WILL HE ➳ THE MAZE RUNNER

EIGHT

WILL HE
CHAPTER EIGHT

Newt continued to look wistfully out across the glade, an uneasy feeling settling itself in the pit of his stomache. He watched the boys he'd come to know so well bustling about finishing off their long day, smiles etched onto their faces, making the most of their unfortunate situation.

He sighed casting his sights onto his boyfriend, Ernest appeared like the perfect picture of health to anyone who happened to look at him. However Newt couldn't help but frown, that uneasy feeling only growing whenever he thought about Ernest.

He knew he was lying about being okay but it wasn't the fact he'd lied that bothered him. He wanted to know why. Laughter and indistinguable chatter filled the glade giving Newt a shred of comfort. Rolling out his shoulders he got up and advanced towards the homestead where he saw Ben lingering. Narrowing his eyes in concern he approached him.

"Everything alright Ben?" He asked trying to keep the obvious worry from showing. He was somewhat succsessful but Ben still noticed the glimpse of anxiousnness seeping into Newts posture.

"Considering the circumstances everything couldn't be better Newt." Ben smiled reassuringly, trying his best to put Newt's worries at bay. Instead it just annoyed Newt who wanted an awnser for Ben's strange behaviour not blatant reassurance. Deciding to not push and annoy Ben back Newt gave him a weak smile walking past him into the homestead and settling down for the another long night of restless sleep.

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Ernest woke with a start, sweating profusely terrors that were plaguing his dreams coming back to haunt his memory. He looked around confused when he heard someone speaking, voices, calling to him. Deciding to investigate he walked out of the homestead following the faint whispers that beckoned him into the darkness. Ernest didn't realise he'd closed his eyes until he walked face first into a concreate wall - more specifically the concreate surface of the maze doors.

Startled he took a step back taking in the place his subconscious had carried him. Ernest gaped in shock as he took another step back. the doors had begun to open, his eyes widened at the sight before him. All of his friends, his boyfriend, were littered across the barren space that equated to the opening of the maze. however the gladers bodies were all sticking out in odd angles, blood strewn everywhere.

Ernest's breathing became evermore rapid as he reached up to touch Newt's lifeless corpse, tears overflowing from his eyes. he jerked as someone touched him, grabbing the stranger by the wrist Ernest threw him over his shoulder, grinning in satisfaction as he heard the loud thunk of the strangers back hitting the floor.

"It's your fault," the stranger screamed at him a sadistic grin twisted on his face - scrambling back to his feet.

"No - no this was you" Ernest cried, disbelief clouding the strangers accusations. He charged at the said stranger and slammed him into the wall, driving the blade he was now clutching into his side.

The rush of screams hit Ernest like a slap to the face as his nightmare dissolved around him. He clawed his way back to reality dropping to his knees and clutching his head in his hands to drown out the loud noise around him. He tried in vain to ignore the sticky wetness on his hands, to ignore the cries of pain Gally emitted as the medjacks rushed him off, to ignore Ben's attempts of snapping him out of the shock he seemed to be permanently fixated in. If he ignored it, it didn't happen, he repeated this over and over out loud not caring about his current onlookers.

Newt's face was contorted in pained confusion as he watched the boy he loved mutter to himself out loud whilst slightly rocking back and forth. He didn't want to admit it to himself but in this moment Ernest looked as if he is completely stir crazy. Newt trusted Ben who currently trying to calm Ernest down besides they were good friends so he did the one thing he knew best and started to lead. He took on a posture and appearance of authority, kindly but sternly telling the rest of the boys to disband from the huddle around Ernest and carry on as they usually would. thankfully the gladers respected Newt and immediently did as he asked.

He glanced back at Ben who caught his eye the look of fear plainly visible on his face, what the hell was he supposed to do. Ernest had attacked Gally so surely that meant he had to be punished but Newt knew and could see that this wasn't really Ernest, he wouldn't do that, not in any sane frame of mind anyhow.