The Safe Haven

Discover

I felt my body lift into the air when I fired the gun. The explosion had pushed me many feet back and I had fallen, hard. The air from my lungs left my body and I couldn't breathe. I was gasping for air. A fuzzy Newt appeared in my sight. He was saying something but everything was so muffled except a continuous ringing in my left ear. He kept repeating himself. Over and over again like a prayer. My eyes finally closed and I was engulfed in a black abyss.

"Nora?"

I heard a familiar voice echoing throughout my body. It was a soft, english voice. One that I found comfort in. My senses were regaining themselves. I could feel a hand stroking my hair.

"Please be okay, please.."

My head was pounding, but what really hurt the most was my left ear. I could feel a burning sensation, like the left part of my head was on fire. As easily as I had slipped into an unconscious state I had awoken. My vision was blurry at first but my eyes had focused onto Newt. His face lit up with that familiar smile as soon as my eyes had opened.

"What happened?" I croaked.

"You're a bloody badass! That's what happened."

Newt grabbed my hand and planted a soft kiss on it before disappearing somewhere in the room. Where am I? The burning sensation hadn't left and it was becoming unbearable. My body started to squirm. I didn't like this excruciating pain.

"Hold on Nora." Newt whispered.

He planted a cold rag on my ear, and for a moment the pain disappeared. Newt held the rag there and stared at me to make sure I was okay, I guess.

"Nora, I don't want to freak you out but your ear and neck are badly burned."

I didn't freak out. I didn't give a damn, I just wanted this pain to go away. It was fucking unbearable. Newt took away the rag, that was now covered in blood, and disappeared again.

"Oh god it hurts!" I groaned.

I clenched my fists, toes, teeth, anything that could help me cope with this fucking pain.

"Nora you have to stay calm."

"It fucking hurts."

"I know it does, but cranks are still out there. I don't want them finding us again."

I stopped for a moment and let a chuckle escape through my lips.

"Is that what you call them Newt? Cranks."

"Shuck face." He muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing. You need to rest. We can answer questions after you've had a good rest. Okay?"

I nodded in agreement and tried to shut my eyes but the pain of it all was still there. Newt had noticed and wrapped his arms around me to keep me still.

"It's alright Nora. I'm here." He whispered before I had drifted into a deep sleep.
                                     ~  ~  ~
When I woke up it was still as dark as it was last night. Maybe I had woken up in the middle of the night. I sat up and carefully touched my ear. Strange. It didn't hurt anymore. In fact it felt like it healed over night. Newt was nowhere to be found and it seemed like he wasn't ever here at all.
I pushed myself up and dusted off my hands. The room seemed as if a blizzard had swept through. My belongings were everywhere, torn to shreds. The room was so quiet and disturbing. I felt as if someone was watching me..but where had Newt gone to? The sound of wood creaking filled the empty room. It had come from the other side of the door.

"Newt is that-"

The door was pushed open and revealed a drooling, violent Newt. He was just as the way I had found him that night and now he was infected again. And I had no serum to save him now. I backed away slowly, hoping he would stop himself from lurching at me.

"Newt it's Nora. I'm going to help you, okay?"

But just as I finished my sentence he collided right into me. He grabbed my throat and pinned me to the wall, repeatedly slamming my head against the hard surface until I was gone.
~ ~ ~
I sat up in a cold sweat with showers of it coming off my body. It had all been a dream. The realization hit me and I sighed in relief, momentarily remembering the horrifying nightmare.

"Is everything okay?"

Newt had come from a nearby bathroom with his shirt off. My cheeks lit up with heat, I could feel myself turning pink.

"Um..yeah, I just had a nightmare."

I noticed the thin scar on his chest that I had stitched up. I distracted myself from his body by saying,"I see your wound has healed."

He brushed his fingertips against the mark and pursed his lips together whilst furrowing his brows.

"It feels a lot better." He said in relief. He stepped forward to me and bent down so that we were face to face. "Let's take a look at your head."

Newt had covered my injury with a cloth last night and now had uncovered it. A look of worry showered over his face but quickly distinguished his expression.

"Does does it hurt?" He asked with concern.

"It stings a little but not much. Everything sounds kind of fuzzy on this side." I said, gesturing to my wounded ear.

Newt reached for my ear for a brief moment and retrieved his hand.

"Did you hear that?" He asked.

"Hear what?"

I could see the shock smeared onto his face.

"I think your deaf in your left ear Nora.."

I shook my head in disbelief, not realizing how serious the situation was, I laughed hysterically. And for a moment Newt looked really worried. Maybe I was going insane.
Maybe it was the way the sunlight made his blonde locks glow or if his dark eyes gave off a warm gleam, but something came over me.
I leaned my face to his, so now we were only centimeters away, and I kissed his cheek. His skin was warm and smelled of honey. I pulled away, hoping he wouldn't say anything. In fact he didn't say anything, instead he leaned his body to mine and planted a gentle kiss to my lips. I didn't expect this but I wasn't shocked either. He quickly pulled away without saying a word. He bandaged my ear and collected our things.

"We have to get moving."

And we left that place along with a memory that wouldn't leave my thoughts. Within three days I had stolen a truck, ran from cranks, became deaf in one ear, and kissed a boy who had wanted to die. And I was completely and utterly mad for all of it.