When The Storm Comes (When We're Older alternative ending)

the cabin

Mae

I let out a scream before gasping and sitting up. My breaths were staggered as my hands began to frantically touch the sheets beneath me, claw at the ice cold water that had just been poured on me.

"Mae?" A soft, familiar voice called out into the darkness. I shook my head and closed my eyes, my fingers still clawing at my stinging skin.

It was all over. The pressure. The ice. I could feel my skin splitting and reddening, the breath leaving my lungs as the WICKED guard sprayed me. Cleaned me. Hurt me.

"Mae, stop." Newt's voice rose, his warm hands replacing the icy pain that lingered. "You're hurting yourself."

"Get it off, Newt..." I murmured through my quick breaths. "It stings, get it off!"

"Maisy..." He spoke sternly, grabbing gently at my wrists. "It was a dream. You're safe. You're with me."

I shook my head and blinked my eyes open, my vision becoming clear. I felt queasy–the urge to throw up was there but I knew I didn't have to. My heart beat sporadically between my rib cages, my lungs contracted and opened with every quick, panicked breath I took. There was no water on me. I was sitting in a warm bed with Newt, the duvet and sheets had been pushed off the side of my bed during my dream. A pool of sweat replaced where I had fallen asleep last night.

My head whipped around, taking in the sights that weren't anything like the room I had when I was in WICKED. A small candle was lit on the table beside Newt, giving warm light to his part of the bed. There was a small wooden dresser across from where we laid, my brown sweater was thrown lazily on the top along with Newt's hoodie. The walls were wooden and brown, the green and white wallpaper almost totally faded, a reminder of what this place might have looked like in the past. The sun was just beginning to come up through the trees outside the window. Birds were chirping–a sound that I haven't heard in ages. It was quiet and peaceful, it almost felt wrong to feel the way I did in an environment such as this.

I let out a deep sigh, my hands moving to cover my face as tears threatened to fall. It felt so real. The guard tearing my clothes off of me, cleaning me with water that stung every part of my skin. For a moment I wondered whether I had actually gotten out and given birth–I wondered if it had all been a messed up dream.

"What happened?" Newt asked me and I shook my head. I just wanted to forget it all.

"Maisy..." His fingertips brushed my back and I shot out of bed, my leg bumping the bassinet. I glanced down at Meredith as she whined, beginning to let out a shrill cry.

I closed my eyes again and shook my head. "I-I can't right now. I'm sorry."

Turning on my heel, I grabbed the sweater off of the dresser before opening the door and letting myself out. Thankfully, the kitchen was empty and dark other than subtle beams of sunlight. I hadn't woken anyone up with my dream, I didn't have the strength to talk to anyone. I needed to calm down.

I opened the front door and stepped out onto the porch, pulling the brown sweater over me and folding my arms across my stomach. It must've rained last night, the wet and fresh smell lingered in the air, droplets covered the grass and the leaves of the trees.

I slowly walked down the steps of the porch, moving to the small wooden swing that hung from a tree by a thick rope. It overlooked the lake, swinging gently with the light breeze.

The grass was cold beneath my bare feet but I didn't care. Anything to take my mind off of the flashback I had endured in my sleep. When I reached the swing I sat down, pulling my knees to my chest as I curled into my body. I closed my eyes and focused on the songs the birds sang, the patterns of their chirping. I could still hear Meredith crying in the cabin, I closed my eyes and tried not to think about the fact that I had woken her up and scared her.