The Glitch (Newt || The Maze Runner Fanfiction)

A Memory Attack

Disclaimer - These ideas and characters and the setting and basically everything are James Dashners, I just managed to use that one small creative part of my brain and shove a character into his brilliance... 

A/N - You guys should listen to "You Are In Love" by Taylor Swift and just listen to the lyrics because I kind of think that song is a perfect descriptor for Autumn and Newt and even if you don't like Taylor Swift that much it's really cute :) 

Autumn's POV

        Yes Chuck and I were forced to clean out every single one of those balloons, yes we had to wash all the mud off of the walls, and yes it was worth it. It was however kind of legendary. All the Gladers had smiles on their faces for days afterwards, so I had accomplished exactly what I wanted to and it had been better than I could have ever asked. Chuck had also found out that he very much enjoyed pranking people, (and although he could never top my idea) he was getting mildly infamous for scaring people by the bathrooms. I do have to admit the look on some of the Gladers faces is priceless, pure gold. 

        Chuck and I had grown close. He was like that adorable little brother that was kind of irritating but you couldn't live without. Another week had passed, Chuck had finally gotten his job; Slopper, poor shank. Although I usually just ended up following him or Newt around (And that one time I followed Gally but that was an strange day for everyone) all day, because apparently I'm too injury prone to help in the Glade and I'm not allowed to run again until I'm fully healed. So instead I woke up early, saw Minho and the other Runners off with a jealous smile and then went about whatever business I could. That's what I had done and was doing today. 

        It was about midday, I had helped unpack some things from the Box — nothing interesting unfortunately, and was now going to help Frypan in the kitchens. Not that I'd be much help, I'm rubbish at making anything except simple sandwiches... 

        "Hey Fry," I said, holding onto the door-frame and swinging myself into his kitchens. The older boy looked up from his work, sweat already beading on his brow. 

        "Hi Autumn." He gave a small wave with knife in hand and I walked over to him. 

        "Can I help?" I asked, peering over the counter to see what he was making. To my luck it was sandwiches! 

        "Yeah sure, I'm just making sandwiches." I smiled a big toothy grin at him. 

        "My one and only talent, perfect!" I stated with over enthusiastic voice and moved over to help him. I picked up some bread and began to throw a mixture of vegetables, meat and sauce onto it. I attempted to make the sandwiches look as presentable as possible, keep in mind I use the word 'attempted'. 

        "So...where did you get the balloons?" Frypan asked me, not looking up from his work. I let out a small laugh. 

        "I have my ways." I replied, moving my eyebrows dramatically up and down. He smiled a small crooked smile back at me and shook his head. Truth is I just asked, kind of like the blanket. I didn't actually expect it to work but for some reason it did. I inwardly shrugged and continued with my haphazard sandwich making. I noticed Frypan eye my sandwich with disapproval. 

        "What are you doing?" He asked me, obviously trying not to laugh. 

        "It is a sandwich," I glanced over at his perfectly sculpted ones and looked back to mine, "Mine's just not as genetically gifted as yours." He laughed and told me jokingly to 'get out'. I obliged, told him a quick goodbye and headed out. I was just outside of the kitchen, had barely turned away from the door when it happened again. 

        I felt like I was being squeezed from all sides by an unknown blackness. It was too much, too heavy for my body to bear, I collapsed on the cool ground of the Glade. Colours washed over me and I was no longer in the familiar location. 

        I was alone, I couldn't tell my age this time but I guessed I was still young. I felt myself brush against the rough wall of a brick building and slide down to the ground. My breaths were ragged, from crying, I could still feel the tears on my face. What happened to me? I wondered, What had caused past me to be so sad? I ran my small hands through my hair, it was knotted and unkempt. I felt a sob fighting to come out of me, but I fought back and won. I looked up, looked up into the bright, blazing orange of the sky and shuddered. There was something terrible connected to that image but I couldn't place my finger on it. It was so familiar, so important, but I just didn't know. 

        I closed my eyes and remembered myself remembering something. (Basically my younger self was remembering something). I remembered arriving in an abandoned building, my heart had sped up. Something was wrong here, there was electricity and all my possessions, but something — no, someone was missing. I opened my eyes, pulling myself out of the memory and let the floodgates open and the tears came. Hot and steadily. 

        Then the younger me faded out into darkness. Why is this happening again? What's going on? But it was different this time. I didn't need to get back to the Glade, I was in the Glade, I was safe and I could remember. I relaxed and tried to steady my breathing, I needed these memories, no matter how small. 

        I waited for the wave of colours to return, to sweep me out in a sea of memories...but it didn't come. Why won't they come? I want to remember now! I want to! I was angry, that wasn't fair. Why could I only remember when I didn't want to? I felt my fists clench and my eyes flutter open.