Another request from @allielozoya - thank you! I'm loving these ideas, and am having great fun writing them!
I turned the page running my finger lightly down its edge. I peeked up checking Chuck was still alright and returned to my book.
The whole glade was busy and chaotic as normal, Alby barking orders in the homestead, cows mooing and sheep baaing. The odd boy sprinting past with a tool or a plank of wood. Whilst I was sat in a deck chair, content, and supposedly working. Not that it was a tough job. Come on its Chuck! What can the boy really do other than trip over his own stubby feet? I'm only here because he's on new drugs for his infection, the poor boy has to be on them for a week.
Not bad? It is, the drugs side effects are bad; he gets headaches, stomach pains and worst of all is the possibility of hallucinations. Winston said he saw the boy talking to his breakfast this morning, so Alby has demanded a round the clock eyes on the boy, in case he accidentally harms himself. Not that I'm complaining! I've just taken over from Gally, who made it sound like torture, but I was 30 minutes into my two hours and all I've had to do was fetch him a drink once. Otherwise I'm having fun reading dressed in shorts, a bikini top and an extremely thin sports vest on top.
I shut my eyes resting my head back and humming. "Oy!" A voice yelled behind me, I snapped up looking around my eyes landing on the second in command, with his hands on his hips. I gulped, he was going to make me work wasn't he?
Newt smiled at my startled face. "Sun cream, hat and glasses." He yelled across the glade.
I almost laughed with relief, and gave him a thumbs up before lying back down. This time I felt more unsettled, I sat back up looking round to where Newt had been, he was still there, hands on hips, waiting. I groaned and tossed the hat on my head, Newt raising one finger. He was going to tick off each one wasn't he?! Why did the hot boy have to be the most annoying?
I put on the sun glasses, but Newt was still waiting, fairly impatiently. Seriously?! The sun would be going down in a couple of hours! Did I really need the cream? Still I picked up the sun cream, flipping up the lid, my arms extend far away and squirting the white gloop onto my hand. I hated sun cream and he knew it, he was practically laughing at me. Reluctantly I rubbed the stuff into my arms and legs. "Face, back and chest as well." He shouted, then going back to the stuff from the box he was dealing with. I groaned and did them, certain my face was just pure white cream now.
I looked back up to where Chuck had been playing by and old tree. He wasn't there. I stood up slowly scanning over the glade. How could he have travelled so far? "Chuck?" I shouted, hands cupped round my mouth, they stunk of the artificial cream. I saw a couple guys prick up their attention at my loud call but went back to work quickly, not wanting to be involved.
Ahh! I spotted him, stood a couple yards away from the opening into the maze, the west door. "Chuck!" I shouted beckoning him over, but as soon as the words left my mouth he took a curious step forwards peering into the maze. "Chuck!!" I shouted more serious this time, breaking into an easy jog in his direction. He wasn't that stupid, was he?
He was picking up pace. Getting closer and closer. Then he started to run.
Oh shit. I sprinted after him, screaming out his name as he ran into the vine corridors.
By the time I reached the door he was a good two or three hundred metres inside the maze, he looked like a small fly compared to the great walls. I didn't think. There wasn't time. I ran in after him, ignoring other, distant screams behind me. "Chuck!!" I screamed. He was bent over, staring at the floor, trying to stroke something. I grabbed him, pulling him up but I was too late... In the deepness of the maze there was a hungry grumble. "Oh shit, we got to go!" I yelled above the noise, the flush of cold wind nibbling on my arms and legs. Chuck stumbled. I ran back grabbing his shirt. Hauled the fat boy up.
Three metres. The door were closing, the opening getting smaller and smaller. Some faces yelling at me to leave him and run. I pulled harder on his shirt, dragging him forwards, the fabric beginning to rip, making that cringing sound. Two meters and we still had a fair distance to cover. One meter. We could do it! We had to! I grit my teeth forcing myself to go over my limit and then...
Kapoosh. Whack. Thump. Slam.
A body, charging the same speed as mine ran straight into me, running from out of the glade. I lost balance and fell, the person on top of me. I stared over to the doors cursing, they closed, shuddering like they knew they were murderers.
I shoved the boy old of me, jamming to my feet and running to the doors, trying to squeeze my fingers between the crack and pry them open. This couldn't be happening! Not today! Not now! I slammed my palm against the solid concrete, the palms turning red with the collision. "Why the fuck would you do that?!" I screamed at the boy, my lungs unable to replenish any air. I snapped round at him and saw the brown eyes looking up at me mournfully, Chuck already up and wondering off again. It was Newt, he had ran in.
He shook his head mumbling.
"What did you say?" I practically shouted my lungs out at him.
He stared up at me getting to his feet. "You wouldn't have made it!" He gestured to the doors. "You would have been two more pancakes to clean up in the morning."
I balled my hands into fists. "That's your biggest worry! Cleaning us off the walls?!"
He lashed back, spit flying everywhere. "I saved your life!"
"I would much rather have been squashed than die in here!" I shouted back, the atmosphere suddenly going very sullen. Newt wise enough not to answer back, only run his hands through his hair frustrated. I rubbed my arm looking away. "You could have at least sent a runner in." I murmured, being spiteful because I was scared. I've never been in the maze, only seen the grievers through the window, I had no idea where to begin the night.
Newt either didn't hear or just ignored it. "Come on let's find Chuck."
I cursed as I saw the boy had disappeared again, I'm an awful babysitter.
We walked down the corridors, the vines in here were thicker than the glade, it was darker, little sun seemed to get in at all. I couldn't help stare in frightful awe at the place, it didn't seem to bother Newt, he kept turning round corners like he knew where Chuck would go.
I jogged catching up with him to walk by his side. "I'm sorry, I think I'm just freaking out." I said calmly watching his face, he didn't seem to care, he just continued chewing the inside of his cheek. "Don't, it's not your fault, it's the stupid shucking medjacks fault for giving Chuck that drug."
I wasn't sure wether to say it or not so I did it anyway. "Well, it's not really their fault, he's had so many infection that he's become resistant to most the normals ones." I laughed at it. "That was the only drug left."
Newt chuckled, turning a sharp left. "How does he get so many infections?"
I swiftly followed, trying to kept myself moving so I didn't go cold. "He's a boy what do you expect?"
Newt frowned at me. "What's that meant to mean?"
I rolled my eyes. "Oh come on, you boys are the most unhygienic thing in the glade! No wonder you all get so many diseases."
"Not all of us love."
I raised an eyebrow.
So Newt raised his arm pit shoving it in my nose. "See I don't smell."I choked on the sweaty smell, grabbing onto his arm and pinning it to his side. "Yuck Newt!" I exclaimed laughing. I looked down at my hand still holding his arm, I saw his finger twitch. Right then I really wanted to hold his hand, interlock our fingers and never let go.
"Oh look there he is." I said sounding more disappointed then cheerful. I let go of his arm and we both walked over to the boy smiling and swaying in the middle of a stoned corridor. "Chuck, we got to go." Newt barked, turning the boy around so he was in the right direction. The poor boy was lazy on his feet, stumbling a little. "No." He groaned wiping his face with his arms, not his hands. "I like it here."
Newt grabbed the back of his shirt forcing him a couple paces forwards, Chuck fell to his knees. "No you don't." Newt said trying to pick him up again but Chuck just threw his arms out at Newt, trying to claw his freedom back.
"Yes I do!" Chuck shouted, his hands flaying everywhere.
I could see Newt getting more cross, his jaw muscles clenching and his eyes becoming stiff. Newt tried to force him back up, his hand being more harsh on the boy this time.
Chuck began to cry, falling to his butt on the floor, hugging his knees and crying. Newt looked to me, I just gave a sympathetic smile. I felt so sorry for Chuck, he must be in so much pain and confusion. He probably isn't even aware that he's going to die tonight... But then maybe that's better.
"Your turn." Newt said walking to switch our places.
I knelt before Chuck, stroking his knee letting him cry. "Chuck, come on stop those tears." He sniffled, his huge eyes staring up at me through this tangle of brown curls. I stroked them back, tucking them away behind his hair.
"Y/n?" He whispered. "Where are we?" He was scared, this was Chuck unaffected by the drugs, the innocent, vulnerable twelve year old.
I smiled by most warmest smile. "Nowhere Chuck. You, me and Newt just went for a walk, now it's time to go back." I lied, it felt wrong to make the boy comfortable, he would realise the lie in an hour or two when the grievers came for him, dribble trickling down their chins at such a juicy, large meal.
I held his hand. "Come with me Chuck." I tried to pull him up. Chuck was having none of it, his face went red and he screamed. "I like it here!" He rolled himself at me. Fuck! I wanted to scream but I held it in, struggling to push back Chuck. Newt was above, grabbing chuck off me. Failing as Chuck began to kick out like a wild horse. Nostrils flared, eyes frantic. I reached out for help, clasping something hard and lumpy. I whacked Chuck around the head, scooting out the way as his body zoned out and fell still on the floor.
Newt was there holding my arms pulling me up into him. "You ok?"
I nodded, staring at the grey rock in my hand the corner a deep iron colour. I gulped, looking back to the motionless Chuck and leaning into Newt's chest. "Is he....?" My voice faltered.
Newt bent down to Chuck pressing a finger to his wrist. I was cold without Newt to lean into, my arms bobbly with goosebumps. Newt shook his head. "He's alive just unconscious, maybe for the better."
I dropped the rock happy I hadn't killed him. "What do we do with him now?"
Newt shrugged rolling the boy onto his back, I could see his chest moving in little flutters. "Not much we can, I'm not carrying him round all night."
"We can't just leave him here." I exclaimed.
Newt rolled his eyes at me. "That's not what I was saying."
He was bugging me, the way he was so chill about all of this, continuously leaving me to feel the blame and emotions. "Don't roll your eyes at me." I snapped and saw he was about to do it again, but stopped himself.
Newt stood up to match me. "Can we stop fighting? None of us will survive tonight if we just argue."
I shut my eyes counting to three, taking deep breaths. I need to chillax. I'm so tense, I can feel my muscles taught in my limbs. My head was hurting from the emotions, it wasn't like I was even on my period. I bit my lip and nodded. "Yes let's stop."
Newt breathed and smiled. "I thought you were going to say no for a moment."
I laughed and sat besides Chuck. "What do we do with this?" I picked up his limb, dropped it, letting it flop onto the ground.
Newt scratched the corner of his lip, chewing on the inside. "I haven't a buggin' clue. I guess we could try to put him up into the ivy." I gazed up at the gigantic walls, and gulped, haul this heavy lump up there? Sure if I was putting Winston or even Newt up there I could probably do it but Chuck? Hell no.
Newt seemed fixed it was the only idea though and started gathering up the limbs. "Come on you take the legs, I've got the arms, we'll hang him up there." I did as told, still amazed at how Newt was so coolheaded, and intelligent. My brains seem to have abandoned me.
We staggered a couple yards down dropping the body in front of an especially dense area of ivy and vines. "Grab that and tie it round him." I quickly snatched up the ivy wrapping it round Chuck's chest, Newt propping the boy up on his knee.
"Now let's climb the wall slowly moving him up."
I gulped and Newt must have seen. He moved close, his chest standing out a bit like an offer for me to hide in it. "Love?" He touched my arm tenderly like I was a china doll. "You have to stay with me, ok? We need to make sure Chuck is safe."
I faked and smile nodding. "I know." I tucked my vest into my shorts. "Let's do this then." Taking hold of a thick strand of ivy, placing a flip flop on the wall and starting the long climb. Newt staring in shock up at my arse, a small smirk on his face before joining me.
Eventually we collapsed against the frozen wall, Chuck halfway up the wall, hanging, his arm draped in midair. It was makeshift, but would hopefully last till morning. At least he might be able to explain something to the gladers. Maybe.
"Well that was harder than I thought it would be." Newt laughed.
I joined in, feeling like we had achieved something. "He's going on a diet tomorrow." I laughed, my arms numb with the strain from his weight.
Newt nodded, stretching his arms out, leaving them hanging like he was opening up. I leant against Newt trembling as we heard a shriek far into the deep maze. I stared into his eyes and him mine. "I've never seen a griever." I whispered.
He looped an arm around me holding me close. "I've seen worse."
I raised an eyebrow and he tapped my nose.
"You, darling." He chuckled at his own genius, I knew he was trying to make me feel better but like.... I don't know, it's hard to sum up death when you haven't reached it and then it's too late.
I rolled my eyes. "Excuse me! I'm gorgeous."
He pulled his arm around me tighter, resting his head on mine as we stared out at the far wall, the grey beneath the ivy had turned black, I felt like it was mocking us. In the morning it would be grey again, whilst we would remain silent, unchanged ever again.
"I know love. I know." He mumbled to himself.
I shut my eyes, absorbing him in. This would be the last person I would ever hold....I'm glad it's Newt. He's the nice guy in the glade, always overprotective sure, but he went about it with a tad of humour and no cocky arrogance. He made the glade shine in the murkiness.
He even smelt like the glade.
We heard another shriek both our eyes flinging open, I trembled against Newt again. "How are you so chill? You look like you know what your doing." I said.
Newt shuddered this time, pressing his head harder against mine, pulling me closer and wrapping his space arm round me so he was holding hands at my hip. "I used to be a runner before I got my limp."
It didn't surprise me, I had wondered, I just leant into him realising how much this was probably triggering him right now. "Then why would you run in for Chuck and I?"
Newt stayed silent for a long time, like he didn't want to answer the question at all, his breaths were becoming heavy. "Because...." He sounded reluctant and scared. "I don't want to loose you." He finally breathed out.
I stayed very silent and very still, not too sure what to say, how to react. This was awkward. Sure I've had my crushes on some of the boys now and then but I would never die for them. Especially weird seeing as Newt and I weren't really friends before this, we hardly talked, only when everyone else was drunk and too incapable of having a decent conversation. Even then it was more sit in silence and sip your cider or whatever the hell is in Gally's special.
My lips just acted without orders. "And I don't want to loose you too, that doesn't mean it's right to die for me, Newt."
He sighed and scratched his head. "It's not like that though, the glade has only ever been sunny since you arrived."
He wasn't talking about the weather that was clear, that had a whole deeper meaning to it. I took his shirt in my fists, and clung to him, praying we would never have to part. There was another piercing shriek like a cat dying. We would be parted, those creatures were getting closer and closer, they would rip us apart, shred our skin off our bones and drag us off to their pit, wherever that was. "Can we stay here?" I whispered.
Newt pulled his head off of mine and withdrew his hands, I didn't feel whole, I felt like half of me was missing the moment we separated. He slowly rose to his feet. "No, come on, we'll die here, we need to move."
I shook my head unwilling to go on. "Newt please, I'd much rather die here with you than in some random corridor on my own."
He shook his head, looping his arms under my armpits and picking me to my feet. He grabbed my face. "We're not going to die y/n, you got that?"
I nodded, staring into his eyes, filled with courage and determination.
"Good, now start moving those little legs, you're going to have to run." I groaned making him laugh I was known in the glade for my passionate hatred of running.
We started a slow jog going easy, I had to clutch my boobs to stop them springing out the bikini. Newt's eyes flicked from my face to my hands and back, frowning. I laughed, certain he didn't understand what was going on. "I'm only got a bikini on under this vest." I explained, Newt coming to a sudden stop.
"Why would you wear a bikini?" He asked puzzled.
"Well I didn't exactly plan to get trapped in the maze, did I?" It was kind of funny watching him puzzle. "My plan was to lie on that sun lounger, get a tan, maybe fall asleep, read my book." Ah, God, it sounded like heaven right now. "But then you made me put on sun cream."
He snorted and laughed. "Come on let's sort this bikini, take the vest off and give it here."
I gave him warning eyes and he quickly noticed. "I'm not going to do anything, now take off your vest, you've got a bikini on anyway."
I rolled my eyes slipping off the light fabric, the bitter cold was the kind that turned your insides and flesh rigid. Newt stretched out the fabric telling me to wrap the front round my chest and he tied the sleeves behind my back. "There you go, that should do!" He sounded proud like he had just built a mechanism to escape them all out this shucking place.
"I'm freezing." I laughed at his childishness.
He pulled off his own jacket letting his muscles flex as he did so. He helped to put it on me, his old presence seeping into me, absorbing me. I liked it. In fact. I loved it.
I snuggled in closer to him, this all being very soft for a night in the maze, but then it's been what? An hour and a half? Not long at all.
"Thank you Newt!" I hummed, loving how his jacket fell just above the bottom of my shorts. He was just enjoying having me being slightly flirty with him on his last night ever.
"Now that's sorted let's get back to surviving, come on." He beckoned me to follow him as he began to run one sided. I stayed fixed to his side like a sort of Siamese twin, feeling like parting would create a rift big enough to swallow me whole. We ran down so many knotted corridors, running through what seemed like all eight sections. It was now obvious Newt had once been a runner, he knew where he was going, but that wouldn't stop the grievers.
We were being to see them as we sprinted past a new maze corridors, quiet enough to not be seen and slaughtered, but their shrieks were picking up. We came to a corridor with only one turning, right. Newt slowed to a stop peaking round, he pressed me against the wall. "Ok." He whispered. "At the end of this corridor is a T-junction, that's when we split ok?"
I shook my head, clinging onto his arm. "No, Newt." I begged him not to leave me, I knew nothing of this place I would be dead within seconds of leaving him.
He grabbed my shoulders, staring into the souls of my eyes. "There's a griever down there, ok? We can't stay together."
I gulped, pressing back into the wall, wanting to become the ivy. My eyes began to swell and I began to tremble, this was it, we were going to die. Newt spotted it in a instant, fear, he rubbed my shoulders, his eyes falling soft. "If you do this I'll do whatever. What do you want?" I could hardly form the lip shape to say I don't know, let alone actually think of something I wanted right now.
"Fine then." He said, a little cheerfully, he had his own idea on what I wanted. "Do this, and I'll take you for dinner, I'll even bloody make it for you, y/n, please let's just do this."
Now, I could hardly refuse that could I, a whole mealtime with Newt to myself... I was already getting excited, so I nodded to Newt confirming the deal. We stood side by side, I kept watching his face checking we were doing this. Then it washed over me, I wanted to seal the deal, especially if I was going to die. I grabbed his face, pulling his lips to mine, they were like sweet summer berries. His hand were held in surrender, like he had no idea what to do, I smirked at his confusion, and ran round the corner, charging at the mass of bulbous flesh.
I collapsed against the wall, shaking, my head dizzy and my eyes waning. Each breath felt like it was draining me, my jaw trembled trying to stay open. I looked down at my hand, blood gushing between my finders, running down my top as if it was desperate to leave me. I grasped my side tighter, my head throwing back and legs suddenly going weak with the pain. My vision going black and spotted, I was fading away. When I heard a groan from above. Oh god! This was it, helpless from lack of blood, tiredness and coldness, perfect pray for a griever, right?
I slowly looked up cringing and gasped. That was no griever, it was Chuck finally coming round from his accidental head hit. He took one look down, below his hanging limbs and screamed. He screamed his head off, clutching to the ivy.
"Chuck!" I shouted, my voice weaker than I wanted. "Chuck!!" I screamed again. "Shut your gob!" He went very silent. I leant my head into the ivy imagining it was Newt's shoulder, God knows where he his?! I hardly know he is alive, other than this gut feeling I have.
"Y/n?" Chuck called down. "How did I get up here?"
I rolled my eyes, stumbling to my feet to look up at him, trying to remember how. It all flooded back soon enough to, the rock.... Oh. "Doesn't matter." I call up. "Your safe up there, so stay put ok?"
Chuck remained quiet, but didn't move, just settled down into the ivy. "Where's Newt?" He said after a long pause.
I didn't want to answer that, I shut my eyes, squeezing away the tears. "Somewhere." I stammered out, refusing to go into mourning so soon.
Chuck didn't look down at me again. "Then how are we going to get out?" I could tell he was about to cry.
"We'll wait till morning." I said. "Newt will be at the entrance."
"Newt's dead!" Chuck shouted down. "If Newt ain't here, he's dead and we are going to be soon, oh god, I'm too young to die."
I shook my head refusing to listen to it. "Newt's alive! Ok? He made a deal..."
At that very moment there was a low grumbling and two hands latched onto the corner of wall. They pulled behind them a body, dragging an leg. Newt stumbled round, one hand pressed to the wall, the other gripping his trouser leg, trying to aid in dragging it along.
I took a step towards him, more blood gushing out my wound, my head pounding with an out beat heart drum. I grimaced and took another, getting in a consistent flow made it sort of painless. More like numb but it was good. Newt and I hobbled to each other, arms out reached ready to hold each other, even at 800m apart. We reached each other soon enough but too tired to embrace.
"My ankle...." Newt panted, his face contorting in agony. "I've over done it." His foot was splayed at a wrong ankle by serval degrees. He was battered in. His face scratched and bruised, his shirt ripped like fragments of clothing sewed badly. The last I had seen of him was his back running away from a huge griever, me running in the other direction. Until I ran face first into my own.
I looped his arm over my shoulder, intertwining our fingers. My spare hand clutching my side and his free hand still using the wall like a hand bar. We hobbled down the corridors, leaving Chuck to shout swear words at us from afar.
"I think someone might want to educate him on his dictionary." I laughed listening to the bizarre words.
Newt laughed squeezing my hand. "Let's keep going." He muttered, trying to move us faster.
The doors were already open, a couple faces peering in hopelessly. But when they saw us. They were cheering, beckoning at us to go faster, hands ready to help me lift the weight, my feet beginning to slip under it all. They surrounded us like pesky seagulls, all trying to help but only causing more damage. Pocking a scratch, getting sweat or spit in my blood.
"Stop,chugs, no please." Newt kept whining quietly trying to push them away from us.
I looked around at the gladers, stunned faces, "ouch!" I snapped and they all jumped back, leaving a good serval metre circle round us.
"Minho." Newt panted, grasping the runner's hand. "Chuck is on the fifth left wall on the way to section two."
Minho nodded rounding up and group and running in.
The others just watched as Newt and I slowly, like snails, continued. "Where you two off to?" Alby shouted after us, his arms thrown up in frustration.
I pointed at Newt with my blooded hand. "This shank owes me a dinner." I yelled over my shoulder. Newt nestled his face closed to mine, kissing my cheek. "Let's make that dinners, plural."