The Maze Runner ✖ Unbroken {Newt}

✖ In the Box again ✖

Alby's steps echo in the distance and I sit down in the corner of the box, making myself as small as possible.

I hate being alone with my thoughts.
A thousand questions are flying through my head, so many that it aches.

"You're there?"
It feels good to hear Newt's voice.
"Can I come in?"
He brought a torch with him, and a bottle with a disgusting looking liquid inside.

"Please."
I lower the blade and watch him sitting down next to me.

"Are you mad at me?" I ask.
"I just don't bloody understand why you did that" he murmurs and takes a sip from the bottle. "Have you tried?"

"Understanding you? Bloody hell, of course I tried."

"I come up to a Glade full of boys, the one second I was talking to Chuck and the other this shank I don't even know shows up and kisses me. I was just defending myself!"

This is the third time today I'm explaining myself and I'm tired of it. No one believes me anyway. I hate this place.

"I believe you" Newt slowly says and hands me the bottle. "Drink something."

I take a sip and choke on the liquid which tastes like mud mixed with cabbage.
It takes a lot of force of will to swallow it and for a second, I feel like I'm going to puke or faint.
Then I hear a voice repeating crystal clear over and over the same word again.

"Are you alright? I should have warned you, it's Gally's special recipe. God, you look like you're about to throw up!" Newt gently shakes my shoulder.

I blink a few times and sit up straight.
"I remember my name."
"That's great, is there anything else?"

There is something else. Letters.
I don't know what they mean and I don't want to confuse anybody. I decide to wait until I figure it out.

"No, I'm sorry. Nothing." I reply.
"What's your name then?"
"I think it's Jeanne."

"Are you bloody French? You don't have a French accent... Never mind, okay if I call you Joanna?"
"Call me whatever you want, everything is better than Shank or Greenie."

He laughs and empties the bottle of cabbage-mud.
"How can you even drink that?" I ask, laughing.

"You get used to things after two bloody years."

If I had something in my mouth, I'd have spitted it out. "You've been here two years? And you still haven't figured a way out?"
He shakes his head. The torch is flickering.

"Thirty of us came up here first, Alby, Minho, me... After that, the box brought each month one new Greenie. He explained that to you already, I guess."
I nod.

"You should ... you should go back to the others. Thanks for not treating me like I'm a leper." I say, even though I want him to stay.

He smiles and jumps out of the box, taking the torch with him.

"Get some rest." He says as he's walking away.

Darkness devours me again.