she took in the appearances of the familiar faces, wondering what on earth could've happened to them.

Teresa frowned as she walked up to Thomas, looking down at the boy with a sorrowful look. The teenage boy turned round to face her, his girlfriend- even from a fair distance- still being able to see the regretful tears that leaked. "I'm sorry, Teresa. I should've listened."

click. click.

"Thomas," The raven haired girl uttered, her state not that much better than the boys. Her hair was wild and unkept and her clothes were hanging off of her body practically made of bone. Their was nothing healthy about either of them.

"I lost Minho and Newt." Thomas bawled, his face being stuffed in his hands as he sniffed. "I- We thought Newt would be okay and that it was just a scratch . . . but then he got Minho."

"No." Rita whimpered like a kicked puppy, her body feeling weak and no longer made of bone at the dawning news that made bile rise in her throat. "No."

click. click.

"I had to do it, Teresa." The brown-haired boy confessed, raising his tearful face that gave both females a good look at his brown eyes. The spark of determination to fight and live with no longer there. "They were in so much pain . . . I couldn't watch them suffer."

"And the others?" Teresa questioned, raising a shaky, bony hand to comfortingly run frail fingers through his destroyed hair.

click. click.

Thomas bit his lip and shook his head as a silent answer, both of the two girl's eyes spilling with tears.

Rita held her stomach in a twisting, deep and clenching pain. How could this have happened? She thought in to her head, not expecting- but definitely wanting- an answer.

"It was you."

The cursed voice brought chills to the young teenage girl's spine, a shaky breath leaving her lips as she turned round in a thick tension. At first, she didn't want to believe the sight in front of her . . . but the reflection of her own green eyes staring back at her didn't lie.

"W-What?" Rita asked herself- literally- as she took in the sight of her. It was her- no doubt about it . . . only this version of her looked like she'd been through hell and back. "No. No, I had nothing to do with this." She denied rather strongly.

The other her managed a weak smirk and snort, shaking her head as she heaved with anger. The look in her eyes could kill, and Rita was scared of her own self. "My dear, Rita, you had everything to do with this. Because of you, the world is dying and it's only a matter of time before every human becomes a Crank or their next meal."

Crank. There it was. There was that familiar word she had heard as she was pushed into the facility. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, hands fidgeting with innocence. What was a Crank? "You're lying."

"Take a look around, Rita!" The dark her bellowed, waving her hands around as her emerald eyes became clouded with deep hate and disgust for the girl standing across from her. "Take a look at what we did!"

Rita hadn't even realised until now that she had been so caught up in watching the woman, her son, the men, Teresa and Thomas around the scene . . . she hadn't even taken a moment to look around at what had become of the outside world.

The great burning sun showed everything in its true destructive detail, showing every one of its millions of flaws. In fact, so much of the buildings were destroyed they could barely even stand or resemble a possible home for someone. It was a danger-zone by the looks of things.

The sand stretched miles and miles, no signs of nature even being remotely shown. Everyone that roamed this meaningless earth looked to be a step away from death . . . or were already there.

Their was nothing beautiful or poetic about the sight in front of the teenage girl; the world was ruined with barely any humans left standing . . . and the ones that were weren't humans- they were monsters.

click. click.

"No. No, this can't be," the teen stopped her sentence short, looking around helplessly to the other her with a damaged look. "This can't be the future world."

"It is." The other Rita foretold, rising her head slightly. Her next words were a slow torture. "Unless you let the plan go through as it was intended to."

"What plan?!" Rita screeched, her voice feeling like it was going to crack in half any minute now. "Tell me how to stop this!"

click. click.

"You stay out of their way."

The confusion was clear in Rita's eyes until her mind catches up to what the other her was looking at . . . or who the other her was looking at. Thomas and Teresa.

"What? I-I don't understand." The brunette stammered, desperately looking between her two drained friends as she plays with her sleeves yet again. Her mind felt like it was running one thousand miles an hour and would just collectively stop all together. She was lost for answers.

The other her didn't hesitate with a strong response. "They're the hope for the future, Rita. Together- and only together- they can find a cure and stop all of this from getting worse."

click. click.

"What does this have to do with me?" Rita's feet were shaking as she argued with her own self, feeling her heart grow heavy like a weight.

"Because you distract him, Rita." The angered girl barked, her nose releasing a deep exhale. "It was always meant to be the the two of them; always. You need to stay out of the picture."

"And if I don't?" Feeling brave, the teenager challenged her own self as she took a step forward with her fists clenched.

click. click.

"Then the whole destruction of our world is on us, Rita." The other her elaborated, tilting her head as an innocent expression came into play. "You wouldn't want to be responsible for your friends' deaths, I'm sure. You wouldn't want their blood on your hands, right? His blood?"

"Stop! Just stop!" The brunette suddenly begged, her hands clawing at her ears as if that would stop what was already broken to her. "I don't want this!"

"Then do what is right . . . for the future. Stay away from him, Rita. Stay away from T-"

Rita gasped when she felt her eyes snap open only to be blinded by the bright hospital light above her, her chest heaving up and down in the leather binds she was still strapped in rapidly.

The girl flinched when hands caressed her face, gently touching the soft skin on her cheeks. She instantly reacted by crying, fighting as best she could in the hold. "No. No, no, please."

"Hey, it's alright. It's alright, it's me." A familiar and trusted voice conceded her, their grip sending butterflies through her skin as she opened her eyes. Thomas' face blocked out the blinding light, his honey coloured eyes pooling with worry as her name tumbled from his lips. "Rita . . . oh my god, what did they do to you?"

The brunette didn't respond to his question, all she could manage was a simple name to roll off her tongue as her green eyes scanned the face she had seen only moments ago. This Thomas was the now Thomas- her Thomas . . . the one who would have to shoot his best friends because of her in the future. "Tommy,"

The boy reacted to her soft words by removing his hands from her face to start working on the leather straps around her, grunting with effort as he tried to work quickly. "We're leaving right now. We gotta go!"

When the girl was finally free from her restraints, her boyfriend helped her up to her feet. Beside her, Rita noticed Minho and Newt waking up Teresa in the bed beside hers. Had they done the same thing to her? Had Teresa seen what I had?

No answers came when a panicked Frypan keeping watch at the door looked over his shoulder at his friends, wide-eyed as he yelled. "Guys, they're coming! Where do we go?"

Newt looked around in a frenzy for resources, stopping at a table holding some different liquid medicines. "Frypan, move!" He quickly warned the dark-skinned boy as he flipped the table over to its side and pressed it against the door as a blockage.

It was a good move on their part because within a few seconds, WICKED guards were trying to shove their way in. Rita trembled with fear. They had no where else to go . . . they were trapped. "We gotta get out of here!" Minho yelled in alarm.

Thomas, who had been holding some gun he had stolen from a WICKED guard earlier to the door in a form of defence, looked around quickly before his eyes stopped at the giant window pane in front of them. In the room on the other side of them, was a door that was awaiting them. It seemed the boy had a lightbulb moment as he passed the gun to Minho, who kept stance by the door.

Scrambling to pick up a chair sat in the corner of the room, Thomas grunted as he slammed the chair against the window in hopes it would break. It stood strong, but that didn't stop the boy from trying as he turned to his blonde friend. "Newt, help!"

Together, after a few more hits, the boys successfully managed to break through the glass as they discarded the chairs to the side. Thomas hurriedly jumped over, gesturing for his girlfriend to get in his arms to help her over.

The other Gladers clambered over just as Rita was set down gently from Thomas' hold, her boyfriend catching the gun tossed to him by Minho as the former Keeper of the Runners leapt over.

They all made a bolt for the door, Thomas specifically eyeing the brunette girl clinging onto him as he warned them all. "Stay behind me." And with that, he opened the door.

Rita scrambled back when she saw a WICKED guard stood in their path, all of her friends's eyes widening in fear. When the man reached for his weapon, Thomas was quicker to react. The gun in the boy's hand whirred as it fired, sending the man flying back with a shock as he convulsed in an immobilised pain.

Rita's eyes enlarged at her boyfriend's quick move, her and her friends staring at him in surprise. It seemed as if the teen himself was taken back by the powerful hit too for a moment before he took off down the hall, everyone following his lead behind.

The girl's head still held a slight ache, but Rita shook it off as she focused on what was more important- leaving this place. Of course, she hadn't seen what her friends had saw in order to cause them to freak out and run for escape . . . but she had had her own experience of WICKED's games.

"There it is! There it is!" Thomas announced from the front of the pack, his girlfriend seeing that spark of determination shine behind his eyes as he pulled what looked to be a keycard out of his jean pocket.

Rita chose not to ponder on how on earth her friends had all got this equipment to escape as she watched her boyfriend scan the card through the machine; a beep sounding being made as red digital letters flashed on the pad.

ACESS DENIED.

Thomas cursed under his breath, continuing to slide the card through a bit more frantic this time as the same beeping showed no success. A certain dread pooled in Rita's stomach when she heard Janson's voice down the hall. "Thomas!"

Every Glader whirled round in surprise at the man slowly walking closer towards them with armed guards behind him, holding up shields for protection. Their gazes soon turned into that of hard glares as Thomas raised his gun and approached the rat-like man. "Open this door, Janson!"

"You really don't want me to." The older man cautioned, still slowly approaching the group of teens. His beady eyes then adverted to the girl cowering in the corner. "Rita, I'm trying to protect you. The world is dangerous now and it's only going to get worse!"

The girl immediately knew her uncle was referencing to whatever they had done to her in order to make her see those visions of what she prayed wasn't the future world. A sudden anger powered through her bones. "You're lying! Just open this door and let us out, you rat!"

"Listen to me!" Janson enunciated, unaffected by the girl's mean comment towards him. "I'm trying to save your life! The Maze is one thing, but you kids wouldn't last a day out in the Scorch. If the elements don't kill you, the Cranks will. Rita, Thomas, you have to believe me. I only want what's best for you."

Rita watched her boyfriend's movements still before he tensed, hearing every hatred for every word he spat at the pathetic man. "Yeah, let me guess. WICKED is good?"

Much to her surprise, her uncle did show a glimmer of shock from the words as Janson lowered his hands with a confident smirk. "You're not getting through that door, Thomas." He asserted in a brag-like manner, knowing he had won this fight.

Rita thought he had too until the door behind her made a whooshing sound, the girl faintly seeing the pad turn green before it slid up in access to show Winston stood next to the boy David had pointed out to their group in the cafeteria. What was he doing here helping them? "Hey guys." He greeted through a breath, everyone rushing past the door to his side.

Only Thomas remained as he kept his weapon aimed at Janson, Rita's panic settling in when she saw the boy make no move to join them. "Thomas, come on!" She implored, feeling Newt and Minho gently stand by her side just in case.

Hearing the sound of his girlfriend's voice was the only push Thomas needed to start firing shots down the hall, hurriedly walking backwards to his friends.

Janson and guards shouted as Ratman took refuge behind the plastic protective shields the guards had, staying there until Thomas' gun run out of ammo. The boy tossed it, beginning to sprint for the door.

Rita's eyes broadened in a jittery panic when she saw her uncle and his goons sprint for the boy as fast as they could, Janson hurriedly ordering something in the device he held. She quickly understood his request when the door above them beeped and started to slide down.

"Thomas!" His girlfriend's fearful voice rang down the hall as Minho and Newt took ahold of one of her arms on both sides gently, scared she was going to put herself at risk.

Thomas pushed himself harder to run, adrenaline being the only thing he felt as he watched the door begin to block his view of his friends and his escape. He had to get through- not just for himself . . . but for her too.

"Tommy!" Rita sobbed just as the boy took a leap of faith and slid- just as a baseball player would touching base- through the door. It closed and locked as soon as he did so, the brunette letting out a deep breath and sob of relief when the boy met her relieved eyes.

"Guys, what's going on?" No one answered a very lost and confused Teresa as the boy from the cafeteria slammed the device he had used to unlock the door and save them into the keycard scanner, breaking it as it sizzled and cracked.

The Gladers stepped away just as Janson reached the door, trying and pounding on the door in hopes of opening it but to no success. He looked at the teens in anger as Thomas flipped him off with his middle finger.

"You little shit." The man cursed the boy under his breath before as a last resort, turning to Rita. His palms slapped against the glass as he cautioned her. "Rita, take a look at the outside world! You've seen what's going to happen if we don't go through with the plan; if you don't go through with it!"

When a dazed looked covered her emerald green eyes, Thomas protectively pulled her into his side and rushed to the big door they had all stumbled through in the beginning. Noticing a red lever hidden at the side of the door, the brown-haired boy pulled it and quickly took ahold of his girlfriend's hand once more when it made mechanical sounds and started to open.

Rita covered her face with her free hand as a sudden gust of sandy wind blew at their faces, the rest of the Gladers following suit.

Daring to squint one eye open, the teenage girl looked at the unknown sandy abyss before them shielded by the pitch black night sky, her mind forcing her to note how similar it was to whatever WICKED had made her see.

Janson had called it the Scorch . . . and had warned her that she could be the reason for its great downfall of bigger destruction in the future and Rita didn't know if his words were a bluff or real with the way things were heading for her and her friends.

A U T H O R. N O T E
chapter three, my dudes! this is the chapter that took me the longest to write as i really wanted to take some time narrowing down the whole dream/vision sequence segment and using other words than the very basic, overused 'said'. i hope i did it justice and succeeded but idk how i feel about it just yet!

i do hope you are all enjoying the book so far and i will also apologise if any lines which are taken from the movie are quoted/said wrong. i didn't look back to check but i'm hoping my religious watching of the second film allows me to not stray too far. luv ya!

GIF MADE BY ME !
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