Betrayed | the maze runner, Newt

chapter 26

Minho placed his hand on his shoulder. ''Hey. Just hang on, you hear me?''

And with those words, he stood up and ran away to follow Gally and get the serum from Brenda, Frypan, Vince and Jorge.

If he only knew that was the last time he'd seen his best friend. 

Zara watched Minho and Gally as they ran away. She pressed her lips together earnestly without intending to. The screams, sound of bombs falling, the night sky that lit up with every explosion. Zara was scared. Scared to death. Only to look at Newt and feel fear at an even higher level.

For a moment, she stared at him. He didn't cough, didn't groan, didn't do anything at all. He laid still, his head hung to one side and his eyes stared blankly ahead. Thomas peeked over the wall to scan their surroundings; he missed the moment of Newt seeming to fall out.

The blonde boy regained consciousness. Though he never really passed out. It was like he'd been gone for a moment, then came alive again.

His eyes darted from side to side in a despaired way. He lifted his head to look around a bit, eyes still as droopy and bloodshot as a few minutes ago. Maybe even worse. Zara just looked at him, following and taking in every single movement the boy made. If only it was a blink, or a clear movement.

Newt's eyes passed Zara's, almost as if he was avoiding eye contact. The boy dropped his head to the side once again and stared blankly at the road a few feet away from them. Zara followed his gaze. People were running past them, screams and sounds of them dying or killing others. Zara came to a point she didn't even feel it. She didn't feel the war and atmosphere of dying people around them. She couldn't care less, though she knew she should care. She should feel it, something. But she didn't.

Thomas squatted down from peeking over the edge. Zara didn't bother to look up, she stared at the road.

''Is it getting better, or do we just get used to it?''

Zara felt Thomas' eyes falling on her. She swallowed and turned to look at him. His face showed that he knew exactly what she meant. Thomas felt the same way she did, that was for sure. Probably even worse, Zara figured. In the end, that boy'd been through a lot more than Zara herself.

Not that Thomas was about to answer her question, but he got interrupted by Newt who suddenly started to breath louder and heavier. Zara and Thomas both turned to him. Their bodies shocked.

Newt's eyes had almost completely taken over a black color. His beautiful brown eyes were no longer to be seen. The veins in his face and neck grew bigger and blacker. More black saliva run from the corners of his mouth, he coughed it up as well. The boy's chest rose and fell with his heavy breaths. It obviously hurt; this way of breathing wasn't normal.

His eyes grew empty. No emotions.

It hit both Zara and Thomas, but Thomas was the one who acted. He lashed at Newt's coat and tapped him on the shoulder and chest, trying to get him out of whatever state he'd fallen in. Newt clearly struggled to regain control of his own brain. The Flare was taking it over.

''Hey.'' Thomas shouted. ''HEY!''

Newt's eyes sprang to life. He was back. Scared, he looked from Thomas to Zara.

''We're gonna get you up, okay?'' Thomas informed, not waiting for an answer as he grabbed Newt's arms and tried to get him to his feet.

Newt groaned. Zara jumped to Newt and Thomas to help, when she saw how Newt reached for his neck. Something became visible from under his W.C.K.E.D coat. It was a necklace. The boy grasped it in his left hand and jerked it so that it broke. He held the thing in front of Zara's and Thomas' faces.