The guy grabbed Sadie's forearm, his warm hands chasing away the chill from the box, and helped her clamber out of the box before setting her down by Teresa. The group of boys pushed in closer around them, trapping them in a circle of testosterone. Sadie immediately rushed over to her friend's side and began to shake her shoulders, all the while doing her best to ignore the insistent chatter around her. Come on Teresa wake up. Please wake up. Sadie shook her again and checked her pulse. There was a feathery heartbeat but Teresa still wouldn't budge.
"I think she's dead." The dark skinned boy said from behind her. Sadie's head snapped up and she whirled on him furiously.
"She ain't dead!" Sadie hissed, another boy from the circle stepped forward and snickered. The boy was large and built, with a pair of thin squinting eyes that he used to peer down at her past his large bulbous nose.
"So she does talk." The guy said earning a few snickers from the crowd. Sadie focused an icy glare on him. Sadie couldn't remember who or when but she knew she'd dealt with people like him before. The one's that liked to act so tough and play the bully. Oh please.
"Yeah, isn't that funny? How everyone talks but some people shouldn't.'' Sadie growled, earning more than a laugh or two from the crowd of boys. She knelt back over Teresa again, pleased to see that her biting remark had left the sucker speechless. But Sadie didn't have time to gloat; Teresa was in trouble or worse.. You just met her.
Sadie shook the thought from her head she didn't know why but she knew Teresa was her friend, her best friend and at the moment it was the only thing she was sure of. Her head swam again as she tried to grip onto a solid memory. Why can't I remember? Why! Sadie looked down at her friend panic gripping her heart again. Wake up! With a gasp Teresa sprang up, Sadie yelped in surprise and jumped backwards landing on her butt in the grass.
"Everything is going to change." Teresa said in a hollow, haunted voice. Chills raced down Sadie's spine, as Teresa's warning seemed to dampen the air with a foreboding mood. Before Teresa could say anything else she slumped over again her arm sticking straight up with the note gripped tightly in her fist. Sadie crawled over and pried the girl's hand open, taking the note and crumpling it in her hand angrily. Sadie's blood began to boil, she had never felt so angry. Who had done this to them? Who had done this to any of them? Sadie knew one thing for sure, whoever had sent her and Teresa here was going to pay. She'd make sure of that. She sprung to her feet and turned towards the dark guy and the blonde one, they were still at the front of the pack watching her curiously, and they seemed to be the ones in charge.
"Here!" She shouted angrily tears stinging the corners of her eyes as she tried to force them away. She was mad. Mad that she was there, that Teresa was passed out, and that she was crying. I never asked for this! I never asked for any of this! Sadie didn't know why but this all felt too familiar. Like she had been through this before, and she was tired of it. "Take it! This is what they sent us for! To deliver that freaking message and give you this freaking paper! So take it!" She yelled waving the note in the boy's faces, causing the both of them to back up as she ranted crazily. Sadie felt like punching something anything, her mind kept telling her to fight or flight but her body suggested otherwise as her vision began to blur. Sadie could feel her body tremble and she started swaying towards the two guys. She felt like all of the energy had suddenly spilled out of her. And her headache had turned into a full-blown migraine, it felt like someone was driving a stake through her temples. She staggered again her eyes dancing with black spots as she struggled to stay standing.
"Somebody grab her! She's going to-" but whatever else they were going to say was cut off when Sadie slumped forward her body falling into the chest of someone. Shit.
The girl toppled over into Newt's chest, Newt and Alby each grabbed an arm before she could go face first into the dirt. She was out cold. Newt had never seen anything like this, sure every Greenie was a bit disorientated when they first showed up, but never anything like this. What did those bastards do to you? Newt wondered scooping her up carefully while Alby pried her hand open and read the note aloud.
"They're the last ones. Ever." The boys all fell into an uneasy silence each of them looking around curiously. Alby turned towards Newt his eyebrows furrowed. "What the shuck's going on Newt?" He asked looking from one girl to the other. Silence hung over the glade like a storm cloud as every boy stood and watched, waiting for what would happen next. "Med-jacks!" Alby shouted. Clint and Jeff pushed their way through the crowd and stopped in front of Newt they looked at the girls awkwardly.
"What do you want us to do?" Clint asked eyeing the two girls warily as if waiting for one of them to snap awake and spout more hazy messages.
"You're the bloody Med-jacks, see what's wrong with them you slint heads!" Newt growled impatiently rolling his eyes at their dimness. Clint stepped forward and gingerly took each girls pulse. The other boys immediately started cat calling again.
"I'm next!" One of them hollered from the crowd sending all of the boys around them into fits of laughter and whoops of joy. Alby froze and turned in a slow circle, silencing the group as he looked each boy in the eye.
"Ain't nobody gonna touch these girls. Understand? If we catch anybody trying anything I'll throw you off the shucking cliff myself. No questions!" Alby yelled before turning back towards Clint and Jeff. "What's wrong with them?"
"Looks like that one's in a coma. And that one," he said pointing towards the girl in Newt's arms, "Is just passed out dehydrated too. She should be up again by tomorrow." Newt looked down at the girl again before passing her to Clint.
"Take them back to the Homestead, set them up in one of the rooms." Clint nodded, him and Jeff each grabbing a girl and heading off. "Watch them closely. I'll be by to check on them later." Newt called after them shaking his head in confusion as he watched them go. What did all of this mean? Why would the Creators send up these girls? And why the bugging note?
"Call a Gathering Newt." Alby whispered, low enough so only Newt could hear. Newt gave him a curt nod and patted Alby on the shoulder and waving him off. Newt turned towards Thomas and watched him carefully. Thomas looked about as confused as he felt, but there was something else. He still looked pale and nervous, but Newt had to make sure.
"Did you recognize them?" Newt said motioning for Thomas to lean in closer so other curious ears wouldn't hear. Thomas shook his head but seemed unsure and hesitated before finally giving Newt an un-committing shrug. "When I go to check on them later you're coming with me." Newt said sternly gripping Tommy's shoulder. Thomas only nodded and mentioned something about checking up on Chuck before taking off. Newt sighed and limped off. Those girls must be bloody special.
After the Gathering it seemed like they were right back where they started. Nowhere. Of course there had been plenty of arguing especially on Gally's part, not only did he not trust Thomas but he seemed to dislike the girls instantly. But there was nothing they could do while the two were passed out. The only thing they could do now was wait for them to wake up. Newt trudged off calling Tommy's name. During the meeting his mind kept circling back to Thomas's expression when he had asked about the girls. It wasn't much of a lead, but everything had gone to shuck ever since he had gotten here, and now two girls show up? Something strange was happening and Newt would bet his good leg that it had something to do with Thomas. "Tommy get your bloody ass over here!"
"What now slint head?" Thomas said coming from the direction of the graveyard. Newt wrinkled his nose.
"Sounds wrong coming outa your mouth." Tommy only rolled his eyes and shrugged his gaze fixed on Homestead. Newt followed his gaze the Med-Jacks had already situated both girls in one of the rooms and were watching over them carefully on Alby's orders.
"I want you to come with me and look at those girls. See if you remember… or recognize anything. I don't care if you have to look at them all bloody night, we're going to find some answers." Tommy nodded and followed Newt as he headed off the sounds of the maze doors closing echoed in the distance as they reached the room the girls were sleeping in. Clint and Jeff were hovering over them trying to get them to drink water. "Leave us for a second guys." Newt said pulling up some chairs for the two and positioning them at the foot of the two beds. After a few minutes of starring and watching the two girls sleep fitfully Thomas finally spoke up.
"I feel like I know them." Newt turned in his chair excitedly ready to hear any information the guy could offer.
"How?" But before Thomas could answer a loud cry sounded from one of the beds causing the two boys to jump and snap their heads towards the smaller curly haired girl. The girl seemed to have become even more restless and was visibly shaking her hands clawing at the bed sheets as she let out another hair raising scream. The boys rushed over and looked down at her their eyes wide.
"What's wrong with her?" Tommy asked as the girl let out a whimper. Tears were streaming down her face and sweat had caused a few of her brown ringlets to plaster themselves to her forehead.
"I think she's having a nightmare." Newt said as the girl let out an ear splitting scream and sat up. Newt rushed over to the girl's side. "Whoa there sunshine!" The girl was screaming and hyperventilating her eyes whipping around the room in a terrified frenzy as if looking for a way to escape. Newt stepped closer to the bed which was a mistake, the girl immediately panicked and slammed her fist into Newt's chest. "Grab her arm Tommy!" Newt yelped as the girl began to struggle getting ready to punch him again. Each boy grabbed an arm and attempted to hold down the squirming girl as she continued to kick and claw at their chests.
"It's okay!" Newt yelled over the girls screaming. "You're safe love! You and your friend are safe!" Newt unclasped one of his hands from her wrist and used it to grab her chin, forcing her eyes to focus on him. "You're safe love." He said, softer this time. The girl stopped struggling, breathing heavily she looked at Newt her eyes wide in terror. Newt let go of her arm and gently held her face in his hands. "You're okay. Got that love? Me and Tommy here, we aren't going to let anything get you." He whispered taking the opportunity to slowly wipe a tear off her cheek. Newt wasn't sure why he did it he didn't know this girl.
Can't even trust her yet.
But Newt ignored the thought and continued to mumble comforting words to the girl. She slowly relaxed and fell back asleep slumping into her pillow.
Thomas watched closely, he had only been in the Glade for a short time, a few days to be exact but he had already learned a lot. The boys in the Glade were tough, they worked to survive and they all did their parts. No one got any special treatment and every Glader had seen the ugly truth of their lives in the Glade. Newt was one of them, there was something about the guy that just told you that he had seen his fair share of ugliness in life. But he was sure acting different now, Thomas had never seen Newt speak so softly. It took awhile for the girl to fall asleep again, whatever she was dreaming about it must have been horrible. Thomas pulled the blanket tighter around her tucking in the edges in a brotherly way. He knew them, he knew he did he could feel it. The girls' faces both struck a cord in his memory, he just couldn't remember anything else. Thomas turned his attention towards the other girl. She was sleeping peacefully unlike her friend. Her raven black hair spread out around her head like a halo framing her pale face and pretty features. Who are you?
Teresa
Thomas yelped and jumped to his feet looking around wildly. She spoke! Teresa, that's her name!
"What the hell? Tommy you okay there?" Newt asked looking up at him. But Thomas ignored him and ran out of the room. He was going crazy. Yeah that was it he was going crazy.