Remembrance (Newt X Reader)

Chapter 26~ Queens Of Glorious Group B

You'd been walking for quite a while by the time someone noticed Aris had disappeared.

"Maybe a Crank got him."

"Maybe he got lost."

"I'll bet the sissy was too scared to come any further."

Minho just shrugged and told everybody to continue walking.

Aris.

That was the name of the boy who Harriet had been looking for what you first met her. You'd caught quick glimpses of him mixed into the crowd back when you'd first been reunited, but not enough to paint a clear mental picture of what he looked like.

You trudged on, letting out a silent sigh of relief whenever a gust of chilling wind would pass and you had a few moments of dry, dusty air. You didn't let yourself look up again, not wanting to see the barren stretch of ground that you had struggled for so long to get to. It was disheartening, to say the least.

About half an hour later, someone spotted a group of people heading down the mountain, and you felt your heart lift. You wanted to believe Thomas was okay -- and you knew you shouldn't have let yourself hope that he was, but you couldn't help it.

Minho had changed the Glader's direction at some point, so you would meet Thomas's group halfway. Once the figures had reached the bottom of the mountain, they took off running, obviously struggling against the wind. As they got closer, you could make out Harriet's figure, who was a little ways ahead of the rest of the group. She reached you five minutes later.

"(Y/N)!" she called, sliding to a halt and bending over her knees, sucking in labored breaths. "We'd thought you'd gotten lost or something! Glad to see you're still alive." 

You shrugged and shot her a grateful smile. "Same to you."

"Guys?" you heard Minho call, but the rest was drowned out by another bone-chilling gust of wind that felt like it blew right through you. "We're here!" 

You turned back to him and quickly stumbled over, straining to see over a few taller boys in the front. Among them was Newt, and he scooted over so you could get a look. When you finally did see what everyone was crowding around, your world felt like it was crashing down around you.

On a stick, hammered into the sand, was a little black ribbon, orange lettering streaked across one side. You reread it a few times, never quite believing what it actually said, and desperately hoping you were wrong.

Safe Haven.

"It can't be..." someone muttered.

"This is the Safe Haven?"

"What are we supposed to do now?"

"Are we stuck here?"

"Shut it!" Minho yelled, shooting glares at the surrounding Gladers. "There's no use whinin' about it like a bunch of babies!" The crowd fell silent, and you looked at the ground, the flag blowing violently out of the corner of your eye. "Why don't we let this Harriet chick explain what she's doing here?" With that, he stepped back and let Harriet take his place in front of the Gladers.

"Listen up you sticks!" she shouted.

Sticks?

"We've brought back your friend, alive and in one piece, so there's no need to fight any longer! We just did what WICKED told us to do, and that was that!"

A few people jeered, and she just shot them a hardened glare. They promptly fell silent.

"Why'd you take him in the first place?" someone asked. Harriet shook her head.