If There Is A Light

Chapter 40

Something was wrong. It felt that way at least to Newt. He stopped trimming the small tomato plant he was working on when he heard Thomas screaming: Help. The plea was constant and repeated and it was not long after they heard that they could all see.

Thomas who had been sent to retrieve fertilizer no longer had the bucket in his hands, but instead was running out of the woods. Close behind him was another Glader. It looked to be Ben, but Newt could not be one hundred percent sure on the identification since they were both moving fast and rather far away.

Ben (assumedly) had dove for Thomas's legs and tackled the newcomer to the ground. Newt grabbed the shovel closest to him and took off in their direction to help to the Greenie. Coming to a peaceful resolution was what he had wanted to do, but Ben, which could now be identified for certain, was in a frenzy. "I'll kill you."

"Hey!" Newt was able to grab the boy's attention for a second and he swung the shovel. He did not really think about what he was doing. He grabbed the shovel on the way over, but he did not really intend on using it. The force was enough to knock him off of Thomas and thankfully the rest of the Gladers were by them ready to lend a hand in whatever way they could. It just so happened that hands was exactly what Newt needed, "Hold him down!"

"What are you doing?" Newt knew he would not answer, and if he did it probably would not be a coherent one. He struggled with the young man lashing against his friends.

"Calm down, Ben." Gally's voice was firm and unwavering, but it was a plea. He along with Newt knew exactly what going on.

"Yo, what the hell happened?" Frypan shouted.

"He just attacked me!" Thomas stumbled to his feet and tried to catch his breath. He was oddly and silently alarmed by how collected Newt and Gally were.

Ben violent thrashing died down to a weak struggle, "Calm down, Ben..."

Of course that did not last long when Alby arrived on scene. He stood over him and tried to not let Ben's pleas get the better of him, "All right, lift his shirt. Lift his shirt."

Newt quickly yanked up the fabric.

"He's been stung. In the middle of the day?" Gally looked to Alby for clarity, but it was lost on him as well.

Thomas was dumbfounded by the gaping wound in the boy's abdomen and the bulging and dark colored veins surrounding it. He knew that Ben had just tried to kill him. He had chased him, tackled him, threatened him and fought with him, but anger was not the emotion he felt. Thomas felt sorry. He hoped there was something to be done, but the look on Newt, Alby and Gally's face suggested otherwise.

Ben cried out to them. The words would surely haunt all of them tonight, "Help me, please. Please... please just help."