Finality | The Maze Runner / Newt ³ ✓

{2.2}

Disclaimer:

Thomas: I've got this completely under control!

Minho: Is that why everything's on fire?

-✼-

"And nobody ever heard from anyone again, because they were all dead."

Across from me, Alby blinked. Thomas looked confused and a faint blush was on his pale cheeks. Teresa appeared mortified. The rest of our group— Newt, Minho, Chuck, Siggy, and Theo — didn't appear to be taking Gally's horror story well either.

"KILL ME!" Minho cried, dramatically holding his head in his hands. "KILL ME IN THE EYES! I never want to hear a word from you again!"

"Gally, that was the worst horror story I've ever heard in my entire life," Alby said to the black-haired boy. Despite his words, Gally appeared pleased with our sickened reactions.

"I thought it was great," he argued.

"You described someone getting sawed in half in the most morbid way humanly possible," Teresa pointed out with a shudder. "It's like you've seen it before."

"I wouldn't be surprised," I mumbled under my breath. Theo snorted a laugh.

"Really, Gally," Siggy began, "that was stupid. There wasn't even a plot— everyone just kept randomly dying!"

Gally shrugged. "Stupid beats boring."

Nobody wanted to leave despite the uncomfortable situation. We'd chosen the closet as our hiding place for a few months, now, slowly inviting more and more people who were good at keeping their mouths shut. The few nights we could all sneak in here were spent telling stories and laughing, but of course it was Gally's turn to share something, and he'd chosen to deeply disturb us all. He couldn't be older than twelve, but the kid had a serious knack for the morbid.

Newt yawned. It started a chain reaction, and soon all of us were following suit. None of us knew the time. We were just sure it must've been late because Gally's story had seemed to last a lifetime. I thought it would never end.

"Guess that's the signal," Minho said, scratching the back of his head as he stretched his arms. "Bedtime, folks."

Theo frowned. "I don't want to leave."

"They're going to get suspicious if we're all sleep-deprived tomorrow," Newt reasoned. "Rings under the eyes, and all."

Reluctantly, we all nodded and spaced our exits in carefully planned intervals. I felt my heart ache upon watching them go. Even if I could talk to them during the day, the night adventures were the only times where we could truly be ourselves.

In such a short time, we'd become such close friends. I didn't care that I'd only known them for a few years— it was already like they were my family. And I would follow them anywhere.

—

I was sure I was either dreaming or in the afterlife when I heard someone calling my name. It sounded soft yet slightly velvety, and definitely familiar. My subconscious soared toward the sound— the only sound in the otherwise silent ringing of my head.