First Light- Maze Runner (OC/Newt)

Banishing Ben

I was in the gardens when I heard the screaming. It had started out as faint yells, barely heard over the breeze. As time passed, the yelling became louder, closer. Screams of fear, and quite possibly pain.

"HELP!" Thomas screamed as he tumbled out of the forest. His arms flailed wildly as he ran towards anyone that could help him.

Close behind him, Ben sprinted after him. He looked rabid, save for the veins that were still black.

"I'm gonna kill you!" Ben screeched as he tackled Thomas to the ground.

The two struggled as Thomas desperately tried to shove him off but Ben in his state was stronger.

Around the two, the Gladers began to converge. Just as Ben's hands had managed to creep around Thomas's throat, Newt ran up and smacked his face with a shovel.

Momentarily stunned, Ben slid off as Thomas slithered out from under him. Hands grabbed him as he tried to crawl away. Once all his limbs had been restrained, he writhed, trying to break loose from their hold.

Slowly, Alby approached, his face grim.

"No," Ben whimpered. "Wait, please!"

"Take him to the Pit."

"NO! I'LL GET BETTER! I SAW HIM! IT'S HIS FAULT!"

~~~

It made me nauseous, watching Ben being shoved out into the Maze. I chose to watch from afar, they would never make me a willing participant in the Banishing. I watched as he screamed and pleaded for mercy and the door slid shut on him for good.

"You didn't wanna watch?" Chuck asked as he approached.

I looked down and plucked some grass, "Nah, I don't have the stomach. That your first?"

He nodded.

"I've only seen it once before. Before I got here, they had to do it a lot more." I briefly remembered the circumstances of the Banishing. The Greenie, who hadn't even remembered his name had been Banished because of me. Alby and Newt told me that there was nothing to be done, but I still felt guilty about his death. But Ben had been a friend, Ben had been kind. If he hadn't been sick, Ben would never have tried to kill anyone.

I squinted against the setting sun as the others walked back, their heads hung low. It had been so long since anyone had been Banished, but every time, they all still felt guilty about it.

"Do you think-?"

"No. He won't. I'd like to think the Creator's pick them up and wipe their brains or something, but..." I shrugged. It was a false hope, a futile dream. I guessed that the Grievers probably took their corpses to whatever hole they had come from. Maybe the Creator's pick them up after that, but they're probably already dead.

He was silent for a long while, in the meantime, most Gladers had somberly settled down in their hammocks.

"I liked Ben, he was always nice to me," Chuck said quietly.

"Yeah, he was nice to everyone."

Chuck nodded and stood as he saw Thomas approach. Alby and Thomas were deep in conversation as Chuck trailed behind them. I was glad that Chuck had found someone to latch onto, it was good of Thomas to be so kind to him, most of the other Gladers treated Chuck like a nuisance.

I watched as Newt trailed up the hill. His limp was more pronounced than usual. It always seemed like it was worse when he was stressed or thought no one was looking. He walked up towards me, closely passing on my right. For a moment, I thought he would sit and join me as I watched the sun set.

"Alright?"

"Nah," he replied, walking past.

I tried my best to not feel hurt by the brushoff. He had been friends with Ben. I knew he needed time to process, hell, we all did. But for some reason, it still hurt.

A breeze pushed my hair across my face, and I flopped back into the tall grass. The sky was bright with color. Orange and red brushed across the, probably fake, sky. Whoever had done it, was an incredible artist.

Nearby, someone sat down beside me.

I rolled over onto my stomach and peeked over the grass.

Ugh, Gally.

I let my head drop into the dirt. Maybe it was just an accident, maybe he didn't see me.

"Ben said he knew him. He told Thomas he saw him in the Changing." Gally said with no preamble.

"Yeah. And? That proves nothing, Gally. And to be honest, Thomas looks like a lot of other guys. I have a very hard time believing you could accurately remember something from a fever dream."

I looked up at him, his eyebrows were aggressively arched at me. Moreso than usual.

"Are you saying I'm a liar?"

I sighed, "No. I'm just saying, you may have seen someone who looks a lot like him. It doesn't prove anything. Besides, if you did see him, it's not like he can remember." I did my best not to instigate Gally at any given moment. While I could rile up just about anyone, it was always best to not irritate him.

"Maybe he's just saying that. Maybe he does remember everything and is faking it." Gally was determined, it was clear that nothing I could say was going to dissuade him.

I let out a frustrated breath, "Well what are you telling me for? Not like I can do anything!"

"You could, I don't know, flirt with him, or something," he said with feigned nonchalance. "I don't know, just, figure him out."

That was enough.

"Is that why you've been all buddy-buddy with me the past few days? So I can get him while his defenses are down? Seduce him with my wiles? You're a bastard, Gally."

I gathered as much dignity as I could and marched off.

"I didn't mean do anything with him," he called after me.

Without turning to face him, I flipped him off.

As I approached the Homestead, Newt watched me from the doorway with interest, "What was that about."

"Mind your damn business," I snapped and immediately regretted it. "Sorry."

"No, you're right. Not my business," he said, walking back to his room, which was right next door to mine. He flung open the door and slammed it shut behind him with an air of finality. 

Throwing up my hands, I stalked off. The last few minutes had made it evidently clear to me that men weren't worth the trouble. But most of all it made me realize that I could be a huge asshole.

~~~

NEWT

I crossed my arms. 

She was right, it wasn't my business. Marie had her life and I had mine. So why was I upset? She was free to talk to whomever she pleased, even if they were total shuckfaces. 

It wasn't my business.

Not my business.

Not my business, I told myself, clenching my fists so hard they hurt. Not my business.

So why did I want to go to her and apologize? Not like I had done anything wrong. Maybe I didn't even want to apologize, maybe I just wanted to go to her.

I abruptly stood.

Then sat back down.

Then stood and sat a few more times. I wouldn't apologize. I wouldn't be the one to reach out first.

But why did I feel so awful?