Newt’s POV:

The best part of the day is seeing Minho after not being with him all day long.

That's what I think as I walk along the walls, making my way to the gate. Minho would be back soon, and all I wanted to do was spend time with him. I stood waiting for Minho by the door. I kept standing there as the other runners started filing into the glade. I stood there after everyone was in the dining hall. I stood there when Alby walked up to me.

“Newt, where's Minho? Did he already come in?”

I glared up at Alby

“No, he didn't come in already.”

I look back at the doors

“He’s still out there.”

Alby looked at me, and put a hand on my shoulder

“Well, I’m sure he’ll come back soon.”

I look at Alby with a death stare. He must notice it, because he keeps going

“I’m sure that he’ll run around that corner any second now.”

And, Alby is right. But, he’s not running. Minho was barely conscious, and was being dragged by the new greenie. To make matters worse, the walls start closing. I don’t know what to do. I can’t go to them, I can’t stay here. I look to Alby. His face is a grim line, his jaw set. He looks like a leader, which, I guess he is. Alby turns and calls over his shoulder

“Clint! Get your med-jacks over here!”

I turn back to Minho. The walls were more than half way closed. They weren't going to make it. I look back at Alby. the med-jacks had appeared, and most of the other gladers were here, watching. Back at Minho. The walls were almost closed now. There was only about a foot left to see through. I started running. Or, trying to run. I didn’t even think about what I was doing. I just went. I heard calls of what I guessed were protest, but I didn’t care. I would have made it, or at least, I think I would have,

if I hadn’t fallen.

I fell, my bed leg must have hit something. I saw the rush of grassy dirt come up to me, then felt the impact of it. The air was knocked out of me, but I didn’t care. I spat out a clump of dirt, and bolted to my feet. I didn’t see Minho. Or the greenie. Or even the inside of the maze walls. All I could see were the closed maze doors. I didn’t process. Alby came and put an arm around me, squeezing.

“It’ll be okay.”

That was what Minho said to me, but I didn’t care. Not right now. It wasn’t until everyone had left except for Alby, did it click.

“Alby, he’s in there, right?”

Alby nodded.

“No ones ever survived a night there right?”

Alby nodded.

“He was stung, wasn't he? That's why he was being dragged right?”

Alby nodded.

“He won't survive will h-”

I was cut off with a loud metallic noise from the glade. My hand flew to my mouth in shock, and that's when I knew. That's when everything hit me. Minho was trapped in the maze. I stayed in that spot, in that position. I didn't move. My hand stayed on my mouth, my eyes glued to the gates. Eventually I did move. Once everyone was in their hammocks, asleep. I walked up the path to the homestead. I walked up the stairs. I walked into the keeper of the runners room. Minho’s room. I sat down in the hammock. I inhaled his smell. I let go of my mouth. I let my body relax. I let the tears run down my cheeks. I let them fall. The next morning I woke up in the hammock. I don’t remember falling asleep.

Minho was gone

I felt empty again

I leave the homestead. It's still slightly dark outside, and no one is around. I go to the forest. I go to our spot. I sat down.

I can’t hear the crackles of leaves.

I can’t smell the pine trees.

I can’t see the colors of anything.

My hands? No color.

The leaves? No color.

The trees? No color.

Why should I exist without him? Without my life, why should I live? I shouldn’t. That was the answer. I leaned against one of the tree walls. I couldn't cry. I was too empty. I had no tears left. When I moved, I heard something. No, that was the wrong word for it. I imagined something. I imagined something I knew was there.

Was that possible?

To imagine something you know exists? It doesn't matter. Something was in my pocket. I reached in and pulled it out. It was a leaf. It was the leaf. Suddenly, a burst of color came from that leaf. That leaf with Minho’s name on it. The color spread out and around me. I could see again. I could hear again. I could feel again. I bolted out of the spot as fast as I could with my limp. I ran toward the walls, they weren’t open yet. I would wait here. I would wait here because Minho could still be out there. He could still be alive, and as long as he could be alive, I would wait for him. The other runners were getting ready to leave. I was still watching and waiting after they left. My hope slowly drained out of me. I was empty again. I sat down with my head in my hands.

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I couldn’t feel the breeze.

I couldn’t smell the grass.

I couldn't hear the greenie's urgent call.

I couldn’t smell the blood.

When I looked up, I honestly thought it was chance. I hadn't heard them, or smelled the blood. I just happened to look up. When I did, I saw the greenie. Then, I saw a barely alive Minho slung across his shoulder. It was like an explosion went off in my brain, shattering the black and white, replacing it with color. It was like a drum went off in my head, shattering the silence, replacing it with sound. I was filled up once more.

“Alby! Alby come quick!”

Alby ran up to me almost immediately.

“What? What is it?”

My voice was quiet. My throat had such a big lump in it, I could barely get the words out

“H-He’s back.”

Alby glanced over at the maze and saw the greenie almost carrying Minho

Alby muttered

“Holy shuck. . .”

Louder now

“Clint! Med-jacks! Get over here now!”

The med-jacks took about a minute to get here. That was too long. I hobbled over to the door, and stood as close as I could without being in the maze. The second the greenie stepped into the glade, I pulled Minho off of him, and started cradling his lifeless body in my hands. Please, please, please.

“Minho, wake up. Please, please wake up. . .”

I wasn't yelling. I wasn’t talking. I was begging. Not Minho, please not Minho. The med-jacks were on me now, taking Minho away. No.

“No! Let me be with him! Please!”

The med-jacks didn't hear me. If they did, they didn't acknowledge it.

“Please. . .”

It was no use. They had already picked him up, and were on their way to the med-jack hut. Why couldn't everything stay how it was before I jumped? I had fallen to the ground at some point, but I don't remember when.

“Newt, it’ll be okay.”

Now I care. Now I cared about him saying that

“No. You will not say that. You will not lie to me.”

Alby winced. Why did he wince?

“That's what Minho told me. Never to say that again.”

Hearing Alby say his name, I broke. I started crying. This time, I wouldn't stop crying. I would always have more tears. Alby came and sat next to me

“He will be- I mean, all he's doing is going through the changing. He’ll most likely be fine.”

I looked at Alby. He was such a great friend. How many times had he comforted me? Been with me? Laughed with me? Too many times to count.

“Alby, you have been the best friend anyone could ever ask for.”

“Hey, it’s not a big deal, really.”

“Yes Alby, it is. It really is.”

Alby just smiled at me.

“Well, not to me.”

I smiled back.

That night, I slept in Minho's hammock again. Maybe they’d let me see him tomorrow. Right before I was about to drift off into an uneasy sleep, I heard a blood curdling scream. I knew it was Minho. I heard it again. It kept going. I couldn't bear to hear Minho in so much pain. The scream pierced into my soul, each second it kept going was a reminder. It’s all your fault. You hurt him. I curled up into a ball, and covered my ears.

It didn't help.

I close my eyes.

Didn’t help.

I started sobbing.

Didn’t help.

In the morning, it was still going. I still heard the screams. Minho was still in pain. I don’t know if I fell asleep or not. All I knew was that now it was morning. All I knew was that Minho was still in pain, and I would go see him. Whether the med-jacks liked it or not. I got up. I was still wearing all my clothes from last night. Oh, more time saved I guess. I felt something in my pocket. I knew what it was. It was the leaf. I took it out and looked at it. Bad mistake. I started crying. The wound of last night reopens. I can’t stop the tears. They just keep coming and coming. I put the leaf carefully back in my pocket. I start walking out of the homestead and to the med-jack hut. I hear the screaming. I still have tears on my cheeks. I don’t bother to wipe them away. There's a med-jack standing outside the door. He puts an arm out to stop me

“No, I’m going in.”

He rolls his eyes

“No, you are not.”

Oh, you do not want to mess with me right now. It is not the time

“You will move. You will move now. You will let me in.”

He laughed

“What if I don’t?”

“Then you earn a one way ticket to bloody hell. Your choice.”

I hear footsteps from behind, and I whirl around. Alby

“Jeff, let him in.”

Jeff, I guess that was his name, moved out of the way, sighing. I bolted in. I ran up the stairs. Minho was in the same room I was in. I could tell by the sounds of the screaming. Before I went in, I took a breath. I wouldn’t show any pain. It was Minho who was in pain, not me.

But seeing him hurt,

just made me hurt.

I open the door. I will myself to let go of the door knob, and look at Minho. He’s there. Lying on the bed I occupied only a few weeks ago. Only this time, the roles are reversed. Minho’s on the bed, his body strapped down. I see the pulsing veins and his pale skin. I see his wild eyes and tear streaked face. I see his shaking body and darting eyes. I see his open mouth, and I hear the screams. What happened, Minho? His eyes finally rested on me. He closes his mouth. He stops screaming. I walk over to the side of the bed. When Minho speaks, his voice is hoarse and ragged.

“Newt?”

Oh Minho.

“Yes, yes baby it’s me. It’s Newt.”

Minho closes his eyes.

“Newt, Newt it hurts. It hurts so bad. . .”

“I know. I know Min.”

“P-Please. Make it s-stop.”

I grabbed his hand from under the restraint

“Min, I want to help. I want to more than anything, but I can’t. I-I can’t do anything.”

It was true. I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t help Minho when he needed it. Tears came now. Not lots, but enough that Minho must have noticed

“Newt, it’s okay, you don’t have to help me.”

“Yes Min, I do! I have to help you! You're hurt, and I’m to stupid to do anything about it!”

That's what I was. Stupid. So stupid I wanted to die. So stupid it didn't even work. So stupid I broke Minho’s heart. So stupid I let him go in the maze alone. So stupid I couldn’t help him now. So stupid- I hear Albys voice. Shuck, why was he so kind?

“Newt. Newt you have to leave now. Minho needs time to heal.”

I looked back at Minho. He had opened his mouth now, and was panting like a dog.

“No.”

One word. One word that expressed what every cell of my body wanted to do. I wanted to stay right here with Minho.

“Newt, he has to be alone, to rest.”

“No!”

I wasn’t leaving Minho. Apparently Alby had other plans though

“Newt, please. If you don’t leave we'll have to force you out.”

I didn’t reply. I stood, watching as Minho grew more and more panicked. His breaths were shorter and more rapid now. I felt hands grabbing me, pulling me back. I struggled, but it was no use. I heard Minho.

“No! Let him stay! I need him! Let him stay!”

No one replied to Minho. I reached out a hand, and Minho strained against his binds to try to grab it. He couldn't reach my hand.

“Please Alby! Please let him stay!”

Minho was screaming now. His face had grown red, and his eyes were fixed on me. I was crying freely now, my tears falling to the ground, where just weeks before Minho’s had fallen. I was pushing against the hands that held me, but it was no use.

“Please! Let Newt stay! Please, please, please. . .”

Minho was crying now too. Somewhere in my mind, I knew this wasn't Minho. That the changing was affecting him. I didn’t care. I was in the hallway now, Alby was the only one holding onto me. The other one was a med-jack, who had gone into Minho’s room. The screaming had started again.