Chapter 41 –

Hey hey. So, I am super excited because the Groups are going to meet SUPER soon! I am super super happy and I can't wait! So, I'm officially on break but I'm going on vacation for a week, and I probably won't update. The goal is that I get two chapters in tonight, but if not I'm super sorry and I'll update when I get back. So, this chapter will be a nice long Group A chapter and the next will be a Group B long chapter. :)

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own TMR, TST, TDC or any characters except Dan and Ella. :)

Group A-

Chris tumbled into darkness. He shivered from the cold wet feeling that enveloped him as he went through the "Flat Trans". Now he was locked in an extremely dark room with all of his friends. And when he said 'dark' he didn't mean like 'I can barely see' dark, or 'man, it's dark out,' dark.

It was pitch black.

They couldn't see anything.

He couldn't see the person in front of his face.

He couldn't see the hand in front of his face.

He couldn't see the nose ON his face!

Chris stood up, brushing himself off, "Is everyone through?" he cawed into the blackness.

"We could do role call…" Bear recommended.

"What are we? Preschool?" Amy questioned sarcastically, "If you're not here than say so."

Chris furrowed his eyebrows, "Okay…umm…well…does anyone see a way out?"

"Here," Cleo spoke up.

"Is Charlie okay? Is he here?" Addy asked.

"Ya, he's good," Mitch said for somewhere else in the shadows.

"Where's the exit?" Liz called to Cleo.

"Over by me," Cleo replied.

"That's helpful," Liz sighed.

"Here, hang on, I think it's a door…I'll open it."

The sound of creaking, rattling metal hinges filled the air. Suddenly bright hot streaks of sunlight shot into the room. Chris covered his eyes with his arms, the white light filled the room with heat and burned his retinas.

"AHH!" Amy screamed, "CLOSE IT! CLOSE IT!"

"CLOSE THE DANG DOOR!" Liz shouted.

"MY EYES!" Bear shrieked dramatically, Chris watched his form fall to its knees and shout into the air, "THEY WERE SO YOUNG!"

The door slammed shut and Chris blinked multiple times. All he could see was black but white spots crowded his vision. He rubbed his eyes and dove back into the silent blackness that consumed the room.

"Okay, umm…count of three…" Cleo counted shakily, "Everyone ready?"

A series of 'yes's' filled the air.

"One."

"Two"

"Three!"

Brightness filled the room and Chris's eyes watered. He blinked over and over again and after a bajillion blinks his eyes finally adjusted. He took in his surroundings. They seemed to be in a small metal shack. In fact, Chris was shocked that they weren't being cooked like turkeys in an oven.

Charlie was laying on his back on the ground and Addy was by his side. Amy and Liz were right by Cleo, who was standing by an open metal door. Emily and Jo seemed to be the last people to arrive and they were rubbing their eyes. Mitch, Tati and Kahlo were pressed against one of the walls. Dan was shading Clara from the brightness as her eyes adjusted. Bear was…drawing in the dirt floor…

"Bear, what are you doing?" Chris asked.

"Im mourning my dead eyes…" Bear wiped a fake tear off his cheek.

"Your eyes are fine, muchacho…." Kahlo said awkwardly.

"That's not the point," Bear whimpered, kissing the dirt like it was some sort of sacred ritual and then spitting mud out dramatically.

"It's really really hot out there…" Cleo moaned.

"Everyone get some rest and we'll head out at dark," Amy commanded, Liz nodded in agreement.

"What does everyone have with them?" Addy inquired.

"I've got two sheets," Mitch spoke up.

"I've got another one," Emily chirped.

"Me too," Clara yipped.

"I've got five."

Everyone stared at Bear for a moment.

"I grabbed some bottles of water, some fruit and two bags of trail mix," Jo brought up.

Kahlo snorted, "Two bags? Chica, please." Kahlo removed the small leather backpack from her back and dumped it on the cottage floor. At least 2 dozen bags of trail mix thumped onto the ground.

"What about water?" Dan brought up.

Kahlo glared at Dan and avoided the question, picking up the bags off the floor.

There was a long silence.

"Whatever," Luisa snarked, "Can we please get some sleep!?"

~TMR~TMR~TMR~

It wasn't until an hour later that Chris was awoken by someone shaking his shoulder.

He blinked warily and looked up at the tired face of Bear. Bear was positioned, hands and knees, on Chris's chest.

"Wha…" Chris muttered tiredly.

"I don't like you," Bear stated.

Chris furrowed his eyebrows and blinked a few times, "Bear…what? What…what time is it?"

"Like I have a watch," Bear rolled his eyes, "I just came over here because I'm bored and Charlie's unconscious and I barely know Dane."

"Dan," Chris gave an annoyed look.

"Dane, Dan, whatever," Bear grinned, "So, anyways, I'm bored! What should we do!" Bear practically screamed.

"Bear!" Chris hissed, he tossed the kid off of his chest and sat up, rubbing the back of his neck—which ached painfully. It was dark outside. Snores and mumbling filled the room.

"Guys," Chris said into the air, still a little wary, "Guys!" he said more urgently.

Kahlo sat up abruptly, pointing at the two boys, "AHH! OCULTAR EL CUERPO EN EL ARMARIO!"

Bear leapt three feet in the air and landed in Chris's arms, both boys stared at her in fear.

"Hmm?" Kahlo groaned woozily, she toppled back and fell asleep again.

They stood in silence for a few minutes. Bear looked at Chris, Chris looked at Bear, the two looked at Kahlo. Chris dropped Bear and began going around waking people, ordering Bear to wake Kahlo.

It took another half an hour to wake everyone up and get everyone packed and ready to leave. Amy, Liz and Mitch—thankfully—took charge. Chris sighed as the group trudged out in the desert, a gray sheet wrapped around his head.

He was second to last when exiting the wooden shack, the last was Mitch—who reluctantly agreed. They set off in the chilly night. Sand swirled around Chris's feet and filled his shoes in the night breeze.

Already, he knew it would be a long walk to…wherever they were going…

~TMR~TMR~TMR~

The group barely noticed when the wind began subtly rising. But soon sand was scraping Chris's skin and burning his eyes. The sheet flapped madly around him and whipped his back. Thunder crashed in the sky and vibrated Chris's bones. Mitch and Jo had taken a turn carrying Charlie, but they seemed to be struggling. Chris ran over and tried to be gentle as he shoved Jo away and took her place. She tripped and fell backwards, but nonetheless, gratitude filled her face.

Jo got up and sprinted over to Emily, who seemed to have lost her sheet in the wind.

Then the lightning began.

It came like a monstrous whip, snapping in the air and smacking into the ground, sending dirt and dust and sand splaying over the group. Chris was thrown backwards with Charlie and Mitch as a bolt of lightning erupted in front of him.

He stood up with ringing ears and an extremely sore, achy feeling in his back, the wind having been knocked out of him. Chris struggled to his feet and grabbed Charlie, slinging Charlie's arm over his shoulders. He turned back and looked at Mitch.

Mitch was unconscious, her fall must have been worse that his.

"Hey!" he called, turning to the running group, no sound came out. "Hey!" he tried again, but all that happened was a dull vibration running through his skull. Lightning struck the Earth a little ways away, then again ahead of him.

This was bad. He was forced to either leave Charlie or Mitch, there was no way to carry both. Suddenly two figures rushed past him. Jo and Emily dipped down and picked up Mitch between the two, Emily grabbing under Mitch's arms and Jo grabbing Mitch's legs.

Chris sighed thankfully and regretted it when he inhaled rugged, sharp sand. He coughed and picked up Charlie, slinging Charlie over his shoulder's, carrying him fireman style. The small band of Gladers ran after the group.

Static electricity ran through the air, shocking Chris every now and then. He continued running and he practically fainted when he saw the outline of a house a few feet away.

"GO!" Chris screamed, but once again all that happened was a strange thrumming in his skull. There was a loud explosion behind him and he stumbled, barely catching his footing. Pain exploded on his back and down his spine and he struggled to ignore it. Amy and Liz opened the door to the house and helped everyone in, counting as they entered.

Chris hurried in. The pain down his back felt like someone was spiking his spine with long needles. It was that moment that he realized he was crying. He wasn't trying to, and he figured it must have been a combination of the pain and the sand.

Chris released Charlie, allowing his limp figure to drop to the ground. He found it hard to focus and stumbled around the dark, dusty shack. Thunder vibrated his skull and sent a pain thrumming his brain.

Chris finally allowed himself the pleasure of collapsing to the ground, but no one noticed. The majority of the group was either asleep or stunned. The door had been closed and it was now raining.

Some would see the rain as a sign that the world felt guilty for what it had done to the teens, but Chris figured it was probably WICKED crying in happiness from the success of their little group.

He reluctantly sank into darkness.

Alright! I'm sorry to cut this short, but I have to go for Easter brunch! I promise I'll have a better A/N in the next chapter! Hope you guys liked the chapter! Please read and drop a review if you have the time!

Let me know what you think happened! :D

Update soon!

-AG