Finality | The Maze Runner / Newt ? ?

Disclaimer:

I do not own The Maze Runner, but I would like to sincerely thank all of you for getting this far and for all of your support! I genuinely can't believe that this is the last disclaimer ):

-✼-

LOCATION: PARADISE

Things weren't always easy in the years that passed.

Quickly, it became apparent that we needed to build structures in order to survive. Men and women did their part in building homes from the resources available. A few people found a seemingly endless supply of construction supplies a few miles away from the beach. It was like Paradise truly was only that— a place where everything was ideal.

Except it wasn't. Gally led the crew, personally designing and building some of the first homes. I could tell that it was hard for him to be the only Builder remaining from the twelve he had in the Glade. Sometimes his eyes would get far away as he hammered away at a roof, seeing things nobody else could.

The first two years were too busy to do much except work. It was like the Glade— everyone had a job, and everyone did their part. Few children were born during the time it took to rebuild civilization as we knew it. Those years came to be known as the Dark Years; we struggled to build, struggled to eat, struggled to survive as the world continued on around us.

It took Thomas a long while to open up again. A part of him had been left behind in the W.I.C.K.E.D complex that had burned down years ago. I supposed it was the same way for all of us; I certainly wasn't perfect. There would be nights where I couldn't force myself to sleep. Crackles of thunder reminded me of the explosions, the sand brought me back to the Scorch, being alone was completely suffocating.

Relationships changed in the years that passed. Gally became one of my closest friends as the two of us bonded while we built houses together. He taught me all I needed to know, patiently allowing me to adapt to the new change in work. I was physically strong, which definitely helped, and soon the two of us were leading projects together.

Brent practically adopted Thomas, Sonya, and I. He stepped in to be the father figure I didn't remember having, though still maintaining his strict and sarcastic personality. He wound up being a Builder as well; his immense strength proved him to be handy at lugging wood and other supplies around.

Brenda was slowly becoming more like family. It became fairly clear that she and Thomas weren't letting go of one another, and I was glad that they had each other to lean on. Watching them sometimes reminded me of Newt and what could have been. If he'd been Immune, would that have been us? Would we have stuck together all those years? I tried not to spend my days dwelling on those questions, but sometimes I couldn't help it.

Garret began writing songs again. At first, it helped him cope with the trauma he'd gone through, but then he began opening up and sharing his music with the rest of the survivors like he'd previously done in the Glade. Some of his songs brought everyone to tears— especially the remaining Gladers. But I would always be grateful for his voice; it was a reminder that good things could last during impossible times.

I wasn't exactly sure when it started to happen, but soon, I found my eye wandering along the field until I saw Minho. Gally would constantly tease me about it if it happened while we were working. But soon I realized that I couldn't stop.

It took me a long, long time to come to terms with that. I hated myself because I kept feeling that I was somehow betraying the memory of Newt even though he'd been gone for four years at that point. And it hurt even more knowing that Thomas never told Minho the truth of what happened to him. Just how I could never utter the words to Garret.