When The Darkness Comes // Newt

Part five, "What's out there?"

"Here we are," he says as if he didn't hear your question. The two of you are standing in front of several rows of tiny plants. Only one other boy is working, doing something to a vine that is growing on some kind of wooden structure.

"Hey, Zart," says Newt. "This is Y/n. Alby says she'll work in the Gardens."

You realize that Alby had said something very different, and it seems like Newt wants you to work in the Gardens. You shrug the thought away and nod hello to Zart.

"Zart's the Keeper of the Track-hoes, Gardeners." explains Newt.

You nod again, but can almost feel several pairs of eyes looking at you, most likely the other boys. Except now it doesn't make you too uncomfortable since you know they aren't going to hurt you.

"Hi Y/n," says Zart. He doesn't seem talkative, and is staring at you with a quizzical look.

"Since today's the first day and it's almost time for the Doors to close, you won't be working today, but tomorrow you'll start." instructs Newt, and you nod.

"Wait- what doors?" you say suddenly. Newt sighs as if he's tired of explaining the same thing to multiple people, but you want to know. "What doors? What's out there? Why do you keep avoiding my question?" Your voice rises.

"You just need to know, don't you, Greenie?" he says, and you flinch s;ightly, knowing he meant to hurt you with his words. Before you can respond- and even if you had time to, you wouldn't know what to say- he nods toward the closest gap between the tall walls and starts walking there. You follow, staying nearly fifteen feet behind, your eyes smarting with anger as you wonder what you could have done to offend him.

When you're about five feet away from the gap, you peer inside. The gap is about twenty feet wide, and all you can see is another wall. But sunlight is streaking in, so there must be a turn somewhere.

"That out there," Newt says, "is the Maze."

"Y/n, this might come as a shock to you, but in less than ten minutes you will be in the center of a huge maze."

Bill had known. How had he known what would up there? You try to remember his other words.

"There are going to be boys there, and I need you to trust them. I need you to put your life in their hands if needed. Can you do that?"

He had known about the Gladers! He had told you to trust them! Since most of them looked like they wanted to kill you, you weren't sure if that was such a good idea. Newt's voice interrupts your thoughts.

"That's the Maze. That's the reason we haven't found a way out of this stinkin' place- that's the reason several of us have died. We don't know anything about why the bloody Creators would want to put us in a shuck place like this. This opening closes every night and opens every morning."

"How did," you pause, "How did they die?"

The sound of feet running makes your head jerk back into the gap, the doors, and see two figures come around the corner, headed straight for you. As they draw closer, one of them slows down until he's only three feet away from you.

"A girl?" he says in disbelief. "So that's why you wanted to stay here this morning, Newt."