Hello again! Okay, So, two things. Number one: Thank you to the guest who said they had a smile on their face when reading chapter 2 it really made my day and I get so happy when I get comments like that so thank you. and Number two: The idea for the next couple chapters can from lilyflower49 and I wanted to give them credit for this.
I threw some NewtxAlby in there because I love it, just let me know if you like it or hate it. Enjoy!
Newts P.O.V
Weeks passed, Frypan stopped getting upset about Callie coming into the kitchen and started feeding her scraps every now and then. Callie got bigger and started bringing Newt dead birds, or almost dead squirrels, and he started letting her wander more. During the day everyone -with the exception of Nick- would stop at some point and pet Callie or pick her up just to hold her. She loved the attention but always returned to Newt at the end of the day once everyone had sat down for dinner.
This particular day was different, Callie had woken up, stepped on Newt's face to wake him up and they went outside to watch the Runners leave, like normal, and Newt took her to get food, like normal, then started the day off, normal.
Newt had to grab Callie away from the North wall entrance a few times but other than that nothing out of the ordinary happened.
Then Callie disappeared.
Newt wasn't too worried because she often went into the forest but no one that day saw her. Not even at dinner, and that's when Newt panicked. Callie was always in the kitchens before dinner, even if she wasn't there for lunch or another random point in the day. Newt ate in solemn silence, mostly ignoring the boys at the other tables. Alby had sat next to him and poked him in the shoulder.
"You seem very quiet tonight, what's up?" Newt shrugged.
"I probably shouldn't be worried but Callie's missing and I don't know where to look for the bloody cat."
"She'll turn up eventually, she always does right?" Alby pointed out, Newt nodded but he wasn't exactly reassured. Alby noticed. "Tell you what, if she doesn't turn up by tomorrow morning then the two of us will gather some people and look for her, good that?"
Newt managed a smile, "Good that," But then a thought came to him, "What if Callie went into the maze?" Alby tensed but put on a reassuring smile.
"I don't think that even the cat would dare go into the maze, you've told her enough times how dangerous it is." The optimism seemed forced but Newt appreciated that Alby was at least trying to make him feel better, "And a new Greenie is coming up tomorrow, that always cheers you up." Alby bumped his shoulder and gave a genuine grin.
"Yeah, thanks, Alby." Newt said, trying to be cheerful. Right then Minho decided to slide onto the bench across from them.
"Alright ya shank, what's wrong with you today?" Minho asked, "Your bad mood is rubbing off on me and I don't like it."
"The cats gone, hasn't turned up all day." Newt responded, Minho suddenly lost his good mood. He really liked the cat even though he didn't get to see it much.
"Oh, yeah that's definitely a mood killer." Minho agreed, "She'll turn up eventually, everything will be fine. I know you've got an attachment to that little thing."
Even with the reassurances from his friends Newt was still worried. Even though Alby assured him that Callie wouldn't go there, the maze made him uneasy. He'd had to pull Callie away from the entrance multiple times that day for some reason. There was nothing different today about the maze but the cat had seemed attracted to the large openings more than normal. Newt stood and excused himself to get some sleep, but when he went into his hut no sleep came.
He tossed and turned trying to convince himself that Callie would be fine but there was empty space on the pillow next to him where Callie usually slept. Newt thought about the way Callie would curl up against his chest or push his nose down until he moved his head. It made him sad. And then it made him worried.
Eventually Newt gave up on sleep and took a walk around the open space in the Glade. He stopped by the small dirty window that looked out into the maze. He'd only ever glanced through briefly, there were no good memories from that ghastly place. Newt felt a dull throbbing in his left ankle. It had never fully healed since the incident…
"Can't sleep?" A voice behind him asked, Newt glanced over his shoulder to see Alby, he shrugged silently as he turned to face his friend. "I can't either, lots of stuff is going on."
"I guess, it's strange though, the timing." Newt replied, Alby gave him a questioning look. "Callie disappears the night before the new Greenie arrives, it's strange if you ask me." Alby clapped him on the shoulder and shook his head smiling.
"You think everything is strange around here," Alby laughed, "The box coming up, the maze, the beetle blades, everything." Newt let himself smile, it was true, Newt was suspicious of a lot of things.
"Well someone has to think things through and keep all of you shanks safe," Newt said, he slung his arm around Albys shoulder and they both laughed, his smile faded slightly, "What's the real reason you can't sleep? I know it's not because of Callie."
"Oh, I can never sleep much the night before a new Greenie, there's always the anticipation that there might not be one." Alby averted his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck, stepping away from Newt. Newt's arm dropped to his side.
"You good?" Newt asked worriedly, Alby nodded but it was half hearted and distracted. "Hey, what's going in that shuck head of yours?" Newt tried for a smile but Albys sudden shift in demeanor was more worrying than Callie possibly being in the maze.
"Do you think that the Creators are gonna keep sending new Greenies?" Alby asked quietly, Newt wasn't sure, but he didn't want to worry about one more thing.
"I don't know." Newt finally said, "But if they don't that'll be just as well, and if they do we'll keep doing what we already do. Okay, there's no need to worry."
"Right, of course, I shouldn't be worrying you, sorry,"
"Don't apologize, I get it, it's really shucking weird, we know that, but it'll be fine because we have it good here and eventually we will find a way to get out of this bloody place." Alby nodded, Newt put a hand out to pat his friend on the shoulder but Alby hugged Newt instead.
It lasted about two seconds and then Alby pulled away.
"Thanks, man." Alby mumbled, Newt, still slightly shocked by the hug, nodded, "I think I'm gonna go to sleep, night."
"Night." Newt replied, he leaned against the ivy covered wall in a daze and watched Alby walk away. It wasn't that Alby had hugged him that shocked him, no, they had hugged before. When Newt's anxiety started to get him overwhelmed, when someone died and they needed the reassurance that there was someone there, side hugs when they accomplished things that made them proud. It wasn't that at all, tonight the hug felt… different.
The suddenness of it was what made it feel different.
Newt shook himself to clear his thoughts and went back to the homestead, trying once again, to fall asleep.
Thanks for reading! I will take any feedback, good, bad, mediocre, I don't care. Have a lovely life!