|You're slowly disappearing from my view

|Song: I ran, Hidden Citizens

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Lisa's P.O.V

I just stared at the guy, frozen. This was not some terrible monster Thomas had told us about. This man seemed to be just as normal as us,  except for the fact he just literally dropped in.
'You people forget how to talk?' Jorge asked, a smile on his face that looked completely out of place in the shattered building. 'Or you just scared of the Cranks? Scared we'll pull you to the ground and eat your eyeballs out? Mmm, tasty. I love a good eyeball when the grub's runnin' short. Tastes like undercooked eggs.'
I raised my eyebrows and shared a confused glare with Dawn.
Minho decided to answer, hiding his pain very well. 'You admit you're a Crank? That you're freaking crazy?'
Great answer, very thoughtful.
'He just said he likes the taste of eyeballs,' Frypan said. 'I think that qualifies as crazy.'
Jorge laughed, and there was some crazy tone in it. I just really wished I had my gun in my hand.
'I'd only eat your eyes if you were already dead. Course, I might help you get that way if I needed to. Understand what I'm saying?'
Suddenly all the joy vanished from his face, making place for a stern warning look. Almost as if he dared us to confront him. No one spoke a word for a long moment and I tried to walk into Minho's and Dawn's direction. I had to get my gun.
'How many of you are here?' Newt suddenly asked.
Jorge's gaze snapped to Newt. Giving me space to take a few more steps.
'How many? How many Cranks? We're all Cranks around here, hermano.'
'That's not what I meant and you know it,' Newt replied flatly.
Jorge started pacing around the room, taking any chance of me getting my gun away.
'Lots of things you people need to understand about how things work in this city. About the Cranks and Wicked, about the government, about why they left us here to rot in our disease, kill each other, go completely and utterly insane. About how there's different levels of the Flare. About how it's too late for you- the ill is gonna catch you if you don't already have it.'
I groaned and thought of Rat Man's words. We had the Flare and were making our way to a safe haven where they had the cure. But it wouldn't be smart to tell that to this guy.
Jorge had stopped near Thomas, Dawn and Minho. His feet almost touching Minho.
'But that's not the way it's gonna work, comprende?' He continued. 'Those who are at a disadvantage are those who speak first. I want to know everything about you. Where you came from, why you're here, what your purpose could be. Now.'
Minho let out a low, dangerous-sounding chuckle. And that was all I needed to know this wasn't going to end well.
'We're the ones at a disadvantage?' Minho looked around mockingly. 'Unless that lightning storm fried my retinas, I'd say there are eleven of us and one of you. Maybe you should start talking.'
I heard Dawn sigh, Newt rolled his eyes and Thomas shook his head. I groaned. That wasn't only arrogant to say but also stupid. Who knew how many other cranks there might be up there? Whose idea was it to safe his life again? Oh wait...that was me.

Jorge looked at Minho for a long time, his face blank. 'You didn't just say that to me, did you? Please tell me you didn't just speak to me like a dog. You have ten seconds to apologize.'
Minho looked over at Thomas with smirk. Making me bit my lip anxiously.
'One,' Jorge said. 'Two. Three. Four.'
A sudden sound took my attention. I looked up towards the ceiling and noticed some movement. There were more of them up there. Shuck.
'Five. Six.'
'Do it,' Thomas said.
'Seven. Eight.' Jorge's voice was rising with each number.
Dawn hit Minho on his arm, looking sternly at him.
'Apologize klunk-head!' I yelled.
'Nine.'
'I'm sorry,' Minho blurted out, with little feeling.
'I don't think you meant that,' Jorge said.
Then he kicked Minho in the leg, right on a burned spot. Minho cried out in pain and I felt my anger rise. He did not just kick him.
'Say it with meaning, hermano,' Jorge said.
My blood was on fire, my veins burning with anger. I couldn't attack this Crank, not while there were more up there.
Jorge pulled his leg and kicked Minho again in the same spot. 'Say it with meaning,' he screamed the last word with a harsness that sounded crazed.
I gasped and felt how slowly the anger was about to take over. My head started aching.
I clenched and unclenched my hands, trying to keep my breath steady. I couldn't become angry. That would only make it easier for Wicked to take over my mind.
Then I looked at Minho groaning, grabbing his wound with both hands. And suddenly the anger left my body, leaving a heavy pain in my head. I groaned and tried to ignore it.
What just happened?

"Whenever you feel an urge to kill coming up, look at something that makes you wanna live."

I blinked, confused. My body felt heavy, as if I had swallowed lead. But deep down I couldn't help but to feel victorious. I had managed to keep Wicked out of my head by controlling my emotions.
Now I knew what the key was to staying myself, keeping my emotions in check.

Slowly I looked up at the scene before me. Nobody had seemed to notice the struggle going on inside of me.

'I'm...sorry,' Minho finally said between heavy breaths, his voice filled with pain.
But as soon as Jorge smiled and relaxed, satisfied with the humiliation he caused, Minho swung an arm out and slammed it into the Crank's stomach.
Jorge leaped onto his other foot, then fell, crashing to the ground with a yelp that was half surprise half hurt.
Then Minho was on top of him, yelling things I never thought would come out of his mouth. He squeezed his thights to trap Jorge's body, then started punching.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
'Minho!' I screamed. 'Minho stop it!'
I ran forward, ready to tackle him off Jorge's body. Again there was movement up there. I saw people, ready to jump. Ropes appeared, thrown over the sides of the holes.
I rammed into Minho, sending him off Jorge's body. I jumped on top him, just like he did with me when I was about to kill Dawn.
I wrapped his arms around his chest and squeezed against his struggles to escape. I never thought that it would work. Minho was definitely stronger then me. But it did, it worked.
'There's more of them up there!' I screamed in his ear. 'Stop it slint-head! Or they'll kill you! They'll kill all of us you idiot!'

Jorge staggered to his feet, slowly wiping a thin trial of blood from the corner of his mouth. The look on his face made me freeze with fear. There was no telling what the guy would do.

'Wait!' Thomas shouted. 'Please, wait!'

Then I noticed Dawn was reaching for my gun, I slowly shook my head at her but she either didn't see me or ignored me.
The Crank made eye contact with Minho, flares of anger burning in his eyes.
'Don't touch him!' Dawn yelled, the gun pointed right at Jorge's head.

Just then more Cranks dropped to the ground from above. Some of them did the jump-and-roll-thing like Jorge had done. Others slid down the ropes and landed perfectly on their feet.
All of them quickly gathered in a pack behind their leader, maybe fifty of them. Men and women and a few teenagers. All filthy and dressed in tattered clothing. Most of them skinny and frail looking.

My eyes widened when I saw one of Cranks had jumped down behind Dawn. He pulled out a knife. I was about to scream a warning but it was too late. The Crank reached out and out the knife to her throat.
Dawn let out a surprised yelp.

'Drop the gun,' the man groaned.

'Dawn!' Newt yelled but he couldn't move because of the Cranks in his way.
I stared with wide eyes at Dawn, fear crawling into my stomach.
She groaned and threw the gun on the ground.
'See what you've done,' I hissed in Minho's ear, and he finally quit struggeling. I loosened my grip.
The whole situation had turned to klunk. I stood up and let Minho stand up as well, but kept on staring dangerously at him.
'Please give us a minute,' Thomas said.  'Won't do you people any good to...hurt us.'
'Won't do us any good?' Jorge said and spit blood on the ground.
Deep down inside I felt proud at Minho for hitting him that hard.
'It'll do me a lot of good. That, I can guarante, hermano.' He balled his hands into fists at his side and the other Crank placed the knife closer to Dawn's throat, blood appeared.
Panic flashed through her eyes.
Newt stood completely frozen, watching her with fear written on his face.

Suddenly Jorge cocked his head, barely enough to be noticed, but as soon as he did the Cranks behind him pulled all kinds of nasty things from within their ragged clothes.
Knives. Rusted machetes. Black spikes. Shards of glass. And more things I didn't even want to know what they were.
We couldn't win a fight against these people. No way. They weren't Grievers, but they were a lot smarter and I didn't have my gun. Plus, they had Dawn.

'Listen,' Thomas said.
And I looked at Minho, hoping he wouldn't be stupid enough to do something.
'There's something about us. We're not just random shanks who showed up on your doorstep. We're valuable. Alive, but not dead.'
The anger on Jorge's face lessened slightly. Maybe I did even see a spark of curiousity. But what he said was: 'What's a shank?'
I smirked but quickly looked down at the ground to hide it.
'Me and You. Ten minutes. Alone. That's all I ask. Bring the weapons you need,' Thomas said.
I took a deep breath.
Jorge laughed at that. 'Sorry to burst your bubble, kid, but I don't think I'll need any.'
He paused, and it felt like it lasted an hour. 'Ten minutes,' the Crank finally said. 'But don't try anything or she dies,' he said, gesturing to Dawn.
She narrowed at him, probably thinking of thousand ways to kill him right now.
'Rest of you stay here, watch these punks. If I give the word, let the death games begin.' He held a hand out, gesturing to a dark hallway that led from the room.
'Ten minutes,' he repeated.
Thomas nodded, he looked at me and I hoped my eyes made it clear that if Dawn died, I would kill him myself. Jorge didn't move so Thomas went first into the hallway.
Walking toward the most important discussion of his life.

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I'm so sorry for not updating wednesday! But I'm still busy studying for my exams and I kinda forgot. So please forgive me and enjoy this update!

Please comment or vote, it means a lot and no one likes ghost readers. :)

See ya'll wednesday!

xxx