Maze Runner Moments
Newt watched in horror as the doors began to shut. NO! He cried inside his mind. This can't happen! Minho's not back yet, no! Despite his internal protests, the doors continued on their path.
A murmur went through the gathered crowd. It was a rare thing for Runners not to be back before the doors closed. The occurrence made everyone uneasy.
Suddenly, someone yelled out. ''There!'' A finger pointed into the gloom. In the darkness, Newt could just make out two figures, one dragging the other. His heart leapt into his throat. What if Minho's hurt. What if he got stung! Oh God, Minho please be okay. Please. I need you to be okay.
As the pair came closer, Newt could see that it was the Asian who was dragging Alby. Minho's alright! It was Alby who was injured. The Brit felt some of the weight lift from his shoulders.
Newt watched in despair as the doors continued to close and Minho struggled to drag Alby down the home stretch. Come on, Minho. He silently encouraged. You can't leave me now. Please Minho!
The doors were closing quickly, too quickly. They weren't going to make it. ''COME ON, MIN!'' Newt shouted desperately, his cry getting lost among the others filling the air.
Newt watched Minho give one last push as the gap narrowed further now only just wide enough for a person to fit through. They're not gonna make it.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw what Thomas was about to do, just before he did it. Newt made a grab for Thomas' shirt but it was too late. The Greenie was through the gap and into the horrors of the Maze.
The doors closed with a final bang and grind to cries of sorrow from the Gladers. Newt closed his eyes in hopelessness, his breath catching in his throat. I couldn't save them. My friends are most likely dead now because I couldn't save them.
Upon opening his eyes, Newt realised the other boys were looking to him. He sighed. ''Free time. Head to bed in an hour or so'' They nodded, taking his orders without question, and dispersed until it was just Newt and Chuck left before the doors.
''You okay, Newt?'' The boy asked, his brown eyes soft and gentle. The Brit hesitated before shaking his head. ''Not really. But I gotta be for these stupid shanks'' Newt sighed as Chuck nodded, his brown curls bouncing. ''Are you okay, Chuck?'' The leader asked, running a hand through his own sandy blonde hair. ''I know that new Greenie was your friend''
Chuck shrugged before replying. ''His name's Thomas, and nah, not really'' Newt nodded slowly, placing a consoling hand on the younger boy's shoulder. ''Hey it'll be okay, Chuck. They'll be there when the doors open in the morning and we'll all yell at them for giving us such a bloody fright but secretly we'll all be happy they're alright'' Newt lied and Chuck nodded. ''Minho wouldn't let them die out there'' The boy stated with confidence. Newt managed a small smile. ''Exactly''
''Well thanks, Newt. I hope you're right'' The boy began to walk away, calling a farewell over his shoulder. ''I'll see you in the morning''
Newt watched as Chuck headed towards the kitchens, disappearing inside the makeshift building. The Brit then turned his gaze to the darkening sky and the familiar stars that were slowly appearing. Sighing, he sat himself down in the grass in front of the doors that had sealed Minho's, Thomas' and Alby's fates not too long ago. It was all sinking in now. Why? Why Minho? Oh God, no…
He reluctantly returned his gaze to the inky sky above him, dotted with small pinpricks of light. Please let him be okay. Newt wished silently. He has to be okay. I can't do this without him.
Newt wasn't sure how long he sat there silently wishing for Minho and the others to somehow be miraculously alive and well the next morning. It felt like both an age and only a few fleeting seconds simultaneously since the closing of the Maze doors and the sealing of his friends' fates. However hard he wished Newt knew deep down the likely truth.
Finally, he pulled himself to his feet and hobbled towards the bunkhouse. Most of the boys were there by now, which showed just how long Newt had sat staring at the stone doors.
The Brit crossed the hammock room to the two doors at the back, opening the left and stepping inside the room beyond. He was suddenly hit by a wave of nausea as he regarded their room. His and Minho's.
Newt stumbled to the bed, letting the door swing shut behind him, and collapsed on to the rumpled sheets. He grabbed Minho's pillow and inhaled the Runner's scent. ''Please come back to me Minho'' He whispered, a lone tear trickling down his cheek and soaking into the cloth. ''Please. I can't do this alone''
That night, Newt cried himself into a very fitful sleep full of dark thoughts and terrors of the night.
The next morning, when the sun rose, all the boys were up and fed. Some began going about their work but most just sat in the grass and waited for the moment the great Maze doors would open.
Newt couldn't bring himself to leave his room. Perhaps if he never left the doors would never open. Perhaps the moment he had to accept Minho was never returning would never come.
Fifteen minutes before the doors were due to open, Chuck knocked lightly on the door accompanied by Frypan. Newt stirred inside the room; not wanting to leave the familiar scent, his dearest memories and the safety that came with them. ''GO AWAY!'' He screamed, his voice hoarse. ''I DON'T WANT TO BLOODY KNOW!''
''Newt, please'' Chuck tried to reason with the Brit. ''Just come out. Please''
Inside the room, Newt was curled into one corner, his knees pulled up to his chest and his face streaked with tear tracks. ''I'm not going'' He called, voice weaker this time.
''Please'' Chuck begged.
''The boys need you, you're the leader now'' Frypan added. Newt slowly lifted a hand to wipe his cheeks.
''Please'' Chuck added.
''I'll come out when I hear the doors open'' The Brit promised, not finding it in his heart to refuse the young boy.
On the other side of the door, Chuck nodded, his curls bouncing. ''Okay. But you better be there!'' He called, retreating back outside, Frypan following, and leaving Newt alone with his thoughts once more.
The Brit slowly unfurled from his curled up position and rose from the floor. Immediately, he stumbled and had to lean against the wall for support, his bad leg stiff from his previous position. Reaching for the glass of water on the table, he took a few sips to sooth his aching throat then hobbled to the bed, sitting on the edge and silently dreading what was to come.
Newt rested his elbows on his knees and placed his head in his hands. ''Stupid, stupid'' He muttered to himself. ''Can't let them see you like this. Stupid'' He ran hands through his shaggy blonde hair. ''Think what Min would say if he saw you like this. God he'd be so pissed'' At that thought, the Brit smiled slightly. ''He would hate to see you hurt. Do anything to cheer you up. Remember when…'' Newt slipped into fond memories of his time with Minho.
Roughly fifteen minutes later, the doors groaned as they began to open and Newt jolted from his hazy state. He sighed and emerged from his room, crossing the bunkhouse and blinking rapidly as he stepped into the sun.
The Brit hobbled across the grass to join the congregation of boys gathered before the doors. A few boys patted him on the back as he pushed through the crowd to the front, offering words of comfort that didn't help Newt in the slightest.
Chuck greeted the Brit with a small smile, much dimmer than normal, when Newt finally made it to the front. The older of the two offered a small twitch of his face that was more a grimace than smile in return.
As one, the rag-tag group of Gladers fell silent in the face of the wide open doors.
A few minutes passed and the boys began to grow restless, conversations sprung up wherein many discussed the fact that no-one survived a night in the Maze. Newt tuned it all out. He couldn't, wouldn't entertain any other possibility other than that Minho was alive. He had to be.
Just as people began trailing away, a figure moved in the shadows. Then another. Two boys dragging a third between them. Newt felt his heart soar. They'd done what no-one else had done before them. They'd survived a night in the Maze.
''LOOK!'' Chuck yelled, pointing into the gloom of the Maze. A great cheer rose from the gathered boys as they spotted the three staggering out of the Maze. Minho and Thomas stumbled over the threshold into the Glade and two other Gladers caught the unconscious Alby.
Immediately, Chuck attached himself to Thomas' side as the others carried Alby towards the hospital building. Minho stumbled over to Newt and fell into the Brit's relieved embrace. Newt buried his face in Minho's neck and breathed in the familiar scent, squeezing the Runner tightly. Minho gripped back with just as much ferocity, burying his own face in Newt's blonde hair.
Distantly, the two boys were aware of the other Gladers wandering away to give them privacy but were ultimately too wrapped up in the joy of each other to notice properly. ''I thought I'd lost you'' Newt whispered into Minho's black hair.
''Never'' Minho replied, voice hushed. ''I promised I'll always be here for you, so here I'll be'' The soft words brought a warm smile to Newt's face as he pulled away to rest his forehead against Minho's. ''I love you'' The Brit uttered, smile still in place.
''And I, you'' Minho replied, leaning in to slot their lips together in a tender kiss.