The First Gladers

Chapter 37: No One Would Know

 Newt crouches in the dirt, pulling weeds from the corn stalks. Then he hears the scream. It's clearly a boy's voice. It's coming from the woods. Newt whips his head in the direction of the looming trees. He starts to think he imagines the sound until he hears it again, but closer. He drops his shovel as realization hits him. He sent Tommy into those woods.

"Tommy!" He shouts, using to his feet.

Within seconds Thomas appears through the tree line frantically, like he's being chased. It doesn't take long to see that he is being chased. Ben, one of the runners is stumbles after him. Running at incredible speeds. A knife shines from the grip of his hands. Thomas has blood all over his fearful face. Ben is closing in.

Newt jumps into action, taking his shovel in hand and walking the insane Ben over the head. Thomas lays underneath the unconscious boy, slowly regaining his breath.

"Tommy! What happened?"

Thomas lets his head hang back in exhaustion.

"I dunno man. I was trying to find the fertilizer when this guy just attacked me." Thomas pauses as he notices the growing crowd around him.

"And...?" Newt encourages.

"Well, he kinda kept saying that he'd seen me before. That this is all may fault."

Newt sucked in a deep breath. Another bugging mad Glader claiming they'd seen Thomas before. Just what they need.

"What happened to him?" Thomas asks shakily.

Newt bites his lip. He has an idea, but he hopes against all hopes that he's wrong. Without answering Thomas, Newt lifts Ben's bloody shirt revealing his bare and damaged skin. Green vines crawl up the boys chest from a central green pulsing bloody wound. Newt closes his eyes with remorse.

"He's been stung." Alby states gravely from behind Newt.

Thomas's eyes widen in fear, "Stung!? What does that mean?"

No one answers him. Instead an uproar rises of protests and exclamations of fear. One phrase stands out to Newt,

"You mean there's Grievers in the Maze during the day now!? Are the other runners dead!?" Shouts the young boy named Chuck. The boy had taken a liking to Minho, almost idolizing the stoic runner. Newt could hear the fear in Chucks voice. But that's not what made Newts heart tighten. Y/n is in the Maze. She could be dead, and no one would know.

 Newt waits anxiously the rest of the day, the sounds of Bens manic screams constantly reminding him of the danger Y/n is in. To busy himself, Newt wonders off to find Thomas, who is sulking under a tree.

"Hey there, Tommy. How's it goin'?"

Thomas looks up in surprise, then gives a chuckle.

"Aw, ya know just your normal day. Everyone hates me because some girl said my name and some crazy dude tried to kill me and people are saying he might be banished, whatever that means."

Newt laugs and slaps him on the back.

"Sounds like you're a lucky bloke."

"For sure." Thomas sighs, "What's up with this place?"

"Believe me, if I knew I would tell you."

The boys sit in silence for a moment, enjoying the eerie perfect weather. The weather is always perfect in the Glade. And it is always the same. It's great for growing crops since the creators provide the Glade with water. But it'd be nice to experience something new. It's odd, although he's never hear of or seen snow or rain, he knows that they exist and he knows that he wants to see them.

"What is going to happen to that boy... Ben?"

Newt sighs. This boy and his questions. Sometimes it's better to not know anything. To live in bliss without worry.

"He'll probably be banished. He broke our number one rule."

Thomas's shoulders sag.

"I just can't help but feel guilty. Like somehow maybe this is all my fault."

"You can't think like that Tommy. Ben attacked you, not the other way around. We have to punish him because must keep order. Remember that word. Order. It will save your skin one day."

Thomas nods solemnly, then stands to his feet, offering Newt his hand.

"You wanna go get some food?"

Newt politely refuses,

"You go on. I'm going to wait here for a bit."

Thomas nods, then wanders off to the kitchen to be fussed at by Fry.

Once again Newt is left to wait. His eyes are locked on the Maze entrance, begging for Y/n's feet to come trotting through those monstrous doors. Finally, the weight on his heart is lifted as he sees the first glimpse of her soft hair bouncing behind her as she emerges from the Maze. He jumps to his feet and limps clumsily towards her. She smiles at him and waves. Newt wraps her in a hug, taking her by surprise. All the same she wraps her arms around him and softly asks,

"Newt what happened?"