~|Charge|~ Thomas

Chapter 11: The Death Toll

Living in the glade after Linnea had to watch her best friend die right before her eyes as she was unable to do anything to save him, took a huge toll on Linnea, and all of the other gladers around her. Things had finally just got real. Reality hit them; and it hit them hard.

Being there was now the hardest thing Linnea had to endure. The only thing that was helping her cope was the fact that she still had friends, and that maybe, somewhere out beyond the walls of the maze, was that boy in her dreams, waiting for her.

But sometimes, life gets too hard, and you might have the sense to end it. Things might change your mind, and they might not, but it is hard. It was very hard for Linnea, and being the only girl in the glade just added to that list of things that were hard, and reasons for her not to be there any more. If there was a way out they probably would've found it by then. It had been two years by then after all. Maybe there was no way out. Maybe they were stuck in their own form of a prison and that was where they had to live for the rest of their lives. The rest of their lives. Whenever Linnea thought about that the words echoed in her mind. She didn't want to be there anymore. It was too hard. It was too hard without George.

Other people were affected by the deaths of the two as well. Alby, for example, crawled up in his own little shell and gave no emotion to anyone. He was made the new leader, and Linnea was once again considered the second-in-command in the place they called their home. Home. Another word that echoed in her mind. When would she get home. If there even was such a place. She had never told anyone about what her memory of home was. Her mother. That horrible person. She told each and every Greenie that came into the glade about her not crying, though. Scared some of them. Made some of them curious. Caused some of them to spend a night in the pit. It was different with everyone. Linnea only told the people closest to her about her dream about the boy. In that case it was just Newt and Minho. She pretty much just shut her own shell around those two people. She would talk to the others, but never would share personal things. It was just too risky.

Minho took a huge toll from the deaths as well. Most of it was actually because of Linnea, though. He hated to see his best friend in such a bad and upset mood. He poured all of his attention into his own job. Being the co-keeper of the Runners. It was a very important job. That was all. It was the maze, Linnea, Newt, and himself for Minho. And of course his sass. You can never forget that.

Newt, though, you would have never guessed would hate the place as much as he did after those events. He hated it. He hated it with his life and soul. He hated it so much that he would take his life because of it. But no one would know, because he didn't tell anyone. He kept it to himself.

Others had died after that too. Some others had been stung and were sent to what Alby called, a banishment. They all gathered around and watched as they cast the glader off into the premises of the dark alleys of the maze, where they discovered, no one survives a night in the maze, or so they thought. That was another thing Linnea told no one about. She had survived a night in the maze. But no one could know about that. No one.

One day, was what could have been the saddest of them all, though. Linnea planned on taking her life. She didn't tell anyone though. It would make it even harder to do so. So after the brunette got back from her day of being in the maze, after she recorded her findings of the maze being changed, Linnea went back, sneaking out, carefully making sure that no one could see her. That was it. She was going to kill herself. Commit suicide. And that was it. There was no stopping her.

To the stubborn now fifteen-year-old, the easiest way to do that was jumping. The vines were not strong enough for them to go up all the way, but she knew that once she got up the farthest it would take to hold her up, she would jump, and Linnea the first glader, would be dead. She would be out of that place. To the afterlife. Heaven. Whatever is past life. She would be succumbed by the womb and darkness of death.

But when she finally got out there, as Linnea took a turn to where she was planning on doing her suicide, a crashing sound echoed in the maze, and the cries of a boy, a noise she would never forget, a voice she would always remember, sounded throughout the area. Newt.

Quickly, Linnea rounded the corner and was met with the young boy, his dirty blonde hair spread across the stone floors of the maze, and he was holding his leg, rocking back and forth on his back with it, his eyes closed shut as he screamed what was now officially the most painful scream the female had ever heard. Both Nick and George had died what was somewhat of a peaceful death. But not what was to become of Newt; but Linnea couldn't let another one of her friends die. It would be too painful. She then realized, that when she planned on taking her own life, she didn't think about what would happen to the people around her.  She realized that even if she regretted it as she let go of the thick ivy vines that would hold her onto the walls of the maze walls, there was no looking back. She would be done.

Newt screams of "I hate you! I hate you!" Over and over again, signaled that he was somewhat saying this to whoever put them there. His sobs somewhat slowed as Linnea rushed over to him and held him in her arms. 

"It's okay," Linnea told him as he looked at her in the eyes. "I'm going to get you out." Newt slowly nodded, as if agreeing to these terms and Linnea realized, 'I'm not going to kill myself.' she was fine with living there, as long as her friends were alive. As long as there were no more deaths. As long as no one else went insane.

Linnea hoisted Newt up into her arms, and carried the light boy with her as she entered into the safety of the maze, screaming once again for the two Med-jacks to come forth and help her, for one of her best friends was once again hurt.

That night, Linnea was not able to sleep, even after Minho offered to hold her while she slept, which for some reason, she agreed to. Her eyes were shut, but her heart was still in pain, that kept her awake that whole night. How could anyone possibly sleep when Newt was there, in pain, and maybe would not even live? It was almost impossible. But as always, as was every death and injury that the maze had brought them, for some reason, Linnea didn't cry. No tears left her eyes. It was strange how a girl with so much emotion riled up in her heart, could not show it through her expressions. 

When she finally got out of her bed that morning, having had no sleep whatsoever, Linnea went immediately to the Med-jack tent to visit in Newt. A cast covered his leg, but the fifteen-year-old male was alive and well. Alive. That was all that mattered. That Newt was alive. Jeff told Linnea as she knelt down and squeezed the unconscious boy's hand as he lay on their make-shift bed, that he was going to have a permanent limp and would not be able to run in the maze again; Linnea didn't care, once again. It only mattered that he was alive.

And that was how Newt got two things. One, His bloody limp, and two, his job as second-in-command, which Linnea gave up to him. She didn't even want it anyway. Too much responsibility.

And that was it. Things went somewhat back to normal.

Until one day, a certain Greenie came up in the box.

Author's Note:

Who do you think that certain Greenie is? Oh my god! I am so excited to write the next chapters. I am going to start working from the movie, so if you haven't watched the movie yet, just a caution for right now. But seriously, watch the movie. I literally will talk about it with like, everyone. If you know me you know what I'm talking about. Did you like this chapter? I thought it was okay. I added a lot more detail than I thought I would've. When I started to write this chapter I was like, 'I don't think this will be long enough,' and then I only get to the actual plot after eight-hundred words. Relatable. Am I right? Please tell me I am because otherwise that would be embarrassing. Thank you so much for reading this book and I have had a lot of fun writing it. Also, I looked today at my DCTL book which if you don't know is a Stiles Stilinski fanfiction based off of season one which is going to have a sequel once I finish writing this book, and it has over three-hundred FREAKING views. I don't know why I am so excited about that but I am. Sorry. I am so pathetic. But I really love the love that I have for that book (even though I don't have any comments) But still, I love Linnea McCall and her connection to each and every one of the characters in the book. If you haven't read it yet, What the hell are you doing? Get your ass over there and read it!

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Voidlinnea