Family Isn't Always Blood (The Maze Runner Fanfic)

Chapter 14: The Grin of The Insane

"WHO DID IT?"

All mouths stopped chewing slowly as the soaking wet cook came storming out of the Kitchens. Everyone looked at one another with confused looks. Frypan stood with his hands on his hips, eyes a blaze. I glanced at Jake across the table, silently begging him to keep his mouth shut. He nodded slightly, shuffling his feet a bit under the table.

"Come on! I know it was one of you, and until I find out who, no one gets any meals from me!" Fry shouted as he turned around and stocked back into the Kitchens.

"What the hell?" I turned around to Newt, who was sitting next to me, giving Minho a quizzical look.

"I don't know, looks like someone got his sink again." Replied Minho with a shrug.

"This has happened before?" I asked, somewhat upset. Minho and Newt nodded simultaneously.

"Aw, hell." I muttered, giving Jake a look, saying 'We weren't the first'. He just gave me a small smile in reply.

"Why?" Asked Newt, narrowing his eyes suddenly.

"You didn't do it did you?" He interrogated. I gulped, quickly composing myself.

"Nope." I replied with a smug grin. Newt held my gaze, staring me down with an unbeatable ferocity. I held my eyes strong, not letting them falter for one second, knowing that would give me away. Finally, he nodded slowly, and I breathed a sigh of relief silently.

************************

"Well that was close." Stated Jake as we walked side by side towards the Homestead.

"Really was, wasn't it." I replied, smiling a bit at the ground as I felt our arms brush slightly as we strode.

"Hey." He stopped me mid-stride.

"What?" I questioned curiously. He glanced down quickly, before grabbing my hand and dragging me behind the nearest shrub.

"I need to tell you something." Jake said with an anxious look in his eyes. I nodded for him to keep going.

"I think I'm losing my mind."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I'm going crazy." I shifted to sit with my leg crossed, before thinking over what he'd said.

"What makes you say that? You haven't been here that long."

"I know, but it's what's impending that's making me feel almost... Trapped... But not inside the walls, inside my mind." He replied, with fear crossing his features. He began to crack his knuckles, over and over again. I didn't even know you could crack the same knuckle more than once in a small amount of time.

"Jake I think you just need to sleep." I advised, grabbing his elbows and helping him stand on his slightly shaky legs.

"Okay." He whispered as I led him towards his bed, settling him in for the night. I then headed to Newt and I's room, practically collapsing on top of him. He gave a grunt when I landed on him, but then I felt his lean arms wrap around me tightly, hugging me to his chest.

The next morning I awoke to the sounds of shouting boys coming from outside. I slowly opened my eyes and rolled over, smushing my face into the pillow with a groan. I lazily stood and walked over to the window, rubbing my eyes and becoming more concerned when the shouting rose in intensity. The scene before me practically made me jump out of my skin. There were multiple boys hanging dead on crosses, their bodies slowly dripping blood on the ground around them. They had been crucified. My breathing became labored, the gray morning light sending my shadow across the room. What if one of those boys was Newt? Or Minho? No matter who it was, it was in no way alright. a gasp from near the bed made me spin on my heel, my eyes quickly finding the source of it. There on the bed lay Newt, arms and legs bound, staring in horror at his chest. 'SOS' had been carved with a knife, blood flowing freely all over him. I clasped my hands over my mouth, making eye contact with Jake, standing over the bed with a large knife in his hand, and a look of pure terror on his face. He took a step forwards, and I took one back.

"I told you I was losing my mind." I simply stared at him, too afraid to speak. He clutched the handle of the knife tighter, knuckles turning white.

"You didn't believe me. Why didn't you believe me?!" Jake seethed, his voice raising with each word. I slowly shook my head, hands still covering my mouth.

"Say something for Godsakes! Don't be a coward, don't be a God damn coward now Kayla!" I lowered my hands, licking my lips quickly, looking into Newt's eyes for a spit second.

"Jake." I began, "You need to stop and think about what you're doing, what you did." My feet took steps towards him on their own, without my consent.

"You did that to those boys, didn't you?" I was almost right in front of him now, catching a glance of his grip becoming even more firm on the knife.

"But you didn't want to, I know you didn't want to, and I don't think you wanted to hurt Newt either. Jake, it's me, Kayla. Just yesterday you were fine, totally fine, and now you've gone and crucified people. Do you know what happens to Gladers when they do things like that?" I calmly asked him, reaching for the knife subtly. He shuffled his feet to stand taller over me, his eyes glazing over.

"They get banished." He said, before suddenly grabbing my shoulders and shoving me forcefully to the floor. I landed on the wooden boards with a grunt, meeting Jake's eyes once more.

"I don't want to get banished." He whispered with the smile of someone driven by insanity, raising the knife to his throat.