The Memoriam Files: Hearts ✔

| Chapter 23, Broken hearts

|If I told you what I was, would you turn your back on me? And if I seem dangerous, would you be scared?

|Song: Monster, Imagine Dragons

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Dawn's P.O.V.

My heart hadn't fully recovered yet from my encounter with the little girl, but we had reached the bowling alley and I had no more time to think about it. Taking a deep breath I walked up to the others, my eyes scanning the surroundings.
The bowling alley didn't have any doors. Just a large wooden sign that hung above the entrance, the words faded away.

'He's in there,' the guard with the mustache said. 'Now pay up.'

Minho stepped past him to the empty doorway, looking around. Then he turned back to us. 'I can see him in the back,' he said, worry written on his face. 'It's dark in there but it's definitly him.'
I took a shaky breath, suddenly not so sure I wanted to go in there anymore.
'We want our money,' the guard repeated.
'You'll get double if you make sure we get back to our Berg safely,' Jorge spoke.
The two guards consulted for a moment and I shifted my weight from leg to leg, biting my tongue.
'Triple. And we want half of it now.'
'That's a deal, muchacho,' Jorge spoke and he handed the guard the money.
'We'll wait right here,' the guard spoke once they were finished.
'Come on,' Minho spoke, walking inside without waiting for a response.

My eyes scanned the room. I didn't remember ever even touching a bowling ball but I did know it shouldn't look like this. The lanes where people had once bowled were now completely torn up, most of the wood panels ripped out or broken. Sleeping bags and blankets filled the floor. In the nitches where the bowling pins used to stand, several fires burned. The smell of burning wood filled my nose and it wasn't even unpleasant. It was far better than the human odor back in the open area we had just crossed. The only problem was the smoke. My eyes were already itching.

Minho pointed to the far left lane, about a hundred feet away. Not many people were over there and I spotted Newt immediately. His blond hair seemed to light up in the fire.
And I suddenly felt myself thinking back at our time in the Maze. We had our first fight by the fire. He had been mad at me for going in the Maze and not being honest to him about the reason why. It felt like a life time ago now...

None of us bothered to be silent as we made our way past the sleeping bags towards him. With every step I took my heart seemed to crumble.
We were about ten feet away, my heart completely gone from my chest, when Newt suddenly spoke. His voice loud and echoed off the dark walls. 'I told you bloody shanks to get lost!'

Minho, who had been walking ahead of me, suddenly came to a halt and I almost walked into him.
Thomas gasped behind me and I was at loss for words.

'We need to talk to you,' Minho said, moving a bit closer.
'Don't come any closer,' Newt answered, his voice was soft but full of menace.
A shiver crawled down my spine. I hadn't known what to expect when we would find him. But this, this wasn't even Newt talking.
'Those bugs brought me here for a reason. They thought I was a bloody Immune holed up in that shuck Berg. Imagine their surprise when they could tell I had the Flare eating my brain. Said they were going to make a lot of money with catching me.'

My thoughts raced for something to say, something to do but my mind was completely blank.

'Why do you think we're here, Newt?' Thomas spoke up from behind me. 'I'm sorry you had to stay back and got caught. I'm sorry they brought you here. But we can break you out, it doesn't look like anyone gives a klunk who comes or goes.'