Heyy! Surprise! I'm back so soon.

I stumble to my feet. My mind is going in a million different directions as I take in the rolling sand dunes. It's blistering, even as the night takes over. I twist and turn, looking for the building. It has to be here. I can't be out here by myself. How can I protect the Familiars if I'm not even with them?

A bag lay on the ground a couple feet away from me. It's small. I doubt you could even fit a water bottle in there. Why am I out here? Has WICKED thrown me out here? This has to be another test. I was told I was supposed to go into the Scorch with Brenda and Jorge, but I didn't know it was going to happen like this. Is that even what happened? I'm so confused and scared and lost.

I bend my knees and pick the bag up. It's not as heavy as I'd like it to be. There can't be more than a knife in here—if WICKED even gave me that. It's like they're trying to kill me. Because now…Now I'm out here with the Cranks in the middle of the night and I have no way to defend myself. I'd have to gouge their eyes out with my fingers, and I really don't want to do that. It would be a pain to get that out from under my nails. And not only that but Cranks used to be people. People! I refuse to kill any more people, crazy or not.

When I open the bag I suppress a laugh. There's nothing but a piece of paper in there. Those damn bastards. Leaving me for dead like this. It's going to take a lot to survive the trek across the Scorch. I don't even know where I'm supposed to be going. If I get lost, I die.

Wait, I am lost.

Dammit.

I pull the note out of the bag, the paper feeling too smooth against the grit on my fingers. It's folded, the ink that should be on it hidden. Each time I unfold it my heart skips a beat, anticipating some threat against the Familiars. Something like " If you don't make it to this destination, we'll kill them. ", you know, WICKED stuff.

But what I didn't was expect was the series of numbers. 30, 0, 0, 27, 5, 0. I groan. What the hell?

I crumble to note up and throw it as far as I can, which isn't very far. My energy is gone, I have no food, no water. I feel like screaming, but it would attract the attention of everything here. Cranks, snakes, scorpions, lizards, coyotes. I don't want to see any of those. They could kill me. And what about that cut on my back? I have nothing to clean it with. Infection could set up. If that happens I won't make it anywhere.

I strap the bag across my back knowing that the best time to travel in a desert is at night. I've heard that the Scorch reaches unfathomable temperatures during the day. Walking in that would make me sweat more, and I'd lose more water and become dehydrated even quicker. As I start to walk, I pick the note back up as a second thought, thinking that it must have some sort of importance.

Don't worry Newt. I'll make it back to you, even if you don't want me there. I'll save you. I'll protect you.

And with that thought, I set off through the Scorch ignoring the screams in the distance.

….

This place is absolutely empty. I climb a sand dune, hoping, praying that I'll see some building in the distance, but there's nothing but more sand. My legs feel like they're on fire. But I can't stop. I have to cover as much distance as possible before the sun rises. Then I have to find shade, or something to get me out the sun. If I don't I'll slowly cook as I sleep. I don't wish to become food. If I have to I'll bury myself in the sand.

I wish I had better clothes. When the wind blows sand scratches the exposed skin on my shins. I use my shirt to cover my mouth and nose, but the thin fabric doesn't help much. WICKED could've told me when they were going to ditch me in the middle of the desert so I'd had time to wear something better suited. A scarf, some army pants, combat boots, a jacket. Anything to keep the sun and sand off my skin.

I turn around and check behind me for any stalkers, but I only see my footprints. A reminder of how alone I am.

I had walked in the direction of the moon a couple of hours ago, and now the rising sun is beating down on my back. The stars are disappearing fast and I have no shelter. I can't remember the last time I ate. My tongue feels heavy and like sandpaper sapping all the moisture out of my mouth. But I have to push through it. I can't die out here. I won't die out here. I refuse to die by the hands of WICKED. I have my brother to fight for. Newt. Minho. Thomas. Frypan.

Their names pulse through my mind, propelling me forward.

A lizard walks by my boot, the only bit of life I've seen since I stepped out here. Out of instinct my foot darts out, trapping it under my weight. I reach down to grab its tail, but it burrows through the sand, it's tan skin disappearing. I kick the sand in frustration. That could've been my dinner!

I go to take another step, but a scream bounces off the sand; I stop walking. It sounds like it's saying something, and the voice sounds familiar. It sounds sorta like….

Oh hell no.

I refuse to travel through the Scorch with her. It's another person to feed, another person to give water to, and another person to put up with. Not only that but she's a Crank! How the hell am I supposed to be able to trust her? It would be beneficial to have someone keep watch while I sleep, and we could take turns. But….

Then I make out what she is yelling.

" Help! "

Is she that stupid? Is she trying to attract every Crank in the vicinity? Not that I can see any anywhere but what if they have hyped up hearing? Despite how much I despise Nandini right now, my feet start to carry me towards her voice, and soon enough I'm breaking into a sprint to save her. She is Newt's sister.

When I make it over the dune what I see shocks me. There's a Crank attacking Nandini, nearly clawing her face off. She's screaming, and the Crank is screaming with her creating a harmony that isn't so harmonious. I run down the sand dune ( more like fall ) and sprint to Nandini, tackling the crank off her. We fall to the ground in a mess of tangled limbs. I try to crawl away from her, but she bites my calf. I cry out as her rotten teeth pierce the skin on my exposed leg. I kick her head away, hard enough to knock her backs couple feet. I stagger up to my feet and get ready to fight. When she charges again, teeth bared and eyes crazy, I grab her head and snap her neck, just like I did with Reed.

Just like I did with Reed.

I just killed another person and I didn't think twice about it.

I fall to my knees and wince when sand goes into the bite wound. I feel blood cascading down my leg and falling onto the ground. I hear footsteps but I pay no mind to them. I just killed another person. Even if they were a Crank, they had some sort of life. And I took it from them. Gone in an instant. I had killed her the same way I killed Reed. With my bare hands.

Nandini kneels next to me, her eyes locked onto the Crank. She probably thinks I'm a monster. She's seen me kill two people and she doesn't even know about the third. What kind of person does that? I'm a murderer. I deserve what WICKED has done to me.

I glance up at Nandini. She's looking at me with tears streaming down her face.

" What's wrong with you? " I choke out one of the most stupid questions I've ever asked. It's obvious. She nearly lost her life. I would be crying too.

" She was my mom. " Each word is short and clipped, like saying the words causes her pain.

Her mom. Newt's mom. Mom.

She just lost her mother. For the second time, probably. The first time was when her mom turned into a Crank and lost her mind. This time, Nandini probably saw her and thought her mom might remember. thought that by some miracle, her mom would run towards her with open arms and welcome her daughter home. Then she got attacked, her hopes and dreams coming crashing down around her. She just lost another piece of her family.

I'm hugging Nandini before I realize what I'm doing.

A thirteen year old girl, wandering the Scorch all alone, with nothing but the wind and the sun to keep her company. I understand now, why she needs her brother. He's the only family she has left. She will not let me get in the way of that. I was stupid to try. I should've told Newt the truth—all of it, even the part about him not being immune—and let them decide what to do. It's not my life; I can't interfere.

The sobbing girl in my arms needs Newt more than I do.

" I'm sorry. " I whisper into the girl's hair, and I let her cry as much as she needs to. " You can come with me. "

" T-thank you. " The girl hugs me tighter, clinging onto me like a life source. She's just like me. Lost, depressed, and full of rage and longing. She needs someone to hang on to—someone to help her.

Even though I'm just as lost as her, I decide to be the one to hold her hand and guide her through the darkness.

….

We rest our back against the sand dune for a majority of the day. Nandini's eyes are red and puffy from all the crying she did, but I don't judge her for it. I can practically see the world crumbling down around her. It's happened to me far too many times. I don't want that to happen to other people.

I am supposed to hate her. I'm supposed to hate her for being the one that is putting Newt's life in danger. For being so selfish as to risk infecting your own brother with the Flare. But sometimes it's okay to be selfish. I'm selfish for trying to keep Newt from her. Now, as I watch her sleep, I can't imagine what I would have done if I were in her shoes. She's been alone since she was little; that much I can gather from what she's said in the past. But to know that you're slowly losing your mind, and that your brother is with some tyrannic science-y people, would just kill me. I would've ended my own life if I were her. But she didn't. That makes her brave.

I'm finding it hard to hate her. I'm actually starting to respect the kid.

I can already feel a sunburn creeping onto my face and arms. It's nearly night time again, and I'm starving. I'm not tired, though. I slept while Nandini buried her mother. There was a funeral and everything, I just didn't feel like I deserved to go. I mean, I killed the lady. I doubt she'd want her mother's murderer at the funeral. So I decided to sleep and let Nandini keep watch. We switched just three hours ago. Three hours of sleep isn't really enough for her, but I wake her up anyway. We have to keep moving.

" Nandini, " I shove her shoulder, " Wake up. "

She groans as her eyes peel open. She rubs the sleep from them and stands, stretching her arms and legs out. I do the same thing, nearly falling when I put weight on my injured leg. It hurts like a bitch, but I'm not going to complain about it. I can't complain about it. Complaining about it isn't going to make it heal faster, and it would be a waste of breath.

" Let's go. " I say, and I start to limp through the sand when I realize she isn't following. I look back at her over my shoulder to find a confused look on her face, but then she shakes it off and jogs after me.

" Where are we going? " Nandini pushes her hair back behind her ear and looks up at me, " Don't tell me you don't know. "

I smile sheepishly.

" Great. " She says, " Well then it's a good thing I know the Scorch pretty well. "

That piques my interest. " You do? "

" Yea. I've been here for years. " Nandini replies, a bit of pride in her tone, " If we keep walking in that direction, in about two weeks you'd end up at Denver. "

I groan. " I don't have two weeks. "

" Then we should go that way. " She points in a random direction. I don't see anything but sand and a purple sky. But, trusting that she isn't trying to kill me, I set off in that direction.

" Alrighty, " I take a step, " Let's go. "

" To the Scorched City. " She adds as she follows me. I don't question it, but I hope it's a civilization. Not of Cranks, but of people who are immune.

I hope the Familiars are okay. That last sentence that Newt said is constantly playing in my mind, crushing my soul each time. The girl I fell in love with would never keep secrets from me. Does that mean he doesn't love me anymore? If that's true… I would just… I don't know what I'd do.

Well. I'll always have Minho at least. He was there for me when Newt wasn't. When I saw my parents hanging from the ceiling, it was Minho who took me into his arms. When I almost got my neck cut open, and stabbed in the back, it was Minho who brought me into his arms and ask if I was okay. Newt just watched. Of course, the first time he had to calm the Familiars. And the second he was pissed at me for keeping secrets. But when Newt wasn't there, Minho was.

That doesn't mean I love him or anything, it's just nice to know I'll always have a friend.

Totally.

I wonder what they're doing right now. What did Janson tell them? He did say something about Phase Two—

Oh my god. They're being thrown in the Scorch. I was supposed to come out here with Brenda and Jorge, but I was taken with the Familiars. Was I thrown out here to find Brenda and Jorge? And if Newt goes into the Scorch he'll get the Flare, right? But there has to be something I can do. Something to keep him out of Phase Two. Perhaps the Scorched City will have a phone I can use. I can call somebody. But who would I call?

" How does the Flare work? " I say and Nandini looks up at me, her eyebrows drawn together, " Like, Phase Two of the Trials is the Scorch. Would Newt get the Flare from simply being here? "

Nandini shakes her head and I nearly collapse with relief. " He would have to come into contact with someone who has it. "

Okay so if I just keep him away from Cranks we'll be fine. He'll be fine. But that would require me finding him, and the Scorch is a very vast place. And—well, Nandini is a Crank. Maybe they could talk and just not touch? I don't know. All I know is that I don't want Newt to die.

" He hasn't. " I say, then with a pointed look in her direction I add, " Not yet. "

" I don't want Newt to die either, Louisa. " She snaps, but then her voice softens, a certain amount of tiredness showing, " Why don't we just come to an agreement? "

" What sort of agreement? "

She stops walking, forcing me to stop. I have to squint when I look at her, due to the setting sun behind her. " I want to spend time with my brother. So do you. We both want to keep him from getting the Flare. So, when WICKED finishes the trials, can you promise you'll get me the cure first? I'll stay away from Newt until then, I promise. "

If it means saving Newt, I'd do anything.

" I can get you the cure. " I promise, holding my hand out for her to shake. She grabs it, her hand calloused and worn down, mine soft and baby-like. With a new agreement made, we resume the long trek to the Scorched City. Where I'll find a way to survive. Where I'll find a way for us to survive.

When I turn around to check and see if there are any people or things following us, but I only see our footprints. Two sets, instead of one this time. The beginnings of a newly born team.

Please pardon any typos I was super excited to get this out because I have so much inspiration for this story thanks to a friend of mine. Also, huge character development this chapter. Louisa came to her senses. Finally. Also, kind of weird right? She just killed Newt's mom. How do you tell that to someone?

Review Responses

fiercetiger333 ~ I hope Lewt get's their crap together. Also, thanks, I hope I got the update out soon enough.

mazerunner26 ~ Thank you! Newt is right, Louisa is right, they're both right. I hope one of them does something to fix this little issue of theirs.

GabbyKeyes9 ~ I got another one up! I hope you like it.

NorangeKat722 ~ yea, they are.

Chipmunk1123 ~ Me too, and she's not with Brenda and Jorge yet.

End of review responses.

My friend brought something up. She asked me if I shipped Lewt, or Minhlo because she shipped both. What do you guys ship? Both? Lewt? Minhlo? because I ship both and it might show in my writing.

I'm going to go get started on the next chapter which, I will be writing in... NEWT'S POV! Yes, time to see how pissed he is at Louisa and how he's thinking now that she's gone. I'm going to have to read some of the book now, but that shouldn't be an issue.

Have a nice day, night, evening, morning, afternoon, I'm going to go do something else I'm not sure what yet.