Author's note ~ Hope you enjoy.
After a moment of debate, he pulled the doors of the box down, turning the thick metal lever and locking them in place from the outside.
At least he'd know where to find the bastard.
Survival in the glade meant that there was always something that needed to be done. While each new recruit was designated a task once they had been evaluated for their personal merits and strengths, there was a lot of crossover. Washing laundry, chopping wood, fetching water and what not; while essential to every day life, no special aptitude was necessary to do these things. And everyone rotated, each given a day or two off from their normal job every week or so to lend a hand in the day to day upkeep of the glade. As well as to get some much desired free time. As Newt had the day free from his normal task of running the maze, he did his best to spread himself out a bit among the other boys. He helped the cooks stow and organize some of the newly arrived supplies, spent some time weeding, gathered some wood to add to the pile. The sun was just dipping behind the walls as he dumped his last load onto the wood pile. Swiping the sweat from his brow, he made his way back to the cook hut. He was bloody starving.
He scanned the faces around him as he waited in line with his bowl, trying to pick Alby out of the crowd. They really needed to talk about the new greenie, and decide exactly what they were going to do with him. They'd given him the better part of the day to himself, left him in the solitude of the box. Now it was time to try and pry him out of there, bring him topside. Put him to work.
Once he had his portion of today's dinner (Stew? I think it's stew today.) Newt wandered through the benches occupied by ravenous boys shoveling down their food. Finally spotting his target leaning against a support post on the outskirts of the group, Newt sidled up beside him, leaning on the post as well, putting them shoulder to shoulder.
"Any progress with our new greenie?" Alby asked between bites.
"Nnnnnnnghhh," Newt swallowed his own mouthful before trying again. "Not so much." He filled Alby in quickly as to the happenings after the leader had left, spitting it out as fast as he could before the retelling could sour his appetite. He could feel his stomach starting to churn again as he told of how the man had pulled himself free and stubbornly shoved another spoon full of food into his mouth. He'd lost a meal already today, he refused to lose another. By the time their bowls were empty, Alby had been fully caught up. The darker boy rubbed a hand over his face, across the back of his neck as he tried to think his way through the unique situation.
"So he just won't budge? And, you said he can't talk. What do we do with him?"
"Shuck if I know." Newt threw out, "There's lots of us and only one of him. We could get a couple others and haul him out, if it comes to it. As of right now, though, he's closed up tight in the box, safe and sound. He's uncooperative so far, so he'd just be spending the night in the pit anyway, yeah? I say leave him in the box tonight, see how tomorrow goes. I'll take him some food, see if I can convince him to come out of his hole. We'll take it as it goes. Feel like joinin' me?"
"I think I'll leave it to you. I'm the one who pulled him off the first bolt, he's probably not feeling too terribly friendly towards me at the moment."
Newt shrugged nonchalantly, straightening up from the post and heading back towards the food hut. He'd take some to the greenie, maybe snag a blanket for him. Little things, but maybe the little things would help to show the greenie that he needn't be afraid of the gladers. He'd learn in time that there were other, more horrible things to fear.
"Hey Newt?"
Newt turned, looking back as Alby stepped up to his side. The darker boy lowered his voice a bit, leaning in to speak for Newt's ears only.
"Be careful, hey? You never know what a guy in this kind of situation is going to do. Have one of the other guys hang close enough to holler at, and," Alby pressed a hunting knife into Newt's hand, "take this. I'd rather you not need it, but...just in case." Alby gave Newt's shoulder a bolstering squeeze, then headed off, disappearing quickly into the crowd of loudly talking boys. Newt rolled his eyes a little, but stuck the knife through his belt. Just in case.
Darkness fell quickly in the glade, shadows rapidly over taking the woods and fields, turning green to gray to black. Walking briskly in the small circle of light cast from his lantern, a candle in a glass jar, Newt reached the box just as the first stars began to wink on. The builder he'd snagged to keep an ear on things, Dan, helped him to muscle open the lock bars on the doors, and to heft them up. Newt crouched down, peering into the shadows of the box.
"You awake down there greenie? Ready for a bit of company?"
Silence.
"Right, then. Coming in."
Newt hopped down into the cavity, Dan helpfully passing him the light, the bowl of food, the rough blanket Newt had managed to scrounge up. Considering his duties duly done, Dan wandered off a few steps and flopped on his back in the grass, close enough to hear a yell for help, not close enough to hear a normal conversation. The man greeted Newt with a casual two fingered salute from his position on the floor. Newt was really quite surprised to find the man in the same spot, slouching in the same position he had been when Newt had left him in the late morning. While he couldn't understand it, Newt didn't bother to ask - it's not as if he'd get an answer anyways. He held the bowl of food out in front of him.
"Brought you dinner."
Silence. Staring green eyes.
"It's not as bad as it looks, and it fills the hole."
Silence. Staring green eyes.
Sighing, Newt set the bowl down beside the greenie, lowering himself into a cross legged position in front of him. "Look, I know you can't talk, but this one sided conversation is getting a bit tedious, yeah? I'm not really sure how you can respond without words, but do try and have a go at it, would you? Otherwise, I feel like I'm talking to the shucking wall."
The man let out a little snort at that, lips curving upwards into a faint smile. Encouraged, Newt tried again.
"So, still not hungry. Got it. Still not ready to leave this bloody box?"
A head shake. No.
"Alright then. Do you know your name yet?"
The guy's eyebrows furrowed, he looked at Newt with confusion. He nodded his head in a way that left Newt with no doubt that the man found the question very odd indeed.
"Well, usually it takes a day or two before a new guy remembers his name. Just the way it is 'round here, fact of life. I'd rather call you yours than keep calling you greenie, but how'm I supposed to figure it out if you can't tell me?"
A full eye roll this time, and a motioning gesture. Come on.
"You want me to guess? Yeah, I can do that...let's try this." Newt held his right hand out to the man. After a long, considering stare, the man reached out and took it. His palm was a little calloused, and quite warm. "Tap my hand with your thumb for your answer, two for yes, one for no. Got it?"
-tap tap-
Newt grinned. Sitting in the soft glow of pale yellow light, he felt like they might actually be able to communicate.
"So, your name. Is it...Marty?"
-tap-
"Brian?"
-tap-
"Andrew?"
-tap-
"Well, I kind of doubt it's Mary..."
The guy squeezed Newt's hand roughly at the last guess. Newt winced a bit at the pressure, but couldn't stop the smirk that crossed his face. The guy looked decidedly amused himself at the poor joke. They sat together amiably, the skinny boy and the silent injured man, playing their rudimentary guessing game until the darkness of night lay thick over the glade. In the complete absence of other light, the two sitting face to face in the stingy glow of a single candle could have been the only two people left in the world.
"Hey Newt. Don't you think it's time to call it a night?" Dan yawned loudly from just outside the box.
"Yeah, probably should. Be right up." Newt called back. He unfolded himself from the floor and stretched; stiff from sitting on the metal surface for so long. "You'll be fine sleeping in here tonight, greenie. There's a blanket if you get cold, and you've still got food there, whenever your stomach decides to come back to you. We'll have to close the doors for now, but I'll check on you in the morning, yeah?"
The man gave a small smile, reaching over to the cold metal bowl of food beside him. He picked up the spoon from the dish and tapped the rim of the bowl, twice.
-tap tap-
Yes.
Newt nodded, grinning a little. He reached down to pick up the candle jar and was just turning to go when he heard a rapid tapping on the dish, harsh and loud. Turning around, the man was looking intently right at him. He pointed at Newt, then gestured for the boy to come closer, pointing at Newt's right hip.
"Greenie? What is it?"
The man pointed again, made the come here gesture again. Thoroughly confused, Newt looked down at his hip. And the knife, clearly visible, caught the last bit of light from the sputtering candle. Newt put his hand on the grip of the knife, looking up sharply and taking a quick step back.
"You don't need a knife, greenie. You're safe here in the box, nothing can get to you in here."
A finger pointed at the knife, a hand was held out. Please.
"Why the bloody hell would you need a knife?"
Staring Newt straight in the eye, the man lifted his left hand to the bandages at his throat. He wiggled the fingers of his outstretched hand, imploring.
"No." Newt snapped. "No, I won't be giving you the knife, greenie. Life in the glade may not be a picnic, and it sure as hell ain't easy, but it's a far sight better than the alternative. Once we're pried your ass out of here, you'll see."
-tap-
No.
Newt turned his back on the man, hopping up out of the box in one fluid, angry motion. Dan, waiting sleepily, helped him drop the heavy doors back into place, securing them tightly. The faint rippling light gave Newt one last glimpse of the man, slouching below them in silhouette in the box. His knee pulled up to his chest, his hands covering his face, the very picture of suffering. A sculpture of anguish. Newt lifted the light higher, until the man below him faded into the total black of the night. He walked briskly back to camp and his waiting hammock, Dan clomping off to drop into his own. He knew he needed to get some rest; he was running tomorrow. As the night burned on towards another day, Newt's last exchange with the man kept running through his head.
"It's a far sight better than the alternative. Once we're pried your ass out of here, you'll see."
-tap-
No.
Author's note; Hmmmmmmm.
~Ruby