They Don't Own Me

Chapter 19

"Help!" a voice screamed.

Newt looked up from his work, surprised by the sudden shout. He scanned around the Glade to try and find out which Glader was screaming their head off. Just as Newt's eyes landed on the forest, Thomas broke through the tree line, Ben close behind him.

Ben tackled Thomas's legs, bringing them both to the ground. Newt grabbed a shovel and ran toward them, the rest of the Glade doing the same. Once Newt was close enough, he swung his shovel, hitting Ben in the head. The boy fell off of Thomas, groaning. Newt quickly knelt down and grabbed his arm. Gally and Frypan helped him in holding the struggling boy down.

"What are you doing?" Newt questioned the wild Runner.

"Calm down, Ben," Gally tried.

"What the h*ll happened?" Frypan asked, glancing at Thomas.

"He just attacked me!" Thomas told them.

Ben began to calm down a little but was still shaking. Alby pushed his way through the boys that had gathered and stared at the boy. Ben turned his head and spotted the Glader leader looking down at him.

"No," he muttered. "No."

"All right, lift his shirt," Alby ordered. "Lift his shirt."

Ben struggled against the Keepers holding him but it was no use. Gally lifted his shirt to reveal a hole in his stomach, black veins spreading from it. Most of the boys gasped in shock and horror at the sight. Ben's chest heaved up and down in fear.

"Please," he begged. "Please."

"He's been stung," Gally said as Alby knelt beside him. "In the middle of the day?"

Ben whimpered, asking, begging, for help.

"Put him in the Pit," Alby told the boys. "Everybody, help. Take him to the Pit."

"No!" Ben grunted over and over again, struggling harder.

"Med-Jacks!" Newt called.

Clint and Jeff stepped forward, helping to lift Ben off the ground and carry him away. As they walked to the Pit, they tried to calm him down to the best of their abilities.

"He did this!" Ben was crying. "Please stop! Listen to me! Please!"

The Gladers ignored his cries, knowing the poor shank was jacked. When they reached the Pit, Newt pulled open the door. The five boys had a little trouble getting Ben into the Pit but eventually succeeded. Gally shut the door quickly before Ben could escape and tied it shut. Ben grabbed the door and shook it, growling when it wouldn't budge. Frypan and the two Med-Jacks walked away, heads bowed in sadness.

Gally and Newt stared at Ben for a few more minutes. The jacked boy struggled against the door for a minute longer before backing into a corner of the Pit. He knelt down and burst into tears, hands on the side of his head as he cried.

~

"Wonder why the shank chose to attack the Greenie," Gally commented. "I mean, the guy's practically defenseless."

"Except he managed to almost beat you last night," Newt replied with a small smile.

Gally rolled his eyes.

"What was he doing in the forest anyway?"

"Zart and I sent him to grab some fertilizer. Ivy offered to go with him and-"

His eyes widened as his words died in his throat. Gally seemed to realize what Newt was saying and the two sprinted away. They searched around the Glade for the Greenie, eventually finding him with Alby and Chuck. Chuck was the first to notice them.