Thomas Sangster/ Newt Imagines& GIFs

194. Incurable Infatuation

The first thing any greenie is greeted with is the sound of cogs tugging chains and the unmistakable smell of chip-wood. A musk-like-scent hits her nose before her eyes open to complete black.

Her fingers fumble clumsily before she falls to her palms, retching into the empty space in front of her. All these smells overwhelm her senses as she feels the parameters of her surroundings. 

A box.

Her mind feels as if a thick blanket of fog has been draped over the top of it. Clinging to her thoughts like cellophane. She feels the sharp corners of wooden containers being jostled into her from the movement.

That’s when everything changes.

Everything comes to an abrupt stop and there’s muffled sounds from above her head. The roof over her is soon opened, revealing many silhouettes peering down at her. She cowers away from the blinding light and falls, hitting her head on the edge of the wooden boxes.

Stars flicker in her sight, causing a groan to pass from her lips as she steady’s the thumping of her head. Excited murmurs erupt as her flooring shakes from underneath her and she sees that she has been joined by two others. 

Looking at them with semi-clear vision, she notices they’re both boys around her own age. The tall, lanky boy turns to look up and shushes the whispers. One is now in front of her, offering a hand.

“I’m Alby.”

Flinching back, she hears an exasperated sigh before the two boys start stacking the boxes up and tossing them to outstretched hands from above. Seeing a chance, she climbs onto the closest one and crawls her way out an into…grass?

Bodies separate around her as her eyes adjust to the newness of what she’s seeing. Dirtied, sweat drenched and shocked faces stare at her with amazement. That’s when she notices-

They’re all boys.

Scurrying up, she sees the boy with the outstretched hand- Alby - making his way out of the hole in the ground from which she emerged. Heart pounding and palms sweating, she breaks for the closest shelter she can find.

Her feet pound against the soft earth and her sight is contained by….by four walls- so tall, it seems as if they touch the sky. Soon, a tower catches her eyes and her feet don’t falter as they change directions.

Climbing unbelievably fast, she reaches the top of the tower to see a few boys have gathered at the bottom and one is climbing his way up, slowly. Frantically searching around, she finds a box of tools setting by the edge and grabs a sharp blade from inside. 

Outstretching her arm, she holds the weapon with shaky hands and labored breaths. After, what feels like, an eternity, a mop of blonde hair appears from the entrance. Cautiously, she hears a soft voice speak to her.

“I know you’re scared. You have every right to be, but I won’t hurt you. Please, put the knife down.” He says it with such warmth, it’s frightening how warm it feels.

“How do you know I have a knife?” She ask, still only seeing the top of his head.

That’s when she sees them- chocolate brown eyes peer over the lip of flooring and a raised brow soon to follow. Lowering the knife, she keeps it clutched in her hand as the boy climbs up.

Before long, she realizes he’s the other one that was in the box with me. Tall, Blonde and having an accent that wasn’t expected. He exhales before looking to her with a frown, “You’re bleeding.”

Fingers reach up to the side of her head and feel the warm blood seeping through the cut on her head. The boy pulls out a rag from his pocket, “Can I borrow your knife?”

A part of her wants to remain armed, afraid of things she doesn’t understand. Yet, her body immediately slides the sharp tool his direction, which he uses to cut the fabric into a smaller section.

Slowly, carefully, he crawls over to her. It’s easy to can tell that he’s gauging her reaction, cautiously pressing the cloth to stop the bleeding. She sucks in a breath, hissing at the pain. “Sorry-”

“Are you still alive?” A voice from bellow hollers, making the girl jump. 

He replies to them before turning back to her. “Do you remember your name?” He asks, still dabbing at her cut.

The girl’s breath quickens as she realizes she can’t recall much of anything. That’s when he soothes her, reassuring her that it’s normal. “Most of us didn’t remember our name for the first few days. But it will come back.”

Nodding, she continues to sit there. Something about this boy, something, feels familiar. There’s this itching infatuation with being near him that aches inside her chest. “What is it, love?” He asks and the very tone of it makes her smile.

“What’s your name?” She asks. A sense of peace washes over her as he smiles, brown eyes scanning her face with curiosity, something strangely familiar and awe.

“I’m Newt.” 

And in that moment, she knew that she would follow Newt with undying loyalty. She couldn’t quite place why, but it was a faith she would gladly abide to. In a world of vast unknowns, she knew that Newt was someone she could trust and that was enough.

“Welcome to the Glade, love.”