Lambent ↠ tst / newt [2]

xi.

chapter xi:

☇feelings

Newt

THE GROUP SAT AROUND THE FIRE, trying to keep warm. I looked at the others in the group, before staring back at the flames. Aris cam out from inside the old boat that lay behind us, carrying some firewood. He threw it into the blaze, letting it rise.

"I thought we were supposed to be immune," Minho spoke up. I glanced at my friend. He twirled a knife in his fingers, anger dancing in his dark eyes. "Not all of us, I guess," Teresa said beside me. We all lay quiet for a moment.

"If Winston can get infected, we should assume so can the rest of us," I stated. "I'd never thought I'd say it," Frypan said, making everyone turn to him. "I miss the Glade." I felt my body tense at the mention of it.

Both good and bad memories from the Maze filled my brain. I silently shook my head, trying to escape the thoughts that wanted to escape. Thomas stood up, walking away from the fire. We watched as he moved away from the small shelter, sitting on a log nearby.

I rose up from my spot on the ground, following Thomas. I limped over, sitting down on the log next to him. Thomas fiddled with a small wooden statue in his fingers. "You haven't slept a wink since we left the Maze, have you," I asked.

He let out a heavy breath through his nose but didn't respond. "Don't listen, Frypan was just letting off steam," I reassured Thomas. "He's right though, I'm the reason we're stuck out here," Thomas muttered.

"No," I replied firmly. "You're the reason we're free." He continued to stare at the ground. "Now, the others may have their doubts and that's fine, but they would follow you anywhere." He glanced up at me quickly before back down at his hands.

"They'd follow you, too." I shook my head slightly. "No, it's different with me, though, you know it is." I looked at him, trying to figure out what he was thinking. "We all have our roles to play," I added.

"Newt, I don't know where were going." He turned to me, a frown across his features. "We're lost." "Well, we've been lost before," I stated. Thomas sighed. "Yeah, but not like this." He tilted his head away from me again.

My eyes flickered down before back up at Thomas's face. "There is a place for us out there somewhere. I don't know where it is, but I do now that an awful lot of our friends have died for us to get this far."

A look of determination crossed my face. "So we can't give up. You can't give up. I won't let you." Thomas looked to me. The corner of my mouth quirked up in a smile, and I patted Thomas on the arm. "Come on, man. You should get some sleep."

I stared up at the sky, watching the stars. I was about to stand up and leave, but Thomas's next sentence stopped me. "How much do you care for her?" I froze, not sure how to answer. "Who," I questioned, as if I was clueless.