The Misfire:Book 1 (Newt || A TMR Fanfiction)

13. Literally Falling

[2 months later ]

"I'm serious. Get yourself cleaned up first." Erin insisted while Ben just slumped on the nearest bunk, disappointed.

"I just got back from the maze. A welcome kiss would be much appreciated."

"Shower or I'll stab you." She threatened.

"With what? Scissors? Yeah. Like you would even dare."

The both of them continued to exchange snide remarks at each other while I sat on another empty bunk and watched the show of playful insults unfold.

"Your scent is like a mixture of freaking burned hay and spoiled broth." Erin bantered as she crossed her arms.

"What does that even mean?" He complained, "That doesn't make any shucking sense at all."

"Ok. Let me put this into simplier words my handsome, sweaty runner; Go.Take. A. Damn. Shower."

"It's not that bad." Ben protested after taking a quick sniff on his shirt before extending his arm towards me. "Come on, Maya, smell me."

"Ugh, no thanks." I answered, trying not to get involved at their little petty fight.

"See? Atleast someone agrees with me." Erin responded triumpantly.

Ben grumbled as he opened the door, walking out from the medhouse.

Erin chuckled before closing the door. I spent my entire day hanging out with her, instead of helping at the Blood house. Although we knew that what I was doing was a violation to one of the glade rules, but whatever. Alby doesn't need to know. I enjoyed having a conversation with Erin since she was the only one around that understood me the most. I couldn't imagine life without her.

After a few more minutes of hanging out in the medhouse, I went to look for Winston and maybe help with the remaining day's work, only to stumble across a rare moment.

"Ok but, how can a damn goat climb?" Winston complained while looking up a tree, with a goat perched on one of the branches, munching leaves. "And Maya stop laughing. You're not helping at all.

"There's shit everywhere!" Frankie, one of the slicers, and the latest greenie, screamed which forced me to cover my mouth and stop giggling.

The slicers tried to climb the tree but the thin branches weren't enough to support their weight. The branch where the goat was, started to crack. Eventually it was high enough and the fall would automatically kill the goat.

"Shuck. Alby's not gonna like this." Winston muttered.

Nothing much happened today and to be honest, I was bored. I wanted to do something atleast midly interesting. An idea struck and I ran to the Blood house and came back with a rope.

"What are you doing?" Winston asked.

"Unless, unless you still want goat stew for the 5th time this week, I'm going up." I answered confidently.

"I don't know, man. It looks dangerous."

"Is it?"

"Whoa calm down," He chuckled, "There's no reason for you to be a daredevil all of a sudden."

I showed him my skinny arms to prove that my light weight won't be a problem at all but he still didn't look convinced.

Ignoring his disapproval, I started climbing the tree, with the rope around my waist. I lightly shook a branch, making sure it was sturdy enough. Slowly, I climbed higher and higher.

"Be careful." I heard Winston shout from below.

I looked down, realizing I was already several feet from the ground. My hands started shaking. I gulped loudly.

"Why the hell did I even do this in the first place?" I thought wistfully.

Continuing the vertical ascent, I carefully navigated my way to another branch, nearing to where the goat was. I took a deep breath when I finally reached the spot. The goat gave off a faint bleat, probably shocked to see me up here. This was the same brown goat that attacked the poor bush. This goat is gonna get me killed.

Suddenly, the strange surge was back. This time, I saw a hazy silhouette falling to the ground. I shook my head, trying to get rid of the image. I tied the rope around the goat and slipped the other end around the branch on top of my head, letting the rest fall to the ground.

"Nice job, Maya! Now give it a push."

I looked down again and the slicers were now holding the rope, waiting for my to signal. I pushed the goat off the branch, letting him dangle as the slicers tugged the rope and slowly lowered it. The fat bastard began panicking and the branch where the rope was veered at started to crack. I held firmly unto it. The goat was almost down when the branch I was holding finally broke, making me lose my balance. I clutched feebly for another branch for support -- and missed.

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'Newt's PoV:

"How are the tomatoes, Zart?"

"They doing 'aight. Atleast no vermin's damaging any crop this month."

"Oh man," Eric muttered, "I need some more of that stinky stuff. It didn't even fill up this last hole."

I raised an eyebrow. "Stinky stuff?"

"Yeah," He nodded proudly, "Fertilizer, stinky stuff. Same thing."

Zart and I exchanged amused looks, silently judging our friend's way of making up other names for simple things.

"Why don't you get us more fertilizer, eh?" I tossed Jack a bucket but he wasn't quick enough to catch it. He picked up the bucket and left. I looked around and saw the builders gathering supplies for the Homestead expansion. It seemed like a normal day,

Yet.

I plunged my shovel to the ground and started digging, until I noticed the slicers running towards the med-jack hut. I disregarded them at first until I saw Winston infront of the running crowd, carrying a familiar body. Maya.

I dropped my shovel and ran to the med-jack hut, my limp still hurt and I was knackered from all the heavy work in the gardens but Maya was in trouble. And of course, I had to interfere. I stormed in the hut and pushed through the huddled gladers.

"What the bloody hell is going on?"

I made my way to where Maya laid; pale, eyes shut, curled up, but thankfully still breathing. I knelt down beside her bunk and cupped her cheek. Seconds later, Erin arrived.

"Winston what the hell happened?" She yelled and Winston scratched his head.

"She fell from the tree."

"WHAT?" Erin gasped.

"Well, uumm, it was an accident."

I stood up, grabbing Winston by the shirt. "What was she doing on a shucking tree?"

Maya groaned and it was enough to stop me from snapping out. I released my grip on the keeper of the slicers and knelt beside her bed again. She opened her eyes and stared at us blankly. Erin let out a huge sigh of relief and gestured for the rest of the slicers to leave the hut. Winston, Jeff, Clint and I stayed behind. Maya coughed before closing her eyes again.

"Winston," I crossed my arms. "mate, you've got some explaining to do."