26
Nothing had changed. Elle still found herself in the same predicament as before.
The shucking Glader, which she had now learned his name was Darren, continued to hold her. His one remained at her waist and rather than the other covering her mouth, it was now holding the machete to her throat; the blade pressed against her skin.
As much as Elle wanted to scream, she wouldn't. It's wasn't worth her life.
Gally and two other Gladers had joined them a while back. According to Gally three more Maze doors had opened and well, they all knew what that meant. That sparked panic in everyone, as to be expected. No one understood what the hell was going on because it had never happened before. Gally then went on to explain that Grievers stormed the place, seeking out Gladers. He and the Gladers next to him were the few lucky ones that managed to escape and find safety. He locked eyes with Elle as he mentioned a lot of them wouldn't make it to see the next daylight. She knew he meant Newt. He didn't even bother to hide it.
"He's stronger than you give him credit for." Elle defended Newt. "He's been through so much and he's still here. Hell, he's your leader! So don't you sit there and tell me that a lot of them won't make it. Newt isn't weak, unlike yourself and those so-called 'friends' of yours."
"Newt tried to shucking kill himself, Elle!" Gally retorted. "Wake up. Your precious boyfriend isn't as brave or strong as everyone is lead to believe. He has that damn limp for a reason. It wasn't an act of courage, it was an act of cowardice. Alby should have left Newt there to die."
"I know he tried to kill himself!" Elle spat. "He was depressed and Ava saw that. She played with it. Newt was never supposed to be in the Maze to begin with. They had finished their tests on him and the results came back inconclusive. They wanted to rid of him, Gally. But Thomas wasn't going to let it happened. He figured out a way to get Newt in the Glade. He broke a lot of rules in order to do so. When Ava saw him there, she lost it. But like I said, she saw he was depressed and played with it. She planted in his head that he should climb the wall and jump. It was all her doing. Yet, when he jumped and survived, she was intrigued. She suddenly saw potential in him and decided to keep him alive. Think about that next time. He's been through more than enough and he deserves everything good that comes to him. All of it."
Silence swept over them after Elle's speech...well, more so rant.
When she had been in the Council Hall and told to tell everything she had remembered, Elle left out what had happened to Newt with his limp. She didn't feel it was anyone's business and in all honesty, it was a touchy subject and she didn't feel it needed to be mentioned. However, as Gally sat there and had the nerve to call Newt weak, something inside of Elle snapped. She couldn't let him degrade Newt like that. It wasn't right.
"Does Newt know about this?" Gally asked, his voice surprisingly soft.
"No." Elle murmured. "And I'd like to keep it that way."
"Alright."
Elle looked at him in surprise. She hadn't expected him to willingly agree. If anything she was waiting for him to hurry out the doors and announce to the Glade what she had told him. Perhaps there was some good in Gally, it was just shoved deep, deep down there.
Everyone froze as the sound of a Griever bellowing filled the air. It sounded so close. The cries of Gladers followed. It was a common occurrence within the however many minutes they had been held down here. Elle didn't want to imagine how many Gladers had fallen victim to the hideous monsters. It pained her to even consider it.
Darren's arm tightened around her. Elle grimaced. Her noise burned from the smell radiating off of him. It was enough to make her vomit right here and there, on top of the fact he was just disgusting to begin with. There was nothing remotely appealling about this guy, as awful as that sounded.
Elle didn't have much fight left in her. She felt drained of energy. Her arm continued to pain, though it was now more of a dull ache. She couldn't move it; let alone touch it. Even in the dim light she could see the bruises beginning to form. As for the tears, she had cried until there was nothing left. She cried about Newt, she cried about Thomas, Minho, Chuck and others. She cried about the situation she and Teresa were forced into. She cried about pretty much everything. Her dried tears caked her cheeks and soaked the top of her shirt.
She could just imagine how she looked, not that it mattered.
"We can't stay in here forever." One of the Gladers spoke out. "There has to be somewhere else."
"This will have to work for now." Gally told him. "We don't have a lot of options."
"We'll figure out something later." Alex chimed in. "For now we stay put and keep quiet. We don't want to draw any unwanted attention to ourselves."
"I know, but..." Elle stopped listening, for she wasn't interested in the conversation between Gally, Alex and the other Gladers. The only one not talking, aside from her and Teresa, was Darren. He hasn't said much, not that Elle was complaining.
Her mind drifted back to Newt. Was he okay? Did he manage to make to safety before a Griever got a hold of him? She could only hope. Elle couldn't begin to imagine what things would be like if she lost Newt. Even the mere thought caused Elle's chest to hurt. Like physically hurt. She had to push those exact thoughts to the back of her mind. She had faith in Newt. It was the only thing keeping her sane.
All of a sudden Elle felt cool hands brush against her hip. She jolted in her spot and moved away from the unwanted touch. Elle craned her neck to look up, only to find Darren staring down at her with a smirk on his face.
"Don't touch me." Elle hissed.
Darren responded by pressing the machete more into her throat. He leaned into her ear.
"It's not fair that Newt gets to have you all to his self." Darren taunted, nipping at her ear. "Sharing is caring, remember, love?" He mocked the endearment Newt had given her.
Just as those words left his mouth, Elle felt his hand dip under her shirt. She stiffened as his hands skimmed her stomach, traveling all the way up towards her chest. She wanted so badly to slap his hand away and shout at him to get the hell away from her, but the machete digging into her neck was a painful reminder with how much power he had over her. Elle could feel tears trickle down her cheeks, though they were more out of frustration than anything. She had never felt so violated.
Newt's touch was so loving and tender, whereas Darren's was painful and callous.
Just as his hands were about to reach her bra, Gally glanced over and once he took notice in what was going on, he actually intervened. Elle had never been so shocked in her life. He went straight for the machete and tore it from Darren's hand. He then went for Elle and twisted his fist in the collar of her shirt and lifted her up. Before she could question it, Gally literally tossed her behind him. Elle scurried to her feet and curled up next to Teresa. They hugged each other. Elle rested her head on her shoulder and let out more tears; tears she didn't even realize she had.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Gally shouted at Darren. "You had no right touching her the way you did, you sick shuck. This was never part of the plan."
Darren opened his mouth to respond, but Gally cut him off.
"Alex!" He called out. "Come help me."
Once Alex was on the opposing side of Darren, Gally spoke.
"Hold him down."
Elle turned away, not wanting to see what they were going to do. She couldn't stomach it. Teresa held her close and rubbed her hand up and down her back in a soothing manner. Elle's gaze flickered over the other Gladers, particularly the one who hadn't spoken much. She wondered why he agreed to be apart of this, for he didn't seem to be enjoying it at all. He almost looked pained by it.
As she stared at him, the Glader peered over and they locked eyes. She watched in confusion as he lifted a finger to his lips, motioning for her to be be quiet. She furrowed her brow, not understanding where this was going in the slightest. He then gestured to the door and began slowly moving.
Elle alerted Teresa to what was going on. Seconds later, once making sure Gally and Alex were still distracted, the girls made their way towards the Glader. He stood on the step and slowly cracked the door open. He motioned for them.
Teresa went first. She didn't need any help at all. Next was Elle. She had just grabbed Teresa's hand when she heard movement behind her, followed by a 'hey!' The Glader helping them sprang into action. He placed a hand on either side of Elle and hoisted her up. Teresa pulled her the rest of the way. Once her feet were securely on the ground, they turned to the Glader to help him. Only he had closed the door.
"Run!" He shouted at the girls, waving them away.
Elle hated to leave him to face the wrath of Gally and Alex, but there wasn't much they do in terms of helping. So they took off towards the Council Hall, for it was the closest. As they ran, Elle took his time to take in the state of the Glade. Buildings were up in flames, while others had collapsed and were now nothing more but a pile of wood. The Glade was unrecognizable and it pained Elle to see it in this state. Something the Gladers had worked so hard on, gone in matter of minutes.
Elle focused her attention back on the Council Hall, her eyes peeled to the door. As she watched it, all of a sudden a group of Gladers exited. Elle's gaze locked onto Newt, who was alright and seemed unharmed. Just from the sight of him she felt a surge of energy. Elle picked up her speed, for she wanted nothing more but to be in the arms of her guy.
Teresa and Elle didn't even have time to react when suddenly an arm shot out in front of them. Teresa just narrowly missed it, whereas Elle wasn't so lucky. Her nose collided with the hard flesh, causing her head to snap back and her to fall in a heap on the ground. The wind was knocked out of her as her back slammed into the ground. Pain flared in her nose.
As Elle tried to regain her breath, she felt a warm liquid seep from her nose and down to her lips. She choked as it entered her mouth, the metallic taste gagging her. The person who had hit her took this as a perfect opportunity to climb on top of her. They straddled her waist, making it impossible for her to move; once again. As they did this, their knee happened to graze her sore arm. Elle spluttered out, spitting blood in her attackers face. Coughs racking her tiny frame.
The pain itself caused Elle to grow nauseous. It took everything in her not to vomit.
Elle finally peered up to see who was responsible. She soon found herself staring into the familiar face of Darren. He had the usual smirk plastered across his face and a mischievous glint in his eye. Reaching over, Darren gathered the machete once more. He pressed her against her throat and leaned in, his smelly breath fanning across her face. She resisted the urge to gag.
"Where's that boyfriend of your, huh?"
Elle mustered the nastiest glare and directed it towards him.
"Fuck you."
"Watch that dirty little mouth of yours," He taunted, using his free hand to tug at her bottom lip. "Or else I'm gonna have to find other ways to keep you quiet. As a matter of fact, I can think of one."
"Get up."
A familiar voice surfaced, their voice emotionless.
Elle looked passed Darren and saw it was Newt. He stood next to them, his eyes trained on Darren. He held a machete; the blade pressed into the back of Darren's neck.
Darren raised his hands, the one holding his machete. Newt never wavered, his posture rigid. Darren rose to his feet, his eyes flickering over to Newt's.
"Drop the weapon." Newt ordered. "Now."
The weapon was dropped next to Elle. She gulped.
"What? You gonna feed me to the Grievers?"
Newt moved the blade to Darren's throat, pressing it in more until skin broke. A few drops of blood trickled down his neck, onto his shirt. Darren winced, but said nothing.
"Trust me." Newt spoke, his voice deadly. "You're gonna wish I had."
Elle leaned over, coughing and choking up the blood that had dripped into her mouth. She attempts to refill her lungs, which are burning like never before. It even hurts to breathe. Elle sneaks a peek over at Newt, only to see his retreating back. She watched as he led Darren into the woods.
But why? What was he going to do? What did he have planned?
All of a sudden she felt a pair of arms gather her up. Elle peered up to find it was Thomas who held her. Elle relaxed and holds on to him for dear, though is careful not to graze her injured arm up against him. Thomas used the sleeve of his shirt to wipe the blood from her nose. Elle was surprised by the sweet gesture and how it didn't seem to bother him in the slightest. Nonetheless, Elle started to think of how he might be her brother and if roles were reserved, she would have done the same.
Elle felt him press a kiss to the crown of head. They stayed there for a few more minutes. Elle finally felt safe, something she hadn't felt during this entire ordeal.
"Chuck!" Thomas called.
In seconds Chuck emerged, moving to stand beside him. His eyes shifted between Thomas and Elle.
"I need you to take over." He explained.
"Alright."
Soon Thomas was replaced with Chuck. Chuck didn't really know what to do. So he just settled for patting her back awkwardly and muttering some words in hopes of soothing her. Unbeknownst to him, he was actually doing a better job. He was making her laugh and that was the best medicine of all. She snuggled more into him.
Thomas took off into the woods. Minho, Winston and Fry darted after him. She knew they were going to see what Newt was up to and she couldn't help but wonder herself. She wanted to believe that Newt wouldn't hurt him, but there was a look in his eye that told her otherwise. Darren had hurt someone he loved and she knew that wouldn't sit well with him.
But what was his idea of punishment? This was Newt she was talking about. Newt who was always calm, collected and rational. He was their leader. He was the love of her life and her best friend.
"Come on, Bell." Chuck stood up, bringing Elle with him. "Lets get you patched up. I'm sure Clint and Jeff are around here somewhere."
Elle nodded. She let Chuck lead the way.
THOMAS'S POV
He stopped dead in his track as he drank in the sight before him. It was something he never would have imagined. Especially from Newt.
Darren was tied to the tree, his hands pinned behind him. His head hung forward, as blood dripped from the side of his forehead. Thomas didn't want to assume the worst, but with what he was seeing right in front of him, it was making things a bit difficult.
Newt was on his knees, facing Darren. His elbows were propped up on his thighs while his hands were buried in his hair. His head was bent forward, leaving Thomas unable to see his face.
"Newt." Thomas spoke out with caution. "W-what's going on?"
Newt didn't even flinch. He remained a statue. However, as Thomas started to approach him, he could finally make out that his body was shaking. A soft whimper reached his ears. Thomas quickened his pace and kneeled in front of Newt.
"Newt, what's wrong?" Thomas asked, concerned for his friend.
Newt straightened and glanced up. Thomas frowned when seeing his eyes glistening with tears, as they trickled down his cheeks. Newt wiped his eyes immediately and Thomas could only guess it was because he didn't want his fellow Gladers to see him in his state.
Thomas knew he was bound to reach his breaking point. It was only a matter of time.
Newt cleared his throat, his eyes peeled ahead.
"When I saw this bloody bastard," Newt gestured to Darren. "On top of Elle, I lost it. I wanted to kill him, Tommy. I had never seen her more terrified and all I could think about was taking away her pain. That's all I cared about; that's all that mattered."
Thomas clasped Newt's shoulder, offering support.
"So I took him out into the woods and knocked him in the head with a shovel." Newt explained. "I tied him to the tree and I was ready to kick his bloody ass; to make him pay for hurting my Elle."
"So why haven't you?" Thomas wondered aloud.
"It's wrong!" Newt exclaimed, shaking off Thomas's hand. "You and I both know that! I shouldn't be doin' this. My head is clouded with anger towards this Slinthead. I'm not thinkin' straight."
"Newt, you've been through a lot tonight. Hell, we all have." Thomas hated how hard he was being on himself. "Our Glade was attacked by Grievers and we lost some Gladers; some friends. On top of that, the girl you love was hurt and you reacted in the only way that made sense at the time. Don't hate yourself for that. Elle wouldn't want you beating yourself up over this."
"Every time I close my eyes, I see that bastard with his hands all over her and it drives me bloody mad! How am I supposed to look at him everyday without wanting to kill him myself?"
"Just think, Newt. Minho and I are sure we found a way out. We might not be here much longer. Every time you feel the need to kill him, think about that. And most importantly, think about Elle."
"You're right, Tommy." Newt stood up, brushing the dirt off his pants. He looked towards Thomas and offered him a small smile. He opened his mouth to say more, only he quickly closed it as his gaze flickered passed Thomas.
Thomas whirled around. However, he didn't even get the chance to understand what was going on before a fist appeared in his line of vision. Seconds later he felt a sharp pain and he fell backwards from the impact, his head smacking against the ground.
Thomas looked up and saw Gally hovering above him.
Great.
This took me a long time to write. I hoped it sounds okay. I wanted to have this play out differently than the book/movie. I want you guys to see Alex for who he was truly is and how much of a dick head is he for treating Elle the way he did (and lets not forget Darren). And Newt finally reached his breaking point (we all know this was bound to happen eventually).
Anyhoo, let me know what you think!
You guys are awesome (in case you didn't already know) :)
Thanks! Xoxo