♡ Dark Paradise ♡ ; newtmas fanfic.

p o r t a l

{A/N I feel so bad for not updating! I've got another chapter tomorrow which includes lots of newtmas moments, so yay for that.}

We ran in a line. Paul in front, me behind him, and Teresa behind me. Everybody else trailed along in the back. 

Chuck ended up coming with us, even though I relentlessly tried to convince him to stay with his parents. I reminded myself that this place was supposed to be safe, and Chuck couldn't get hurt. Not again. I wouldn't let that happen.

We dashed through the field, and I soon realized that Paul was leading us back to the cave. 

"Paul," I called, curiosity overtaking me, "I already told you we checked here! There is nothing you can do - the portal, or whatever that thing was, is sealed!"

Paul replied without turning around or slowing down. "I know what I'm doing, Thomas!"

I don't know why I trusted him, but in that moment, I did. Maybe just because it was the only glimpse of hope that we had.

-

"It's warmer than usual," Paul whispered, brushing his hand against the part of the cave wall where Alby had disappeared. "Looks to me like it had just been used."

"Do you think that means Alby could've came back through?" Minho shouted out from the crowd of Gladers. I had almost forgotten he was there.

"No, no," Paul denied instantly. "Once you're through, there is no coming back."

"How do you know so bloody much about this?" A familiar british voice shot out from the swarm of chattering Gladers. It was the first time in a while that Newt had spoken out about something.

I stared at Newt awkwardly, and then shifted my gaze to Paul, sending him a glare as a signal to not say anything stupid.

"I just know, all right?" Paul retorted. "I'm your only hope. So, if you don't want me here, you can very well ask me to leave, but I think you should know that once I leave, there is no second chances."

That was enough to keep Newt quiet.

"Thomas," Paul continued, "when you were telling me stories about you in the Glade, and the maze, you told me that the maze was a code. What was that code?"

"I . . I can't remember," I admitted, disappointed in myself. "Minho? Teresa? Do you remember?"

Teresa shook her head. "I think it's . . " Minho replied. "Float . . something, something, something . . Man, I don't know."

Paul nodded, then he pulled what looked to be a small metal compact out of his backpack. He pushed a button on it, and it opened, revealing a screen inside. He held it up to the wall, and typed in 'FLOAT' like Minho had told him.

A loud beeping sound echoed throughout the cave. Paul shook his head in disappointment. "That's not it," he frowned. "That's not the right code. It's something else. There has to be a code to open the portal."

"Let me try something; I have an idea." Newt declared, pushing past the other Gladers to get near Paul. I couldn't help but feel like a piece of me was missing without him. I had to resist the temptation of reaching out to pull him close to me as he walked past, his body accidentally brushing against mine. 

Paul looked at me desperately as Newt stood in front of him, and I just shrugged.

Newt held his hand out expectantly, and Paul placed the compact device in the palm of his hand. 

I tried not to watch as Newt held the device up to the wall and quickly typed in a code. At first, nothing happened; everything remained quiet. But then, a loud whirling, clicking sound echoed throughout the cave, and a blindingly bright blue light formed on the cave wall in the shape of a circle.

"That's what it looked like!" I exclaimed. "The portal! Newt, how did yo-"

I was cut off by the sound of the others screaming. A hole had opened in the wall, just big enough for us all to fit through.

"I'll go through first and call out of it's safe." Paul said. "Thomas will go last to make sure that everyone got through. We only have a limited amount of time before it closes, remember."

I thought back to the maze, when we all had to jump into that griever hole. In that moment, I thought if we survived that jump it would be the end; of the maze, of WICKED, of everything. But oh, how I was wrong.

I watched as Paul quickly crawled through the portal and disappeared into the wall. A few seconds later, I heard him yell a few unidentifiable words that sounded something like, 'it's safe!'

"Teresa goes next!" I ordered. "Then Chuck!"

Teresa climbed through the hole, Chuck behind her, and everybody else went after that until there was only Minho, Newt, and myself left.

I looked at the ground, avoiding Newt's eyes. "Newt, you're next," I mumbled. I looked up just as Newt had started crawling through the portal. Before he let himself drop, he drew a nervous breath, and glared at me with cold eyes.

Then he was gone.

"Damn it," I groaned once Newt was out of sight, "he hates me. He really hates me."

Minho gave me a sympathetic look, and without speaking, tossed himself through the portal. I waited to make sure that everyone was through, and once I knew it was clear, I stepped through, allowing my body to envelope in the glowing blue light.