Chapter 18- Noah
1432 Words
Every persons testimony to the last few day's events was a real adventure. Sara, Courtney, Jay, Murphy and Noah all went around to explain everything that had happened. It was about time they caught everyone up. It was a relief everyone was empathetic, and even Sara had calmed down, but something about her still scared Noah a bit.
"I should've looked harder for you!" Jay cries. "I should've begged my parents to see you! I should've ran harder! I should've-"
"Oh stop your stupid lovers quarrel!" Sara grumbles. "At least you didn't lose him!" Noah flinches a bit.
"Oh shut up about your brother!" Murphy snorts. "We already agreed to help, but now you just want to find reasons to complain,"
Sara glares at him with a deadly look in her eye. Murphy and Sara were perfect for each other.
"They're back," Courtney announces as Mack and Jordan come back with stoned faces. Jordan approaches Noah and opens his mouth. Mack glares and nudges him.
"Noah, I uh... I'm sorry I didn't listen to your plan. It was a genuinely good one, and maybe we can incorporate both my plan and yours?" Jordan stammers.
Mack gives a small smile.
"O-okay." Noah mutters sheepishly.
"Guess we have a lot of explaining to do," Jordan adds.
"Already done," Sara chimes in. She explains to them everything they told each other in very little detail. Mack and Jordan were both unfazed. Jordan gave a slow nod when she finished, his eyes betraying his scrambled thoughts. He finally looks up and turns to Mack.
"Your hand isn't that badly hurt, is it?"
"Seriously?" Murphy scoffs. "We have bigger things to worry about!"
They both ignore him.
"It's better. Though I can't say the same for the scar." She chuckles.
Murphy whispers something into Sara's ear, Courtney shifts uncomfortably, and Jay tilts her head a bit. The last few minutes had somehow changed their relationship. And something about it made Noah more than nervous.
"We'll have to... fix your hand when we get to Thunder Mountain." Jordan mumbles.
"Yeah, but we have more important things to worry about, like getting there." Murphy adds.
"You told all of them about our little secret?" Jordan growls anxiously at Jay.
She shrugs. "They already knew. And besides, Sara told us."
Mack clenches her jaw and gives Sara a look.
"You want me to say something? I mean we all have to know for when we all get on that jet. Maybe you shouldn't put all your trust in strangers." Sara grins slyly.
Mack's brow furrows, she gives her head a shake, and turns to whisper something in Jordan's ear. He nods.
"Hey why are you two so madly in love!" Sara laughs. "Didn't he just almost take you out! And isn't the same stranger who took you out in the first place, still sitting right in front of you?"
Mack looks away. "Sara-"
Sara continues to laugh. "No, no, please continue. While you've been fighting, the kids younger than you have figured out a better plan than hiding in my camouflaged snake skin I stole from the Tidal Trial."
"What were you doing in the Tidal Trial?" Courtney asks.
"I would like to know that as well," Mack says in a cool voice. "...it seems there's so much I don't know about you. Could I even trust what you told me in that ditch?"
Sara rolls her eyes. "Everything I told you was true, except the part about my brother being here. Records say he was in the Tidal Trial. When he wasn't there I fled here because the Rainforest Trial seemed easier to blend in better with kids my age, and a lot safer then a bunch of younger kids stranded on rocks as they try to keep the fake waves from knocking them over."
Noah's every inclination was to laugh. The Rainforest Trial had become the least safe place these days.
Mack nods and puts her head down. Not even really listening to Sara's explanation at all. Noah shivers as he felt Jordan's eyes on him again. The boy wouldn't keep his watchful eye off of Noah.
Then there was a muffled murmur. Everyone looks down to see Zach stirring. He lightly blinks open his eyes and squeezes them shut again.
"Where am I?" He groans.
Noah rushes to his side and Zach blinks in surprise.
"Noah? Why are you here? Where am I? What's going on!" He shouts.
His eyes were now bloodshot, his breath in heavy gasps. The panic was strewn on his pale face. He sat up and immediately, clutching his stomach.
"Ow! It hurts- what have you done! You can't ...bring me here!"
Noah frowns, "It's ok Zach! We- we rescued you! We're all safe! We're in a remote part of our Trial. We're going to be-"
"NO!" He cries out. "I can't- you can't-"
He clenches his eyes shut, almost reluctantly. Then they flicker open again as he sighs, a long shuddering breath, and his whole body begins to relax.
"I'm sorry. I've just been really paranoid ever since she came to me."
"Nally?"
He nods.
"She stabbed me here-" He says, lifting up his shirt to reveal a stitched together s***h down his stomach.
"And here." He says pointing at a large gash on his shaven head. "They couldn't do stitches without shaving it, and I didn't really have much of a choice. My beautiful hair..." He groans. "Anyways! Can someone please explain to me what's going on?"
Everyone was glad to be freed from the tension by filling in Zach on everything. He listened intently, soaking up every word, like a little kid, learning everything intently. Even Mack helped a bit. Jordan still stayed back, eyeing everyone suspiciously, but Noah began to think that was just his personality.
"Woah! So you really tricked guards into giving you what you want!" Zach grins.
Sara held her head a bit higher, with a smile of beaming confidence.
"Oh yes! But it wasn't a couple of guards, I manipulated the whole team of doctors, guards, and even my false parents!" She told them.
"You told me everything but your brother here was true!" Mack snaps.
"I told you I could control any any animal! It's not my fault that your incompetent brain couldn't figure out that humans could belong in that group." She hisses back.
Mack shakes her head. "One day you'll be trapped in a lie that you can't control people out of."
Sara didn't say anything. Zach shifts around awkwardly.
"Soooo... we can't start looking for jets if we don't have everyone. We need to get your brother, Sara. Where could he be?" Zach asks.
"Ross wasn't in the Tidal Trial. Maybe they moved him?" Sara suggests.
"To where?" Murphy asks.
Noah pauses to think. Then he remembers.
"Murphy do you still have those records you stole!" Noah jumps to his feet.
"What... oh, yes! Yes I do!" He says, revealing the large folder he had tucked away.
"Let's see Ross... Ross..."
"Will," adds Sara. "They changed his name to Will."
"Okay.Yes! Will Tidal! Right here! Ok let me see... age eleven... taken from his Trial when he was tem. He... no... that can't be right..."
"WHAT!" Sara yells. "what does it say!"
Murphy's face goes pale. "It says he resides in the Blue Ward..."
"Is that bad?" Sara asks.
"Yes..." Noah confesses. "It means he's frozen in a pod. Like Mack was."
Sara lip quivers a bit in silence. Mack shakes out her head.
"I'm not going back. It was different for me, but this boy is in Transformation! He'll just end up being a liability for us anyways. We have to leave him." She says.
"Maybe you're just a coward!" Sara spits back.
"And maybe you could keep your mouth shut." Jordan growls back bitterly.
"I vote we get Ross," says Courtney
"I second that," Zach adds quickly.
"I agree," Jay puts in.
Jordan glares at them. "No, no. This isn't a vote! Mack's the person with the jet, so she's in charge. I'm sorry Sara, but getting your brother is just too dangerous." Jordan says.
"Okay," Noah grins. "Stay here and plan your plans and cry your tears, but we're all going, and I'm pretty sure what you needed was me on that jet. It'd be a shame if I died before that." He frowns.
"Alright everyone! Not a moment to lose!" Murphy snaps.
"WAIT!" Jordan shouts.
"We'll- we'll come with you." Mack finishes.
"Great, let's go." Jay says, helping Zach to his feet.
- Writer
