Fall (Newt || The Maze Runner) - Sequel to "The Glitch"

Eternity

Disclaimer - Guys...I think I'm finally bored of doing the disclaimers every chapter...I'm gonna stop now... except for this one last time; all these ideas and characters belong to James Dashner not myself *wipes away tear* goodbye old friend 

A/N - So for the updating schedule I think I'm going to update every other day for sure but if I get a chance to update every day I will...it's just that term one of school just ended and I have a lot of other things so it might be hard... 

Autumn's POV 

        I wasn't quite ready to go to sleep yet. But to be honest I never was really, it wasn't just the issue that my brain didn't ever seem to turn off (actually it was mostly that), it was also the fact that the memory of being trapped in the Crank Palace kept returning. Every time I'd close my eyes, or try to think of something happy my brain just looped right back to that. To the screaming, the blood, the pain. Every night. I hadn't had this problem with any of the other terrible things I'd remembered...or actually, I got stabbed and stung and for some reason those didn't bother me either. It was just this one thing that downright terrified me. 

        I tried to push the thoughts out of my head and instead enjoy the evening air. It was finally cooling off in the Glade, giving off a brisk, clean sort of feel. I inhaled sharply, before smiling to myself. I continued walking, no where in particular, just walking... Thomas had been nice. I thought to myself. He'd been a little terrified but he seemed to be doing okay. I walked, step after step until I had almost completed a full circle of the Glade. By now the sun had fully set, throwing inky shadows off of everything and forcing me to squint to see even a few metres in front of me.  I didn't mind though, I felt like I knew the Glade, this Maze...like I had spent months, years memorizing every inch of it. It was a strange feeling to have, really I hadn't been here for that long. Everyone just feels like family now... 

        I stopped walking abuptly, an idea having popped into my head. It wasn't a brilliant idea or even a very heartfelt one, but it seemed like a nice one. Friendship Bracelets. The word hissed throughout my mind, well a pleasant kind of excited hiss. A smirk grew on my face at the thought. I have no shucking idea why but it makes me really happy. 

        I sprinted back to the Homestead and immediately started rummaging around for string and scissors. I know we have some somewhere, well maybe not the scissors but a knife would suffice. 

        "What are you doing?" A half asleep Minho complained. I turned around quickly, hair flying. He only had one eye open and he was rubbing the back of his head sleepily, yet somehow his hair still managed to be perfection. 

        "I —" 

"Actually don't tell me, I don't even want to know." He shook his head at me and began to turn around, "It's like midnight Autumn, go to shucking sleep." But I didn't want to go to sleep. I didn't want to face the nightmares anymore. I muttered a quick 'okay' to Minho and waited until he left to continue my rummaging. 

        I did manage to find string, they were even two slightly different shades of brown...hoorah, look at this, what a time to be alive! I had taken the string and a knife and was now currently camped out by the stairs. I couldn't go back to Newt's room, he would also tell me to go to bed... so this was my compromise. I sat with my back against the weakening wood, not caring if I made the it creak or groan. I took the string and cut it into four long pieces, tied it into a knot at the end and put the creation between my feet. What? I had nothing else to hold it with! I began knotting the rope over and over, the same easy steps...there seemed to be something almost therapeutic about it. 

        I relaxed into the wood, slumping down with every minute. I felt my breath come easier and my mind seemed to relax. To just focus on something so simple, over, under, through and pull. It was kind of like running for me, just more civilized...it was the same sort of concept in my mind I suppose. The repetition seemed to put me at ease. 

        I had made four bracelets when Newt found me. He looked down at me from the stairs, blonde hair messy and eyes laced with concern. 

        "Hey, what're you doing?" He asked. I didn't look up at him. I felt like looking at him would be like admitting that I was scared of going to sleep and that was something I couldn't do. 

        "Making bracelets." Without looking I knew what his reaction would be. He would probably close his eyes in wonderment and shake his head. I heard the steps creak, signalling he was walking down the stairs. 

        "Why are you making shuck bracelets at two in the bloody morning?" He asked. I still hadn't looked up from my knots. My eyes burned with tiredness, begging me to shut them, but I wouldn't. I wouldn't let those shuck Crank's back to haunt my dreams. 

        "I thought it seemed fun," I shrugged, still not looking at him. Though I didn't need to, to be able to feel his presence growing closer to me. He slid down the side of the stairs next to me so our shoulders brushed. He placed his hand over mine, it was bigger than mine and it kind of wrapped around it. I stopped knotting the string. I stared at our hands. 

        "What are you really doing?" His voice was deep from sleeping, like he had woken up to find me. I bit my lip to stop a grin from escaping. 

        "Making bracelet's..." I spoke, with less conviction in my voice this time. I knew he already saw right through the flimsy barrier I was putting up. Although it was half true...I really did want to make these for my friends...it had just turned into something else. 

        "Mmmmhmmmm," He snaked his other arm arm around my waist and pulled me towards him. I couldn't hold my eyes back any more, they were a caged animal that had finally broken free. They darted up so I was looking straight into Newt's matching brown pair. 

        I sighed, letting out a big breath of air. "I can't sleep. I keep remembering things..." I knew without him saying that he knew what I was talking about. Well half knew, he knew it was probably terrible...but he didn't know. Didn't know what the experience felt like...didn't know what it was to be immune amongst a city of infected. 

        Without thinking I reached for one of the finished bracelets; it was a simple four strand thing, knotted so it formed a diagonal pattern. I don't remember where I learned to do it... Taking both the ends in my hands I wrapped it around his bony wrist and tied it in a knot. 

        "Friendship bracelets symbolize eternity you know..." I mumbled into his chest as he tied one around my own wrist.