To Capture A Heart | The Maze Runner

1.4 Heat

Hiro had led Amy and Carter away from the entrance of the dining hall, taking them over to her collection of notebooks and writing utensils to color something. With Newt's hand still rested in mine, I watched as the world around us seemed to drown. The downpour of rain refused to halt, soaking into the roof of the dining hall, making us damp. It flooded the crop fields my fellow Track-Hoes and I had worked so diligently on. I could only imagine how over-filled the lake in the back corner of the Glade was growing.

In the distance, I saw a boy running for the dining hall, it was Alby. His shirt was clinging to his skin because of how soaked through it was.

"Amy?" He asked worriedly, of course that was his first question.

I looked over my shoulder to check that the two youngest Gladers were still at their picnic table. "Hiro," was all Alby had needed.

Leah was the next to approach us, she was carrying two plates of food, sandwiches. "Sorry it isn't extravagant," She apologized. "We... we've been a little too distracted to make something more..."

I dropped Newt's hand, taking both of the plates, "It's quite alright, Leah, thank you." She nodded and left us. I handed Newt his food silently and dropped to the floor, the picnic benches and tables had already been filled.

Newt stared at his food, "What do we do, Felix?"

I shook my head, I hated how easy it was for him to fall back into the gutter, "We push through, Newt. This storm doesn't mean our destruction. We can replant the crops, the sun will evaporate the water on the grass. We'll be okay, Newt... you have to believe we'll be okay."

"And if we can't fix it?"

"Newt, you're thinking about it wrong," I looked up at him, his hands were dry and red and cold-looking. His wet hair had fallen into his face, and he didn't bother moving it. But out of all the things to note about his appearance, it was the numb gaze he gave his food that I could feel the strongest. "We can't fix it... not because it's too far gone, but because it isn't broken."

Newt was quiet for a long time, tearing apart strips of his sandwich to eat slowly, like he was in too much of a worried state to focus on eating. Finally, he said, "You met me at a strange time in my life, Felix... I'm sorry..."

I shook my head, "Newt..." I hesitated, did I really want to start this conversation with him again? This shut him down last time, but if I wasn't going to talk with him about it, who would? "I don't know everything... I don't know a lot, if I'm honest. But you haven't been the same since your injury, and-"

His ears grew red, embarrassed at the topic I brought up, "Of course I haven't been the bloody same." He whipped his head to the side to glare at me, he was angry with me, of course he was. "I can't run anymore, Felix. Do you have any idea what that feels like?"

"No, Newt. I don't! But this... whatever you're dealing with... you don't have to bear it alone."

Newt sighed, taking both of our plates and rising, "I wish it were that easy."

"Newt-" I started again, but Alby cut me off.

"Tomorrow morning," He announced, "We will be holding a Keeper's meeting. Nick and I both agreed that too much has been happening too fast, recently. As soon as the storm stops tomorrow, I want the rest of you to go out and salvage what you can. Most of the crops will be flooded and there is going to be plenty of roof damage to all of the buildings. Help where you're needed. Try and rest tonight, it'll be uncomfortable and cold but there isn't much to be done about that, don't panic guys, this will end, I'm sure of it."

When he was finished, the entire room was silent. Alby and Nick both had a way of getting an audience's attention and leaving an impact like that on them. I backed into the nearest corner, giving up on my conversation with Newt, I was infatuated with the boy, but I'd be lying to myself if I said the constant back and forth wasn't tiring.