You and Newt sat in each other's arms for a long time. Tears slipped silently down both of your faces, and your breathing was shallow. Suddenly, an idea dawned on you. You had a secret that you'd never entrusted to anyone but, for some reason, you felt as though you could trust the golden-haired boy with the sad, scared, dark eyes.
"Can I show you something?" You asked. Newt slowly nodded his head. Standing, you led him down one of the various tunnels, emerging into yet another chamber. A crude ladder hung from a hole in the ceiling. Embarrassed, you looked at Newt's oddly bent leg. "Do you think you can... I don't know about... Well, what with your leg and all... Um-"
He grabbed your shoulders, cutting you off. "I'll manage, love." He said while massaging your arms with his thumbs.
An involuntary shiver ran through your spine. You didn't want to love again, yet there was something about this boy...
Turning on your heel, you began to climb. Newt was just below you, and you could hear him grunting in pain every few rungs. "You alright?" You called. "I'm bloody fine!" He snapped, causing your heart to pause in a beat of fear. He looked up at you, horrified. "I-I'm so sorry, Y/N." He stammered, "I just lose it sometimes, I guess. You know how scary it is to forget who you are? Sometimes I feel like it's my first bloody day in the Maze again. Others I feel like I'm not even a shucking human. I'm just a mindless, evil beast. A crank. You know?"
"Of course I know. We both have the Flare, remember?" You replied. "We're cranks now, it's just what we are. We can either face it or run from it, but running only makes things worse. Literally, in our case." You added.
He sighed deeply. "I feel so alone sometimes."
"So do I." You said sadly. "But I'm not going to leave your side for as long as I can help it, so I suppose we'll just have to be alone together."
As you said this, you emerged from the darkness of the cave into a moonlit clearing. At the center of this clearing was a shack, and on the door of this shack were two words:
"Malachi's Place"
Your breath hitched in your throat, as a multitude of memories and a whirlwind of emotions threatened to crush you. A wide-eyed Newt came up behind you, mouth agape. "So this is the boy that saved your life. I suppose I owe him a thank-you." He whispered reverently
It was then that you realized, Newt hadn't been gaping in awe at the shack, or even the beauty of the mountains. He had been staring at the body-sized patch of bare soil with a multitude of wildflowers surrounding it. He hadn't been staring at Malachi's Place, he had been staring at Malachi himself.
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Hey guys, sorry that the chapter is so long. If you liked it please comment "Crank Palace!" Please remember to comment and vote!
See ya later, Gladers!
