"People are strange when you're a stranger
Faces look ugly when you're alone
Women seem wicked when you're unwanted
Streets are uneven when you're down
When you're strange
Faces come out of the rain
When you're strange
No one remembers your name
When you're strange"

"Get rest.  We leave first thing the sun rises."  Jorge told them as he headed out of the room to a different one. Clara moved her back pack away from her as she looked up at the ceiling above her. She heard some shuffling from the others and then nothing.  She pursed her lips slightly, knowing she wouldn't get sleep and sat up before unzipping her bag and pulling out the deck of cards.

She let out a deep breath as she started to shuffle them.  She did it a few more times, shuffling the cards and deep breaths in and out.  They always helped calm her down.

"Clara, do you have to shuffle cards now?"  Minho groaned, not even facing her as he knew what was going on.

"Yes."  She stated, keeping her eyes on the cards.  Minho let out a sigh as he had his arms crossed over his chest and closed his eyes.  A pair of feet made their way towards her than sat down in front of her.

Clara's eyes flickered up and was met with Newt who smiled softly at her.  "You alright?"  He asked.

"Just wanting to get back."  She answered him simply, looking back at the cards.

"You think they'll let us stay?  The Right Arm?"  He asked.

"Mhm.  It's what they do."  She cocked her head to the side slightly as she placed a card down.

Newt fiddled with his hands and gave a short nod as he looked at his hands.  There wasn't a word spoken between the two.  They were both nervous clearly.  Newt just continued to fiddle with his hands, trying to calm himself down. He was scared for Tommy. 

The more he thought, the worst his thoughts became.  He started to dig his fingernails into his hand, tearing his flesh slightly, not even paying attention to the damage that he was doing.  That was until a hand was placed on his, stopping him completely.

Newt looked up, seeing Clara looking at him.  No expression on her face as she slowly removed his one hand away from the other.  Clara then started to place a few cards in front of each of them before sliding a deck closer towards him.

"Let's play."

~~~

"How much longer?" Minho asked as sweat formed on his forehead.

"If you keep asking it's going to take even longer." Clara told him, looking back at him slightly before looking ahead once more.

The group continued to walk.  Barley any words came between anyone as they were focused on getting to Albuquerque.  Jorge went to head one direction but Clara stopped.

"This way is faster."  She told him, gesturing to a darker direction that was filled with fallen buildings.

"That way looks way more creepier than the other one."  Fry commented.

"Alright, hermana."  Jorge nodded and started to walk in the direction Clara mentioned.

"We're actually going to go down there?"  Teresa asked.

"She knows these parts better than me and she said it was faster."  Jorge told her as the group started to walk once more.

It didn't take much longer until they got to Albuquerque.  Clara led them down a dark, disgusting alleyway as muffled music and voices filled everyone's ears.  Clara got to the edge before poking her head out and then turning back to look at everyone else.

"Whatever you do.  Don't drink anything."  She warned them.  "I'll check over here.  You check over there."  She directed, putting her bandana around her face before stepping out.

"Wait.  Clara."  Newt went to grab her arm but was too late as she already left.

"I'll go with her."  Aris commented as he slowly moved through the others and hurried after her.

"Clara!" Aris called and she snapped her head back to the boy calling her, before gesturing him to hurry up as she continued.

"Where are we going?" Aris asked as he walked beside her.

"There's only a few places that people who no nothing about the scorch go to. This is one." Clara opened up a door, as it let out a loud squeak.

Clara walked in as the room was filled with many stray people sitting, laying, or standing against the wall. They looked at her, some looking away. It was a common thing. For some reason people feared The Right Arm. Guess, something that is trying to overthrow WCKD strikes fear in others.

"Have you seen a boy and a girl around my age take shelter here?" Clara asked as she walked up to someone who was sitting down. The man didn't even bother to look at her.

Clara let out a breath as she continued to make her way down. "Anyone? Come on, you and I both know what's out of the ordinary around here." Clara held her arms out to her sides slightly.

"They passed by, didn't come in." A woman's voice broke out. Clara took a few more steps before she stopped behind a lady with a blanket around her. She was standing against the wall with her son sitting right next to her, basically attached to her left leg.

"Where did they go?" Clara asked gently.

The woman looked at Clara with an unreadable expression on her face. "Take a guess...what's the main attraction in downtown Albuquerque?"  The woman asked Clara, causing the young girl to sigh.

"Shucking Marcus."  Clara groaned, turning back around, grabbing Aris arm gently, gesturing him to follow.

"Whose Marcus?"  Aris asked.

"A prick."

"Your friend was here yesterday."  The woman called out again, making Clara stop in place and turn back around.

"He was asking if we saw you."

Clara just stared at the woman before speaking once again.  "Green bandana?"  Clara asked and the woman gave her her a small nod along with a smile.

"He was worried.  Practically begging us to say that we saw you...I think-it sounded like he thought you were dead."  The woman explained.

Clara's heart ached at her words.  Here Aaron thought she was dead.  She couldn't imagine how he felt thinking she was dead, since the incident with Carter and...yeah.  That.

"He's going to be in for a surprise when he sees me then."  Clara smiled slightly under her bandana, the woman letting out a small laugh.  "Thank you."  Clara said and then her and Aris left the building.

"Just let us in there man." Fry groaned as the guy in charge; Marcus refused to let them in.

"Nope. Don't feel like it." He smiled creepily.

"We just want to see if our friends are there." Teresa gestured.

"I don't care little girl. This is my party, I can-oh shit." Marcus whole demeanor changed when he saw Clara's familiar form walking over.

"Marcus."  Clara greeted as she glared at him.

"Clara, hi."  Marcus clapped and let out a nervous laugh.

"You two are friends?"  Jorge questioned.

"No."

"Yes!"

Clara and Marcus answered at the same time. 

"Last time we had an issue of letting me in this place, that guy got a knife in his hand.  I will gladly put one in yours this time."  Clara threatened, gesturing to a man who seemed to be trying to hide in the corner.

"We'll be going in now."  Clara passed him.

"Yeah.  Have fun."  Marcus let out another nervous laugh before Jorge grabbed the back of his collar and dragged him in.

"Thomas!" Teresa suddenly yelled as she ran through the group of dancing people, Thomas, who was laying on the floor. The others quickly went towards him and to find Brenda while Clara looked at Jorge who still held his grip on Marcus.

"Follow me. I know a room where it's quiet." She said and made her way through the crowd.

"Marcus, Marcus, Marcus." Clara sang slightly as she sighed at the end.

"Hey! Hey, Clara. I let you and your friends in. Your other friends are alive. Come on." Marcus was clearly nervous and shrunk slightly in Jorge's grip.

Minho and Newt helped lay a passed out Thomas on a cot while Brenda sat up against a wall.

"No harm done." Marcus kept talking.

"Shut up." Clara drawled out as she looked back to him, finally pulling her bandana down from her face, now around her neck. This was the first time Marcus had seen her whole face and just stared at her. His face then turned into a creepy grin as he pointed at her.

"I see why you wear a bandana now." Marcus said, indicating that it was to hide her scars.

"Oh, no." Newt mumbled as he heard the man and turned to the situation. He may not have seen Clara in a year, but he still knew some of her.

It was silent for a split second. Clara just stared back at Marcus before she drew her arm back and punched him across the face, Jorge's grip tightening on him.

"I may have only known her for less then twenty-four hours, hermano. But I know she has fire in her. More than you, that's for sure." Jorge dragged him over to a chair where Clara helped tie the party man up before they finished and stood in front of the man, looking at him.

"Want it?" Jorge asked.

"You can have it." Clara said and Jorge threw a punch.

As time slowly passed, Thomas woke up and was met with Teresa smiling down at him.  "Hey."  She spoke gently as he looked from her to Minho who leaned over.  "Welcome back."

A smack and a grunt filled the air before Clara stepped in front of Marcus and leaned towards him.  "Now, I'm going to ask you this once and one time only."  Clara paused before cocking her head to the side, her eyes never leaving Marcus.

"Where's Bertha?"

Marcus trembled as he looked at her, shaking his head slightly.

"Not Bertha."

**Hope y'all are doing well! One more chapter then it's Death Cure time!**

**People are Strange ~ Echo & The Bunnymen**