Now with that out of the way... Enjoy!
For Though the World Be Dark, There Will Always Be a Melody
She’s terrified of the blackness and the feeling of rising up as if the ground is rushing away from under her. Words escape her mind and she knows the items around her have names, but she can’t pin point them in the murky darkness of her mind, just as she struggles to make out their shapes in her blurred vision. Suddenly, she aware that she should have a name herself, but she can’t think, can’t remember. She can feel some emotion creeping up her body, seizing her muscles, making her curl in on herself, but again her mind comes up empty-handed. And when she thinks that nothing can get worse than this feeling, it does. Bright light is suddenly shining down on her, blinding her vision and a myriad of voices are speaking in hushed whispers, all of them unfamiliar.
* * *
As leader, Alby is among the first to make it to the Box. He, like all the other boys in the Glade, wonders what supplies the Creators have sent up this time and more importantly, who the new Greenie will be. He lets Gally open the doors to the Box and jump inside to help the new kid up out of the metal cage. Except that he sees Gally’s hesitation, causing the rest of the boys to press closer, trying to peer inside. “What is it?”
“It’s a girl; the Greenie’s a girl.”
A hushed murmur ripples through the group. “Well, shuck,” Is all he can reply. The Creators have thrown them a curveball. “Help her out, Gally.” He instructs a few moments later, realizing that this sudden change is something he will have to ponder later.
They all watch as Gally struggles to stand the girl up on her feet; she’s tightly curled in on herself in a fetal position and is shaking uncontrollably. Alby can tell that Gally is getting annoyed and that in the next few minutes, he’s about to say something that would be unbecoming of a boy to say to girl. He briefly wonders where this line of thought comes from; maybe it’s something that was important in his past life. Pushing the thought aside, he jumps into the cage and together they lift the girl out.
As soon as she’s on the ground, she’s up and running, sprinting as fast as she can in the directions of the trees. He can hear the boys around him catcalling and whistling and Frypan’s whoop of “Look at the Greenie go!” She’s fast, cut out of Runner material, and before they know it, she’s disappearing into the forest.
Alby sighs, wishing that the Keeper of the Runners, Newt, or his partner, Minho were here. They’re the best runners in the Glade and would have been able to give chase better than anyone here that is present. Turning back to the rest of the Gladers, he starts issuing orders, leaving Gally and Frypan in charge of unloading the Box, while telling everyone else to go back to work. He pulls Grant, the Greenie from last month, aside and tells him that when he returns with the girl that he expects him to show her the ropes.
Satisfied that his boys (When had they become his? he wonders.) will go about doing their jobs, he makes his way towards the forest, entering as close to the place where they last saw her. He hopes that she hasn’t stumbled upon the Deadheads, considering that she already frightened. Since he has no name for her, he calls out to her with the usual nickname they dub on all the new Gladers. He gets no response, except for the squawking of some birds and and the creaking of some branches and when he looks up, he can see her peering at him through the leaves.
“Hey.” He goes for a soothing sound. “None of us are gonna hurt you. You can come down.”
The girl shakes her head. Alby gets a decent look at her for the first time. She’s got blond hair and a slim figure. It’s hard to tell what the colour of her eyes are due to the shifting shadows of the forest. She’s dressed in shorts and t-shirt with a navy blue hoodie over top and sneakers on her feet. It’s been so long since he (since any of the boys, he amends in his head) have seen a girl. It seems like ages ago and he’s surprised how easily they all were able to put a name to what had otherwise been hidden in their stolen memories.
Realising that she is quite adamant about not coming down, he continues. “Okay then, stay up there as long as you like. No one’s gonna force you to come down.” He sits at the base of the tree, his back up against the rough bark that bites into his skin through his thin shirt. He decides that just talking her through this might be helpful. “So, I’m guessing that like the rest of us, you don’t have any memories.” He pauses, but gets no answers. “And you can’t remember your name.” The branch above him jerks from a sudden movement. He’s hit a sore spot. “Don’t worry,” he reassures, “your name will come back to you in a few days; it’s the one thing they let us keep.” He expects a question, something similar to the responses all the other boys have previously asked when he gets to this part of his routine welcoming speech. But all he gets is silence, so he pushes on. “Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for your memories. Those are gone for good. The shuck-faced Creators took those away from us.”
He talks some more, finally learning to keep going without expecting an answer, since the girl seems incapable of voicing a response of any kind at the moment. Alby lays out the rules for the Glade, tells her that a boy name Grant will show her around the different areas, and that she’ll be spending the next few days rotating between different occupations, so that she can find whatever fits best for her. After a while longer, he leaves her there, telling her that he’ll give her some space before dinner to take it all in. When he stands up, she’s peering down at him, her face unreadable. He can feel her eyes on him as he leaves and he hopes that when he returns to tell her that dinner is ready, she’ll agree to come down.
* * *
Newt is running as fast as he can, trying not to laugh as Minho turns their return run home a race. Today has been a good day, he thinks. They both explored a new section of the Maze and when they get back to the Map Room, they’ll have something useful to contribute. He pushes himself harder when he feels Minho gaining on him. There’s about thirty more feet between them and the door of the Maze. And he is not about to lose this race. Using the last of his energy reserves, he sprints to the end, only slowing down once he passes through entry way. His shout of victory echos around the Glade and he turns to see Minho sprawled out on the ground, clutching his sides as he tries to catch his breath, though each attempt is cut short by his punctuated laughter.
Newt laughs too as he offers his best friend and running partner a hand. Brushing of the grass and dirt that clings to Minho’s shirt, he can’t help punching Minho in the arm playfully when the Asian boy mutters that he thought he was going to beat him this time. Newt manages to pant out his response, sending them both into a fit of giggles as they make their way to the Map Room. “Well, that’s bloody dumb, shank. I’m Keeper of the Runners; you’re never going to out run me.” His unique accent (something no one in the Glade has or can put a name to) is much stronger than it usually is.
They settle down once they start working on drawing out the part of the Maze they’ve mapped today. It takes them nearly two hours to finish, but by the time they are done, the call for dinner is being made and they both make their way to Homestead, eager to eat whatever Frypan has managed to dish up.
Minho’s rambling on about something when Alby catches Newt’s eye. Their leader is walking towards the forest alone. Not sure what to make of it, he leaves Minho behind with a “Hold that thought, Min, and save me a seat!”, jogging to catch up with the man everyone in the Glade looks up to. Falling in step, he asks Alby what he’s doing.
“The Box came up today.”
Newt suddenly remembers that another month has gone by and that the Box today would have contained a new Greenie. “How’d the new Greenie take it?”
“As well as any of the rest of us. Was shaking like a terrified animal in the Box. Gally and I pulled her out. As soon as she touched the ground, the Greenie made a beeline for the trees.”
Newt couldn’t quite believe his ears. “Alby, are you ok? What do you mean by using the bloody word 'she'?”
“The Greenie’s a girl, Newt.”
Taken by surprise, Newt followed Alby further into the trees. The shadows of the forest were much darker now since the sun was setting. Alby came to a sudden stop and looked up. Sure enough, the Greenie is perched up in the tree and she’s most definitely a girl. “Well, shuck me.” Newt murmurs, looking up at her.
“My exact words,” Alby says, before calling up to her. “Dinner’s ready. Would you like to come down?”
Both of them watch as she contemplates her next move and without answering, she graceful makes her way back down. Once she’s standing next to them, Newt notices that she’s about close to his age, if not a year older, and a bit taller than Alby, though still a few inches shorter than himself. It’s not a surprise though, considering that he is the tallest in the Glade.
Alby leads them back towards Homestead, making light conversation, which Newt feels the need to join when awkward silences fall in the pauses where the girl should be responding.
Grant is waiting for them and takes over leading the new Greenie around and helps her get a plate. The rest of the Gladers have fallen silent at her presence among them and after a few long hard stares from Alby, they go back to their conversations, though they are much more subdued as she passes by.
Minho’s already gotten his plate and saved him a seat. Newt sits down next to him and starts on his food. “Who’s the new Greenie?” Minho asks.
“Well, the Greenie’s a girl. But I don’t know her name.”
“A girl?” The other Runners who had been out in the Maze during the day gather around since this is news to them as well.
Newt shrugs, not knowing what else to say.
“Well, that’s just messed up.” Minho responds.
“More like bloody weird if you ask me. The Creators must of made a mistake.”
Alby joins them a little later on. They watch as Grant takes the new girl to the sleeping area, setting up a hammock for her before leaving her to rejoin the rest of Gladers. He walks by, telling Alby that she wanted to turn in for the night.
“Did she tell you in words?” Alby asks.
“No.”
Alby nodded his thanks and Grant went back to join his friends. All of the Keepers have joined together in a little group to discuss the new Greenie.
“What did you mean by your question?” Winston, Keeper of the Slicers, voices the curiosity in Newt’s mind.
Alby sighs. “Greenie hasn’t said a word all day. I’m not sure if she’s incapable of speech or if it’s just her way of coping with stress.”
In the back of Newt’s mind, he’s sure there’s a word for the condition Alby’s just described, but as usual, he’s blanking on the memory. Even though he’s Alby’s second-in-command, Newt’s glad he can sit this one out and let Alby handle all the logistics. Alby tells the Keepers that the Greenie is to be treated like the rest of the Gladers and that she’s going to do rotations until she settles on a job that she likes doing. Some of the boys mutter, “Good that.” And Newt is glad that everyone's in agreement.
* * *
Waking up in an unfamiliar place is quite disorienting and it takes a few moments for the events of yesterday to come flooding back to her mind. She sits up in her hammock and looks around to find Grant still asleep next to her. Most of the hammocks are still occupied, the rest of the boys sleeping since it’s still relatively dark outside. Looking out towards the field, she can make out several figures standing in front of the stone walls surrounding this place. Suddenly a loud rumble occurs and part of the stone wall begins to open and seconds later, the group of boys are running through the doors.
She can make out only one figure heading back towards the buildings and after a few minutes, she realizes that it’s Alby. Not sure what to do, she lies back and closes her eyes, taking in the sounds of this new strange place that apparently is called the Glade.
* * *
Grant had left the Greenie with the Builders before heading to his own job, which meant that Gally had her for the day. As Keeper of the Builders, Gally was strong and used to carrying heavy loads of wood. Having already sized her up, he was sure that she would slow him down. The thought annoyed him as he led her to the fence he was building around the farming area where the cows were kept. He’d promised Alby he’d have it finished by this evening, but if his assumptions about the Greenie were correct, the fence wouldn’t be done until tomorrow.
As of yet, the girl still hasn't said a word, but she's a great listener. He told her what they were going to try to accomplish and how it was supposed to be done. When he had finished, she held out her hand. Not knowing what she wanted, Gally stared at her, his mind already confirming that this was the worst idea ever. There was no way this girl would be a Builder.
When he didn’t respond, she huffed. Reaching out, she took the hammer and pegs that were in his hand, settled in the grass and began to work. About two hours later, she had about seven feet of fence put up and about another ten to go. The other Builders had stopped what they were doing to come and inspect the fence and Gally was beyond surprised at how efficient she worked and how sturdy the final product was. In their amazement at this turn of events, none of the boys had realized that she had run out of wood. Only when she had begun looking around did it occur to Gally to get more. He had to laugh at himself. At the rate she was going, they would be done shortly after lunch.
And he’s right. It’s only two in the afternoon when she hammers in the last peg and ties the last piece of hemp in place. Never having been in this situation before, he calls Alby over, one to inspect the new fence and second to ask him what they should do since their task is done for the day. He has the other Builders start on taking the old fence down. The Greenie is lying on the grass in what little shade she can find, eyes closed and he doesn’t have the heart to tell her to get up and help them.
Alby’s beyond impressed and so is Winston, who originally asked for the new fence. Alby tells Gally to give her the rest of the day off and when he does, she takes off running. The whole Glade is watching her and there’s a tense moment when Grant takes off after her, shouting out the nickname they are still using for her, because it looks like she’s headed for the entrance that leads into the Maze. He’s far behind her and already losing ground; the girl is fast and Gally bets she could give Newt a run for his money. (It’s a phrase that is so strange, that he’s almost confused as to how he could think of such a thing, but he understands its meaning, even if he can’t remember what money is.) At the last moment she makes a hard left, running alongside the wall only to skid to a halt. A bunch of the Gladers have started moving in her direction, since they had been concerned that she would break their most sacred rule: Never enter the Maze.
She standing next to the rising stone, her fingers tracing over the names etched into the face of the wall. Grant has reached her and is standing next to her, gasping for breath. Alby makes it there next and calls out to the other Gladers to get back to work, though he doesn’t seem to have problem with Gally staying. The Greenie is reading the names of the boys who have lived in the Glade, both those who are there now and the others who are no longer with them. She’s gently running her finger over Newt’s name when Alby asks her a question. “Do you remember yours?” His voice is quiet and soothing, just how Gally remembers it from his first day in this klunk of a place, scared out of his wits.
She slowly shakes her head and when she turns to face them, the light in her eyes have dimmed slightly. Gally isn’t one for sympathy, but he feels bad for her. His name had come to him just hours after he had arrived. Not realizing what he’s doing, he reaches out to pat her shoulder. “It’ll come to you soon, Greenie.” He tries to sound reassuring, but he’s not sure if he succeeds.
She turns back, finishing the outline of the ‘t’ in Newt’s name before moving on to Minho’s. After a few moments more, Alby gives Grant the rest of the day off before heading back to whatever he was doing. Gally leaves with him, going back to help the rest of his Builders finish tearing down the old fence.
That evening, the Greenie joins them for dinner and their free time and she watches them all, though she never says a word. When it’s time for bed, he approaches her and tells her that if she’s interested, he’d love to have her join his team of builders.
* * *
Nearly a week has gone by and Grant had taken her to nearly every area of work in the Glade. She had spent the following days with the Slicers, Baggers, Sloppers, and Cooks. Considering how well she had done with the Builders, Grant had thought she had already found something she wanted to do, but he guessed she was keeping her options open until she had rotated through everything. For the most part, she seemed to be good at almost everything. She never complained (but then again, that was unsurprising, considering that she had yet to utter a word), though she had been unable to eat anything after spending the day with the Slicers and had made what some of the other Gladers said was the best face to date when she realized what she had to do for the day with the Sloppers. None of them could blame her though since they hadn’t been thrilled by the job either when they rotated through.
Frypan had been especially pleased by her cooking skills and Grant was sure that he would not be above trying to bribe her to work for him when it finally came time for her to pick what she wanted to do. The Greenie had yet to work with the Med-jacks, Slicers, and Track-hoes. When he woke up this morning, she had told him through writing on his palm with her finger that she wanted to work with him. So, after breakfast, he had taken her down to the meet the Keeper of the Track-hoes, Zart, who was more than happy for her to spend the day with them. And that was how he found himself working alongside her now.
He pauses to watch her attack the soil with a gusto that none of the other boys had. They had been out in the sun working for three hours and it was almost time for lunch. At the rate she’s going, he’s positive she’s going to tire herself out before she can finish the day. He leaves to get her a cup of water and when he comes back, she’s still at it. “Hey, Greenie, slow down.” He offers. “You’re gonna klunk yourself out.”
She stops to look up at him and accepts the water gratefully. While she drinks, he knows that he can’t blame her for throwing herself into the work. He feels sorry for her. It’s been a week and she still doesn’t know her name and she has yet to say a word. Grant can tell Alby’s worried for her. The other night, he overheard Alby talking to Newt about needing to pick a name for her soon if she can't remember her own, because they can’t go on calling her Greenie forever. When she finishes the water, Grant tells her to take a small break, so she sits down with her legs crossed under her and watches as he continues to dig up the soil.
He talks to her, tells her about his first month in the Glade, how on his first day he had passed out after coming up in the Box. He tells her about how he was working in the fields with Zart during his third day and that while cutting up on old tree his name had suddenly come to him and that evening, the Gladers made big bonfire to celebrate. After spending a week with her, he’s used to the silence and he can hold a conversation with her without any awkward moments. The smiles she gives him in response more than make up for her inability to speak.
After lunch, they work through the afternoon. Around four o’clock, Grant notices that the girl keeps glancing at the entrance to the Maze as if she’s watching for the Runners’ return. When Minho and Newt make through the door, her focus returns to the soil she’s working. Grant’s not sure why she seems so relieved that they’re back. It’s not like she knows them and Alby has yet to explain to her what lies beyond the looming stone walls that are caging them in.
At dinner, she sits with him and listens to conversations that flow around her. He’s not sure if she’s focused on any one particular thread. He laughs with his friends and fools around with them, watching as Gally fights different opponents. When he turns to check up on her, he finds her still seated on the ground leaning on the tree stump he had used for a seat while eating. She’s asleep, tuckered out from a day of hard labour and he has to smile. The tension that has taken up a permanent residence on her face is gone and she seems to be at peace. He leaves the crowd that has formed around the fighting ring and taking care not to wake her up, he carries her back to her hammock.
* * *
It’s been over a week since her first day in the Glade. She’s gone through all of the different areas of work in the Glade. Of all the jobs, she chooses to work as a Med-jack. She’s not sure why, but something tells her that in a past life she might have been interested in a similar profession, though her memories are completely wiped. She tells Alby as much and he’s more than happy for her. But she also tells him that in her spare time, she’d like to also do work as a Builder.
The Keeper of the Med-jacks, Clint, and his partner, Jeff, hold the job down well and most of the time there’s not a whole lot to do. Clint is thrilled to hear that she’s going to be joining them as a new Med-jack and when Alby runs her desire to also be a Builder by him, he has no problems. “Just need her for the next four or five days to show her around and finish up teaching her the basics.”
Gally is happy to hear that she’s going to join his team, though he understands that she has to report to Clint as he is her official Keeper.
Her name still hasn’t come to her and it’s something that bugs her to no end, more than her inability to speak. She racks her brain continuously, convinced that somewhere in the dark empty void of her mind her name is hidden. She hates the name Greenie, but she’s not sure what else to do since she wants to wait and tell the others her real name when she remembers.
She’s slowly become comfortable hanging out amongst this group full of boys, where she is not only a minority but also an anomaly. Deciding she needs to get to know her fellow Gladers, she divides her time between Grant and some of the other boys. She doesn’t know why but she’s drawn to the Keeper of the Runners, a blond haired lanky boy whose name she learns is Newt, and his running partner, an Asian kid named Minho. She wakes up early enough every morning to watch them enter the Maze and in the afternoon she steals glances at the doors to watch for their return. She guesses that her interest in them has developed so she can get her mind off of her growing fear that she might never remember her own name.
* * *
Minho and Newt are sitting deep within the Maze eating the lunch Frypan has packed for them, when Newt breaks the silence. “Can you remember any girls’ names?”
Minho nearly chokes on his sandwich. “What kind of question is that, shank?” He laughs and turns to look at his friend only to find that Newt is serious.
“Alby wants me to think of a name for the Greenie. In about a week, a new Greenie will be coming up in the Box and it’s not right for all of us to keep referring to her as such. Besides, we have yet to etch a name for her into the wall.”
Minho mulls it over in his mind, taking the time enjoy his sandwich as he thinks. He knows he’s in no better position than Newt to have any memories of anything related to girls. His memory spans almost eight months (Newt’s almost a year) and all this time they’ve been among boys. Minho knew that Newt had been uncomfortable with calling the new girl Greenie, especially after spending a day with her in a well-known section of the Maze.
Normally, in order for anyone to be able to enter to the Maze, they had to be nominated and Greenies couldn’t be nominated until after spending an entire month in the Glade. But Alby had held a Gathering and decided that he would bend the rules just this once since she had the ability to run. So, when it was Minho’s turn to have a day off, Newt had taken the girl with him to show her around. When they had come back, the girl had made it clear that she was willing to be a stand-in Runner if they needed it, but she prefered staying in the Glade. And while he had no clue what was said between the two of them (the girl was still silent), he could tell the two had bonded. The interesting thing though was that the girl also seemed to have taken a liking to him as well.
“Sky.” He finally offered.
Newt startled. “What?”
“Sky. Couldn’t that be a girl’s name?”
Newt shrugged. “I guess.”
They both sat there awhile longer compiling a list of names. Before long, they had to start heading back.
“Bloody hell, this is difficult.”
Minho could only laugh at his friend.
They had finally settled down to relax for the day, plates in their hand sitting aways from the rest of the Gladers. They watched as Gally started up another of his wrestling matches, something that had become a favourite pastime in the Glade. When the girl passed by, Newt motioned her over. Minho watched as his friend explained to her that they wanted her to pick a name that would at least be temporary until she could remember her own. She seemed pretty happy about it.
So the two of them ran through the list they had come up with earlier in the day.
Sky.
Rain.
Robin.
Leaf.
Misty.
May.
April.
June.
None of them seemed right to him now that she was sitting there in front of them. And she too didn’t seem to like any they had suggested thus far.
It suddenly occurred to Minho that she might have thought of a name she’d like to be called. He asked her as much and was given a smile. Grasping his wrist, she traces into the back of his hand B-L-U-E.
“Blue?”
She nods, looking between them.
That was the name she chiseled just under their own.
* * *
Four months had passed since Blue had entered the Glade. She still couldn’t speak or remember her name. However, the boys worked together to help her form a system of hand motions so she could signal for basic things. She still used her finger to write out ideas that were too complicated to communicate through hand signalling. But Alby was proud of her and of his boys and he was glad to see that she kept herself busy.
During the months that followed they had lost two more boys to the Grievers. After both events, Blue had worked herself into exhaustion the following day. She showed more emotion than any of the other Gladers, but that was to be expected since she was a girl.
It had become a common sight to find Blue up before sunrise, grabbing breakfast with Newt and Minho. She would accompany them to the entrance and wait with them until the doors opened. After they left, she would sit and wait for Grant to come and eat. When it was time, she would report to Clint and then, she could be usually found working on some new project Gally had given her. In the evening, she would wait for Newt and Minho to arrive back from the Maze. Alby could see the tension in her body throughout the day and it was only relieved when her friends came back to her.
In many ways, having a med-jack that worked among them was beneficial, because she could respond much faster to a situation. She had been able to stabilize many of the slicers much more quickly, saving Clint and Jeff precious time and the injured Glader precious amounts of blood.
There were times though that Alby could see the frustration in her eyes at her inability to communicate through speech. He had been sitting with her watching the rest of the Gladers celebrating the arrival of a new Greenie, when he finally asked her, “Have you ever been able to speak?”
She had shrugged, trying to act as if it was no big deal. After a few moments, she had taken his arm and traced into his skin: I can’t remember.
* * *
When Blue had woken up, she knew something was off. The sun was a little higher in the sky than usual and Frypan was already swamped with people for breakfast. She had slept in. It occurred to her that today was her day off and she was happy about it, though she was a bit disappointed that she hadn’t gotten up early enough to see Newt and Minho off. Not sure what to do, she lay in the hammock longer than was strictly necessary. Before long, Frypan was calling her name.
Breakfast was already over as she made her way towards his cooking area and she figured she wouldn’t be eating until lunch. When she reach him, Frypan gave her a once over and she knew he could tell she had just gotten up. “Did you stay up late last night? You look like klunk.”
Blue smiled, shaking her head.
Frypan gave her a look that told her he didn’t quite believe her. “You missed breakfast.” He handed her an apple and a slice of bread. “I saved these for you, since I know you’re going to end up working on something even though it’s your day off.”
Accepting the food, she waved her goodbye to him before returning to her hammock, watching the other Gladers work as she ate. Frypan was too good to her, though it could be that she did come help in the kitchen for the dinner shift from time to time. Deciding that she would really take the day off, she went to find Grant. Perhaps she could keep him company and she’d be able to get the rope she had been working on finished.
Grant was more than glad for her company. She sat close by, listening to the banter amongst the Track-hoes and from time to time, she gave her input into their crazy discussion about who was the smartest among the Gladers. Only once had their discussion been interrupted by a strange shrieking sound echoing from within the Maze.
Around four in the afternoon, she started getting antsy. Newt and Minho would be arriving soon. Time past and soon it was five. The doors closed at six and her friends always emerged from the Maze no later than five fifteen. To keep herself from worrying, she continued working on the rope which she had nearly completed. She was tying the end of the rope when there was sudden commotion from the entrance of the Maze. Dropping everything, she was running, flying across the Glade towards the entrance. When she was half-way there, it occurred to her that she wasn’t wearing any shoes. Just feet away from the entrance, she wiped out only to scramble back onto her feet.
Minho was carrying Newt. The blond haired boy was covered in blood and bruises. The world around her was reduced to just him. All emotion left her, the only thing on her mind was how to save him. Minho set him down gently on the ground and went to keep the rest of the Gladers from crowding in. He was talking in the background, but she couldn’t make out what he was saying. Newt’s eyes were fluttering shut and of all moments, Blue now remembered her real name.
“Melody.” She whispered, her voice nearly nonexistent. “My name is Melody.”
* * *
Shouts of “Med-jack! Med-jack!” had Clint and Jeff running towards the growing group of Gladers. Clint vaguely wondered where Blue was. The sight that came into view was something that would forever be permanently etched into his mind forever. Newt was laid out on the ground covered in blood, one of his legs bent in a most gruesome, unnatural angle. He had scratch marks all over from where his skin had kissed the pavement. Blue was already beside him, trying to stabilize his leg. She had torn part of her shirt into a strip of cloth and tied it as tightly as possible around his leg to keep him from bleeding out and she was now trying to return his leg to a normal position. Jeff headed back for a stretcher.
“Has he been stung?”
Blue shook her head, but spread her arm out, inviting him to check for himself. Trusting her, Clint worked with her. Jeff got back in time for them to start moving him onto the stretcher. Blue laid a hand on his shoulder, looking off into the distance before looking back. He knew she had something she needed to do, but that she would be back as quickly as possible. He nodded and she took off in the direction of Homestead.
Together with Jeff, he carried Newt back to their makeshift hospital. They worked tirelessly to put his leg back together. About a half hour later, Blue showed up with a splint she had crudely shaped from some scrap wood. The three of them set his leg as best as they could before wrapping it up with the splint. Clint left Jeff and Blue to finish while he talked to Alby. There was something about Newt’s injuries that just didn’t add up.
* * *
Newt had been unconscious for five days and Minho was concerned for his friend. Blue spent the nights with Newt caring for him while Clint and Jeff rotated during the day. Alby still had him go out running every day and had even promoted him to Keeper of the Runners for the time being. The burn of his muscles as he ran was enough to keep his worst fears at bay. Newt’s accident had taken a toll on everyone, even Alby who came out of his room every morning looking as if he hadn’t slept at all.
Minho couldn’t blame him, especially considering the fact that he himself was struggling to find rest every night. Being one of the oldest gladers meant that he too had his own room. Newt lay in the bedroom next door. Minho found it hard to sleep as worry over his friend grew stronger each day. His nights were spent in fitful sleeps and he wasn’t sure how much longer he would be able to keep running on such a low amount of rest.
However, he was convinced that whenever he slept, he dreamed of a girl singing. The tune was soothing and haunting all at the same time and her voice was pure like starlight.
He woke up feeling more rested than any of the previous days. Alby sat with him as he ate breakfast and walked with him to the Map Room. After giving out everyone’s assignments for the day, he walked with Alby to wait for the doors of the Maze to open. At six a.m. sharp, the stone doors creaked and groaned, opening for the day. He clasped Alby’s hand and made to enter the Maze when his name was called.
“Minho!” The voice was raspy and a bit high pitched. Both he and Alby turned to the source of the voice. “Minho!” Each time his name was called, the voice got stronger. Through the dark they could see someone running, long blond hair flying in the wind.
Blue slowed down just short of plowing into him. She was on her knees panting. “Newt’s asking for you, Minho. He woke up about five minutes ago.” She pushed herself up off the ground.
Minho stared at her with what he assumed was the same expression on Alby’s face, both trying and failing to reconcile the voice they were hearing with the person speaking. He doesn’t remember her grasping his arm and pulling him back towards Homestead, but she’s setting him a gruelling pace that has him tripping over his own two feet and there’s a dull ache in his forearm from where she’s holding onto him too tight. Before he knows it, she’s dragging him through the sleeping area and up the stairs to Newt’s room, practically shoving him through the door.
His eyes land on Newt, who’s lying on the bed looking paler and skinnier than Minho’s ever seen him. The blond boy smiles, though it doesn’t quite reach his eyes and he gestures towards the chair that’s pulled up next to the bed.
Minho isn’t one for overt displays of emotion, preferring to vent his anger or worry in private, nor is he one to be overly affectionate. But in this blue moon of a moment, he’s feeling a million things and he can’t quite latch onto one particular emotion. He’s suddenly crying, clinging desperately to Newt’s hand, whimpering the phrase, “Don’t ever leave me again, you shuck-face,” like a mantra. He collapses in the chair and waits for himself to get a grasp and the only thing that’s grounding him is Newt’s touch.
He’s not ashamed of his response; the only audience privy to his outburst is his best friend. The minutes pass by and he’s soon aware of the silence that’s finally settled over them like a blanket.
“I won’t try it again.”
Those five words confirm his worst nightmare, shattering his world, and yet, glues his heart back together into one whole piece. Newt’s words are laced with sincerity and Minho completely trusts him to keep his word. The rest of the Gladers may never know the truth behind Newt’s injuries, but Minho knows that this is something that has solidified their friendship into something stronger - a brotherhood.
After a few moments more, the door to the room opens and Blue lets herself in. She perches at the foot of the bed as far as possible from his injured leg (Clint thinks he might never be able to run again) and she watches them. The look in her eye tells Minho that she’s in on the secret, she somehow figured it out on her own. She gathers their clasped hands into her own and squeezes in reassurance.
Newt asks her to sing and the shock of Blue speaking finally catches up with him. Minho protests because how is it possible, but Newt quiets him, simply replying, “She remembers. Her name is Melody and she can sing. And her voice brought me back to this world.”
Minho gasps in wonder as she starts. The girl singing in his dreams has been her all along and she has been singing to Newt every night.
* * *
Newt listens to her voice. It’s light in its purest form, piercing into their (his) darkness, giving them (him) a reason for hope. He knows now that his choice was the selfish way out. But now he also knows he’s not alone and he’s grateful for this second chance.
For though the world be dark, a light will shine through, even in the form of a melody.
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