The Maze Within {Book 1}

Chapter 17

"ISAAC NO!"

I snapped my eyes open and jolted up from my place in my bed, heavily breathing.

I buried my face into my hands and fought back tears that threatened to pour from my eyes.

"Hey, it's alright," A voice told me as a pair of arms pulled me closer to someone.

I brought my hands away from my face and a hand reached down to grab one of them.

"It was just a dream," Newt's voice told me.

I nodded, hiding my face in his chest against as I did.

I was just tired of everything. Tired of laying here in this room, tired of not being able to talk, tired of not knowing what was happening to me.

I pulled away from my brother and tossed my bed sheets away from my body and swung my feet off the side of the bed.

"Whoa, whoa. Lizzy, what are you doin'?" Newt placed a hand on my shoulder.

I looked over at him before gently heaving myself off my bed and onto my feet.

I felt Newt place his hands on my arms to keep me on my feet.

"You okay?" He asked.

I nodded my head before slowly starting to make my way out of the Med-Jack's room, Newt right on my heels.

We came out of the Homestead and into the field of the Glade. I sucked in a big breath of fresh air and smiled to myself, it felt so nice to be out of there.

"Hey there stranger," I turned my head towards the voice and saw Minho making his way over to us.

I smiled to him, but dropped it when I saw Gally trailing behind.

"So, it's true. You survived," He smugly commented.

"Back off Gally. She doesn't need you here," Minho told the boy.

"She doesn't need any of you here either so why do I have to leave?" He folded his arms.

Minho turned to face him. "Because unlike you, Elizabeth can trust us."

I suddenly felt a hand get laid on my shoulder and start guiding me away from the two bickering boys.

"Alby wants to see you," My brother told me.

I folded my arms across my chest and followed Newt across the Glade and towards the Council Hall.

"Alby?" Newt called as he opened the door.

"How is she?" A voice asked.

"Lizzy's here with me. Where the Shuck are you?" My brother questioned.

"Just coming hold-" A loud ringing suddenly echoed through the Glade.

It was almost like an alarm.

"Looks like you're not the Greenie anymore Elizabeth," Alby told me as he walked past the pair of us and out the Council Hall.

I gave Newt a confused look as I couldn't really ask him what the hell was going on.

My brother rested a hand on my shoulder. "It's probably better if I showed ya."

I nodded before following him out to the Glade where I saw mostly everyone rushing over to something in the middle of the green field.

I trailed right behind Newt until we came to the cluster of boys crowding around something. I stuck to the blonde teens side as he pushed his way through the crowd and looked down into a metal box.

I peered in after him and saw a load of crates inside, stacked one on top of the another. What shocked me the most though was when I saw a young boy sitting in the corner, leant up against the stack of crates.

He must've been no older than 12 or 13 and had a head of curly, brown hair. He had his knees up at his chest with his face hidden in his hands.

The other Gladers suddenly started laughing and making comments about the boy.

"Look at the Shank."

"Where he gonna fit in?"

"How old does he look?"

"Looks as useless as the girl."

The last comment fired my anger up slightly. I knew it was from one of Gally's boys so I just tried to brush it over me.

"Slim it! The lot of ya!" Newt called out over all the shouting.

Silence suddenly came over the Glade and I turned my attention back to the boy.

Newt looked at me and I gestured with my eyes for him to go down and get the boy.

I heard him sigh before jumping down into the large cage-like box and try talking to the boy.

He didn't seem to be having much luck though  as the boy responded by shuffling away from him.

Newt looked up at me and looked as though he was giving me a look that could only mean one thing.

'Help.'

I nodded before getting down on my knees and as carefully as I could swung my legs over the side of the box.

My brother walked over so he was standing under me and held his arms ready to catch me.

I slowly slid off the platform and into my brother's arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck as I landed and sighed.

I looked up at him and nodded 'thank you' before looking down at the boy.

He was still held up in the corner, head still hidden in his arms. He looked as though he was crying as well.

Newt placed my legs on the floor of the cage and help me get my balance.

I swayed for a minute before getting my footing and slowly approached the boy before sitting down in front of him.

I gently reached out and touched his arm, making him look up at me.

His eyes widened slightly when his eyes met mine. He looked so young. Why would W.I.C.K.E.D do this to someone so young?

I smiled lightly at him and grabbed his hand in mine before pulling him to his feet.

I turned to Newt as he came to my side.

"Greenie, my name's Newt. This is Elizabeth. Came you tell us your name?" My brother asked the boy.

"Ch-Chuck," He stuttered.

"Well Chuck, welcome to the Glade," Newt told him.

Chuck looked up at the both of us. "Why can't I remember anything?"

"It's normal don't worry. It happened to all of us here," Newt answered.

Chuck just nodded.

"How about we get you out of this box?" Newt suggested just as a rope was thrown down to us.

"Can someone help Lizzy as she comes up?" Newt requested as he helped Chuck get ahold of the rope.

"I've got her," Alby's voice call down to us.

The boys pulled the newest member of the Glade out of the box and Newt placed a hand of my shoulder.

"Not bad for a girl who has no voice," He smirked.

I rolled my eyes just as the rope was tossed back down.

Newt held it in place as I slipped one of my feet through the loop that had been made and wrapped my arms around the rope.

"Take it easy guys, she's still healin'," Newt told them as I began to be hoisted out of the cage.

Word count: 1186

Edited: 25/10/2016