Escaping This Ivy Nightmare

Chapter 17

"I thought you were for sure dead." Newt told Minho, as they sat together by the river that ran through the forest.

"I wasn't. It was brilliant." Minho boasted, as if he'd just had the best night of his life.

"Yeah, I'm sure you loved every second of it." Newt laughed, kicking at the dirt with his heel. "Seriously, Min, i'm so glad you're alive."

"I did. Especially the hour Thomas and I spent crying." Minho muttered, kicking some of the dirt at Newt's leg.

"Did you really?" Newt wasn't that surprised, he would have crawled into a corner and bawled till a buggin' griever came and got him.

"Yeah, kind of embarrassing actually. Dunno why I told ya." Minho admitted, with a humorless laugh. "It was right after I tricked the two grievers to fall off the cliff."

"Oh, you're so bloody smart, Min." The pair laughed, enjoying their little moment.

"I promised greenbean he could be a runner."

"You did what?" Newt asked, not sure he heard him right.

"I said to the shank, you survive, you're in. I didn't think we'd shuckin' survive the night." Minho sighed, his head dropping forward.

"Well. We gotta have a bloody Gathering, since the slinthead broke Rule Number One. So I guess we'll talk about it then." Newt agreed that Thomas should probably be a runner, since he did survive a night in the maze. "You go get some sleep, now. I'll call the Gathering for when you wake up."

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Just as the gathering was coming to an end, a knock on the door grabbed everyone's attention. Chuck stood there, looking like he'd just been chased by a Griever. 

"What's wrong?" Newt asked, standing up, sounding rather worried. 

Chuck was wringing his hands. "Audrey sent me." 

"Why?" 

"I guess Alby's thrashing around and acting all crazy, telling her he needs to talk to somebody."

Newt made for the door, but Chuck held up his hand. "Uhm, he doesn't want to talk to you." 

"What do you mean?" 

"He keeps asking for him." Chuck pointed at Thomas. 

"Well come on," Newt said, grabbing Thomas by the arm. "No way I'm not going with ya. It is my bloody girlfriend and co-leader." 

Thomas followed him, with Chuck right behind, as they left the Council room and went down the hall toward a narrow, spiraling staircase that neither Thomas or Chuck seemed to notice before. Newt took the first step, then gave Chuck a cold glare. "You. Stay."

"Newt. Leave." Alby demanded, the second the boys entered the room. Newt ignored him.

"How are you Alby?" He asked, earning a terrifying glare from Alby.

"Leave. Now." Newt hesitated. "Now!" Alby yelled, and Newt turned on his heel, slamming the door behind him.

"Slinthead. Shuck-face. What's so special about that kid. Shuck." Newt banged his head on the wall, waiting for Thomas and Alby to finish up. Audrey stood beside him,holding a wet cloth in her hand. "Hey gorgeous." He smiled, turning his head to face her.

"Hey, how was the Gathering?" She asked him, placing her hand on his cheek.

"I'll tell ya when Thao's with us."

"Oka-"

"Newt! Newt get in here!" Thomas shrieked from the other side of the door. Newt didn't hesitate before bursting into the room. The sight before them caused Audrey to scream, and back out of the room.

Alby was thrashing violently on the bed, as if he were having a seizure. His strong hands were clenched tightly around his throat, and his eyes were buggin' out, looking panicked. Newt and Thomas quickly got to work trying to control Alby's limbs. It was a hard fight, and both got knocked off their feet a few times, but they eventually got him settled down.

"What bloody happened?" Newt demanded, glaring at Thomas.

"He-he was just telling me about stuff he remembered, and then he whacked out." Thomas' eyes were wide, like he'd just see a ghost. "Does that- does that happen often, with the changing?"

"No, you shuck-face. People don' usually try to strangle themselves here. This is buggin' crazy and I don't know what's going on." Audrey chose then as a good time to re-enter the room, coming back in with a bag of supplies.

"Hey, why don't you two go grab dinner and take a break from this craziness that it today? I'll stay here and watch him, make sure nothing like that has a chance to happen again." She said as she got organized, moving around the two boys. 

"Good that love. We've also got to find Gally. Bugger's probably gone off and hid somewhere."

"What did he do?" Audrey asked, looking at the boys curiously. 

"The shank bloody threatened to kill Tommy here, I need to find him and throw his butt in the slammer." Newt huffed, moving over to give Audrey a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll have someone bring you dinner if I don't think I have time." 

"Okay. I'll be here. Clint is up with the girl too, just so you know." She smiled. 

"Alright, and Tommy, you're with me today. Slammer tomorrow and Minho the next day. I don't want you talking to any of the other gladers much. Chuck is okay, Thao and Audrey too. Got it?" Thomas nodded at the two boys left Audrey alone to watch over Alby "We're going to check on Clint and the girl before we leave, I want to test something about. After that, you're telling me everything Alby told you."

"Tommy, you are going to stare at her till your eyes bleed." Newt told him as they walked over to the girl's bed. They sat for a few moments, before Newt realised Tommy was probably staring at the girl because she was bloody hot. "Anything?"

"I do know her. But I don't know who she is, I just know her from somewhere." Thomas admitted, eyebrows drawn together.

"Keep concentrating."

"I'm trying, so shut up." He leaned closer to the girl, and Newt watched in anticipation. "I just don't-" Thomas suddenly sprung to his feet, knocking the chair over, and spun in a circle, looking around wildly.

"What? You look like a buggin' ballerina. What are you doin'? Did ya remember something?" Newt stared at the boy in confusion.

"It sounded like she said something to me."

"She didn't say a thing shank."

"I- I swear I heard a name. Casey."

"No one said that, Tommy." Newt was concerned for his new friend. Bloody shank, what's going on up there. "But that- that must be her name Tommy. Casey!"

"I heard it though." Thomas whispered, leaning in close to the girl again. He suddenly jumped back, knocking the lamp off her bedside table. It shattered on the floor. Newt looked to Thomas, who had his back against the far wall, breathing heavily.

"What's bloody wrong with ya? Ya look like you just seen a griever."

"She's-she's talking to me- in my head." Thomas spluttered, pointing an accusatory finger at the unconscious girl.

"What?"

"I swear!"

"Sit down shank, what are you bloody goin' on about?"

"I'm serious Newt." Thomas looked panicked again, and through his hands over his ears.

"Tommy, what's going on, talk to me." Thomas stood up and staggered out of the room. Newt ran after him, following him onto the grass. The kid broke into a full run, and sprinted straight into the maze.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with that kid?" Newt asked no one in particular.