A Way Back - The Maze Runner (♡Newt) UNDER EDITING/REWRITE

Chapter 6

Edited: 12-12-24

~.~.~

Cally

I woke up with a hand pressed to my mouth. My eyes shot open, barely able to make out anything against the dark surrounding me I panicked, I tried to shove against the tall figure hanging over me with, but they either saw it coming or had quick reflexes because they used their other arm to block my attempt. 
     "Calm down, Greenbean. It's just me." I froze first, I knew that voice.
     "You did make it hard to find ya," Newt. I physically relaxed the moment I recognized the voice and now my eyes were used to the dark I could also make out some basic features of the guy. "You really couldn't stay in your room, did ya?" He continued in a whisper, his hand still on my mouth as if I would cause a fuzz if I could use my voice. I glared at him in an attempt to communicate my displeasure of his hand keeping me from speaking, but when he didn't remove his hand fast enough to my liking, I did the next most logical thing any human being could do. I licked it.
     Immediately, Newt pulled his hand away. "Gross." He could barely keep his voice down as groaned in disgust,  wiping his hand on his pants.
     I pushed myself into a sitting position, stretching my arms and back. "Serves you right. Should have removed the hand sooner."
     "Good that." Newt mumbled, leaning back a little to remain balance in his crouched position while he made one more good swipe to get everything off his hand and on his pants.
     "Why are you waking me up this early anyway?" I asked looking around to see that even Bark hadn't bothered to wake up at this hour. Whatever time this hour may be.
     "Gotta show ya somethin'." Newt pushed himself up from the ground with little effort.
     I didn't bother making a move to get up from the ground. "Can't you just tell me?"
     Newt shook his head, "Not this. It's somethin' ya gotta see for yourself." Without giving me any more information he offered me his hand. 
     My eyes switched from the silhouette of his face to his hand, considering if whatever he needed to show me so badly was gonna be worth my time more then getting more sleep. Only for my curiosity to win it from my exhaustion and, with a reluctant "Fine", I took his hand and let him pull me up. 
     Newt didn't wait for me to stretch my muscles or rub the sleep out of my eyes as he made his way towards one of the walls, effortlessly maneuvering his way around all the sleeping Gladers on the ground. Unlike him I didn't have years of experience walking through spaces filled with people sleeping on the ground, so it took all my half awake brain power to not step on some random person's hand or leg. What could be so fucking important that I had to wake up-
     Realization hit me. 
     I froze mid step, lost balance and barely missing some guy's fingers while catching myself.
     I should've woken up by now. This doesn't make sense. I should be awake. I should be at home. I-
     "You 'kay Greenbean?" Newt interrupted my trail of thoughts before it could escalate any further. I couldn't make out a lot in the dark but with the pale light from the moon I managed to see his creased eyebrows as he stood there, keeping away a handful of ivy strings with one arm, revealing a window in the stone wall. 
     For a moment I couldn't do anything but stare. At Newt, at the wall, at the ivy and the window that had been hidden only seconds ago. This doesn't make sense. This isn't right.
     "Cally?"
     Quickly I shook my head, "I'm fine." I said as I made my way over to him, leaving the sleeping Gladers behind while trying to push the uneasy feeling down before it could cloud my mind even more. Whatever was going on, dream or not, there is more safety in blending in than standing out. 
    Newt breathed in to say something, seeming unconvinced, but then, strange colored lights shone through the window, illuminating half of his face and casting long shadows on the other half, distracting the both of us.
     He turned to look through the window first, gesturing me to do the same. Before I did I took a few deep breaths now his eyes weren't on me, pressing my hand to my chest, feeling my slightly elevated heartbeat. Sturdy. Warm. Real.
     Trying not to let myself panic I forced myself to breath deeply, dropping my hand to my side and did what Newt had told me to do, I looked.
     I wished I hadn't.
     Now I don't have anything against slugs, unlike most other people who find their slimy bodies repulsing, I find them rather cute. But this... this thing made me want to throw up. At first glance it did remind me of a gigantic slug. If slugs had plucks of ruff hairs sprouting from random places and spider like, metallic legs sticking out from uneven angles. Looking a little closer through the in dirt and dust covered window I realized that not all the legs were used for walking. Some of the metal pins were the source of those weirdly colored lights, while others seem to end in big needles... or stingers?
     "That's a Griever. They always come out at night and sometimes durin' the day." Newt started talking as if this thing was one of the most normal things in the world. Not that his words really reached my ears. My brain still trying to process... It was so big and the way it moved... unnatural... crawling, spinning... clicking and wheezing. I could barely keep in the bile that forced its way up my throat. This wasn't natural. It wasn't right. Nothing about this was right. This isn't right.
     "Cals? Are you 'kay?" Newt's words managed to reach my ears again. But this time, I couldn't keep it together.
     "Okay?" I laughed joylessly. "No! no, I'm not Okay. This isn't okay." I wasn't sure how loud my voice sounded as I gestured towards the window, and then to the entire Glade. "This isn't real. It shouldn't be real. It can't be real. I am dreaming. This..." I trailed off, pulling my hand through my hair, looking around for something familiar. Anything familiar. Something that made sense. "This isn't real. It's a dream. It has to be. It just has to. I- I can't-" A soft ringing started to take over my hearing, my chest hurt while I tried to suck air into my lungs, only to find it hard to breath.
     "Bloody hell, breath, Shank." Newt dropped the ivy, killing the lights coming from the Griever and entirely obscuring it from my sight, taking a gentle hold of my upper arms to try and keep me from staggering on my feet. "You gotta breath, okay? You gotta breath and calm down-"
     "Calm down?" I snapped at him with panic and disbelieve lacing my words, slapping his hands away, "No on in the fucking history of calming down ever calmed down because someone told them to calm down, you fucking-" 
     Newt cut me off by grabbing a firmer hold of my upper arms, looking me straight in the eyes, "It's goin' to be okay. Just take some deep breaths."
     "It's going to be okay?" I managed to crook out between rapid breaths, head starting to spin like that thing had done while it moved around. "Are you even hearing yourself?"
     "Breath," Newt ignored my words as he took a deep breath and slowly blew it out again. "Come on, breath."
     I frantically shook my head no, I didn't need to breath. I needed to scream. I needed to run. I needed- I- Fuck- I-
     Gently, Newt put one hand on my cheek and moved my head, stopping my shaking and making me look at him. "Cally, breath, just breath for a moment, okay? Breath." He started to breathe in and out again, deep and rhythmic. He did it again, and again and again until I slowly started to mimic him. Sucking in deep breaths, holding them for a short while before letting the air leave my body. Eventually, the ringing in my ears subsided, the pain in my chest became bearable and breathing came easier again.
     Newt relaxed a little, "See? You're okay, everythin' is okay."
     "This is all real." I whispered in defeat, looking down at the in grass covered ground, barely capable to believe it myself. "I'm not dreaming, am I? It's real. The Maze, the Grievers, the Beetle Blades... all of it is real."
     Newt nodded, releasing me from his grip, moving slowly to see what I'd do, but when I just stood there, staring in front of me he seemed to relax a little bit. "Afraid it is, Cals." Sympathy sounded through his voice. No, not sympathy, pity. And, maybe also a hint of sadness. 
     This has to be a dream. I tried to convince myself again. It has to be. One of those nightmares where you keep thinking you've woken up but you're actually still stuck inside the same dream. I just needed to wake myself up.
     My hand slipped to my side, feeling the solid metal of my knife. Without wasting another moment I pulled it out, the metal reflected a ray of moonlight and Newt flinched back on reflex to protect himself. "What in the bloody-"
     Ignoring him I pressed the cold iron of the sharp edge to a spot on the back of my left arm and pressed, slicing a small cut in my skin. It stung before my warm blood dripped out of the shallow wound. My heart clenched, I felt it. Not in that dull pressure kind of way you normally feel when you pinch yourself in a dream. It hurt. And I hadn't woken up.
     Seeming to have realized I wasn't going to hurt him, Newt carefully took a hold of my wrists, this time to keep me from moving at all, "what are ya doing?" I heard distress in his voice as he moved to take my knife from me. I didn't protest, letting him take it from my hand and throw it to the ground out of my reach.
     "It stung... it actually hurt." I mumbled in disbelieve, not able to process it all just quite yet. "So that's it... I'm awake. I'm truly, really, wide awake. But... that can't be true... this can't be real. I... I got to... I have to..." Go home. I finished inside of my head, not capable of saying it out loud.
     "Com'n Cals, we've gotta get ya a bandage." Newt sounded calm again now the knife was no longer within my reach. Part of me wanted him to freak out too, but the other part of me was grateful he hadn't. 
     "No... it's fine." I answered eventually, barely able to process my surroundings, my own voice sounding miles away while I opened the bag I hadn't taken off since I got here and pulled out a tissue. Pressing it to the wound almost no red seeped through the white, the wound had already started to close off. "See? It stopped bleeding, I'm fine."
     The worried expression on Newt's face barely registered in my brain. And neither did his voice as he spoke, "Maybe it's better if ya wait with workin' for a few days... to calm down a bid. Take it all in a little better." Somehow those weren't the words I'd expected. I'd freaked out, I'd drawn a knife on myself, why hadn't he called me crazy? He should be taking me to that Alby guy or lock me up, right? But looking at him right now made me realize, maybe my reaction wasn't the worst one he had seen since he'd been here.
     Eventually, after a moment of considering his words I nodded slowly. "Yeah, maybe."
     "Good that." Newt nodded, picking my pocket knife up from the ground. "I'm keepin' this until you show ya can be trusted with it." I think he saw that I was about to protest, because he quickly continued, sticking it in his pocket. "You promised, remember?" 
     The pinky promise... Honestly never thought I'd have to keep to that one. "Yeah, I did." Without saying anything else I turned and started walking away towards the big wooden building. It's shadow loomed over me as I stood before the doors, looking up, taking it in. A Beetle Blade skittered over one of the walls, it's red eye glowing to light it's path. It stopped, staring at me for a moment, before continuing on. And I did the same, walking up the creaky stairs, not stopping until I had reached the little, rectangle that would be my room for God knows how long. 
     I locked the door, taking a deep breath. The space smelt of wood and dust. Alby had said the room used to be a storage space, it definitely smelled like one. Finding a little more movement inside of me I dragged the sleeping back to the corner furthest away from the door and sat down. I picked up the pillow, pressed it to my chest and did the only thing I could do for a very long time. And just cried.
     I'm not sure for how long I said there. At some point the sun had come up, shining into the small space, illuminating the small specs of dust that softly danced around the room. A few times some people had come and try to check up on me. Alby had been first, talking to me through the closed door, something about the world not disappearing if I locked myself up. I didn't listen. He eventually went away. Around lunchtime one of the Med-Jacks had tried, Clint? Maybe Jeff? I don't fucking know, one of the two. Telling me I needed to eat. Unlike Alby, he did not leave after my silent treatment and only left after I had confirmed to them that I was in fact still there.
     The sun no longer shown into my room directly, the light outside seemed to become dimmer and very faint new smells started to make their way through the wooden building. And not long after a new person knocked on my door. "You okay in there, Cals?" Newt seemed to have returned from the Maze and had been send to check on me this time. 
     "Just leave me the fuck alone." I didn't hide my irritation nor my broken voice, still raw from crying.
     "The thing is, I would."
     I signed, letting my head fall back against the wall, then why don't you?
     "But I have a very concerned dog with me who wouldn't stop bugging me about ya." 
     I didn't immediately believe him that he had brought Bark with him. But then I heard the scrapping of her nails against the wooden ground, followed by some loud sniffs and eventually a little wining sound got me to stand up from my corner. I needed a moment to stretch my painful musscles after sitting on the ground for so long. But then I made my way over to the door, pausing for a moment as I realized what I was doing. Am I really opening the door after all this time because of a dog?
    Another little whine came from Bark on the other side of the door. Together with Newt's voice, "Cally?" I took a hold on the metal lock and shoved it loose.
     Newt smiled at me after I opened the door far enough for Bark to slip through, which she did almost immediately. "Hey, Greenie, how you holdin' up?" 
     I looked at him for a moment, not sure what he saw as he looked at me, red eyes? Puffy face? Messed up hair? Not knowing what to respond I moved to close the door again. Only for Newt to keep it open by leaning against it. "Hold up, just a moment."
    "What?" I glared at him, not wanting him to look at me any longer. 
    Newt moved, sticking out a plate filled with food and a cup of water I hadn't even noticed he was holding before. "Take it and I'll leave ya alone." 
    Looking at the food I felt my stomach rumble, only then noticing how hungry I really had become locked up in here. I let go of the door and took the plate mumbling a "thank you," and moving back to my corner where I sat down. Bark, who had been busy sniffing around the room and seemed very interested in the sleeping back, switched her attention to my plate. I gently pushed her head away and started eating. 
    "Okay, then, I'll leave ya to it." Newt mumbled before closing my door, I could hear his footsteps as he walked away. I didn't get up to lock the door again, instead I just sat there, eating in silence, occasionally giving Bark a piece of food to keep her satisfied as well. 
     During the day my mind had started to clear up. All of this shouldn't be real. This place was fiction. A story in a book and on the screen. But somehow I had ended up inside of it. It should have been impossible but here I was, surrounded by fictional characters inside a death trap. Ironically I had wished on multiple occasions that something like this would happen, but in those fantasies I ended up in Middle Earth as a Hobbit or maybe on the Boiling Isles as a witch at Hexside. Never had I wished for some dystopian bullshit like this. Unlike Jenny, who always seemed to eat those stories up one after the other. 
     My mind had wondered to my best friend a lot, not just her, but also my partner Felix. Yesterday we had been talking about maybe going on vacation with three of his other friends. I'd said I'd come back to it tomorrow... I had pinky promised... 
     Then there was my family who had taken up most of my thoughts as I said there in the corner. Darren, Ezra, Lilly and mom. They must be worried sick. I was worried sick. I needed to get back home. Back to my family and Felix and Jenny as soon as possible. I did not want to be here for even a second longer than I had to be. 
     As an avid enjoyer of multiple types of fantasy and science fiction media I had consumed many stories of people getting stuck in different places. Other timelines, other worlds and dimensions and they always managed to make their way back. But most of them knew how they ended up there in the first place. Luz found a portal door to the Demon Realm, the Doctor had his trusty Tardis most of the time and Nancy found a doorway that led her to the land of the dead. I didn't have any of that. The only story I could think of that somehow matched up with mine, was that of Violet, where her and her friends go to Comic Con dressed as characters from their favorite book The Gallows dance, end up in the story and managed to get out by completing the story. Sure, they accidentally killed off the actual main character and had to take her place, but those were details. 
     The main character in The Maze Runner was Thomas, but he was not here yet and I definitely do not intend to wait for him to show up. I would find my way out of this place and go home. Now unlike Violet and her friends I don't know every detail of these books, so I'd have to wing it. They had found a way out through the Maze, eventually we would too. All I had to do until then was blend it, survive, do not cause suspicion and maybe nudge the story into the right direction when I did remember something useful. 
     "How hard can that be?" I asked Bark, stroking the fur on her back. The dog looked at me with her big, brown eyes, a little spark of hope entering my body. I could do this. I had to. I had people to return to after all.

~.~.~.