The Only One (Newt || fanfiction)

Chapter 30

The air was cool, but smelled like old leather and dust.

On and on we went, the seemingly never-ending tunnel. Maybe it was, maybe we had to travel 100 miles in complete darkness. Maybe not going insane was the challenge.

Not knowing what was going to happen next and the endless possibilities weren't scary, they were frustrating. It made me angry that I was just being shoved through different obstacles and tests. I felt absolutely powerless. But I had to control it. The Ratman had explained that every single thing that comes in our way for the next few weeks, is all intended to happen. Everything they throw at us, they throw for a reason. And that is our reaction, the change in our brain patterns. And even if it is small, I will do everything in my power to rebel against what they want from me by not giving it to them in any way.

But sometimes I question if that's really even possible. What if doing exactly that- rebelling- was giving them more. It seemed practically impossible to avoid giving them what they wanted and keeping myself and who I loved alive at the same time.

I became so torn on the subject, it started to feel like it was literally ripping my brain in half. I started to try to ignore it, and focus on what I was doing.

The darkness was almost tangible, like thick blackness coating our vision.

I had one hand interlocked with Newt's, and one hand in my pocket. The only way I could keep myself together was concentrating on his hand.

But, eventually our hands got sweaty, and concentrating on that was starting to drive me insane because it was uncomfortable. I slipped my hand out of his and walked closer next to him. He put his arm around my shoulders and I put my arm around the back of his waist.

I couldn't see anything, and all I could here were shoes against concrete. But suddenly, intense whispering filled the tunnel and it seemed to have come from up ahead.

Minho shouted for everyone to stop and then said, "Did you guys hear that?"

I hadn't heard anything, but was now straining to listen.

I barely heard a mere whisper of a voice, not able to understand one word of what it said. I concentrated even harder, and within in a minute the voice spoke again. I caught a few sounds, but not much.

Eventually after straining my hearing and concentrating so hard it made my head hurt, everyone heard it, "One chance deal. Go back now, you won't be sliced."

"Won't be sliced?"
"What's that mean?"
"He said we can go back!"
"We can't trust some random shank whispering in the dark."

I tried to just ignore it. Our only option was to move forward, and any fool would know that this isn't anything but a trick. And anyone who says otherwise is just a coward lifting his hopes too high.

I felt Newt squeeze my shoulder, and then Thomas shouted to Minho up ahead, "Just keep going, I can't take this much longer!"

I completely agreed and took a step forward. But Newt held me back.

"Wait a minute." Frypan, "The voice said this was a one chance deal. We have to at least think about it."

"Yeah," someone else butted into the conversation, "maybe we should go back."

"No way, remember what that guy at the desk told us?" This was Thomas, supporting his argument, "That we'd all die horrible deaths of we go back."

Frypan pushed, "Well what makes him any more in charge than this whispering dude? How are we supposed to know who to listen to and who to ignore?"

"The voice is just a test, I bet. We need to keep going," Thomas said. He knew he was right. I knew he was right.

"He's right," Minho said from up front. I'm surprised he hadn't said anything yet. "Come on, let's go."

He barely said "go" when the whispering man let out even more threatening words, "You're all dead. You're all going to be sliced. Dead and sliced."

Even though I didn't really believe what this mystery shank was saying, he scared me. I moved closer into Newt and he accepted it by pulling me in, probably for his own comfort too.

But no one said a thing. You would think these words would persuade the Gladers to want to go back even more, but they were speechless.
Soon enough, everyone was moving forward again.

"Do you think this is it?" Newt whispered after about an hour of walking.

"No. It hasn't even been a full day yet," I whisper back, although it feels like it's been a year.

"Yeah, well..." Newt seemed to sort of trail off.

"What?" I whispered.

After a moment he replied, "I just want to see your face again."

"Have you already forgotten what I look like?" I ask, trying to be humorous, give us a little fun.

"Please. I would never. I could never. I just miss it," he says it so quietly, barely audible.

"How did you make it those few weeks in the Glade after I left?" I laughed.

"I didn't make it. I barely survived it," he said. I was only trying to make a joke, but the pain in his voice hurt me.

I grabbed his free hand and put it on my cheek.