Liar [Maze Runner Fanfiction]

eleven

"I'm hanging on the edge of the world. I'm clutching to a string, and my life is crumbling down." - The Pretty Reckless, Superhero

~

Newt

White. That was all he could see. Stark white seemed to go on for what seemed to be an endless expanse of space.

It was a soft, muted blankness. Not blinding, but pure and strangely calming. There were no edges or walls, nothing that hinted at any substance at all.

He looked down, and was surprised to find that he had no shadow. He was wearing all black, making him look like an ink splat on white paper.

"Hello?" he called out into oblivion. Nothing answered. His voice seemed to disappear into the white void, sucked into nothingness.

What happened?

He remembered running with Minho, then something shooting out; a blade, whirring and clicking, then darkness.

As he pondered over the details, a sound caught his attention. It was a quiet, liquid sound, like the rush of water slowed down. He turned, and gasped.

A dark, humanoid shape was standing at his left. It was wispy and fluid; black ink in water. It twisted it's long, slender body around and it's faced stared right at him.

Then it changed.

It became shorter, more human, with baggy clothes and messy, downy hair at the top of its head. Occasionally, trails of feathery ink separated itself from the main body, floated up in the air like smoke, and then settled back down again.

Another appeared, this time on his right. It took on the shape of a girl, it's smooth, featureless face was framed with two pigtails. Newt backed away, heart thumping. He tried to stay calm, taking deep breaths.

The two figures didn't seem to notice him. They faced each other, and the girl spoke. Her voice were clear and pure, and he estimated it was that of a six year old. A hint of sadness tinged her tone as she spoke to the boy.

"Promise me you'll come home?"

The boy's voice was deeper, starting to crack.
"I will, sis, I promise."

Newt could tell that he was lying. His heart pounded in his chest as he watched the scene unfold.

"Good luck saving the world," the girl cried, throwing her arms around the boy's body.

The figures changed, the boy was older, taller, his shoulders broader. He was facing a girl, another one, this one around his age.

"I love you, Ella," his voice was choked with tears. "But you've changed. You're a monster," he reached up to touch the girl's face but she slapped his hand away.

"I haven't changed," she hissed, "you're just blinded! This is for the greater good."

He shook his head. "I'll keep on loving you, whoever, whatever you are."

The world, quite literally, tilted. The floor seemed to slip out from beneath Newt as he found himself crashing onto the ground. He desperately tried to grab the floor, but the steep incline of the ground was pulling him across, sliding down the flat plane.

A silvery, mirror-like pane was inches from his feet. It shimmered, it surface rippling.
The smooth surface slipped from his grasp. He found himself falling, falling through the silver screen.

It didn't feel uncomfortable, just strange, icy droplets prickled at his skin, and a thousand small pins and needles ran around his sides.
He felt his feet slam onto the ground. He regained his balance, almost toppling over, and looked around.

It was a wasteland. Tall metal buildings loomed overhead, it's skeletons stripped of cement. Rust was eating away the metal, making everything terra-cotta red. Hot, dry wind swirled around him, and a merciless sun was beating down. The air smelled faintly of smoke and rotting things.

Then he heard it. Giggling. It was a child's laugh, high pitched. It sounded deranged, uncontrollable.

He looked around, panic rising in his chest. Then he saw her.

A small girl, wearing two pigtails. They were lopsided and messy, blood and dirt rendering the blonde a filthy brown.

She limped towards him, covering her mouth with a small hand. Her eyes blazed with manic amusement, and her laughs seemed to be getting more and more demented.

His heart skipped two beats. He knew this girl. It was the first girl, the one who hugged him, his sister.

Cassie.

The name teased him at the edge of his memory.

He mouthed the name silently, as if testing how it sounded. Fear coursed through him as she approached him.

"Say my name, brother!" she shrieked, her voice slightly muffled by her hand, "I double dare you!"

He could only stand there, shock and pity spreading over his mind like a virus. He couldn't think rationally, his thoughts replaced by a blank buzzing.

"Say it, you sissy!" she giggled, pigtails bouncing, "don't you remember me?"

She lurched to an abrupt stop a foot away from him. Her wide, brown eyes were filled with unhinged glee as she stared up at him.
Her eyebrows furrowed, as if confused at his reaction.

"Do you remember me now?" she demanded, and removed her hand from her mouth.
It was missing.

It looked like most of it had been carved away with a sharp knife, then burned. In place of her lips were two shiny and taunt pieces of skin, raw and red. Her chin was blackened and stretched tight against her jaw. Pieces of white bone showed through.
Newt felt bile rise at the back of his throat as he scrambled back, trying to put as much distance between him and his sister as possible.

His sister.

How did she end up like this?

"I'm a Crank, I'm a Crank, I'm a Crank!" she screamed. She was so small, so short, yet Newt felt as if she was ten feet tall, looming over him like a monster.

"C-Cass?" he stumbled, his heel brushing against a rusted fallen scaffolding.

"It's all your fault!" she screeched, her tiny fists balled up, "you were too late! It's your fault I'm like this! It's all your fault!"

She threw herself on him with surprising strength. He flew backwards, landing on the sharp rubble on the street. She grinned down at him, baring her teeth, and laughed.

"My name is Cassie, and I'm a Crank!" she recited gleefully, eyes rolling madly. "And my brother is going to die!"

~

and now, the weather

Hopefully you've enjoyed this chapter! It's not something I do often (Newt's POV, trippy as hell.) I wanted to give as much insight into Newt's Changing as possible, because it will greatly affect the events that will unfold in the next few chapters.

And, holy sh*t, Newt's sister! I wanted to add this so much into the story, and I wanted to make it as disturbing as possible (the Changing ain't easy, shanks,) so I really hope it was up to par with your expectations.

I'll be adding more of Newt's POV chapters, and will write what's going on in the Glade as well, so expect some exciting future updates!
Again, don't forget to follow, vote, comment (they seriously help!) and thank you so much!