Hey guys! It's been a while. Thank you for all of the reviews/follows/favs! I appreciate them so much! Anyway, here is the new chapter and I hope you all enjoy it!
Newt was glaring down at the weeds he was picking. It had been a week since his incident in The Maze and he had gotten out of the Med-Jacks care a few days ago. His ankle still wasn't healed, in fact it hurt to walk on it. He had this awful pattern. Step with one leg, then drag the other. This meant no more running for him. He could barely even walk, let alone run. That meant he was trusting his precious Runners in the hand of... Minho. The thought made him shudder. Great.
Besides his physical state, his mental state wasn't too good either. He often changed moods quickly, and he was usually sulking. If he wasn't sulking, he was usually alone.
"Newt, you okay?" Zart said from where he was plowing, after seeing Newt fit of rage
"I'm fine," Newt snapped
"Kay, man." Zart said defensively "Just holler if you need me,"
"What makes you think I need anything let alone anyone?"
"I didn't-"
"Whatever," Newt rolled his eyes pulling a clump of weeds out of the dirt.
Zart gave him a sympathetic look
"Would you stop looking at me?" Newt said feeling somewhat self conscious.
"Sorry," Zart said, continuing his work.
Newt hadn't been communicating well with anyone since the incident, especially not Alby. He hadn't spoken to him since their run-in after he had jumped.
He continued to weakly pluck at the weeds he was picking, not bothering to fully uproot them. He stood up dropping the clump full of weeds in a bag.
Zart eyed him "Where are you going?"
Newt continued to walk away, his leg dragging limply behind him.
"Newt, c'mon. Just tell me where you going, man," Zart pleaded.
Newt just continued walking, and dragging and limping.
"Newt!" Zart dashed in front of him gently placing a hand on his chest. "You know I can't let you go anywhere unsupervised,"
Tears pooled in Newts eyes as he tried to push past Zart.
"Newt. Maybe if you tell me where your going I'll let you go..." He bargained firmly placing both hands on Newts small shoulders. Newt finally using the last bit of his strength, collapsed to the ground and stared at it blankly.
"Newt, man, c'mon. You know it's for your own safety-"
"My own safety?" He muttered, his face turning red "My own safety?" He said again "I can't believe that you just said that, Zart." He laughed bitterly and sarcastically "My own safety,"
"Newt?" Zart said, confused my Newt mood.
Newt stood up, a lot quicker than he thought he could. "My safety?" When he stood up straight he was a lot taller than Zart. "How could you say that putting me in a cage, even smaller than the one I'm already in, will keep me safe?"
"But Alby said-"
"Screw Alby! Screw you! Screw everybody!" He screamed "I don't give a damn,"
"Newt please try to understand-"
"You try to understand! I know why your doing this. I know why everybody is doing this. Why your doing this, why Frypan stands over my shoulder when I eat, why Alby won't talk to me, why Minho makes sure I'm never near the maze. It's because nobody trusts me. They think I am bloody suicidal. They think I'll put poison in my food, or slice myself with the slicers knife, jump off a wall for heavens sake! Do you want to know why I jumped, Zart?"
"Newt I-" Zart began feeling very uncomfortable
"I don't care if you want to know or not. I'll tell you anyway."
Zart looked at him, chewing the heck out of his lip.
"See this thing here?" He pointed to his head "It's called a head. Inside this head, is something called a brain." He said sarcastically.
He sat down uneasily in a makeshift chair. "A brain is something that everybody has. Only smart people use it. I was using my brain when I realized that there is no way to escape. I used my brain when I climbed up the wall because I knew nothing else was going to kill me. I'd just sit in this hellhole, do a bunch of pointless work, try to create a world that humans aren't meant to live in, and simply rot. Every blood day of my life, I am rotting. We're all dying. There's no way you can survive in the world. There's no way out,"
"Newt. Of course there's a way out. That's why Minho and the Runners work so hard. Your just giving up."
Newt promptly bit his tongue feeling blood pool out of the cut. He forgot that not everybody knew about The Maze being completed. Only The Runners, Alby, Nick and of course himself knew.
"Zart, we've been looking for two bloody years. We haven't found anything. What makes you think we'll ever find anything?" Newt questions firmly, placing his elbows on his knees.
"I can't just give up, man. None of us can. We've worked so hard for everything we've got, and I'm not going to let any of that to to waste," Zart said picking his plow back up.
"I hope you realize none of this 'hard work' will bloody matter in a few years. We'll all be dead. I don't want to die in here, but I know it's inevitable,"
"How? You'll never be able to help with The Maze again so," Zart said, not trying to sound as cold as it did.
Newt shook with anger. "Whatever," he muttered trying to keep himself from punching Zart or breaking anything.
Zart offered him a hand "Come on. You have to finished picking the weeds, and I've got a job to get done."
"Zart. I have picked my weeds for today and I am leaving," Newt stood up
Zart firmly grabbed his arm "I already told you Newt! I. Can't. Let. You. Go. Unsupervised. Now, tell me where your going!"
"Let me ask you a question. Why don't you go ask Alex why he is heading to the homestead? Doesn't he have work to do?" It was almost sarcastic
"Newt, you know that's different!" Zart said quietly
"How? Zart, tell me how?" Tears were threatening to spill over his eyes. "How is Alex going to the homestead any bloody different from me?"
"Newt please. Just come pick weeds."
Newt folded his arms after roughly ripping it out of Zart's iron hold.
"You know what? I'm going to go get Alby," Zart said
"No!. Newt screeched "Get anybody but Alby."
"Too late," Zart said gently putting his hoe down.
Newt was up in no time, picking a small knife up out of the ground. Newt was also forbidden to touch, hold, carry, ect, any weapons.
The knife was pushed up to Zart's throat. Newt had pressed him to the nearest wall, ignoring the sting from his leg.
"Zart. I don't have to tell you where I'm bloody going if I don't want to. I will go...wherever I'm going...and if you have any objections, then I will personally kill you right here, right now."
"Newt. I don't think your thinking straight. C'mon, get off, and I'll let you go,"
"That's the thing, Zart. You won't let me go. I know you too well." He brought the knife even closer to the others neck.
"Newt where did you even get that knife?" Zart shuddered as the cold weapon grazed his neck.
"I don't have to tell you that either," Newt said
"Alby!" Zart yelled
"Don't you dare!" Newt hissed. Trying to stick the knife threw Zart's head. Zart dodged it, and the knife was lodged in the tree.
"Nick!" Zart said again, picking up is plow as he dodged another swipe.
Newt suddenly collapsed to his knees and placed his hands in face. He sobbed for a few minutes.
Zart moved slowly towards Newt.
"I'm sorry," Newt sobbed "I'm so, so sorry
"Newt?" Alby said jogging over with Nick at his heels. Both of their expressions were blank, especially Alby's.
Newt curled in a ball, still sobbing.
"Zart, what did you do?" Nick accused "You didn't talk about..." He lowered his voice "his leg, did you?
"No... Well, we sort of got into an argument. Then he threatened me with a knife. And I called you guys," Zart paused "he's been acting like he was stung, even though we know that not a possibility since..." He broke off "I think that he just needs some rest. He's just a bit whacked from what happened,"
Nick rubbed his temples in exasperation "Oh, I'm surrounded by morons!" He closed his eyes and breathed evenly "Alby. Go get the med-jacks." He ordered pinching the bridge of his nose.
He heard Alby's footsteps go further and further.
"Everyone go back to work!" Nick shouted "there is absolutely nothin' to see here!" He sighed as all the other Gladers dispersed. "Zart please make sure they all go back to work? I need some tea..."
"Do we even have tea, sir?" Zart questioned innocently.
"I don't care, Zart. Just get back to work," Nick sighed as he walked away muttering something about 'senseless slinthead's' and 'idiots'
"Newt?" He though it was Jeff...or maybe Clint...
Newt just curled up tighter ignoring the stabbing pains in his leg. He closed his eyes and wished that he had actually died, when he had jumped.
how was it? Let me know anything I could fix or improve on! Thanks for reading. ;)