ASUNDER (I) : tmr newt

09: I'm Searching

"Yeah, he will be announcing it tomorrow when everybody gets up." Minho continues. "Wake up call is going to be very, very early for you non-Runners."

"Not for me." I can hear the Cook's laugh, but I'm still looking for Newt's shadow as it darts into the forest.

Is that why he looks so solemn?

My feet move up beneath me before I even decide I am going somewhere. "I'll be right back."

If anyone says good bye to me I don't hear it. Instead, my feet are pounding off quickly into the forest.

It's darker than I thought it would be. Not as dark as the Box, but nothing is as dark as the Box. In here, I can hear my own breathing and my feet moving off the dirt. It is not exactly all the way on the opposite side of the Glade as the Homestead, but it definitely is not close. My breathing is heavy from the running, and while I can tell I'm not out of shape, I most certainly am not in shape.

"Newt?" I call out, moving deeper into the forest. "Are you in here?"

It's a large space, so I am not surprise when he doesn't answer.

My feet move along the ground, further in the trees. Sliding around the corner and the wet dirt, I manage to stay on my feet. The bark holds me up, as my hands wrap around it and I peer through the dark space.

"Newt?"

I move from tree to tree, twisting and wrapping around them until I couldn't tell you where I came from let alone which way to go for me to get out.

Something bumps into me from behind, and I spin around on my feet at the sharp gasp.

"Who's there?"

"Leo," I spin around, and though I can barely see him in the dim lighting, I know it is Newt. "What are you doing in here?"

He shrugs, "I could ask you the same thing."

What am I doing in here?

I back up away from him when I realise we are incredibly close together. His breath is warm, and so is his skin despite the cool night air. Why isn't he cold? I am freezing.

"I hadn't been here before, and I saw you walk in here." I tell him.

He nods, looking around the forest. "I don't know."

What doesn't he know? Everything? Because it feels like I don't know anything, let alone everything. There are so many questions, I couldn't tell you which one I should ask first. They all seem equally valid at any point in time.

"You are the second-in-command here, right?" I ask, waiting for confirmation from him.

He nods, "yeah, that's right."

"I heard there is a new rule Alby is introducing tomorrow." I tell him.

He backs away from me, and his feet slip in the muddy ground. He manages to catch himself on the tree to his left, steadying himself before he stands up and looks at me. "Yeah, that's right. I can't tell you what it is though. We've got to wait until Alby announces it tomorrow."

That seems awfully fair. Almost entirely fair actually. Entirely awful as well. Though I still have more questions floating around my head. "What were the rules before?"

"There are three." He tells me, moving past me and gesturing for me to follow. When I reach his side he steps off further away from me. "The first rule is do your part. It's why it was so important to find you four jobs as soon as we could. Before you arrived, solving the Maze was the most important thing. I mean, it still bloody is, but now jobs feel less important."

"The second?" I ask, tripping on a root.

He reaches out to catch me, but in the process trips himself and we both hit the ground.

"Are you alright?" He props himself up on his hands, to look at me next to him.

I nod my head in confirmation. It's hard to see, and it doesn't seem like I am very good at pay attention to the things around me. Regardless, I take his hand and he helps me up.

When I stand up, I realise he is taller than me. Quite a few inches too, and it isn't because the ground isn't flat. His hair is blonde, but barely blonde at the same time, though it is difficult to tell in the lighting.

He lets go of my hand quickly, backing up from me.

"Right," he looks at his feet, before he continues walking. "The second rule, is don't hurt another Glader. There's only been three banished, and we almost were going to banish your friend Michelle back there for doing it, but we let her off since she didn't know."

Michelle is hardly my friend. I haven't said more than a sentence to the girl in all the time we've known each other. Technically, I'm closer to this complete stranger than her.

Although, she is also a complete stranger.

"What's the third rule?" I'm trying to divvy up my attention between him and the ground, but the ground is winning.

"The third rule, is never go in the Maze." He tells me. "The only reason we know to exist is to solve that Maze, but we don't let people in. It's too dangerous. The Runners are an exception."

I don't think I am going to have a trouble operating within this framework. There's not a single bone in my body that wants to go in that Maze, and I'm not particularly violent to begin with. Working isn't going to be hard for me to do either, so I don't think I will have any problems.

"And the fourth?"

We are at the edge of the forest now, about to step out.

"The fourth-"

"Newt."

It's hard to see, but it is Alby calling out to him.

"Yeah?" He asks, moving closer to the boy, and I follow him out of the forest.

"I forgot about one thing we've got to discuss." Alby calls back.

"I'll be right there." Newt answers, before turning back to face me. "Sorry, I've got to go."

He apologises way too often, I notice. I reach for him but hold my fingers back inches from his skin. "What's the fourth rule?"

"Come on Newt."

Newt's face tightens, as he give me one last look, before turning towards Alby. He shuffles forward, looking at me over his shoulder.

"I will talk to you tomorrow."

~~~~~~~~~~

Newt's behaviour is so peculiar. I live for it. So is Alby's, but that's Alby for you. What do you think the new rule is.

Ask questions until Sunday.