Hi all! New chapter is up! We get to see Newt remember a little bit more about his past...
Newt drifted in a still darkness…but he did not mind it. In fact, he felt calm, even relaxed. There was no more danger. He could just be at peace. He sensed subtle movement around him, occasionally shuffling to and fro. But he wasn't worried. He wasn't scared of whatever presence was in front of him. It was different from what he normally experienced. It felt gentle, loving even. Newt wasn't sure where he was. He thought he was dead. Was death just a void of darkness? Would he be stuck here forever? At least it was calm. It was the first calmness he had felt in a while…maybe it was the first calmness he had felt ever. The darkness was steady and tranquil, but in the far off distance he could hear something. It was...a voice?
"Higher!" The voice exclaimed. It sounded like a young girl's voice. It seemed so familiar…
"Push me higher!" It spoke again. The voice echoed closer to him, he could hear the giggles that followed. Newt felt a child-like pleasure when he heard the laughter, it gave him a sense of happiness. Happiness was something hard to find these days.
The echoes led him to an old playground. There was a bright sun setting in the background. Shades of orange and purple flooded the sky. The playground was surrounded by tall, lively trees. He recognized those trees. Those were the ones he remembered, the ones he raced to the top of against…who was it against again? He looked back at the playground. It was empty. To Newt, that made sense, considering that it was almost dark out. But why would he be looking at an empty playground? He heard the giggles again. Newt looked closer to see a swingset in the corner of a playground. He saw two little children playing at the swing set. There was a little girl, about four or so, with two blonde, messy braids. She had a big smile on her face. She swung on the swing while a boy pushed her up from behind. He looked to be 2-3 years older at most, with blonde hair as well. His hair was short and also kind of messy. Both of them were delightfully laughing, but even though their image was clear, their voices were hazy like they were far off in a dream.
"I am pushing you higher!" The boy giggled.
"Higher!" She exclaimed again.
The boy took a deep breath and mustered all his energy into the biggest push he could give. It was too much for the girl. The girl tumbled off the swing and into the ground, scraping both of her knees. Tears immediately started streaming down her face. She tried to muffle her cries but failed as one came wailing out.
The little boy ran to her, as quickly as his little legs could take him. "Lizzy!"
Lizzy. Now he remembered. She was the blonde girl with braids. The one Newt saw before. The one he raced against to the top of the trees. This must be the same girl. But the racing he remembered before was just quick flashes, something he barely could make out. It was just something familiar…like this was…Then it hit Newt like a ton of bricks. The playground vision wasn't a far off dream, or something his head made up. It was a memory . It was something that happened before the Swipe. But how could he remember things before the Swipe?
"Are you okay?" The boy asked.
The girl sniffled. "It hurts. It hurts a lot."
The boy looked around for someone. And for the first time, Newt had a clear look at the boy.
It was him.
Well not him now. He is much younger. Newt certainly didn't remember himself back then, but he had the same eyes, same hair, just a younger face. It had to be him. Newt was even more confused. How could he see himself in his own memory? Was his mind playing tricks on him? Was the flare still eating away at his brain? Was he even dead? Why was he remembering things now?
"I'll get mommy. Mommy! Mommy!" The boy shouted out.
A woman came running to them. Unlike the kids, her face was blurred. It was like a puzzle piece that could not quite be placed. The vision started to become hazy. Newt could make out the girl getting picked up by the woman. The boy taking his mom's hand. The woman turning and kneeling down to look the boy straight in the eye.
"You two shouldn't be out here. Now, it is time for you and your sister to quickly come inside."
Sister. Of course! The boy had called out for their mom. This girl wasn't random, he was his sister! Newt had a family…or used to. Newt felt a new sense of pain. He had always wanted a sister. He would talk about it during his time in the maze to Minho and Alby. How she would annoy him to pieces but he would love her anyway. Every glader wanted a family, but Newt wanted a sister. Maybe this was why. Maybe a small, almost microscopic part of him remembered that he had a sister. Seeing her now made it all click. His longing for a sister, his gentleness towards others, his protective nature. He protected someone before the maze, he just didn't know it yet. Where was she now? Had the flare got her? Were they separated? Where was she the day Newt was sent up in the box? How did he fail to protect her? The memory started to become even more hazy. The echoes of the voices traveled farther away. No! Newt needed to know more. Newt needed to know what happened to her.
"Why can't we play out here anymore?" The boy gestured to the playground.
"It is not safe anymore." His mom said, dismissing his curiosity.
"Why?" The boy asked again, begging for an answer.
The woman sighed. Though Newt couldn't see her face, he could hear her dismay.
"The world is changing." She told him in a stern tone.
The boy said nothing in return.
The image started to fade, their faces got blurry as they walked away from the playground. Any ounce of happiness was gone. The echoes left, leaving only one thing ringing in Newt's ears over and over.
"The world is changing."
Newt no longer felt calm in the still darkness.
Looks like the calmness couldn't last forever...
See you all next week!
-23LucyGrace
