Rise || Newt Fanfiction

3 || Alby

Dawn had finally broken.

     The sun rose slowly in the east, casting a warm glow over the maze and allowing the presence to be slightly more welcoming. A light zephyr tickled my skin, the morning air still crisp from the night. Thomas had set a light pace, which was easier for me to follow, since the threat of death wasn't lingering nearby. Minho had mentioned that Alby was the leader of their group, and that he was the first person to enter what they called the glade. Because of Thomas, they had survived the night.

     Minho was only a step or two ahead of me, glancing back every once and awhile, no doubt to make sure that I hadn't collapsed somewhere. Now that light shone down on the maze, I saw that the walls weren't quite as narrow as I had first thought, but they were certainly higher. The vines covered more than half the wall creating the illusion of a cramped corridor. The rest of the wall was bare, making it impossible to climb to the top of the wall. It made me feel trapped and claustrophobic.

     Thomas led us around another corner, finally slowing down to a comfortable walk, leading us to a wall of heavily covered vines. He glanced up, cupping his hand to shade himself from the morning glare. Thomas stopped to wait for Minho and I, his black hair slightly pasted to his forehead as we approached, his face betraying the look of exhaustion.

     "Is that Alby up there?" I asked, pointing at a large, leafy, green mass hanging high from the wall, hardly visible unless you knew where you were looking. "How'd you get him up there?"

     "With the ivy and the lack of help from Minho." Thomas said, giving his friend a lopsided smile.

     "Hey!" Minho shouted, pointing at Thomas. "In the maze, it's every man for themselves."

     Thomas reached inside the wall, pulling out a vine of ivy which trailed from Alby's body. I threw my back against the wall, eager to take some pressure off all my injuries that I had managed to sustain last night. My mind drifted to the maze that seemed quieter during the day, as though it was resetting itself after the events of last night. For now it had stopped moving; the groan of the cogs subsiding for the moment.

     The silence made me uncomfortable, like something was still lurking in the maze, waiting for the right time to strike. "New girl!" Minho shouted, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Wanna give us shanks a hand?"

     Despite my many questions about their use of vocabulary, I hesitantly walked over, every ache and pain begging me against it. I took the last of the ivy from Minho and sighed. "My name is Abi, by the way. "

     Minho looked over at me, giving me a curt nod. "That's probably what the 'A' stands for." He said, gesturing to my tattoo.

     I looked down at my arm, as though it could give me the answers itself. Every fit of ink I felt like, told a whole other story. I looked up, catching Thomas' eyes, they looked just as unconvinced as I did. He was questioning everything too.

     "On the count of three, slowly release your grip on the vine." Thomas instructed. Sweat dribbled through the vines holding Alby up creating a small puddle on the ground. I gripped the vines tightly, unsure of whether or not I'd be able to hold his weight. "Ready?" Thomas glanced back over his shoulder, looking at Minho and I for confirmation. I gave Thomas a shaky nod, gripping the vine tightly. "One, two, three."

     I gave some slack to the vine, the leaves of the ivy brushing my palms as it slid through. Alby was heavier than I had prepared myself for, my muscles already starting to tremble. And with the intensity of last night, I was surprised I hadn't collapsed yet. As Alby got closer to the ground, I began to see the severity of his condition. He wasn't just sweating, he was drenched in his sweat, clothes clinging to his body.

     The African American boy had lost the colour to his face, a grey tinge evident underneath his skin, giving him a sickly complexion. Alby's legs hit the ground first, folding in on themselves as the rest of his body struggled to find the room.

     I let go of the vine, following Minho and Thomas as they approached the fragile looking man. I took hold of his legs, stretching them out, so his body wouldn't cramp. 

     Thomas unravelled the vines from around Alby's torso. A large deep puncture hole made itself visible as the rest of his body became more exposed from underneath the ivy. Black lines travelled up his arm and disappeared under the sleeve of his white shirt. The wound had blackened around the edges, prominent even against his dark skin.

     Minho slung one of Alby's arms over his shoulder, and with the help of Thomas they lifted his limp body off the ground. "Where to now?" I asked, looking down the maze corridors. They all looked the same, it would be so easy to get lost in here.

     "Take the next right, and then another right and the glade will be there." Minho said as they struggled to carry the weight of Alby's body through the maze. With every passing step, I could see Alby's condition getting worse, his body trembling, his breath shallow and his eyes wouldn't stop rolling around inside of their sockets.

     My own body was shaking with a mixture of relief and nervousness bubbling through my veins. I found my mind wondering as I walked through the maze, trying to piece together some of the things that happened. After the traumatising incident last night, I was only left with more questions and no answers.

     Minho and Thomas heaved Alby around the last turn. I would offer to help, but I felt weak enough as it was, anymore lifting and I wouldn't be able to go on. A large group of silhouettes crowded around the entrance, but behind them was a field of luscious green grass, with tall trees lining the boundary in front of the maze walls. The blue sky seemed to stretch on beyond the maze; it was truly a beautiful sight, until I tuned back to reality.

     "Hey guys! It's Thomas and Minho, they're back with Alby and...someone else?" I could distinguish another male voice, child like, but I couldn't identify the source.

     "What is that?" Another voice asked.

     "It's a girl, you slinthead." An additional voice responded, the sound of heavy judgement pouring from his voice.

     I cast an anxious glance towards Thomas, the feeling of entrapment and claustrophobia settling in, as the aisle grey walls seemed to close in on me. Thomas did his best to give me a reassuring smile, understanding flooding his eyes as we got closer to the exit. The pain my body was experiencing moments ago, faded to a dull ache as the sense of perplexity and anguish took control of my nerves.

     The three of us stopped, my feet only steps away from being on soil and not eh hard surface of concrete. I scanned the huddled crowd, noting that each and every one of them were male, varying in age. All eyes were on me; blue green, brown hazel. Each of them as shocked as the other.

     "Shanks," Minho addressed them, "This is Abi." Minho gestured to me, urging me to step forward so these shanks, could take me in.

     "Un-freaking-real." A short, slightly chubby kid with a mop of dark curly hair smiled at me.

     One of the taller boys with blonde hair and a small limp stepped forward, raising his eyebrows at the situation posed in front of him. He ran his brown eyes over Thomas, Alby, Minho and I arms folded over his chest. "What the bloody hell have you done now, Tommy?"

~€~

I know it's been a pretty slow start, (and this chapter isn't the best.) but bear with me guys I promise it'll get better. This is only the beginning!