Minho’s POV:

I just. . .

I want to start over.

Before this.

Before the scorch.

Even before the maze.

Then maybe we could have been happy.

Thomas and Brenda had gone back to their houses, which were luckily next to ours, and I was coming back from getting medicine.

I had one hopeful thought in my head.

Well, it can’t get any worse.

Almost the instant I thought that, Thomas came bolting up the path, looking absolutely terrified. I had almost never seen him like this.

I jinxed it. Good job Minho.

Thomas stopped for only a second to explain, before he grabbed my arm

“I-It’s Newt.”

I felt my heart rise into my throat.

“Wh-What?”

Thomas just pulled me along, running at full speed.

The moment I rounded the corner to the beach, I saw a crowd of people. Thomas pushed through it, pulling me with him.

I saw a blond boy, laying there, unconscious, soaking wet.

It was Newt.

I swear, my heart stopped, before speeding up double time. Aris was next to him, and I immediately dropped down, grasping one of Newt’s hands. I looked at Aris through the blur of tears.

“Wh-What happened?”

Aris looked flat out scared

“I-I was coming out of my h-house to get lunch, a-and I saw him. He was l-lying in the shallow water. His head was underwater. I p-pulled him out, b-but I don’t know if it's too late or not. . .”

I just let the tears come.

I waited with him for one minute.

Five minutes.

Ten.

Everyone else had left, except for Clint and Jeff, who were sitting on the other side of me, waiting. They exchanged a sad look, before standing up. I immediately stood up to, ready to scream at them

“Where are you going?”

They exchanged another look before Jeff spoke

“I-I’m sorry Minho, but I think it’s too late.”

“N-No! Please!”

They just shook their heads. I choked back a sob as I collapsed, once again, next to Newt. I heard the scrunch of sand as they started to leave. I grasped Newt’s hand as tight as I could. A sob racked my body.

Stolen novel; please report.

I closed my eyes, trying to shut it all out. I needed Newt.

I heard a sudden gasp, and my eyes flew open, and I saw Newt, sitting up, heaving for breath. I just stared for a second, tears still flowing down my cheeks.

“Clint! J-Jeff! Come back!”

I heard them gasp, then the hurried footsteps.

I was hugging Newt now. I would never let him go.

Never.

Clint gently pulled me off him, as they looked at him.

Newt was coughing now, struggling for each breath.

He was spitting out mouthfuls of seawater every few seconds.

I’d never been so scared in my life.

Jeff was next to him telling him to breathe, while Clint was pounding him on the back.

Such medical experts.

Newt had stopped coughing and it looked like he had no more seawater in him.

He was still breathing heavily.

Clint looked at me

“He’ll be okay.”

I nodded, and they walked off. I wasn’t fully aware of the sounds of them leaving though.

Just of how Newt was alive.

I lay down in the sand next to him.

I was still crying.

I don’t know how I had tears left.

Newt turned his head to look at me.

“M-Min, I-I’m sorry. . .”

For once I wished my heart would just stay broken, so that it wouldn’t break again.

“No. Don’t say that.”

Newt sat up.

Then all the things Aris had told me when I wasn’t listening to him came rushing back.

Lying in the water.

In the shallow water.

Head underwater.

I sat up next to Newt. I looked into Newt’s eyes.

“W-What happened?”

His face crumpled, and he buried his head in his hands. He spoke without looking up.

“I-I came h-home l-l-like you said. I made it to the d-door. I-I just broke. I w-walked to the w-water. I walked i-in. I-I collapsed onto my kn-knees. I p-put my h-head under. I h-held it there. I w-wasn’t thinking. I’m so so sorry. . .”

It was as if my vision cracked.

I saw Newt broken.

He was broken.

I should have been there.

Should have helped him.

Then it really sunk in. He had tried to end it. And he was apologizing. I wrapped my arms around Newt. I was sobbing now.

I wanted to go back to the start.

I wanted to go back.

We stayed there.

Brenda came once it got dark.

She helped us up to our house.

This wasn’t supposed to happen.

The story was supposed to be over.

We were supposed to have our happily ever after.

I felt numb.

I felt dead.

Newt’s POV:

I failed.

Again.

That was my life now.

Live, want to stop living, fail, live.

I wanted out.

I was drowning.

I couldn’t breathe.

I think I went to sleep.

I couldn’t tell.

When the sun rose, I got up.

Minho wasn’t awake yet.

I felt even more exhausted.

If I had slept, it didn’t help.

I left the house.

I started walking.

I didn’t know where I was going until I got to the cliff.

I knew I wouldn’t jump.

I could fail at that too.

Probably would.

Somehow.

I sat down on the cliff's edge, and reached into the crevice.

I grabbed the gun.

I didn’t do it yet.

I needed to say goodbye to Min.

I needed to.

As I passed the still full supply crates, I had an idea.

I grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil.

I went through the forest this time.

I got back to the house.

No one was there.

I slumped against the wall, and just stared.

I had no tears left.

When I sat down, I felt something in my pocket.

I gingerly pulled it out.

It was the leaf.

The leaf from the glade.

My heart shattered.

That’s when the tears came.

I’m not sure if they were happy tears or sad tears.

I set the leaf next to the gun, and put my head in my hands.

I needed to say goodbye to Minho, but I didn’t know how much longer I could hold on.