If There Is A Light

Chapter 39

Newt had to admit that he felt a bit silly. Such small things had the largest effect on him anymore. His dream woke him up with a smile. He'd felt better first waking up than he had in a while. He was still slightly bitter about the fact that when he woke up Ellia was not there, but time progressed he was finding it easier to deal with his emotions on the matter.

It was not just his dreams that affected him. It was his surrounding too. Of course it would have been absurd if they did not, but there was never really a time when he could remember being so... easily annoyed by the other Gladers (and trust him when he said that a group of adolescent boys could work on one's nerves quite easily). He supposed that he could not really remember much of his life to be fair... either way Thomas was making it difficult for Newt to focus on tending their garden.

"Has anyone tried climbing to the top?"

"Tried it. The ivy doesn't go all the way to the top. And besides, where are you gonna go from there?" Down. That was his experience although he would not recommend it.

"And what about the Box? You know, next time it comes up... you just-"

"No, we tried that. The Box won't go back down with someone in it."

"Okay, what if we..."

"No, we tried it, all right? Twice." Newt knew that it was only a natural response to be curious about what was being done to get them out of there, but he could not help getting slightly irritated by the bombardment of questions. Did Thomas really think that as soon as they got there they decided to set up a homestead and live there peacefully forever? He knew that Alby showed him the wall... a lot of good people were no longer with them and it was not because their immediate response was to set up the Glade. "All right? Trust me. Anything you think of, we've already tried. The only way out of here is through the maze."

Newt could see by the change in Thomas's body language that he had not meant anything by the interrogation and less than helpful brainstorming session. What was he supposed to do? How was he supposed to feel? Stripped of everything but his name and then given a shovel and basically told to forget about getting out.... "Now, look, you wanna be helpful?" Newt tossed him a basket, "Here. Go dig us up some more fertilizer."