The Runner - A Newt FanFic

The New Greenie

'Aida...Aida...I'm sorry'

'THOMAS!' I scream. That's when I hear the slow rumble of chains. It's dark but I can just make out my surroundings. I'm in a small box. A cage-like box.

"Hello?". Silence. "HELLO?". Nothing. "HELP. LET ME OUT. LET ME OUT!". Anxiety crawls up my spine and I have trouble breathing. Calm down, think, I say to myself. Address the situation. Where are you? In a box. Where to? Worry about that later. What time is it? Unknown. Look around you. I look around and notice the towers of boxes that surround me. I tried to stand to get a better look, but fall quickly, due to the dizziness that flows through my whole body.

I hear a slight snort from one of the boxes closest to me. As I lean in closer a large creature charges towards me, making me jump back.

So, I'm not the only living thing in here. I keep looking. Below my feet is a dark, endless black and lights flashing. Wait... I'm moving. Upwards. What's up? A wall is coming up ahead, but the box is not slowing down. I'm going to die is all I'm thinking; the thought tightens my throat and makes it even harder to breathe. Calm down, stay focused I tell myself. I need to decrease the impact of the crash. I look around and find large amounts of rope and blankets. And... cans. Well huge cans big enough to hide behind. I crawl behind them as fast as I can, grabbing a bundle of blanket and putting it over my head. I squeeze my eyes closed as hard as I can, bracing myself for the impact. But nothing happens.

What's going on? I slowly, carefully move past the large cans to see what's going on, when the wall at the top opens, screaming white light into my face. I scramble back, moving into the furthest corner possible.

"Hey, where's the Greenie?" a low voice barks. Greenie? Greenie? What the fuck is a Greenie?

"What, there's no Greenie?", another voice said. Both sound male.

"Did you not hear me? There's no Greenie!" the low voice again. Must have a short temper.

"Well look around", another voice said. Male, again, yet softer than the others.

Oh no. oh no, oh no, oh no. What are they going to do? I just woke up in a box going nowhere and then these men are snooping around trying to find Greenie with the possibility of finding me. Jesus, why?

Thud, Thud and Bang.  Oh God, oh shit someone's here.

"You in here, Greenie?". Greenie...Must be a person... but who? "Hello?". The powerful feet move in my direction. Oh my God. My heart is racing three million miles an hour. What will they do if they find me? What's going to happen? He starts moving things around; the ropes, boxes and blankets, and slowly making his way towards me. Kill me now, Jesus Christ. "Yeah, there's nothing", the guy announces. Oh, thank God. I let out a sigh a bit too loud, but I don't think they noticed.

"Did you check behind the cans?", the soft voice asks. It sounds a little British, but he hasn't spoken enough for me to know for sure.

"What?" the low voice says.

"The cans there." Yep, British.

"Where?"

The British guy sighs.

"Let me look". Oh no, this is worse. No, no, no, no please just go away.

There's the sound someone moving up and another coming back inside the box. JUST LEAVE ME ALONE.

Just then, the cans start moving getting closer and closer towards me, bringing in more light. I tried to move further away but I couldn't. I was trapped. Helpless. The cans kept moving away until I was fully exposed. I closed my eyes as the cans stop moving. I felt someone looking down on me, but I didn't dare look. He let out a gasp and so did a few others. It sounded like there were many of them. Geez, how many are there?  Out of foolish curiosity I slowly open my eyes. A boy stands over me, shock and confusion written all over his face. He looks almost as confused as I most likely do. Why is he looking at me like that? I look up and see yet even more boys. Great. They look shocked too. Have they never seen a girl before?

The boy standing over me walks over cautiously and crouches down. He approaches carefully as though I am some wild beast. I probably am through his eyes.  "Hey. Do you remember your name?", he asks. He was the British guy. He had dark eyes, almost black but they weren't a cold kind of black colour; they were a warm kind that you could get lost in for hours. His hair is a dirty blond from dirt being rubbed in it. His clothes were just as dirty, and he smelt pretty bad.

I must have been silent for a while because he looked at me in a strange way, as though he had been waiting for a while. My name...what is my name?...why can't I remember anything? What's going on? I couldn't breathe. I guess me trying to stay calm isn't working anymore. The boy seemed concerned and reached out to touch me, but I slapped him, kicking him out of the way, in an attempt to find an escape out of the box. But I was surrounded. By boys. No girls. Just boys. Where the hell are the girls? Or am I the only one?

"Hey, calm down", the British boy said from behind me, trying to get back up again. Oh no. You have to move. But be smart. Think about this. I looked up at the boys. They seemed unbalanced. Unprepared for a fight. I look around but slowly, so they won't be suspicious. The boy had stacked the cans up near the entrance of the box. I'll have to be fast. I look back at the boy who just got back on his feet and was heading towards me. Now or never.

I jump up the cans and start running up to the top of the box. But some boys are quick and try to reach for me, but I punch and throw them out of my way and keep running. Some are following me and shouting. "She's headed of the maze", "GET HER!", "THE DOORS WILL CLOSE SOON!". I don't have a clue what they are talked about, all I'm focusing on is the large door-thing up ahead. If I can make it through there in time I might be safe. I take one quick glance around me: some boys are gaining up on me on the left, some on the right and a whole pack right behind me. Shit. I run faster. I feel the air burning in my lungs and my sides gaining stitches. I don't know what they'll do to me, or what I am doing. Or what is going on. Or why I can't remember even a simple thing like my name. But I keep running. I'll find a place to hide and think there. Finally, I make it past the doors. They're ginormous figures and look more like walls. I keep running for a while until I realise, I can no longer hear the sound of footsteps anymore. I slow down so I can hear better. Nothing. I come to a complete stop and look behind me and see all of the boys lined up the edge of the doors-walls-whatever they are. What the fuck is going on? I slowly walk back, trying to make out what's happening. Is there a trap? I have no clue. But someone breaks away from the crowd. "No, Newt!" some of them shout, but he turns around and gives them a reassuring look. It's the British guy; Newt. "Hey", he says. He's only a few metres ahead of the rest but from the looks on their faces, he's already in a very dangerous place. I step back a little, unsure of what's going on.

"No, trust me, you don't want to do that," he says, edging only the slightest bit closer. For some reason I stop, but I'm still cautious about him. What does he want?

"Ok, listen, we don't want to hurt you. Just come over this way before it...happens", he says slowly. Before what happens!?

 

"Just come over this way and quickly, alright?". Do I trust him? I look behind me, then at him. He seems sweet and generous, but is this all an act? Rely on your instincts. Think. I take one more look behind me. The huge stone walls covered in moss, then at him and the boys again. There must be a reason they're avoiding this place. I gradually make my way back through the opening and the boys seem to be happy and give a sigh of relief. The British boy, Newt I think they called him, walked by me and said with a grin "welcome to the Glade".