Variables (The Maze Runner) WATTYS2016

Chapter 3

The silence of the night can be both comforting and terrifying. The silence can consume you, numbing out your thoughts and bringing you a comforting calmness after chaos, or, it can amplify the silence, the unknown, the terrifying thoughts eating away at your brain. Tonight the silence is terrifying.

The silence is broken by a rapid knock on my door, jolting me from my bed. It's the guards. It has to be. They are coming to take me, to throw me to the cranks. My body is numb as I force myself to walk towards the door, my hands quiver as I clasp the handle, preparing for the worst.

The eyes staring back at me are not the cold and distant eyes of a guard, they are wide open in terror searching for help. It is Newt.

"What are you doing its 2 a.m.-" my voice trails off as I see his chest heaving, arms clutching the door frame for support. I pull him into my room, glancing around and the blackened hallway for any sight of guards before locking my door tight.

Newt falls to his knees, opening his mouth to speak to me, but the only thing released is heaving breaths.

"Newt what is going on? Did someone hurt you?" I kneel down in front of him. Beads of sweat cover his face as he shakes his head, desperately trying to force words out.

"D-dream...wake up...p-panic-" he bows his head, arms shaking too much to hold himself up. He is having a panic attack.

"Newt look at me," I cup his quivering cheek, "It is going to be okay."

He shakes his head, coughing as his chest continues to heave, struggling to get the breath he needs to respond, "They are g-going to take me. Getting - too smart. I will disappear like - like my brother-" Newt coughs, clutching his chest.

Newt's brother was taken before his family entered the government residency we grew up in. I remember the blood tests we had to take before we got in. Those who didn't pass were taken, they dissapeared. My parents told me they were too sick to come in. Newt never saw his brother again, and his imagination has ruined any hopes he had of finding him, convincing him his brother is dead, or worse, a crank.

"Newt. You are here, with me. No one is going to take you. You are safe with me," I try to get him to take deep breaths but he is getting worse. He looks at me with fear in his eyes as he gasps for air, unable to catch his breath. "Hold your breath Newt!" I instruct him, but he shakes his head, gasping, heaving for air.

I do the only thing I can think to do. My hands clutch the sides of his sweat stained face, I hurriedly bring his face to mine, pressing my lips against his. He takes a sharp intake of breath, surprise stunning his body. His eyes shut as I count down in my head, not pulling away until I'm sure he has held his breath for long enough, my hand resting against his chest.

As I pull my lips away I can feel his chest breathing normally, his eyes wide open and watching me, mouth agape.

"Newt?" I pull my hand away from his steadily rising chest and clutch the sides of his face. "Newt are you okay?"

He continues to stare at me almost blankly. I give his head a little shake making him blink back to focus. "How did that work?" He mutters immutably, touching his lips lightly and looking back at me wide eyed.

"The fastest way to stop a panic attack is to hold your breath. My mom used to have them all the time and when she couldn't control herself my dad would- he would kiss her," I shrug, trying to completely avoid thinking about any deeper meaning behind what had just happened. "How do you feel?"

"About you?" Newt flinches when he realizes what he muttered, "oh I mean I'm fine, I'm not on the verge of dying anymore so thank you Rosie." I can feel his stare on me, "can I stay in here for the rest of the night?"