Flower in Ruins Chapter 3

Later that night, Newt led Emmalyn to his room in the Homestead where he told her she could sleep for the night until they found her another place to stay.

She asked if he would be joining her, but he only shook his head and gave her a smile saying that he had some business to take care of and that he'd see her in the morning.

So that was how she found herself laying underneath the wool blanket that covered Newt's bed as she tried her hardest to shut her eyes and fall asleep.

The long candle that Newt had lit burned brightly in the darkness of the room and cast a faint golden glow over everything.

The wind was whipping through the land that night as rain pounded hard against the window.

With every burst of lightening that cracked across the sky, she found herself burying herself deeper under the covers trying desperately to forget the storm outside.

Just as she thought she was going to drift off to sleep she bolted upright as she heard the door to her room open and Thomas appear in the shadowed doorway.

Her breath caught in her throat as he stepped closer to her, his face half hidden by shadows.

The only thing that she could see was the way the dim light made his chocolate brown eyes light up through the darkness.

As he stepped closer, she could see that his lips were in a firm line and his brows were furrowed in confusion.

"Thomas?"

She said hesitantly noticing that there was a slight shake to her voice.

"Why are you here?"

He said as his deep voice barely contained the anger that wanted to rise to the surface.

Emmalyn found herself moving farther away from him as he inched closer.

Giving a slight shake of her head her blue eyes met his for the first time.

"I don't know. I can't remember anything…"

She said as Thomas studied her with a blank expression.

He knew in his heart that this girl was not Teresa. And this was not the same situation that they had in the Glade.

This girl was different.

She was smaller and her pale features made his breath catch in throat.

But only for a moment.

The truth that her eyes held made no difference to him as his anger began to build.

"I know they sent you here for a reason. Why the fuck are you here?"

He said as his voice raised a few octaves making her cringe.

"I said I don't know. Now leave me alone. Or I'm going to tell Newt."

She said as she tried to keep her voice even as she felt tears prick her eyes.

Thomas stood there in silence as he watched her eyes begin to glisten in the candlelight.

"I will never leave you alone.

And Newt won't always be here to protect you.

I know you're here to ruin everything.

And I'm going to find a way to stop it."

He said as his voice dropped down to a whisper.

Emmalyn stared at him blankly as she tried to figure out what exactly he was thinking she did.

"I didn't…I haven't done anything…I'm just a nobody. Why won't you leave me alone?"

She pleaded as tears began to fall from her eyes.

Thomas felt a pang of pity for the young girl and thought for a second that maybe he was blowing things out of proportion.

But that feeling quickly ebbed away as his face set into a hard glare.

"She came here for a reason.

And she died for it.

Now they send a fucking whiny teenage girl to take her place.

Let me be clear.

You will NEVER be her.

You're just a worthless piece of shit that just happened to show up.

If you know what's good for you you'll shut your mouth and go back to where you came from.

If not, I can't guarantee that you'll live to see the next few days."

He said as his stony gaze fixed on her face.

Emmalyn was speechless.

Who was this girl that he was talking about?

And why did she die because she came here?

Just as she was about to ask, Thomas stalked out of the room and slammed the door so hard that it almost came off its hinges.

Left alone with the angry words and veiled threats that the brown eyed boy made, she slumped onto the bed crying pathetically into Newt's pillow.

Why was she here?

What did she ever do to deserve this?

Thomas was right though.

She was worthless.

She would never be good enough for these boys.

As she drifted off to sleep, the same thought ran through her mind like a broken record.

I'm worthless. Thomas is right to want me dead.

I will never be good enough.

Newt raced down the hall as he heard Thomas leave and he hoped to whatever higher power there was that the young girl that he had taken such a liking to was still alive and well.

As soon as he reached his room, he swung open the door only to find Emmalyn fast asleep.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he quietly made his way over and kicked off his boots before he blew out the candle and slipped into bed next to her.

Wrapping his arms tightly around his new greenie, he vowed that he and the others would protect her from the wrath of a man scorned.

Thomas was out of line and everyone knew it.

Yet no one could think of how to approach the situation.

Teresa had died only a month ago and Thomas seemed to be dealing with his grief through anger.

Newt's grip tightened on the small girl as he silently promised her that he'd confront Thomas tomorrow about his behavior and let him know that if he would not leave her alone then something would have to be done.

Laying a gentle kiss on her forehead he drifted off to sleep as he dreamed of the girl with the long blonde hair and her smile that warmed his heart.