I jolted up, something woke me, but there was nothing around. It must have been a dream, but I couldn't remember the details. I'm in the boys... place?, I stretched and tip toed from the room. I was on my way back to the kitchen when Newt stopped me.
"You only slept for an hour."
"I feel fine," I tucked the hair behind my ear.
"You should sleep more."
"I'm fine," I repeated. "I should help Siggy."
"Actually, Greenbean," Alby came up to us. "I should talk with you."
My heart lurched, whatever it was, it couldn't be good. But how could things get worse? A Griever just attacked us! Alby took me the Gathering hut, as we past the garden, I held back a whimper from inside me. Joe...
"I need to you talk to in private. It was either here or your room."
"Here is fine," I closed my eyes, trying to get the thought of it all out of my head. "What is it Alby?"
"I hate doing this," he told me. "It's like every time I have to talk to you, it's... it's never something good," he sat down in the back row, his legs out in the aisle.
"Alby... this isn't your fault. I... I know you tried," I said the words to comfort him but a part of me did blame him for what had happened, but I would never be able to admit it out loud.
"Well, to start... Lee's still alive."
"What?!," I felt a snap of anger awaken within me. "How!?"
"The griever," Alby shrugged his shoulder weakly. "I guess he slipped away during the chaos."
"So he's here? In the Glade!," I felt violated and anxious. I glanced to the door half expecting him to be standing there waving at me.
"He's in the Slammer," Alby assured me. "He'll still be banished, I promise you that."
"Good...," I sat down the bench behind me and across the aisle from Alby. "I thought... I guess I figured he was one of the Gladers who was stung."
Alby wringed his hands," No," he looked to the floor and bounced his leg. "T-Tucker was hit," it sounded hard for Alby to say it.
Tucker... oh my god.
"Is he gonna be okay?," I asked with genuine concern.
"He... He died last night," Alby didn't look at me.
"Alby, I'm... I'm really sorry. I know he was your friend."
Alby only nodded his head, he sniffled, but I knew tears had came out. He was trying to hide it, play the big bad leader. It must be hard, he has to be strong for everyone.
"Greenie," he sighed, composing himself. "I know what happened."
What happened? What is he talking about?
"Alby?," I shook my had in confusion.
"With you and Jackson. Newt told me."
"I... I-...It was-...," I couldn't find the words. Why did Newt tell him? Now we'll be punished for lying! "Please, don't punish Jackson. Alby, please," I begged him. "I can't let him go through it all again."
Alby looked up to me, his hands intertwined and his knuckles changing color from the pressure of his own grip. Even with his dark skin, I could see the trails from the tears that had journeyed down his face.
"He's gone," Alby confessed.
Gone? Jackson?
"Who's gone?"
"Jackson... shuck," Alby sat back and wiped his eyes with the heels of his hands. "He... He died this morning."
Jackson? Dead? No... that can't be right.
"No, Alby. That can't be right," my voice broke and the salty water built up in my eyes. "Jackson, he's... he's fine. Probably just... doing rounds or something."
Not Jackson... it can't be Jackson.
"Greenie," Alby's voice was painful. "I'm... I'm so sorry."
My breathing picked up," No, no, no, no, no..."
Alby came over to me, placing a hand on my shoulder," I really am... I'm so sorry."
"No! No! NO!," I stood up abruptly. "NO! NOOOOOOOOOOO! NO! NO! NO!," I screamed shaking my head.
"Stay calm," Alby tried to talk to me, but I covered my ears.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO! NOOOOOOOOOOO!," I screamed louder than I ever had before in my life and shook back and forth, my eyes still shut and my ears still covered.
Alby tried to sit me back down but I shoved him away, it was hard and I saw him stumble back against the benches, but my ears were blocked, ringing with a loud white noise. I turned and ran out of the gathering hut.
"GREENBEAN!," he called after me, his voice muffled, but I didn't stop. I couldn't stop. My legs followed a mind of their own and if was like magic that I was in the Deadhead, the trees rushing past me as I jumped over the debris.
"Greenie! Greenie!," I heard a voice call, but I didn't stop.
Not Jackson. Anyone but Jackson. Anyone. Not him. Not him! Please, no! Not Jackson! PLEASE!
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!," I screamed out as I ran faster, my lungs were on the verge of protest.
Then I was there, the edge of the Glade, the corner with my room. A rage washed over me, one I had never felt before, something dark and violent. I turned and ran back into the Homestead, my thoughts were rapidly exploding in my mind as I looked for what I needed.
"Greenie? You okay?," someone asked but I didn't respond. I grabbed the nearest torch and plunged back into the deadhead. I was panting as I reached my room, the sick reminder of what this place was and the twisted way it had ruined my life. I hurled the torched into the doorway, it hit the back wall and landed on the middle hammock, the flames spread quickly.
"GREENIE!," Gally rushed past me into the room, trying to stomp the fire away.
They fire moved quickly, spreading to the walls and then the roof, filling the room and destroying everything. Gally ran out coughing, I backed away slowly, the tears had stopped but the hatred was still there.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!," I screamed again at the burning building, the fire now consumed the dry wood, ravishing every corner. The large thick billows of dark gray smoke escaped into the sky above.
Gally pulled me away and I kicked and struggled," Let me go! Get off of me!"
"Gally!... dear God," Alby witnessed the fire. " GO GET WATER!," he bellowed to the Galders who were drawn in by the smell of smoke and screams.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!," I screamed again throwing my head back against Gally.
"SHUCK!," he let me go and gripped his face.
"Greenie! Stop!," Alby rushed towards me but I turned and ran back into the Deadhead.
It's gone... everything's gone... it's... all... I kept running, the trees blurred with the tears and then I was out. I ran past the animal pens. Past the box. Past the Bloodhouse. I tripped over something, and met the ground hard. My mouth stung and the taste of copper was there. I didn't try to get up, I crumpled into the grass.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!," I screamed again, but it didn't help. "JACKSON! NOT JACKSON!," I cried.
He can't be gone. No! No! No! This place, it can't take him. This fucking hell hole piece of nothing! This nightmare, no. It can't take him!
I lifted my head," TAKE ME INSTEAD!," I screamed up to the sky. "I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME!"
They could hear me, they were listening.
"ARE YOU HAPPY!?," I wrapped my knees close to my chest. "WHY?! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS!?"
That's what they want. That's what this is all about. They're trying to kill me. They want to kill me... This place, these walls, no answers, the rules, not even a name... Lee, the bonfire, Joe and now Jackson.
"JUST KILL ME! JUST DO IT! KILL ME!," I cried.
"There she is!," someone shouted, I looked to the Deadhead. Billy and Aidan rushed to me so I scrambled to stand and tripped again, but got up and ran.
If they won't let me out! I'll escape!
I ran towards the maze, all my training was paying off: Aidan and Billy were far behind me.
"Ben!," I heard Aidan call but I didn't look back.
I was at the edge, the maze was only a few meters away when he tackled me.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO! NO!," I struggled and clawed and scratched, trying to crawl with his weight on me.
"Stop it! Stop!," Ben forced me down, he grabbed my flaying hands and pinned them behind me "Guys help me get her away from here," he grunted from my thrashing.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH! AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!," I screamed under his restraint.
They grabbed my legs and arms, hoisted me into the air and I watched the gateway get smaller.
"NO! Let me go! LET ME GO!," I couldn't shake them and then it all crashed down on me.
Jackson's dead... he's not coming back.
"Ahhhhhh" I howled, more wet streams soaked my face, my muscles went limp, but the boys didn't ease up on their grip.
"Where do we take her?," Aidan asked.
"The Slammer," Billy told him.
I didn't fight them, I just bawled openly as the lowered me into the cage and shut the door.
"You're jacked! Let her out!," Newt came into view and looked like he was about to swing.
"What's happening?," Lee's voice was beside me.
I jumped and moved to the other end of my cell," AHHHHH!"
"You're the jacked one if you think that she's coming out of there," Billy told him.
I fell back onto the wall and curled up into myself, the crying was starting to make it hard to breathe, I coughed and heard myself take such short quick exaggerated sobs, but the air wasn't getting in.
He's here! He's here. He's next to me... he can get me!
"He's gonna get me!," I screamed.
"You can't lock her up!," Newt shouted.
"She needs to calm down," Ben put his hand on Newt's chest.
"BESIDE LEE?! ARE YOU CRAZY!?," Newt was off the rails.
"We can't move him," Aidan shrugged.
"Then move her."
"Where? We don't have endless Slammers, Newt," Ben told him then peered into Lee's cage. "One word. If you say even one word to her, I'll kill you myself," Ben spoke with venom.
"Wow, what a big threat," Lee mocked him. "You're going to kill me anyway."
"Ahhhhhhh," I howled, the pain inside me was unbearable. My heart felt like it was splitting down the middle and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
"Hey... Hey," Newt tried to get my attention but I couldn't move, I could barely breathe. I pushed to roll over so I could face the bars, Newt had his hand reaching for me. "Hey, take a deep breath. Come on, breathe. Don't think about him, focus on me. He can't get you. I got you. I got you, you hear me?"
"Get him out," Zart told Ben to open the door.
"Out? Where are we taking him?"
"The box, we'll lock him in there," Zart told him and they all agreed, dragging Lee away from Slammer.
Nothing would help. Nothing will help!
I didn't work, Newt couldn't calm me down, Lee being gone couldn't calm me done, nothing would work. I cried for hours, eventually it was less dramatic, but it didn't stop. Once I had calmed down, Newt stayed silent, he watched me but didn't force me to talk or explain what had happened. He never left the edge of the Slammer, he stayed with me through the entire day. It was well into the afternoon when Alby came over, Newt had drifted into a nap, but woke up when he approached.
Alby sighed and squatted to look into my dungeon," Greenbean...," he sounded so worried for me.
"Alby?," Newt wanted to know what was happening.
"The fire's been put out," he told us. "It did some damage to the trees, but didn't catch to the Homestead."
"Alby, I know that already," Newt rubbed his forehead.
"Maybe you should go and get some food," Alby suggested.
"I'm not leaving," Newt told him with absolute certainty.
"Greenbean...," Alby shifted his attention. "What happened?
I hiccuped, my voice box was broken, no words would come out. I opened my mouth and squeaked but it sent searing hot pain through my neck.
"Was this all about Jackson?," he asked.
Jackson... Jackson..., I moaned and choked on the air.
"What did you say to her, Alby?," Newt was talking about earlier.
"I told her the truth."
Newt sighed,"He was her best friend. Basically her only friend here, how did you expect her to react?"
"The screaming I understood, but she burned a building down Newt. That's not normal!"
"She lashed out! She gone through so much bloody klunk these past days. Of course she lashed out."
"I know that Newt. You don't think I know that," Alby rubbed his face then turned to me,"Clint is making you some tea, yeah?"
I didn't say anything or move to acknowledge what he had said.
"When can she come out, Alby?," Newt asked. "It's bad enough you had her sitting beside the man who attacked her!"
"Newt, I've thought of everything. I'm trying to get her out of here, but there's a lot that needs to be done... we'll probably have a Gathering an-..."
"No, not a bloody gathering," Newt sounded disgusted. "You can't punish her for this."
"I don't want to Newt," Alby said curtly. "It's the last thing I want."
"I know what the lads think," Newt was getting defensive. "They... They just don't understand."
"I know. Believe me, I know that. I'm holding a meeting before dinner. I'm talking to everyone, we have to go through what happened. All of it."
"Starting with what? What that sick slinthead did to her?! What he tried to do!?," Newt raged.
"Newt, slim it," Alby calmed him with a hand on the shoulder. "I'm starting at the beginning. The whole Glade will know the whole truth."
"When will he be buried?," I pushed through the wounds covering my throat to ask Alby.
"Jackson?," Alby clarified and I nodded.
"Tomorrow," he said solemnly. "Tonight, we're banishing Lee."
"Tonight is not even close to soon enough," Newt said through gritted teeth. "What if the Grievers come back though?"
"They won't," Alby sounded sure.
"We don't know that."
"Even if they do, it won't matter what we're doing, they'll kill us anyway," Alby's tone was harsh. "Jackson, Joe and Tucker all deserve a proper burial. And I can't do that with Lee here, not in good conscience." Alby closed his eyes. "I hope the Grievers tear him apart," he meant it, I could see the rage in his own eyes. Alby never talked like that, he never held a grudge, he was always the bigger person. But not this time, this was Lee's fault and Alby was putting the blame where it belonged.
Clint came over to us with two mugs of tea, he handed one to Newt and another through the bars for me. I didn't reach for so he set it down in front of me, I watched the steam billow away from the hot water and disappear into the air.
"Greenie... How you doing?," he tired to talk to me, but I didn't respond. "Drink the tea, Greenie."
Why? So you can drug me again!?
"Thanks Clint," Newt took a sip.
"Start to gather everyone," Alby told Clint. "I want to start," to which Clint nodded. "I want you there too, Newt."'
Newt shook his head," I'm staying here until you let her out."
"You know you can't do that. As second-in-command, you need to be there."
"You think I care about that?," Newt scoffed. "Fire me. Demote me. You can even throw me into a bloody cell too, I don't care."
Alby sighed," Newt..."
"I'm serious, Alby. I'm not leaving her."
"She'll be safe here and to do what's best for everyone, including her, we need to go over this. We need everyone to understand, like you said... you're her support and I get that... but the Glade needs your support too," Alby left him with that final thought before heading towards the kitchen.
Newt moved over to the cage, his hands gripping the bars, "I'm not leaving," he told me.
"Newt...," my voice croaked.
"No... no it's okay," he tired to convince me. "Alby can do this on his own."
I looked back to my cup of tea, the steam was still there," Newt..," I cleared my throat.
Big mistake! My neck lashed out in serious pain.
"You should go," I squawked.
"I'm not gonna leave you here," he pushed his face up against the opening between the bars.
"I... I want to be alone," I told him, not looking him in the eyes, instead I watched the steam. It was true, I did want to be alone, but if I looked into his sad puppy dog eyes, I would melt and want him to stay.
"You sure?," he asked.
I nodded, sniffling from my runny nose.
"I'll come back later," Newt told me," ... if you want me to," he added quickly.
"Yes," I croaked.
Newt hesitated, I saw him the corner of my eyes, he stayed for a few more seconds at the door to my cell before standing and walking to the kitchen. I let out a slow deep breath, now I really was alone. I lifted my hand and swiped my finger through the hot air coming up from the mug and my thoughts ventured to beyond he Glade. I pictured Jackson how I had always hoped, with his own little family: a wife and kids. Newt and I visiting their house together with our own family, all of kids were friends and played together while we laughed and talked through the night. A single tear fell from my eye, Now it is just a dream. That'll never happen.
How can this happen? How could they take him? Kill him? Why? Jackson was good, too good for this. He deserved better. He deserved a real life, so did Joe. Even Tucker should have had better... And they let Lee live? But why? The only thing that makes sense it to hurt me. It can't just be a coincidence. Everything that happened? No way. And now... poor Jackson... he'll never get to see beyond the maze. He'll never get that life.
Thank you all for the reviews and support! I love it! I do see and read all of your reviews.
For the Guest who asked about it taking a few days to be seen, that is because you don't have an account. Reviews from an account show up instantly.
I know this is not what you all saw happening, and the thought of Jackson dead is gut wrenching, but I've had this idea since I first started writing this story. I hope you keep reading and telling me what you think. Thank you all so much!
