ACT II SCENE XXXV
ANTIOPE

NEWT AND FRYPAN forced fed her the second they had laid eyes on her. She tried to eat as much as she could but it felt like her body was rejecting everything she put into it. Minho decided to let them rest and continue the march down the pass when the sun sets. Jorge said they'd be able to reach the other side of the mountains by morning of the second day.

Cassandra was finally able to tend to that gash on Minho's head, cleaning it with a strip of cloth she tore from her shirt. The wound had mostly scabbed over and it wasn't serious enough to need stitches. When she was done, she looked around and frowned, noticing that something was wrong. She turned to Newt who merely blinked back owlishly.

"What's that look?" he asked.

"Where's Aris?" she asked, frown deepening.

Minho cocked his head to the side and looked about the cave as if to confirm her findings. He turned back with a shrug.

"We all went out looking for you earlier," he said. "Maybe he's still out there."

"No, man, I think he took off," Ed said from the opposite wall. "I was with him and he just disappeared. Thought he might have wandered back here but looks like he didn't."

"Well, guess, we know whose side he's on," Minho said, leaning his back against the stone wall.

"He has been acting pretty weirdly," Newt said. Guess she hadn't been the only one who noticed. "Must've gone back to Group B."

"Whatever, he made his choice," Minho waved his hand to diffuse the subject.

That still didn't put Cassandra at ease though. When Group B had circled around them earlier, they didn't seem to even acknowledge that Aris was there. They had only asked for her to join them and not him. Despite that, would the boy still try to look for them again?

She tried to get some rest as she leaned against Minho's side but her mind continued to churn out different scenarios in her head. What would they find at the Safe Haven? Was there even one or was WICKED just playing tricks with them again? Most of all, what would happen to her?

Minho was shaking her awake an hour later after her brain decided to shut down. They quickly gathered their things and exited the cave to start their trek through the mountain pass. The lifeless rocky walls loomed high on either sides but she could see the reddish orange hue of the setting sun in the gap above them. Somehow, it felt sinister in the wake of their walk with the only sound being the thumping of their boots on the ground. It reminded her of the splotchy memories she had of burnt skies and falling ash.

The pass stretched on monotonously for another day until it finally opened out to a gradual decline. A large patch of trees grew unhindered further down the slope where a river may have gone through too many years ago. Newt let out a breathless laugh next to her as they stopped to survey the new scenery.

"I'm claimin' that friggin' tree to myself," he pointed off into the distance.

Cassandra chuckled in amusement. "That's mine then," she pointed to his left. "I'm naming it Bertha."

"I think one of the cows back in the Glade was named Bertha," he responded and she shoved his shoulder jokingly. He almost lost his footing, arms flailing in the air as he teetered on the edge and she lunged forwards to grab hold of his shirt. Cassandra felt her heart dropped into her stomach from the scare. They stared with wide eyes, mouths agape, before snorting with laughter at each other.

"Now, now, children," Minho said, the corner of his lips twitching into a smirk. "Play nice."

"Yes, father," Newt replied sarcastically.

"You sound like Thomas when he's trying to be funny," she told him then snickered when he swatted her on the arm.

"Come on, you jokers," he said before holding her hand and taking a step forwards down the incline.

She followed behind him, treading carefully amongst the loose stone and soil. After almost an hour, they finally reached the flat platform where the copse of trees was spread out in the shape of a large arrow. Being able to see actual living trees in this barren wasteland seemed like an absolute miracle. They walked deeper into the small woodland when something caught her eye. Cassandra made her way towards a patch of earth that looked darker than the rest and crouched in front of it. She picked up a fallen branch nearby and started to dig.

"What are you doing?" Newt asked as he and the others came up behind her.

"I remember somethin' about finding water in a desert and…" she started before concentrating on shovelling the soft soil with her meagre stick. "Hey, someone help me out here?"

Minho and Newt exchanged confused glances before bending down and grabbing a stick each to help her. After a few minutes, they had managed to dig a deep enough hole and water started to seep into the small crater.

"Would you look at that…" Frypan said out loud in amazement.

"I think we should boil it before drinking though," Cassandra said.

"No biggie, I came prepared," the Cook grinned as he dropped himself next to her and pulled a container from his bag pack. Minho helped her to build a small fire and they all gathered around for a break.

Newt forced fed her some more food and she felt grateful to have friends that looked out for her. She would have neglected to pay herself any attention until she collapsed if she was left on her own devices. Soon, the final remnants of the day faded beneath the thin horizon and twilight replaced the glow above them.

A persistent feeling of dread kept nagging at the back of her mind but she had no idea what to make of it. Jorge had told them that they were close to their destination now. They only had another small ridge to cross and they would come out on the other side of the mountains.

She turned on her side and peered through the shadows at Minho sleeping peacefully on her left. He had a small frown across his brows; his hair was matted with dried blood and grease, burn marks still decorating his cheek. Cassandra thought back to that time when he had caught himself on fire from a lightning bolt. That had only been about a week ago, but it felt like ages had passed since then. Had his wounds healed by now? He never seemed to show any pain from them.

He shifted in his sleep and she took the opportunity to slip under his arm and bury her face in his shirt. His arm curled around her small frame as if on instinct and she smiled despite herself. She was just about to drift off to sleep when she heard it again.

"Cass?"

Cassandra opened her eyes and slowly untangled herself from Minho, sitting up to look around.

"Teresa?" she called tentatively.

"I need your help," the voice continued to whisper. It was so soft but somehow she was able to tell which direction it was coming from.

She stood up slowly, careful not to make a sound, and quickly walked deeper into the woods. The pale moon above offered enough light for her to make her way through the meandering trunks without tripping over the gnarled roots. Teresa's voice continued to call to her like a beacon, becoming a little bit clearer with every few steps she took.

Finally, Cassandra reached a break in the trees that opened out to a small clearing. Beyond the brambles and small rocks that littered the open ground was a cave that opened up at the side of the mountain wall. A figure stood in front of its entrance, hair billowing about her face in the light breeze.

But it wasn't Teresa as she had first assumed. The girl that stood in front of her was taller with a willowy frame. She had voluminous red hair that flowed like wild fire over her shoulders and crystalline green eyes the colour of tourmaline. Her pale white skin seemed to glow underneath the moonlight, making her look like an apparition. A hand beckoned for her to come closer and Cassandra felt her insides twist nervously.

She didn't know how she knew, but she did.

It was Rachel.