Before Her

Newt 8

Newt
After talking to Alby, he let me borrow a sleeping bag and then I was out, sleeping in a sleeping bag, on the grass, in the glade.

~~~

One thing, I really hated about sleeping out in the open, was that when the sun came up and the first streaks of light hit the sky, it would instantly wake me, and I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. I groaned as I turned over. I open my eyes to see the other gladers still sleeping peacefully, apparently, I'm the only one with that problem.

My body was half in, half out of the sleeping bag, no doubt because I'd been tossing and turning last night. It happened every night, I'd get nightmares about the glade, the maze, the grievers, which resulted in tossing and turning each night, and the blankets always off of the bed when I woke up.

I grab the sleeping bag and carefully step over the dozens of sleeping gladers, dragging the bag up the stairs of the homestead, into my room. I rub my eyes and throw the sleeping bag onto the floor. Blankets were falling off the edge of the bed. I looked up and there, sitting up, was Jane. She looked almost as frightened as the other night in the showers. Her eyes were wide and she was hugging the edge of the blankets. Her face was streaked with tears, still falling. She had been crying. She was still crying. She looked like she'd been up all night. In the dim light, she had faint circles under her eyes and her hair was sticking everywhere. The lose shirt she was wearing, which was mine, was covered in sweat.

We stare each other for a few seconds, not speaking, until I slowly stepped towards her and crouched at the edge of the bed so that I was right in front of her.
'What's wrong?' I ask, immediately I knew it was the wrong question.
Jane burst into tears and buried her head in the blankets. I move and sit on the bed next to her, wrapping my arm around her waist and gently pulling the blankets away.
'Nightmares?'
She nods and looks up at me with big, sad, tear, flowing eyes. She places her head on my shoulder and slowly, I feel the tears soaking up my shirt. I reach out, gently pulling her into my lap, so that she was sitting on me and wrap both arms around her.
'I get them too. Do you want to talk about it?'
She shakes her head, then nods. I wait patiently, waiting for her to begin. She lifts her head and starts softly,
'I, I had a nightmare about lots of things. First I dreamt about being in the box. But this time, it didn't open and no one would come to save me. I kicked and screamed and no one came. I thought I was dead. I thought, this is what death feels like,' she sobs as she speaks, making it worse for me, seeing her like this. I pull her closer. 'And then I heard screams, other people screaming. They were screaming in pain they were screaming for it to stop. Some were screaming my name. Then the box opened, and I was in a lab with all the gladers. They were tearing you guys apart. They were experimenting on you. You were screaming at me, telling me to run, but there was no where to run. I tried, I tried Newt, I tried.'
Her tears, slow now, falling one at a time, rolling down her cheeks. I reach out and wipe then away,
'It's okay. I know, just don't think about it anymore.'
'I can still hear the screaming Newt. I can still hear it. Make it stop, please. Please!'
She's started crying again, I couldn't bare to watch her like this anymore.
'Shhh, it's okay, it's okay, I'm here now.'
'Don't go.'
'I won't.'
Her sobs slowed, along with her breathing, until she was breathing steadily, and had fallen asleep.