When We're Older- The Maze Runner (Newt)

madness

long ass chapter be ready

Darkness swallowed my entire body as I jumped through the opening, my feet hitting the ground before I thought they would.

I landed to the right of Thomas, just behind Brenda as she looked to her left, flashing her light towards nothing in particular. Graffiti lined the concrete walls—something I've never seen before. There was some artwork that I would've liked to sit and admire if we weren't trying to get back to the others. But nothing overpowered the horrid smell, which immediately made me hate this place.

It smelled worse than the map room. Like someone stuck a toilet down here and emptied all of its confines over the floor. I flexed my nostrils as I pulled a disgusted face, looking over at Thomas. "This place smells like shit."

Brenda choked on a laugh as she bent down, shining her light through a dark tunnel in front of us. She sniffed once before looking back at Thomas and me—I couldn't quite read her expression. The girl started to walk forward, crouching over at the waist. Thomas looked down at me, blinking once before he bent down himself and began to follow Brenda. I rolled my eyes and leaned my head back, grabbing the red inhaler out of my back pocket and moving my backpack around my shoulders. I unzipped the front and threw the tool inside, quickly closing it up and following the other two into the unknown.

I wasn't about to lose that thing again.

My eyes darted from word to explicit word as I examined the graffiti on the sides of the tunnel, raising my eyebrows at some phrases that I had never thought of. Some made me want to chuckle to myself, some made me want to cry.

Jumping down beside my friend again, the small tunnel then turned into a long hallway...corridor even. Drawings continued to etch the walls, and the sewage smell remained. Everything was dark and gloomy, the only light that was provided came from the small flashlights in our hands. We didn't know where we were going—Thomas and I. We just hoped Brenda did. Away from our friends, we were on edge. At least I was. I didn't even want to imagine what Newt was probably like. Not to mention Minho. Even that Jorge dude who seemed like he was too protective of Brenda.

She looked to her right, then to her left again before turning her body towards the right. "I think it's this way."

Thomas froze, looking at her while his light was pointed in the opposite direction. I raised my eyebrows at her short sentence that sparked a new fear deep within me. Pursing my lips, I took a long step and followed right behind her while Thomas hesitated. "You think?"

The farther we walked, the louder the distant sound of water dripping seemed to get. There were so many things in this place that made me want to scream and cry. The fact that we were in a smaller space than the Maze, and there was a roof above us. If we got stuck, there was no way we would find our way out through the darkness. Our flashlights would certainly lose battery, and we would probably die in these smelly tunnels.

Jesus, Mae, I thought to myself as I shook my head, what a ray of sunshine you are.

We walked for a few minutes in silence, hearing nothing but the continuous flow of water, and our quiet steps that echoed off of the moldy walls. My thoughts wandered—something they hadn't done in a long time. I wondered if we were going to get out of here, I wondered how WICKED had found us, where Newt was. I wondered about my family. Were they still alive?

At the thought, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the small braided bracelet that had been gifted to me less than a week ago. Scary to believe that sweet boy had been gone for only a week. It felt like a lifetime. I sighed as I tied it around my right wrist, using my teeth to pull the knot tight. Once the bracelet was securely wrapped around my hand, I sighed to myself, wishing that I could see his chubby face just one last time. Maybe if I had jumped in front of the bullet, he would still be here.