Feral → newt, tmr

Chapter 5: Back To Friends

Katherine opens her eyes with a dramatic gasp, the remnants of a nightmare still clinging to her like a second skin. She looks around, disoriented, and realizes she’s back in Newt’s room, sprawled on his bed instead of the floor. Panic grips her. She’s late. The thought hits her hard, and she groans, the weight of it settling in her chest.

“These nightmares are killing me,” she mutters under her breath, pushing the covers off and swinging her legs over the side of the bed. The chill of the wooden floor sends a shiver up her spine, but she brushes it off and forces herself to get ready for another day in the Glade.

She missed breakfast—again. Frypan is always kind enough to keep her plate warm for her, but the thought of food feels heavy in her stomach. After a quick wash and a glance in the cracked mirror, she heads out, the dull light of morning greeting her.

As she steps outside, she spots Thomas in the distance, perched on a fallen tree with Chuck, watching Newt and Jeff chopping at a tree. Relief floods her; seeing him helps ease the anxiety that grips her heart.

“Oh great!” she mutters under her breath, her gaze locking onto Newt. “Fucking great.”

Katherine walks towards them, passing several Gladers who eye her warily, as if she’s a madwoman. She chuckles to herself at the thought, her feet moving steadily closer to her destination.

“Why didn’t anyone wake me up?” she asks, plopping down next to Thomas, who turns to her with a mix of surprise and concern.

“Newt said you had nightmares throughout the night and wanted to give you a day off,” Chuck replies, his fingers deftly playing with the rope in his hands, a distraction from the grim atmosphere.

Katherine looks at Thomas, who opens his mouth to ask her a question, but his twin sister cuts him off.

“I’m fine. It’s just hard to take in all,” she assures him, though a hint of uncertainty lingers in her voice.

He nods, understanding shining in his eyes. “I know, right?”

She offers him a small smile, but inside, she feels a storm brewing. Thomas is going through the same nightmares, and somehow, he still finds the strength to face them. But for her, it’s different. She may be strong enough to fight physically, but mentally, she’s a wreck.

“But why would Alby go into the maze? I mean, he’s not a runner,” Thomas questions Newt, trying to keep the conversation afloat.

Katherine raises an eyebrow. “Alby went into the maze?”

Newt pauses, the axe stilling in his hands as he looks at her. “Yes, he did. Things are different now. Alby went to retrace Ben’s footsteps before sundown.”

He turns his gaze to Thomas. “Are you gonna help?”

“So he’s gonna go back to where Ben was just stung…” Thomas muses, glancing from Newt to Katherine, concern etching his features.

“Alby knows what he’s doing, alright? He knows better than any of us,” Newt replies, his tone firm, but Katherine can sense an underlying tension.

“What does that mean?” Thomas presses, clearly troubled.

Newt stops chopping again, scratching his neck in annoyance. “It’s like you’ve heard, yeah? Every month, the Box sends up a new arrival. But someone had to be first, right? Someone had to have spent a whole month in the Glade, alone. That was Alby.”