prologue

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    Newt leaned against the wall of the maze, closing his eyes. Tears were flowing out of them, a steady stream. His hands grabbed onto the vines on the wall, clenching them. The rest of the Runners should be gone by now. Nobody to see him.

    With a broken breath, Newt turned around to face the wall. He tilted his head up, getting a good look of how high up it was. A shaky sob escaped his mouth. But then he remembered why he was standing there. The sadness slowly left him and was replaced with emptiness and anger.

    Placing his feet on the lower vines and steadying them, he started his journey. Don't look down. Theres no going back now. Climbing slowly but surely, he got about half way up.

    The fear had creeped its way back into him by now. Newt couldn't help staring at the ground and resting his head against the wall. He just wanted this to be said and done, as soon as bloody possible.

    With two minutes more of climbing, he reached the spot he had calculated would do it. Something told him he didn't have to do this. But he knew what he wanted by now.

    His eyes screwed shut, he gasped for air. Part of him wanted someone to save him. Someone to say "Hey Newt, get down. It gets better. I'll help you.". But he knew nobody would be here.

   •*•*•*•

    "Where the shuck is Newt?" Minho asks Alby, running toward him and interrupting his conversation with Winston. Alby stopped talking instantly and waved Winston off, facing Minho.

  "What do you mean? He isn't back?" Alby says, a worried but hard look settling on his face.

    "He was supposed to be back by now. Either he's griever meat for being too slow, or theres a reason he stayed in there." Minho says. Everyone in the Glade had noticed Newt's state of mind lately. He had tried to hide it, but it did no good. Alby's eyes widened and he immediately started running towards the doors. Minho followed suit, running after Alby. Why did anyone ever leave Newt alone in the maze? Stupid. So shucking stupid. Alby entered the maze and made a left, taking Newt's route. Thirty minutes until the doors close.

   •*•*•*•

    One hand was grabbing onto the maze wall's vines now. Both feet dangling down. Each limb took about two minutes to separate from the vines. Newts breaths had quickened but steadied. He let out one final breath, then let himself fall.

    Within the first second he started to doubt himself. Instincts took over, he tried to grab at the vines. One vine stuck out and he grabbed it. Looking down, he was not as far up as before. But he still knew damage could be done. Just enough. Letting go of the vine he let himself go once more, this time not regretting a thing. Opening his eyes, he registered the sight in front of him. Alby and Minho were running toward them at such fast pace that he had time to see them rushing before he hit the ground.

    Nothing. At first, he felt nothing. No pain, no relief. Just...blankness. Then-though the thought of this one simple act seemed ridiculously hard at the time-opened his eyes. Alby's face shone against the light of the sky. There wasn't much, but it was more than total darkness.

    Then came the pain. A sharp searing pain shot up his entire foot into the lower part of his leg. Screams left him, but he didn't hear them. Alby was screaming something to him, but Newt only heard bits and pieces. Something along the lines of being stupid and that help was on the way. Minho wasn't in sight, so he assumed he was the one getting help. Newt's eyes began to flutter shut, still hearing yet not hearing Alby's screams towards him.

    Around ten minutes later, Minho came with a group of Med-jacks. They all immediately tackled Newt, removing the material surrounding his leg and examining the wounds.

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