In These Walls (Newt x reader)

Nineteen

"I'm Alby, and I'm gonna get you out of here and give you the tour, okay? I just need you to answer some questions first." I nodded. "Do you remember anything about where you came from, or anyone that you might know?" I shook my head.  

"No, I don't remember anything." I frowned as Alby looked at me, eyes searching my face. "Don't worry, none of us really remember much, but your name will come in a few days. It's the only thing they let us keep." 

"They?" 

"Yes, I'll explain more during the tour." Alby worked his knife at the small knot, then opened the door.

~

Near the end of the tour, Alby started explaining the rules. "Rule one, never harm another Glader, we can't live without trust. Rule two, always do your part, we can't have slackers. Rule three, never go beyond those walls if you're not a Runner. It's dangerous out there." I stayed quiet and nodded, wondering what was out there that was so dangerous.

 After explaining the rules and consequences, Alby introduced me to a kid named Chuck, then he left saying something about finding Newt. As I walked with Chuck, he explained some more things about the Glade, but I tuned him out as I stared at the doors in the wall. What could be beyond those doors? I couldn't contain my curiosity much longer. I started walking to an entrance. 

"Hey, where are you going?" Chuck asked me, quickly running to follow me. As we started to come closer to the entrance made in the walls, Chuck panicked. "Hey, we're not supposed to go in there, especially now." He pulled on my arm some. 

"I just wanna look some." I muttered, shaking Chuck off as I walked towards the door, then suddenly, I was hit and on the ground.

"We gotta stop meeting like this, Greenie." A voice said and I looked up, seeing the boy Chuck had pointed out as Gally, the one earlier with weird eyebrows. 

"What's your problem man?" I yelled as I got up. A bunch of the Gladers ran over. Newt ran over too, coming between me and Gally. Newt faced me, hands raised.

"Hey, why don't you calm down?" 

"Calm down?! What is wrong with you guys?" I threw a hand out, gesturing to the circle of Gladers formed around us. 

"We can't let you leave!" Gally yelled. 

"And why not?!" He opened his mouth, but then shut it as a small gust of wind blew at us and I looked at the doors. There was a grinding sound as they started to close. Once the doors were fully closed, Gally pushed past me. 

"Next time, I'm gonna let you leave." Soon it was just me and Chuck. In the distance a bell rang. "C'mon, that means dinner." Chuck told me and then he lead me to the tables.

~

After dinner, there was a big celebration that Chuck had told me happened for every Greenie. As the Gladers yelled and pranced around the fire, I sat against a log facing away from everyone. I had been sitting alone when I felt the log shift, meaning someone had sat by me. It was Newt. 

"What are you doing here all alone? You're our guest of honor." I tapped at my leg. 

"I'm just thinking about the walls. Why are they there?" I looked to Newt. 

"The walls are to protect us from monsters in the maze." I looked at him for a second, seeing if he was joking, but he wasn't. 

"What monsters? How do you have Runners in the Maze if there are also monsters?" 

"We call them Grievers. Those doors close every night and separate us from them. Grievers aren't as active during the day, but they're really active at night. No one has survived a night in the Maze." New paused, frowning as his face darkened. "Except one person. But even then, a price was paid for it." I perked up. 

"Who survived?" Newt turned, looking for a moment, then pointing. 

"She did. That's (y/n)." I scrunched up my nose. 

"She?" I looked to where Newt was pointing. It took me a moment, but I found her, and until then, I hadn't seen a girl in the Glade. She had (h/c) hair and was laughing at something Ben said. Beside her was Minho. My eyes trailed down to find she was in the wheelchair everyone had gotten excited over earlier. I looked back at Newt. 

"What happened?" Newt sighed, frowning.  I almost apologized for asking as his face darkened again. 

"When the Glade was still first starting up, we had only a few Runners as there weren't many Gladers, and we barely had begun to learn about the Maze. One day, when (y/n) was in the garden, she heard two of the Runners screaming for help and she ran to help them. When she ran into the Maze, there was a Griever chasing the two Runners." Newt was rubbing his thumb into his palm as if he was nervous. 

"I thought you said Grievers weren't active during the day?" Newt shook his head. 

"I said they weren't as active during the day, but that day, they happened to be. One guy, he got thrown by the Griever and hurt bad. She helped him and both the Runners got out. She watched the hurt Runner get carried away for medical help cause his leg was hurt too bad. When the doors were closing, she wasn't paying attention. Grievers have these tail like things, and so it grabbed her with it, pulled her in." Newt sucked in a breath. "It bit her leg pretty bad, lucky she still had it when she left the Maze. She was in pretty bad shape, needed help with walking for a while." 

"Like the wheelchair?" Newt shook his head, huffing a sad laugh. 

"No, she could walk. Later another... incident happened, made her leg weaker. You shouldn't talk about it though. She doesn't like mentioning it much." I nodded.  We both sat quietly for a moment, then I heard (y/n) call to Newt. 

"Well I've got to go Greenie, talk to you later." Newt paused, turning back around. He handed me a cup. "That was meant for you." Newt turned away from me. "Coming (y/n)." Newt called. I watched as he walked to her, noticing the heavy limp in his walk. Newt knelt down to bow, then kissed (y/n) cheek, then her lips. Minho fake gagged beside them and (y/n) pulled from the kiss to hit Minho's arm.

"You're such a child!" (y/n) scolded as Newt stood, getting behind her wheelchair, then he began to wheel the two of them towards what Alby called the bigger Homestead. It was as Newt was walking away that it dawned on me that he was the Runner that got hurt in the maze, that he was the one (y/n) got hurt after saving.

~ Time Skip ~

I walked with Chuck to the hammocks, where I would be sleeping. I just got done with Gally's fight circle. I had lost, but now I remembered my name. Thomas. It played over and over in my head. I remembered something,  I actually remembered something. I laid down in my hammock as Chuck bid me goodnight, walking to the Homestead. I barely heard him, still happy about remembering my name, and I slowly fell asleep with it playing over and over in my head. Thomas. Thomas. Thomas.

Original Publish Date: August 29, 2016