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We head back to the Glade. It's about late afternoon.
"Olivia! Minho!" Newt runs over to us. Embraces me in a hug. "I'm so glad you guys are safe," He says, kissing my cheek.
"Wow much love for Minho." Minho says.
Newt laughs and gives Minho a guy-hug.
"Did you guys find anything?" Newt asks.
Some of the other Gladers run over to join us, including Chuck, Winston and Gally.
"Yeah. Yeah Olivia found something." Minho says, waiting for me to explain.
I take a moment to gather my thoughts before speaking. "We found where the Grievers go during the day."
"You found the Grievers' home?" Newt questions. "How?"
"This," I hand him the Griever brain. "I found it with the Griever I killed."
"She shucking reached her hand in the thing and ripped it out! I am starting to think we should be scared of this girl." Minho says.
I give a slight laugh. "It guided us to a vault of some sort, unreachable until we had this."
"It could be our escape!" Minho says, practically dancing.
"So you're proposing we take our friends to where the Grievers live? That's your idea?!" Gally snorts.
I turn to him. "Their way in could be our way out."
"Yeah, or there could be a dozen Grievers waiting on the other side, the point is, Olivia doesn't know what she's done, as usual!" Gally yells.
"Oh yeah? Well at least I did something, Gally." I fire back, anger lacing my voice.
"Step back, Greenie. Just shut up, you don't know what you're talking about. You've been here for days. I've been here for years."
"And how much have you done in all those years? I found a way out!" Before Gally can reply, someone shouts from a few feet away.
It's Clint. "Guys! Alby's awake!"
This shuts everyone up. I look at Newt and Minho and follow them as they run to the Medjack room.
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Alby sits on the bed, facing the wall. His tank top clings to his sweaty body and his hands are shaking as he murmurs words to himself. The room is dark.
"Alby?" Newt asks, slowly closing the door.
No response.
"Is he feeling okay?" Newt turns to Clint, who is standing in the corner.
"He's refusing to eat. Won't say anything, kept asking for you guys."
"I asked for Olivia. Not the other two shanks." Alby says loudly, keeping still.
I can see the hurt wash across Newt's face, and Minho rolls his eyes and leaves.
"Leave, Newt. I want to talk to her Alone!" Alby's voice rises this time.
"Okay." Newt squeaks before leaving. The door slams behind him. I jump at the loud sound before approaching Alby. His eyes danced with sorrow and hate and anger all mixed together.
"I saw things, Olivia." He says. I remain silent. "I saw things about our past lives and about the outside world and about who put us here. Its all fading away but I am barely hanging onto it," Alby looks at me. "How could you? How could you do this to us?" His hands are shaking even more now and I back away, a little frightened.
"Alby, I don't know what you're talking about, but I can assure you I had nothing to do with this." I say calmly.
"Lies!" He bursts out. "You know we can't escape! You knew it from day one and yet you're still here! You're screwing us Olivia!"
I remain quiet and focused. I know its just the Changing talking, but I can't help but feel like I've been slapped across the face.
"No, no Alby we found a way out. We're gonna get out of here!" I say.
"Don't you understand?" Alby snaps his head towards me, teeth clenched. "We can't leave! They won't let us!" Something flashes across his eyes, something different. "I'm sorry, Olivia. I don't know what came over me." He puts his head in his hands.
"Alby, I-"
"No. Please, just leave me alone. I'm sorry. I, I just need to sort things out." He says.
I make no hesitation to get up and walk out the door, nervous what would happen if I stayed any longer.
I open the door and see Minho and Newt standing a couple feet away.
"Hey."
They turn to me. "What'd he say?" Newt asks.
"He was like Gally. He said this was all my fault, that we can't leave."
The boys are silent for a while.
Olivia, they're coming.
I jump. Aris's voice echoes through my head.
Olivia, they'll kill you if you don't get out! Hurry!
Aris! I internally scream. No response. That boy makes me want to push a dagger through someone's skull.
Who is they? I groan, frustrated. My head is pounding.
"Olivia, love? Are you okay? You look like you've just seen a bloody ghost or something." Newt says, walking towards me.
Funny you should say that, judging that Aris is supposedly dead, I think to myself.
"I'm fine, I just need some water." I whisper. My legs are wobbly and my throat is sore.
"Okay." Newt says. He holds my arm and the three of us walk out of the Homestead.
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After getting an ice cold cup, Newt and I sit against our favorite tree, watching the Gladers work. I take slow sips of the cool liquid, focusing on my breathing.
Newt holds my hand in his, tracing shapes and lines on my palm and playing my my fingers.
"Look at me," He says quietly. I glance up and meet his eyes, staring so deeply into mine. "Olivia, I love you. And you know that. So I want you to tell me what's going on it your mind right now." His words are so quiet, so serious.
"What do you mean?"
"Something is bothering you. And I don't like it. I care about you. You can talk to me," He says, pulling me a little bit closer. "What's wrong?"
It takes every ounce of courage I have to confess to him. But I do it anyway.
"Everything. Everything is wrong Newt. This whole thing is wrong. We shouldn't be here, we should have left by now. Something bad is going to happen and I think I've gone mad." It feels so good to let out all of the bottled emotions I've been keeping in ever since I got here.
"You're not mad, Olivia. Please, tell me what you're talking about." Newt remains calm.
"Yes, I am." I say, shaking my head and looking at the ground.
"No you're not! What makes you say that?"
"If I tell you, you can't tell anyone else. I am already scared." I say, still not meeting his gaze.
"Please."
I sigh. "I can talk to Aris." I say quietly, almost silently, ashamed of myself.
"What? I don't understand,"
"I don't know, one day I just started getting voices in my head from this boy. I've never heard him before but he said his name was Aris. And he was telling me that Wicked is not good, and that they made it out and how someone or something will kill us if we don't hurry up. And I can respond, have a conversation. I'm completely insane!" I throw my hands up and then cross them over my chest.
He takes a while to respond. "Olivia, you're not crazy. You're different than the rest of us, and you know that. So whoever Aris is, I'm sure its just another weird thing that is happening."
Tears roll down my face. I hate it here. I hate it I hate it I hate it I just want to get out of this place and live happily ever after.
"But then, what about what he said?" I ask, finally looking at him again.
"We'll figure it out." Newt is gentle, he wraps and arm around my back, and sits closer to me. He rests a hand on my knee, sending a warm feeling up my legs. I feel peaceful.
"I'm scared, Newt. What if I can't get us out? What if something happens?"
"You're smarter than all of us, Olivia. We're going to find a way out. And we'll make it." He moves his hand to play with a loose strand of my hair, twirling it around his fingers.
It just makes me cry even more. Everything just runs out, the fear of this world, the trauma of the night in the Maze, the emotions of everything that has happened and what is yet to come. I feel my eyes getting puffy.
Newt puts his arms around me and pulls me to him. I lean my head on his chest and cry into his shirt, my body shaking with each sob. He is shushing me, rubbing my back, kissing my head sympathetically.
I curl up into him, wrap myself is his warmth. Everything washes away and I am secure. He protects me. His tenderness makes my heart collapse.
My cries finally quiet down, and I lift myself up, wiping my face.
"Sorry." I murmur.
"Don't be sorry, love. We all need to have a good cry." He holds my face.
"It makes everything feel better."
Something flashes in his eyes, but he hides it quickly with a smile. "I guess it does."
"I hope no one else saw that." I whisper, glancing around the Glade.
"Its okay. I've cried many times since I've been here. Nothing to be ashamed of."
"Thanks, Newt."
I rest my forehead on his chest because of my short height, but he grabs my sides and pulls me up onto his lap, I can now look directly into his eyes.
"There, now I can see your beautiful face." He whispers.
I press my forehead onto his, noses touching, and I smile as he holds me close.
"Aww, wish I had my camera now." I hear someone say. Newt and I let go of each other and see Miho standing above us, smiling like a dork.
"Go away Minho." Newt grumbles.
"Sorry Mr. Newt. No can do, you see its sundown and I have some news for you two." Minho stands with his hands on his hips.
"What do you mean?" I ask.
His face changes, more serious this time. "You two love shanks were too busy making goo goo eyes at each other to notice that the doors to the Maze haven't closed."
My stomach drops.