♡ Dark Paradise ♡ ; newtmas fanfic.

a l b y

Newt nods and stands up, following Chuck as he leads them towards the woods.

"Guys! Listen up!" I shout to the remaining Gladers, once Newt and Chuck are clearly out of my sight. "Alby is missing," I sigh. "I looked everywhere. The woods, the tents . . Everywhere."

Commotion fills the crowd, and I have to shout again to calm them down.

"So, we're all going to search for him! He was acting real crazy last night, so I'm worried . . But it's really important that none of you shanks tell Newt about any of this, all right? You got that?"

The Gladers all nod in approval of the plan.

"So," I clap my hands together, "Let's start searching!"

-

We spent hours looking. Around the woods, around the houses, around the town. Alby was nowhere to be found.

We were about to call it quits, but I remembered one more place we haven't yet checked.

The cave. The cave that Paul showed me.

I found Minho talking to a group of Gladers, who were all freaking out over Alby.

"Hey," I told him, grabbing his arm to take his attention away from the crowd he was speaking with. "Tell everybody we're not done looking yet. We still have one more place to check."

"Where?" Asks Minho, "we've looked everywhere."

"No," I shake my head. "there is a cave, just past the field. Paul showed me a while ago."

"Why would Alby be in a shucking cave?"

"You know he was acting weird last night, Minho. He could be anywhere." I frown. "Last night, everybody was sleeping, and I thought somebody had forgotten to put he fire out, so I went outside and Alby was there. He hadn't slept all night. He told me to leave him alone, go to bed, and check on Chuck."

Minho let out a heavy sigh. "Let's . . let's just go."

-

The cave was damp and cold. I remember being here with Paul. It felt like an eternity had passed since then.

Some of the Gladers had to wait outside; there wasn't enough room inside of the cave for everyone. Minho, Teresa, Frypan, Winston, and Ben came into the cave with me, and we all stayed quiet, shuffling forwards, until we approached a large room. The same room that all of those guys with weapons were in when I came here with Paul. Except this time, there was no weapons, and no scary men.

Just one chair in the middle of the room; somebody sitting quietly on it, their back facing us.

"Is that Alby?" Ben whispers, and I shrug.

I shuffle even closer to the room, so that I'm inside. I try to remain quiet, but a root catches my shoe, making me trip, and go toppling to the ground with a loud thud.

"Shit," I whisper.

The person sitting in the chair slowly turns around.

My jaw drops.

It is Alby.

"Alby," I breathe, "we were looking for you. You need to come back with us."

Teresa, Winston, Minho, and Ben step out of the darkness, revealing their scared and shocked faces.

"Please, Alby," begs Teresa, "come back."

"I'm waiting." Alby says simply. He turns his back to us again, and stares at the cave wall. "Waiting."

"Waiting for what? Alby, are you shucking insane?!" Minho shouts, making Alby turn towards us once again.

"All of you need to leave." Alby instructs. "Right now. I'm waiting."

"You're talking crazy," Winston says.

"Get out!" Alby is screaming. "Get out! Right now! I am waiting! I am waiting! You can't be here!"

I slowly walk up to where Alby is sitting, cautious that he could attack, or do something worse. He isn't even acting like Alby anymore, he's acting like a monster.

"Think about your friends," I whisper, resting my hand on his shoulder. "Me, Chuck, Minho, Ben, Gally, Frypan, Winston, Zart . . Newt."

"I am waiting." Alby nods. "None of you need me anymore."

"We do," I say. "We do need you, all right? Come back with us."

"Tell Newt I'm sorry, he's my best friend. I have to wait now. Apologize to Chuck, too, for me. I'm sorry, Thomas. But now I must wait, and I don't want you to be stuck."

"You're talking in riddles!" I shout, annoyed. "It's easy! Just follow us back to the camp! Why is it so difficult for you to understand?!"

Minho suddenly jumps in front of me, and grabs Alby, trying to pick him up off of the chair. Without flinching, Alby grunts and throws Minho to the ground.

"Leave. Now." Alby says quietly. "I am waiting."

"Let's go," Minho snaps once he stands up. "He's shucking insane."

I sigh, feeling defeated, and walk out of the room. But I see the shocked expression that was evident on Teresa's face, and I turn around to face Alby and that room again.

Except this time, the room looks different. There is a large, glowing, blue hole that had formed on the cave wall in front of where Alby was once sitting.

I sit back in the darkness with my friends, hiding like a coward.

A tall, thin, professional looking man steps out of the glowing hole, as if he had just jumped out of the wall. The man wore a white lab coat, with the letters WCKD embroidered on, and his face was plastered with a strong frown.

"It's your time." The man tells Alby.

Alby nods and stands up, and then the strange man grabs him roughly by the shoulder. Without speaking, Alby and the man step back through the hole and disappear right through the wall. Just like some kind of portal. The blue glow of the portal flickered and made loud swooshing sounds, then it sealed, as if it was simply never there at all.

Suddenly, everyone is shouting, but their voices are just background noises. All I can hear is my heart beating, and my own mind reminding me of Alby telling me to check on Chuck last night, and telling me that he was waiting. Was that a warning? Who was he waiting for? Did he know that man was coming for him? And Newt . . I can hear Newt crying and screaming inside of my head, and I know I should've tried to save Alby, his best friend, but I didn't. I hid, like a coward, and now he was gone.

I came here to save him, and I ended up watching him leave us. How could I ever forgive myself for not even attempting to help?

To that question, there was simple answer: get him back. But I have a feeling that's easier said than done.