A Way Back - The Maze Runner (♡Newt)

Chapter 56

Cally's pov

All day. All day, I helped in the Gardens as an attempt to distract myself from my worries. But it didn't work. I couldn't stop thinking about Alby and Minho, and the more time passed by, the worse all of it got.
     Newt had been running from door to door when the Runners started to get back. He wasn't trying to hide his panic like I was. He didn't care anymore who saw him in his  panicked state.
     After I was done at the Gardens, I didn't bother going to the Homestead, I walked to the West door. The one Alby and Minho had gone through this morning. Newt was still running between doors, but I didn't see the point in that. If Minho and Alby were coming back, it would be through the same door as they left through.
     It didn't take long before all the other Runners had come back, except for the two I actually wanted to get back.
     I was sitting in front of the door, knees pulled up against my chest, arms around them to support myself, and chin on my knees. Bark was sitting beside me, clearly bothered by my foot that kept tapping in the ground. I couldn't take the anxiety that was still growing inside of me anymore. I wanted them to come back into the Glade. Save. With all their limbs still in place  and without any Griever stings. But the more seconds passed, the less hope I had.
     "Ya should go eat somethin'," I heard Newt's voice from behind me.
     "Not hungry." I answered without looking up or away from the Maze. Afraid that if I did, I would miss them, and they wouldn't be able to get back inside. I know that doesn't really make sense, but it was what I was feeling at the moment.
     "Cally, you worked all day, ya-"
     "I said I am not hungry." I bit at him, I didn't care I was sounding like a spoiled, angry five-year-old. It were my nerves, frustration, and panic sounding through. In this state of mind, I can't really handle anything.
     "Okay. Have it your way." Newt said, also sounding annoyed. Without another word, he sat down on the ground beside me, I didn't mind that he did that. What I did mind was that he started to bite his nails.
     I heard a dull, snapping sound of a breaking nail beside me. I looked at Newt through the corner of my eye to see him staring into the Maze while chewing away on his nails. When I heard the snapping sound again, I took his wrist, drawing his attention to me. Newt knew what I wanted of him, and he lowered his hand, stopping biting his nails. I let my hand slide down to his hand and squeezed it gently in an attempt to comfort him. He forced a smile at me before turning his attention back to the Maze.
     I knew from his expression that he was more scared than I was. Of course he was, I had known Minho and Alby for about 6 months, while they were Newt's best friends for over two years... Even worse, he's known them for as long as he can remember. I couldn't imagine what that would feel like. Okay, that was not entirely true. I had lost my family when I came here, lost my friends. But they were all still alive. They were at home, with each other, save and sound in their houses and schools. Minho and Alby weren't. They were in a giant death trap, about to be locked in.
     I got pulled out of my thoughts when Newt stood up. Instead of biting his nails, he started to pace behind me. I glanced up to him a few times. He was a mess at this point. Pulling his hand through his hair multiple times as he walked back and forth. I looked away from my friend and back into the dark Maze. After some time of me just staring and Newt pacing, I heard him say something, his voice thin and straitened, "Where are they?"
     "That's the big question," I hadn't looked up when Newt asked his question, and I also didn't look up when I heard Ezra answering it. "Guess we won't find out 'till they're back."
     "If they get back." I commented on Ezra's statement, my voice soft.
     "That's no way of thinking, sister!" Ezra said with a peppy voice.
     "Why don't we send out a search part?" I heard another voice say, it was Thomas.
     I sighed, that's one of the stupidest things you could do, I thought. And apparently, Newt thought the same.
     "Bloody he-" I could hear him say before taking a deep breath, I knew he was trying to stay calm. "We can't. Okay? Don't say it again. One hundred percent against the rules. Especially with the buggin' doors about to close."
     "But why?" It became clear to me that Thomas really wasn't going to let this go, "won't the Grievers get then if they stay out there? Shouldn't we do something?"
     I wanted to answer, but Newt was faster, and angrier. "Shut your hole, Greenie!" He yelled, making me flinch, I hadn't expected him to start yelling, and he was standing really close to me. "Not a bloody week you've been here! You think I wouldn't risk my life in a second to save those lugs?" His words hurt, I knew he would, I would do the same.
     "No... I... Sorry. I didn't mean..." Thomas was trying to apologize, or at least that's what it sounded like to me.
     "Thomas," I started, my voice calm, even though I was panicking on the inside. I didn't turn around while I addressed him, "it's a mad man's quest. Going into the Maze? Doors about to close? We don't even know where they are or why they aren't back yet. We don't know where to look or how to find them. It's suicide to go look for them."
     "Cals's right," Newt started, his voice softened again, "you don't get it yet, Tommy. Going out there at night, it's suicide. We'd just be throwin' more lives away. If those Shanks don't make it back...." he paused, not wanting to say what we all were thinking. "Both of 'em swore an oath, just like I did."
     "Like we all did," Ezra added before Newt continued.
     "You'll too, when you go to your first Gathering and get chosen by a Keeper. Never go out at night. No matter what. Never."
     "Newt won't say it, so I will." I was surprised when I heard Chuck's voice. I hadn't noticed he was there. Most of the time, he wasn't as quiet as this. He hadn't even said hi to me.
     "If they're not back, it means they're dead. Minho's too smart to get lost. Impossible. They're dead."
     Chuck's words stung, "Don't say that." I bit a him, but Chuck wasn't impressed.
     "It's the truth, Cally, you can't deny it." I sighed. Why did he from all people have to be the realistic one? He always was the optimists... when I heard footsteps walking away, I glanced behind me to see Chuck was making his way to the Homestead.
     "The Shank's right," Newt said solemnly. "That's why we can't go out. We can't afford to make things bloody worse than they already are." I felt Ezra's hand on my shoulder, he was standing beside me now, trying to help in his own way by letting me feel like I'm not alone. "The doors close in two minutes." My eyes met Newt's, tears were filling his, just as I could feel them coming up inside my own. He didn't say anything else, he just turned around and walked away. Not wanting to see the doors close, knowing his friends would be trapped in there forever.
     I didn't walk away. I just looked back into the Maze. Staring into the shadows the walls cast. Bark was still sitting beside me, just like Ezra was standing there, hand on my shoulder, squeezing it slightly. Thomas was also still there. Staring into the Maze, I wondered why he would stay. He barely knew the two. Maybe he was just worried like myself. Or maybe he was fascinated by the Maze. I couldn't tell, and to be honest, at the moment, I didn't care.
     The two minutes went by fast as the loud sound of the walls closing echoed through the glade. The tears that had started filling my eyes started to roll down my cheeks now. They were gone.... they weren't going to make it back in time.
     A movement.
     Something moved inside of the Maze. I jumped up and quickly wiped the tears away so I could see it better. It were them. Minho and Alby. Alby was unconscious, thrown over Minho's shoulders.
     I grabbed Ezra's arm, "it's them." I whispered. Minho looked up, he saw us standing in the opening.
     "They got him!" Minho shouted at us.
     The Grievers got him. Alby got stung! Nonono! This is bad...
     "Newt!" I called out to him, "they're coming! I can see them!"
     I didn't look back to see if Newt had heard me. My full attention was with Minho. He was trying to get Alby inside the Glade. It took him all of his effort not to fall down. He had to be exhausted if he had carried Alby all the way back. A wave of panic came over me when I saw Alby fall from Minho's shoulders. I couldn't just stand there anymore, I had to help.
     I jumped forward, only to be blocked by Ezra. He had apparently known what I was about to do and stopped me by grabbing a hold of me. He had wrapped his arms around my waist, pinning my arms against my body.
     "Ezra! Let me go!" The moment I started yelling, I alarmed Bark. She stood up and started barking and growling at Ezra.
     "No! You'll be trapped if you go in! It's suicide! You said it yourself!"
     I struggled against his hold, "Shut up! Let me go!"
     A second flicker of movement out of the corner of my eye. Thomas. He shot forward into the Maze. Ezra let go of me to try and stop him, but he missed, and Thomas was already inside the Maze. I saw my chance. The doors hadn't closed yet, I wanted to run in as well, but an iron grip on my wrist stopped me. I tried to pull my wrist away until I heard a voice.
     "Don't. Please don't." It was Newt. I recognized his voice. It was broken, shaking. I could hear the tears and almost feel the panic radiating off of him. After that, those three words, I just couldn't. I stopped pulling on my arm and did a step back. Letting my body relax slightly as I watched the door shut close in front of me. Trapping my friends inside the Maze.