𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲 ➁ - The Scorch Trials, Newt

Chapter 1 - New Lives

'Come on, Nora! You gotta get up!' Someone screamed. My eyes shot open and I looked right into blue ones. Logan.
'Let's go!' He grabbed my arm and without even realizing what was happening, I got out of the helicopter and started running. It was dark outside but a few lights came from a big building. I heard gunshots and people running around me. Frightened by what was going to happen I looked at the people in front of me. Everyone was running. Newt too.

'They're Cranks!' Someone screamed before firing another gunshot at the weird-looking people.

Cranks? I remembered Cranks from my past. The people who caught The Flare.

The sand made it harder for me to move my feet, but I managed to get to the building. People in masks pushed us into the building and a metal door behind us closed. The door was giant.

With wide eyes, I looked around me. People were walking around everywhere. Doctors, guards, and normal dressed people. I wondered where the hell we got ourselves into.

'You kids doing all right?' A man, who wore a grey turtle neck walked over to us. 'Sorry about all the fuss. We had ourselves a bit of a swarm.' He explained.

Thomas frowned at the grey-brownish-haired man. 'Who are you?' He asked the question we all wanted to ask.

'I'm the reason you're all still alive. It's my intention to keep you that way. Now, come with me. We'll get you kids squared away.' The man started walking. Hesitantly we followed them and Newt grabbed my hand. I gave him a poor smile and we kept walking.

'You can call me Mr. Janson.' The man, Mr. Janson apparently, said. 'I run this place. For us it is a sanctuary, safe from the horrors of the outside world. You all should think of it as a way station. Kind of a home between homes.'

'So we're going home after this?' I wondered.

'A home of sorts. Sadly, there wouldn't be much left of wherever you came from. But we do have a place for you. A refuge, outside the Scorch, where WICKED will never find you again.' Janson paused. 'How does that sound?'

'Why are you helping us?' Thomas questioned.

'Let's just say the world out there is in a rather precarious situation. We're all hanging on by a very thin thread. The fact that you kids can survive the Flare virus... makes you the best chance of humanity's continued survival. Unfortunately, it also makes you a target, as no doubt by now you've noticed.'

I sure noticed that, yes.

Janson stopped walking in front of a door. 'Beyond this door lies the beginning of your new lives.' He swiped his card on a small device and the door opened. A grey, empty hallway was revealed.

'Now that's inspiring.' I blurted out.

Minho let out a chuckle under his breath. Janson ignored my comment and turned around. 'First things first... let's do something about that smell.'

~

For the first time in who knows how long, I stood under a hot shower. A steamy one. But after all, I didn't enjoy it. Blood dripped down from my body and was washed away. It wasn't my blood. I didn't get hurt. It was probably Chuck's. Tears formed in my eyes when I only thought of my cousin.

How stupid could I've been? Why didn't I jump in front of Thomas or in front of Chuck? Or attack Gally?

No, no. I can't do anything about it. It's not my fault.

There it was again. The arguing in my head. Somehow I had different voices in there. One was always looking at the negative sides of something, pulling me down. The other one was better, it tried to convince me things weren't my fault. It never really worked, though. The negative voice always took over.

'You okay over there, love?' The familiar British voice asked from a few cabins away.

'Ahw, is Newt sad 'cause he can't shower with his girlfriend?' Minho replied from another shower cabin.

'Shut up, Minho!'

'I'm fine, Newt.' I quickly said.

~

I and the other Gladers arrived in another room after our showers. I was all cleaned up and they gave me fresh clothes. A long-sleeved, navy blue shirt and black cargo pants. I kind of liked the clothes. We all had to wait on separate chairs. Some doctors dressed in white walked around the room and finally, one arrived in front of me.

The man grabbed a syringe from the table and put some liquid in it. The needle was at least two inches long.

'Woah, woah, woah.' Newt got up from his chair and walked over to me. 'What is that?' He looked at the needle.

'Pretty much everything you've been deprived of out there.' The man replied. Out of a sudden, he started rolling my sleeve up.

Newt tensed up in front of me. 'It's okay.' I quietly said. I averted my wrist from the man and let him insert the needle. The only thing I felt was a small burn on my upper arm, but that was it. The syringe luckily didn't hurt much.

After me, they gave Newt the syringe too, but they did it on his wrist instead of his upper arm. Quickly I put my sleeve down again and watched another doctor walk over to me.

'And you must be...' The dark-skinned woman started.

'Nora.' I replied.

'Great.' The woman smiled. 'Come with me, please.'

'Wait.' Newt got up from his chair. 'Where are you going to take her?'

'Her room.' The woman calmly explained. 'She doesn't sleep with you guys.'

'Why not?' Newt protested. 'We did it for months in the Glade.'

'We can't have that here. You'll see her at every meal, though.' The woman walked away and I quickly followed.

~

The woman basically locked me up in the room and I looked around. The walls were made out of metal and there was a bunk bed in the corner of the room. I wondered if anyone else slept in this room too.

I lay down on the lower bed and stared at the ceiling. I didn't completely trust the place yet and wasn't sure what to think about it. They gave us food, showers, and a bed, but I couldn't trust them. Not yet.

A dark feeling formed in my body when I thought about Chuck, Alby, Jeff, and Clint. My cousin and friends. They were all gone. And again, just like always, the little voice in my head said it was my fault. I tried to convince myself it wasn't, but it was hard. I could've grabbed Alby and Clint, I could've saved Minho instead of Jeff, and I could've jumped in front of Thomas.

No. It already happened. I can't blame myself. It wasn't my fault.

I had nothing to let my feelings go away with. That was good, but also not. It meant I wouldn't be able to let my emotions out. They would all be crawled up in my stomach again. Without even noticing, tears fell down my cheeks. I grieved about Chuck and the others.