TITANIUM || The Death Cure ? Newt [3]

Chapter 5

After a while of driving, we stopped in front of a huge, pitch black tunnel where an old checkpoint was. We all got out to take a closer look, and already, I could smell rust and rotting flesh. My stomach began to churn, although I'm not sure if it was from the smell or fear. I didn't hear anything beyond that tunnel. No wind howling, no droplets of water, nothing.

"I don't wanna come across as too negative, but if I were a Crank, that's exactly where I'd be," Frypan said, pointing to the cylinder on its side.

"Why tunnels?" I thought out loud. "There are plenty of places for them to hang out, and I didn't expect them to be here."

"You saw the same thing we did, Rosalee. There's no way around," Thomas said.

All four of us stared ahead, wondering what was going to happen when we cross through the claustrophobic tube. But, we all heard Thomas, there's no way around, and our best option is through there.

Newt licked his lips before turning to us and said, "All right, I get shotgun."

I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. We piled back into the car, double checking if the doors were locked. Fry drove slowly into the dark abyss, causing my heart to spike. I was scared, yes. Why? Because the last time we encountered a bunch of those creatures, my friend, Winston got attacked by one of them. He was scratched, which led us to find out he wasn't immune like the rest of us. Maybe some of us weren't immune, maybe none of us. They were scarier than the Grievers in my opinion.

Frypan suddenly slammed on the brakes. I was about to question why he stopped when I saw what the headlights had landed on: A Crank. It didn't come charging at us like I initially thought. It stood there, twitching, gurgling its black liquid. I looked at the familiar details on its decaying body. Its eyes were pitch black, black veins covered its entire body from head-to-toe - I meant that literally - and its clothes were old and tattered. Whoever this person used to be was long gone.

"It's okay," Thomas reassured the driver. "It's just one. Take it slow, go around. We'll be fine."

I highly doubted that. I slapped the back of my hand, trying to get it together. Come on, Rosalee. It'll be fine, I thought to myself, repeating the exact words Thomas just said.

"Take it slow," Frypan repeated while putting the Jeep into drive. "Take it slow, take it slow."

Newt turned off his flashlight as he rolled up the window to his side. Yeah, maybe this would go well. But I spoke too soon as I turned my head over to Thomas's side of the window, then let out a horrified gasp. There was another Crank standing there with this crazed look in her eyes. As I let out that noise, the boys flinched and turned to see what I was looking at. They were just as disturbed as I was to see something inhuman standing there.

"Please, help me," she said in a raspy voice as she yanked on the door handle. It's a good thing we were smart enough to lock the doors before going in.

My breathing started getting heavier and louder as it filled the silence in the car. Thomas had to lean in and gently hold onto my wrist for some slight comfort. There was another sudden bang on my side of the window this time. I whipped my head around to find another Crank standing there. A new layer of fear hit me as another one emerged behind it. Soon enough, there was another, and another, and another. All three boys looked around, their eyes widening by the sight of Cranks piling around the car. I felt my blood run cold, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. At this point, the boys were shouting at each other, and I was too.

Suddenly, I hear Thomas shout, "Just floor it, Fry!"

"Floor it! Come on!" Newt also yelled.

Not having to be told twice, Frypan pressed his foot down on the gas, making the car accelerate. Cranks from around us let out that terrible noise they made, and started charging after the car. We were met by a new crowd of Cranks up ahead, but Fry pushed past them. Some went flying by, some were able to get on top of the car, and some were trying to break the glass. I let out a scream as one Crank cracked the windshield with his fist, so I backed up against Thomas. Frypan shook the Crank off before it could break the window. We glanced back to look at it. Frypan also did, too.

"Frypan, watch out!" I screamed, but it was too late.

Frypan ran directly into a pile of old garbage, sending the vehicle to go airborne. The car flipped upside down as it scraped against the concrete. It eventually came to a complete stop, but I was in a lot of pain when it was over. We were coughing from steam mixed with smoke spreading around inside the car. The headlights shut off as the Jeep's engine cut.

"Everyone okay?" Thomas asked.

"Yeah," Fry said weakly.

Thomas shifted to his side of the window and raised his foot.

"Fry, cover your eyes," he warned.

With one forceful kick, Thomas broke the glass and crawled out. I wanted to go after him, but I was starting to get dizzy from shifting rightside up to upside down. But now was not the time to pass out. Fry started kicking at the door too, also trying to get out. Thomas tried opening it, but it was jammed, so he told him to go around. Thomas limped over to where Newt and I was, but Newt opened the door and rolled out, grunting.

"You okay?" Thomas asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Newt replied.

"Rosalee, are you all right?"

"I... I think I am. But I'm stuck, I can't get out," I grunted, struggling to undo my seatbelt.

Newt opened the door and leaned in to unbuckle my seatbelt. When he did, gravity took over and I landed on my head. I was stiff for a moment before turning over onto my stomach, weakly crawling out. I let out a few whimpers as I stood up to my feet, my body aching everywhere when Newt helped me. It felt like I got hit by a bus.

"Fry, you good?"

A sudden shrill came down the tunnel, making all of us turn our heads to see a Crank running toward us. Newt looked down at his gun holster, but there was no gun.

"Oh, shit," Newt said.

"We gotta move, now!" Thomas said urgently.

Frypan went back inside the car though, making me super confused and scared.

"What are you doing?" I asked, half-screaming.

The Crank was getting closer, thrashing everywhere as it moved. Newt pushed me behind him, shielding me. I gripped onto his arms, looking over his shoulder. I couldn't take my eyes off the infected person as it was almost toward us. We were all screaming at Frypan to move, but still, he didn't.

"FRY!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

He finally got out, but with a shotgun this time. With one swift move, he turned and shot the Crank. It fell lifelessly to the ground, blood spewing from its chest. The shotgun, I thought. The one Newt gave Frypan before we left. I completely forgot he had it.

"Nice shot, Fry," Thomas commented.

"Thanks," he replied.

But, it wasn't over. More screams came down the tunnel, and more Cranks came after us. We all turned and ran down the tunnel, Frypan shooting at a few. Adrenaline pumped through my veins as I let it cycle throughout my body, keeping up with the pace the boys and I were running from. But we were only able to run for a few seconds when we saw more Cranks up ahead. Shit, I thought. We're trapped. We all huddled together, back-to-back, watching as they came around us. Frypan shot a few more Cranks, but the heart sinking sound of the shotgun clicking confirmed that there was no more ammo.

"I'm out!" Frypan yelled.

I glanced down to my holster, and somehow, my gun was there. I pulled it out swiftly and loaded it up as fast as I could. I too was only able to shoot a few of them before my own gun clicked. What are we going to do now? Then suddenly, a vehicle came rushing past the crowd of Cranks. A certain girl who I recognized stood up with a handgun, her dark shoulder-length hair swaying back and forth.

"Guys, get in!" Brenda shouted before firing away at the creatures trying to climb on.

We all did at once. We climbed into the back of the rusty blue truck, then shouted for Jorge to go. He stepped on it, hitting the Cranks as he did. We all looked behind us, watching a large crowd of running Cranks grow smaller as we sped off down to the other side of the lit tunnel.