Just Run

Eight

I left the homestead after my strange interaction with Teresa, and tried to reach her in my mind.
'Teresa? Hello? Is this working?' 

She responded almost immediately. 'I can hear you just fine. What is it?' 

'Can you remember anything from before we were put here?' 

She started to respond but I was interrupted by Gally coming up to me and kicking my boot lightly.

"Oh, hey Gally." I said standing up, he stood a foot four inches taller than me though. 

"Newt wants to see you in the Homestead. Now." I knew by the tone of his voice that I better get to the Homestead. I ran into the Homestead and up to where I assume was his room. I saw him and Thomas talking. I stepped in slowly.

"Gally said you wanted to talk to me." I said quietly, stepping in more. He looked to me and furrowed his eyebrows, as if he didn't remember asking him that.

"Oh yeah, Tommy and I have been talking and we have come to a decision. You need to pick one of us." I sighed and looked down and my hands, then back at Newt.

"Haven't I already? I thought we were dating." I responded.

"Yes, but the one of us you don't pick, needs to stay away from you, forever."

"What? Newt, Thomas, I couldn't do that! I love you both and I don't want to never talk to one of you again. Isn't there anything else we can do?" Newt shook his head.

"No, we have to do it this way." I felt a tear slip down my cheek as I stepped up to Thomas.

"I won't forget the Maze Thomas." I said as I hugged him one last time. 

"Newt, I choose you." I said, giving him a hug and letting tears slip down my cheeks and onto him. I heard Thomas exit, and I screamed into my shirt so it was muffled.

"It will be okay Carter, I promise." I sighed and hugged him again. He smelled like the earth after rain.

He kissed the top of my head and I let a final year slip from my cheek.

"I need to go run. I can't handle being here anymore." I ran out of the homestead, and into the Maze. I didn't care what time it was. If I got locked in here, so be it. I would rather die than go back there and face all of the Gladers.

I was almost relieved when I heard the doors coming to a close at the entrances to the Maze. 

Even more so when I heard a griever.

I tried to run away from one for a while but finally gave up. I grabbed my machete and wielded it towards the beast of flesh an metal before me. It dodged me, and before I knew it, there was a sharp pain in my back and I fell to the ground. I saw the griever pass over me as I lost consciousness.

I awoke to Minho carrying me seemingly back to the Glade. 

"No! Don't take me back there. I've been stung." I said weakly, hoping he could hear me. I knew he was holding me but he seemed a million miles away.

"Just a better reason to get you back, shank." he replied.

"Leave me here to die Minho, I can't handle going back there." I said back. He said something else but I couldn't hear him over the screams and wails in my head.

I don't know how long it continued for, but I remembered even more now. I saw Newt, he was wearing a black hoodie and blue pants and he was walking with a large book in his hands. Some larger boys walked up to him and knocked the book down. 

"Hey Newton," they teased "how is this law of gravity?" They asked as he bent over to grab his book. I ran up to them and stepped in front of Newt.

"Leave him alone jerk." I said, shoving the larger not away. 

"Oh, what are you gonna do about it? Play a sour note and make me go deaf?" He responded, then looked back at his friend and smirked as though he was proud of his actions.

"No, how about this?" I responded and I punched him in the nose then the stomach and ran away with Newt before he could retaliate. We reached a distant hallway and we leaned against some metal boxes attached to the wall with little scroll locks attached to them. 

"Thanks for helping me back there." he said timidly after a moment. I stepped in front of him and pulled his hood down so I could see him.

"No problem." I replied, then he grabbed the back of my neck and kissed me.

I woke up after that.

I bolted out of bed and screamed. 

"Get me out! I can't hurt them!" I thrashed and kicked and finally got out of my bed. There was no one there so I made a run out of wherever I was and ran to the Maze.

"Where in the bloody heck do you think your going?!" A voice yelled after tackling me to the ground, pinning my arms down.

"I need to get out. . . I can't hurt Newt!" I screamed and thrashed.

"I am Newt! Calm down Carter, it's okay." He tried to soothe me but to no avail. 

"I love him! But I need to get away! I love him!" I screamed into his face. He crashed his lips into mine and I stopped thrashing.

"I love you too you bloody idiot." He responded when we broke. 

"I love you Newt." I said as everything turned black.