Serendipity || Newt TMR || Book 1

Selcouth

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Selcouth
(adj.) unfamiliar, rare, strange and yet marvellous

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The boy, Newt, had walked me all the way back to wherever I emerged from; the boys that were there when I arrived were still there, all of them. All in the same circle, having their own conversations. That was until the boy who took me out of the box, turned towards us, and yelled out to Newt from about 100 metres away - due to us only just exiting the tree line.

"You caught her?" The dark-skinned boy yelled to Newt,

I lean a little bit over to Newt so he could hear me speak. "Who is that?" I question.

"That?" He asks and I nod, "That's Alby, he is our 'leader' per se. We listen to him because he has been here the longest." I look up at him with a confused look, wanting him to elaborate, which he does. "Alby got here 11 months ago, that's the longest, he was the first so he's in charg-"

"How long have you been here?" I blurt out, "sorry..."

"No, no, it's fine. I've been here 10 months now? I'm second in command." He explains.

"Oh." I nod, I don't really know how to react to that, "I probably shouldn't have been so rude to the second in command then, hey?"

"It's okay, Clumsy." He chuckles causing me to roll my eyes.

We were a little bit closer now to the group and I had one more question, one that had been nagging at me since I saw that Alby boy, "Charming? How old do I look?"

"Around 15? Why, how old do I look?"

"I don't know, and you look about 16." I smile but then we reach the group of boys and the smile fades.

"What happened to you two?" the boy, I had learnt to be Alby, asked Newt.

"Nothing." He answers, "she'd make a good runner."

"She has to earn that." Alby says sternly, "Anyway, we better get started with the tour. Everyone get back to work!" He yelled, causing me to step back, unintentionally bumping into Newt. "You're with me, Greenie." He says from his place about 5 metres away from me.

I do not want to go with him.

My eyes widen as I turn around to Newt and begin shaking my head. "N-No, I don't wanna go with him." I plead with the taller boy.

"He isn't that bad; besides I've got to go do my job."

"Come on, Charming." I continue to plead.

"I'll meet with you after the tour, okay?" He smiles down at me, I decided to give up. Newts hands made their way onto my shoulders and he turned me around to face Alby, and gently pushed me towards him. I sent a glare his way before beginning to walk up to Alby.

"You ready?" Alby asks and I nod, I don't plan on talking. We begin walking and I say quiet, just letting Alby speak, "So, welcome to The Glade, this is your new home, Greenie." He says while looking at the large patch of grass, "Now, since this is your new home, you have to know the rules. One, never hurt another Glader, if we are living together, we have to trust each other. Two, everyone does their part, there has to be no slackers if we want to survive. And finally, three." He stops, causing me to stop only a few paces in front of him, "you see the walls surrounding the Glade?"

I look around and see big grey walls, covered in cracks and vines, that seem to be over a kilometre high. In the middle of each, there seemed to be a large gap between them, my eyebrows furrowed at the sight.