Aversion (The Maze Runner, Newt / Sequel to Violation)

9; Lighting Strike

Chapter 9 - Lightning Strike

[Recap: After finding out that Teresa is being held captive and is being controlled, the gladers make their way into a town close to their destination]

[Do you guys like the new covers??]

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The next morning, Wendy woke up with the sudden sense of familiarity. She could feel Newt's arms wrapped around her, and for a few seconds it seemed as if she had been in that position before. Wendy could smell grass, maybe even the distant smell of food with the sound of laughter echoing in the background. No memory came to mind as she dwelled in the familiarity, but she knew that then and there, a part of her had remembered the past she had forgotten.

Wendy pushed herself up, senses coming back to reality. The air was thick and laced with dirt instead of the fresh air she imagined, groaning filling her ears instead of the laughter she swore she heard.

Thomas and Minho were already up and speaking in hushed whispers. She could tell by the close proximity of their bodies that the topic they were discussing was serious, but even then, she knew that the two had a bond just as close as hers and Newt's, telling by the way they looked at each other.

"Mornin'," a sudden voice said lowly behind her. A smile almost instinctively stretched across her face as she turned her head and was met with a sleepy-eyed blonde.

"Nice hair," she grinned, bringing her hand up to pat down the pieces that were sticking up. The boy rolled his eyes before kissing her cheek and fully sitting upwards. Newt placed his hand on her knee as Wendy rubbed her eyes.

"The sky looks horrid," he exclaimed as he stood up, pulling her along with him. "Wonder what's going on."

Wendy agreed. The sky was practically pitch black with dark clouds looming across the atmosphere. Practically no sunlight shone through, only in some parts of their make shift camp. She didn't dwell on the fact though because soon enough, they were traveling again towards the large city ahead of them.

The amount they walked was both long and filled with moaning and groaning. Wendy absolutely hated the thud of their shoes now, it was the only sound she had heard the entire time. And at first, she wished that they would come across someone so that it wouldn't be the same boring pattern of walking, resting, eating, sleeping, and walking again. But when they stumbled across a very old man lying on the ground in the middle of the desert, Wendy took back her words.

His skin was dark and worn out, scabs and sores blotching his hairless head. She would've deemed him a crank at first if it hadn't been for his calm expression and very in-place facial features.

"Hey! Old man!" Minho shouted. Wendy groaned and slapped her head. "What're you doing out here?"

The man didn't respond as expected. Thomas, being just as pestering as Minho, bent down and waved his hand in front of his face.

"Jesus bloody Christ," Wendy huffed, walking past Minho and kneeling down beside Thomas. She pulled his hand down and threw him a look. "Excuse me, sir, can you hear us? Can you speak?" Wendy tried instead, using a calm voice instead of Minho's and Thomas' loud and obnoxious ones.

The man only blinked in response.

"This guy's a bloody gold mine if we can get him to tell us stuff about the city. Looks harmless, probably knows what to expect when we go in there." Newt exclaimed, moving to stand behind Wendy. She noticed that he had went around the entire group of boys rather than cut through between Isabella and Frypan.