IT STARTED WITH A MAZE - Newt x Reader (F)

- NO MORE HARMONY -

I'm pressed close beside Chuck, and behind me, I feel Newt's solid presence. There are moments when I feel his hand on my back - a sort of reassuring touch whenever the faintest sounds stir the air.

Then there's a pounding at the door. Heavy, deliberate, unnerving. No one moves. No one even dares to breathe loudly enough to break the silence.

The darkness feels endless, a thick, choking blanket smothering us.

"Stay back," Newt's voice breaks the quiet - low, firm, protective. I feel his hand clutch my arm and tug me closer. If my heart rate wasn't already racing it would have skyrocketed at such a moment.

Above us, something scrapes against the roof - the metallic sound sharp, like nails on wood, echoing through the rafters.

The Griever.

Its grotesque legs clatter, scuttling over the fragile wood and straw, searching, probing, hunting. A few younger boys scream. The sound slices through the quiet like a blade, sending a fresh wave of panic rippling through the group.

We all try to listen, try to track the creature's movements by the noises it makes. Every creak and shuffle a potential threat. Then something strikes. A horrible, snapping sound A the roof explodes inward as the Griever lashes its venomous, barbed tail down through the center of the ceiling. Wood and straw rain down like shards of a nightmare. The world tilts, and I'm slammed beneath a heavy log.

Darkness.

Dust choking the air.

I cough, trying to clear it, panic rising in my chest. "Is everyone alright?!" Newt's urgent voice cuts through the debris and dust, full of raw worry.

My fingers scrape against something solid - Wes's hand. He grabs mine and hauls me up. I look around, shadows moving beneath the wreckage.

Hank.

He's trapped beneath a pile of splintered wood and broken beams. "Grab him!" Thomas yells, his voice rough with urgency. We scramble, but it's too slow. Before we can free him, a shadow moves with terrifying speed. Hank screams, a high, piercing cry that tears at my heart. The Griever drags him away, its barbed tail pulling him into the darkness beyond the torn walls.

The creature's guttural roars and shrieks fill the air. They are primal and enraged, but above all, victorious.

I spin toward Chuck - he's standing frozen, pale, off to the side. "Chuck!" I shout, my voice cracking. I see it happen before it can be stopped. A Griever lunges, wrapping its deadly tail around Chuck's waist, lifting him off the ground. I dive forward, grabbing his hand with all my strength.

"Help!!" Chuck screams, desperation bleeding into his voice. Thomas is there, close behind me, along with Teresa, Peter, and Mikey. Together, we hold on tight.

"Don't let go of me," I tell Chuck fiercely.

"No shit," he gasps, fighting to stay calm. Then, a sudden, wild movement - Alby, the man we thought broken, springs into action. He lunges at the length of the Griever's tail, a post in his hand, hammering at its sharp barbs with fierce determination. The Griever shrieks, the sound echoing like a nightmare, and for a heartbeat, it loosens its grip. Chuck crashes to the floor, gasping for breath. Thomas immediately crouches beside him, checking for injuries. Chuck looks up at Alby, eyes wide with gratitude. "I owe you," he utters.

I'm panting hard, my chest burning, adrenaline shaking through my limbs. Newt is beside me, still tense, eyes scanning the darkness outside. "Why'd it relent?" I ask, voice barely above a whisper.

For a long moment, the only answer is silence. Then there's movement. A terrifying blur in the shadows. "Alby, watch out!!" Newt screams. Before anyone can react, Alby is grabbed - barbed spikes tearing into his flesh, dragging him backward. "Grab him!" Newt yells, stumbling over me as he lunges forward.