The entire ordeal left me shaken. Condemning a friend to certain death drained the energy from every fragment of my body. The rest of the day was a haze as I stood, still staring at the shut doors. It just now dawned on me that we never finished Thomas's celebration. The haunted figure of Ben seemed to be scarred in the space, and I turned around to see if everyone felt as I did. But they weren't there, and for some reason, it was dark.

A hand rested on my shoulder, "Joanie?" I turned to see Newt, staring down at me. "Come on, you've been standing here for an hour?"

My brow furrowed, an hour? Impossible. I tried to say something but I couldn't, my voice has disappeared. I calmed my hyperventilating, and looked up with wide eyes at Newt. "You okay?" He asked, and I bit my lip, before nodding.

He grabbed my arm and I let him lead me wherever. My gaze was clumsily staring at the floor, and a few times I stumbled, fell once. Newt was always there, picking me up. He must've finally given up, because we stopped moving. I thought he had left, but then I felt the pressure on my feet release. Realization hit me, he was carrying me.

Before I could argue, which was currently disabled, I was placed on a bed. I vaguely remembered the trek up the stairs. We were in Newts room, and I gazed at Newt while he walked over to the sleeping back. I tried to will myself, to say anything, but my vocal chords didn't function.

"Goodnight, Joanie,"

But I couldn't even answer.

Before I could worry, I slipped into dreams.

*****

The dawn blissfully awakened me, causing me to look around where I was. The memories from the past day all came crashing down. Newt wasn't in his sleeping bag, so I just got dressed in his room. A grumbling stomach made me walk out the door, to find frypan. People gave me a wave of acknowledgment, but still my voice had yet to appear. I just waved back.

I steadied myself as the doors opened, their grumbling reminding me of what happened. I stared at the doors, looking for any signs of Ben, but were met with none. Minho stretched his arms out, nonchalant at the object that lay in the open doors. The collar lay, and Minho picked it up, not even giving a second glance, before tossing it to one of the runners.

Before I could protest, a yanked it out of his hand, causing him to jump. I felt the cool leather in between my fingers. I dropped to the floor, gazing at it. "Joanie?" Minho asked unsurely. "What's wrong?"

I tried to form words, to throw them at him. But I couldn't even manage a gasp. He senses my struggling, "what's wrong, why can't you Talk?" He asked. I don't know! I tried to throw at him. He looked at me worriedly, before whispering something to a runner, who darted off.

Alby came after 10 minutes. Someone had snatched the collar away from me, taking it to the shed. I hadn't moved, silently watching everything.

Minho and Alby were whispering, but I could catch a few words.

"Joannah..."
"Banishment..."
"Not right..."
"Mentally ill..."
"Mute..."
"Scarred..."
"Tests..."

The words scared me, so I began to scramble up, digging my fingernails in the dirt as I clambered up. "Hey hey! Calm!" Minho soothed. I breathed in and out, my breaths even. "Listen, Alby and I wanna check out the shuck griever," he paused, "we need to go. I think you should find Newt, have him look over you," he said.

Pulling out a paper and pencil, he scribbled down words on a paper. "Give this to him," he said, pressing it into my hand, "and don't read it," he added. I glanced at the paper, and as if my brain short circuited, I began to unfold it. "No!" He exclaimed, pressing it closed, "please. If you care about any of us. Do not read it, okay?" He said. I nodded.

A group of Gladers had gathered, sending them off. I watched as they ran off into the woods. Someone helped me up, "alright, go and find Newt, understand?" He said, talking as if I were a child.

I wandered the glade, trying to find him. I found myself towards the edge of the deadheads, and I began to search there. I heard the snapping of twigs, and expecting to see Newt, I leaped forward. But it wasn't.

It was Andy.

"So, I've heard you got shuck mute," he said, and I stood frozen. "People are saying your shucked for good 'cause of Ben,"

And as if it couldn't get worse, he laughed. Taking big strides forward, I just realized, he had me backed to a tree. I tried to say something, but my voice wouldn't work.

And this time, it had to. Things were going to take a turn for the worst, and if I can't call for help...

"So here we are... Alone... In the woods," he inched closer till we were touching. I feared what was happening. "You're not with Newt anymore are you? That means, you're available," he said, holding my face. "And you can't call for help..." He whispered, before kissing me.

I felt tears fall down my face, as I stood rigid. My body felt like my voice, disabled. He pulled away from me, his cold kiss lingering. He smirked, before holding me by my hair. "You will say nothing. Even if you can speak. Also, you will not insinuate at all that this happened. This is our little secret," he said, releasing his hold on my hair.

I closed my eyes, wishing it to stop. And by the time my eyes had opened, he was gone.

I put the entire ordeal behind me, and left to find Newt.

*****
I found him just leaving the kitchens, and he glanced at me. I walked directly to him, making it very obvious of where I was going. Boys stopped, and stared, but I kept going. He gave me a questioning look before I gave him the piece of paper. Settling it into his hand, I ignored the urge to read it. He quickly opened it up, reading through it. His faced first showed confusion, awe, worry, and then he looked up at me, with pain.

"Can you tell me where we are?" He asked, and I began to answer. The glade. But once again, it didn't happen. My mouth opened and closed, and he immediately grasped my wrist. "We need to go to the medjacks," he said. I remembered the conversation Minho and Alby shared. I began to pull against him, and he knew what I was doing, so he tightened his grip.

He dragged me up stairs, to a questioning Clint and Jeff. I began to violently struggle, panic overtaking me. "Strap her down," he muttered. The three of them pushed me into the bed. "Hey, we can't just strap her down against her will, what's happening," clint said. Newt handed him the note.

As soon as he was distracted, a bolted. But soon his arms were around me and I was back to struggling. He was much stronger than me, so my struggling was basically useless. Clint and Jeff read over the note, their eyes widening. As if they were somehow magically commanded, they pushed me down. They straps tightened around me as the snapped into place.

I tried to scream, call for help. Anything. But nothing. Jeff sat down next to me, as I had given up my struggle. "Can you say anything?"

And I tried. I tried so hard. But no words came out of my mouth, instead, wisps of air. So instead, I shook my head.

He slowly rose, twisting his body to whisper to Clint. I studied the room. If there was a way I could break free...

"We think you have been mentally shocked my bens ordeal," someone interjected. I returned my gaze to Jeff, keeping my stare cold and hard. "We're going to stimulate tests,"

"What do you mean tests?" Newt replied, asking for me. "To see if we can reopen her ability to speak," Jeff said, "I think it's the only way,"

"No... Just let her figure it out in her own," Newt said, now taking my side. Clint looked between us, "Newt, the note says-"

"No," he glanced at me before continuing, "she's just in shock, that's all,"

I nodded my head. "Alright, you're in charge of watching her. Do not let her out of your sight," Jeff replied, waving a finger. Nodding, Newt spun towards me. The pressure released from the straps, the vulnerability gone. My hands warmed my arms as I rubbed them back and forth.

*****

The day was relatively uneventful. Basically following Newt around like a sad puppy. Everyone seemed to give me pitiful looks, and when their backs were turned, I would roll my eyes. Occasionally, Newt would stand by the door. Waiting.

Time was ticking, and Alby and Minho hadn't shown. I could feel worry creeping into the crevices of my spine. I couldn't read newts expression at first, but by the tenth visit, worry was spread across his face. We also visited the coma girl. It seemed that with all that was happening, I had momentarily forgotten her. The girl was taking slightly less food, and hadn't recovered.

We stopped one more time at the doors, and I could only stand. My lack of voice impaired me to comforting.

We made our way to some benches, newts eyes were bloodshot with concern, and he was eerily silent. A few benches down, chuck and Thomas sat, conversing.

"What's wrong with him?" Chuck whispered. "Looks like you did when you popped out of the Box."
"I don't know," Thomas replied. "Why don't you go ask him."

"I can hear every bloody word you guys are saying," Newt called in a loud voice. "No wonder people hate sleepin' next to you shanks."

I flinched at the sudden noise, realizing how much time had gone by since he'd spoken. "What is wrong with you?" Chuck asked. "No offense, but you look like klunk."

"Every lovin' thing in the universe," he replied, then fell silent as he stared off into space for a long moment, so I gently nudged him. "The girl from the Box. Keeps groanin' and saying all kinds of weird stuff, but won't wake up. Medjacks're doing their best to feed her, but she's eatin' less each time. I'm tellin' ya, something's very bad about that whole bloody thing."

But I knew he was half lying. I waited until he would say the truth. Finally, Newt let out a long sigh. "Shuck it. But that's not what really has me buggin'."
"Then what does?" Chuck asked.

Newt looked towards the maze, and my gaze followed. "Alby and Minho," he muttered. "They should've come back hours ago."