Her

[5]

With immense strength, Minho threw a rusting desk chair against the transparent glass, shattering her meagre reflection into a thousand shards that proceeded to fall towards the watery depths far far below. 

And they were next. 

They all glanced at each other, their eyes saying everything they couldn't. Unspoken promises were made. 

Newt's hand wormed its way into hers as they went to jump, pulling her with him as they ran. Her heart cried as he slipped from her grip once they had propelled themselves out of the professional building. 

Their legs kicked and swung and shook as they plummeted towards their doom. She wished she could see her whole life flash before her eyes but she was blinded by an abyss she was slowly sinking into. 

She believed it was called madness. 

If the sky were molten and infused with the ancient magic, perhaps it would become the water, she wondered if she would ever notice water, had she been born in the oceans with fins for limbs. She supposed then it would have been her air and she would have moved within it more easily than a bird in the sky. As it is, she loved the dive towards those formless arms and feel the freedom it gave, transparent and blue, soft and strong. 

But she couldn't help but sink, allowing herself to be powerless.

 Normally, she would hate not being in control and yet now? She relished in the loss of mind-numbing responsibilities. 

The trio all emerged from the water quickly - not before glaring at the guards and the man that highly resembled a rat - oblivious to the fact that she kept on sinking. 

"Where is she?" Newt mumbled, his eyes darting back and around to the pool of inky water. 

Thomas caught on quite quickly, reassign there was only one place she could be.

 Avoiding the anxious stairs of the blonde boy he stood and dived back into the murky depths that only she saw beauty in.

 He swam deeper and deeper until he saw the faint outline of her limp body. She seemed at peace, with the world and herself. He had always seen the agony mistaken for fire in her hazel eyes. 

Thomas gripped the girl and started to pull her back with him to the surface, rapidly running out of air. When he broke through the surface it felt like the world had pressed play again. 

Newt who stood with his hands frantically running through his thick hair couldn't function with the thought of being without her. 

He needed her just liked she needed him. 

She was the only one who could save him from returning to the familiar darkness he could tell she was plunging towards.

 He and Minho eagerly ran towards them, storming straight into the water resulting in minute tsunamis spreading. They carried her out whilst Thomas fought to catch his breath again. They would never admit it but they were petrified of loosing her again.

 Full of hope, they watched her unconscious body unaware of what to do. Her hair was now a midnight black and stuck to her face as she lay against the ancient concrete pavement. Earth might as well have been on mute till the moment she began to violently choke on the water, allowing it to splutter all everywhere as she tried to fill her lungs with anything but the emptiness she was feeling in her soul. 

Newt rushed towards her instantaneously rubbing her back, trying to soothe her as her innocent coughing fit turned into her throwing up a tar-like substance that stained her faded teeth and chin. 

She tried to stand but collapsed as her legs failed her.

 The Ivy Trio were all nervous to see the strong girl they used to know back in the maze seem so powerless. 

She rested on Newt and Thomas' shoulders as they tried to run but with his limp and her capability to even support herself, they knew they wouldn't make it very far. After seeing a row of abandoned houses, Newt volunteered to take her there temporarily and as they stumbled away from them she took in their faces understanding it could be the last time she ever saw them. 

But by the way they glanced back she knew they had reluctantly realised her potential fate. She will see them again, she lied, voice echoing in her empty head. 

Soon she passed out in his arms as he was carrying her. 

She was too tired to keep her heavy eyelids open.