pretty eyes ~ newt

chapter 2: the vents

"i'm taking my time, taking my time, 'cause you took everything from me"
mad woman, taylor swift
—

Newt's POV:

It's been three days since we've arrived at this facility. Three days since we escaped the horrors of the maze, and three days since we've had food and a clean bed to sleep on.

For the first time, I've had access to all kinds of necessities and amenities that we were denied in the maze, and yet I can't shake an eerie sense of doubt.

Something's off about this place. Whether it be the doctors, the constant medical tests, or the list of names that Mr. Janson (who Minho has so kindly nicknamed Ratface) reads off every day, I don't feel as safe as I should.

If anything, I think I felt safer in the maze, even surrounded by bloody Grievers. And I know Thomas feels it too. I see it in the set of his jaw, his increasing worries about Teresa. He's constantly on edge.

But even despite my lingering unease, I really can't complain. Even the food's pretty good, though it doesn't quite match Fry's level of cooking.

Not to mention, every day when we walk into the cafeteria, my mind seems to wander back to that same girl. Long black hair, a slim figure, and a set of piercing blue eyes, that one girl from the cafeteria never fails to pique my curiosity when our eyes meet.

I can't help but to feel a sense of familiarity when I see her, and I know she feels the same. I can tell by the way she always seems to find my gaze during meals, everyday without fail.

Minho, being the nosy shank he is, noticed our daily little interactions. He's made it a habit to nudge me whenever he sees her glance over at our table, snickering quietly like a teenage girl excited about new gossip.

I swear, he's gonna be the death of me one day.

Isa's POV:

My eyes dart around my surroundings in panic, seeing tall grey walls covered in sprawling green ivy.

The Maze.

A Griever is inches in front of me, about to lash out with his claw, snarling as its slimy goop is flung at my face in the process. I hear screams of my name, faraway voices yelling at me to run.

But I freeze. The worst thing I could've done in that moment. Fuck, after all those years of training to defend myself against these godforsaken monsters, I'm still completely, utterly useless.

I squeeze my eyes shut on instinct, knowing that my time is finally over. I've long since accepted the fact that I would die soon, it was only a matter of time.

A beat passes as I wait for the pain. But I hear a gut-wrenching scream instead.

I tear my eyes open, seeing the Griever dead and my best friend lying on the ground.

With a bleeding hole in her chest.

Her name rips out of my throat in a horrified scream, and I drop to my knees by her side immediately.

My shaking hands push desperately on her wound, trying vainly to stop the constant bleeding, but to no avail. My fingers are slippery with her scarlet blood, hot tears beginning to stream uncontrollably down my face.

I watch as she pants slightly from the pain, her gaze shifting slightly to meet mine. The tears welling up in her brown eyes just barely spill over to roll slowly down her cheeks, and I move to clutch her cold hand tightly.

"It's okay...." I hear the girl gasp faintly, and her lip trembles slightly before her gaze finally turns vacant. My entire body starts to shake as I stare at her unseeing eyes, a wretched sob leaving my lips. I feel hands start to grab at my arms and shoulders, trying to pull me away from her body.