I apologize in advance.
Your in a large room, kind of similar to a gymnasium. Targets have been placed around the room with different ropes, climbing walls, bridges. It sort of resembled a playground, minus the guns and knives and metal staffs littered about the room .There are a few other children, all quite a bit older then you, probably thirteen, but your only six.
Your spinning a knife around in your fingers, waiting for the Head of Security and Combat to arrive.
Nobody socializes. It's not permitted.
Suddenly a large, bald man walks in and everyone stands at attention in a straight line.
"Training day number 204. Today we will be practicing hand-to-hand combat. Everyone find a partner", his voice is deep and authoritative. You were scared of this man.
You begin to walk away, hoping you'll be able to find a partner, although people don't usually want to fight with you.
"Y/N", the large man says and you face him, "you will fight me today".
Again?!?
Your heart sinks into your stomach and it feels like a tennis ball was stuck in your throat. You know that the man targets you. He chooses to spar with you, and he never goes easy on you. It's embarrassing to fight him, because you usually end up with an ice pack to your eye and a bloody nose.
"Yes sir", you mumble, heading to the mat.
You ball your tiny hands into fists and hold them in front of your face.
He throws a couple punches, which you block, and then you kick him in the liver, which is a painful blow.
Today, instead of completely pulverizing you, he actually gives you pointers and helps you.
"Keep your dominant hand free to punch.... hold tension in your gut.... remember to plant your bottom leg when you kick... don't leave your face unprotected...".
By the end of the lesson, he pats you on the shoulder as you drink from your water bottle.
"Nice work Y/N. I know hand-to-hand isn't your strong suit. You're much better with a weapon".
It's true, you prefer to have an object you can use, a knife or a stick. Your quite good at knife throwing.
You walk out of the Training Centre, feeling proud of your work, when you overhear the man talking with Ava, the chancellor.
"Yes, she's improving. She will be ready for the job when you need her".
"Thank you Cory, I appreciate your assistance. I knew she would be ready eventually, but with the given special attention she required, she'll be able to move on to our next project". Ava responds.
She's not talking about you. She wouldn't be talking about you.
But you have been getting quite a bit of extra training hours, and Cory had been assisting you more then the others.
Cory sighs, "are you sure she's the right person for this Ava? She's only a child. There are others— more fit and prepared who would do an exceptional job".
Ava shakes her head, " I knew you'd get attached to the trainees to easily. She must be the one to do this. Her life is separable in the off chance that something goes wrong".
Cory nods firmly and turns to leave, but then he sees you.
You turn and sprint away.
You wake to someone shaking you violently. For a moment you fear that it's Gally, so you curl up closer to to Homestead and put your arms out defensively.
"Stop!", you shout, squeezing your eyes shut.
The hand that was shaking you finds your face and you hear the soothing voice of Newt.
"Y/N, don't worry, it's me. What's wrong?", his brow furrows in concern.
"Newt", you sigh, "sorry, I thought you were
G—someone else".
Newts thumb brushes your tear stained cheeks and you know you must have been crying even more when you slept.
"Why are you crying?", he asks softly.
"Nothing, no reason. Just a bad dream", it's not entirely a lie.
"Don't lie to me Y/N. I heard you crying back here last night when you came back from the woods. What happened?".
You resist the desperate urge to tell him, and hide it with a smile.
"Nothing. Just still a little confused about being here, that's all".
He clearly doesn't believe you.
"I can't force you to tell me, but I really wish you would".
"I wish I could too", you mumble, but thankfully Newt didn't hear.
—————
You go work in the Medjacks for the rest of the day, eat dinner quietly, then get beat up by Gally and his friends again.
This happens for the rest of the week, the same cycle over and over again, and you find yourself desperate to go home. Sure almost everyone there hated you, but they didn't show it through violence.
And you missed Sonya and Harriet and Bella.
You now lay on the ground as Gally and his friends take turns kicking you in the ribs.
Blood drips from your nose and mouth and tears seep from your eyes.
You regret going into the Maze by yourself. It was foolish. If you hadn't, then you would be in the Springs right now, eating dinner and laughing with Sonya or playing pranks on Beth with Bella.
"Watch this", you hear Gally mutter to his friends.
Gally leans over you, examining your face closely, then wipes blood from the corner of your mouth, leaning down and pressing his to yours.
Your taken aback for a moment, shocked when Gally's lips meet yours, but you quickly get your bearings and push his face away.
"Get away from me!", you shout and a sly grin covers his face.
He moves towards you again, and you scoot away from him until your back hits a tree.
He stands you up, his body pressed against yours with his face centimetres from yours. You smell is foul breath.
You struggle against him, screaming and kicking, your arms flailing but Gally pins them down.
His lips meet yours again and you try to kick his kneecaps but he steps on your feet.
You can't breathe, and you refuse to inhale any of Gally's air.
His tongue slips along your tightly shut lips, his hands snaking around your waist, when suddenly he's thrown off you.
You gasp for air and see Newt standing in front of you.
"Y/N, love, are you okay?"
You take shaky breaths and nod slightly, blood still seeping from your nose.
Newt turns to Gally who lays on the ground, his lips glazed with your blood.
Newt kicks Gally and shouts to the other builders who just stand there, stunned.
They scurry away and Newt finishes off Gally who lays, possibly unconscious, on the ground.
Newt takes you by the hand, draping his arm over your shoulder.
You walk in silence as he takes you to the Medjack room in the Homestead. It's night, so the Medjacks aren't there.
Newt sits your still shaking figure on the bed and grabs a basin of water and a cloth, sitting beside you.
"What happened?" Newt asks, cleaning your face with the cloth.
You don't want to talk about it. It makes you feel weak. But Newt deserves to know.
"One night Gally took me to the forest and beat me up as payback for embarrassing him in front of the Gladers. But it didn't stop. I became their punching bag, and Gally got his friends involved...", you trail off, shaking your head.
"How long has this been happening?"
"A week".
"So when you were crying the other night, or when you had the bruise on your face, or the black eye... that was them?".
You nod.
Newt treats your injuries in silence and you just sit there.
"May I?", Newt asks, gesturing to your stomach.
You nod, lifting your shirt up just enough for him to see the purple and black bruises.
His face looks sad when he treats the bruises.
When he's done, he sits beside you on the bed, taking both your hands.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
You shrug, "I didn't want to drag you into it. And I was embarrassed that I wasn't brave enough to fight for myself".
"Y/N, you are brave, and beautiful and amazing". He says with such sincerity that you blush.
He brushes a piece of hair out of your face, resting his hand on your cheek.
You stare into his deep brown eyes.
He takes a large breath and does something you've been wanting him to do since you first saw him.
He leans in and kisses you.
A/N- I'm sorry. I apologize. I honestly wanted to curl up and die.
And to my partner in crime who I know is reading this, stfu. Don't say anything.
Thank you for reading and again, I'm so sorry •~•
-A3