INNOVATION - CHAPTER THIRTY

⚘ DEATH GRIP ⚘

Night fell quickly, though the sky stayed gray. After Kalisa and Newt had finally pulled away from the comfort of the Gardens, they instantly were thrown back into the chaos of the Glade.

There was much to do, even though they had been preparing all day. Nobody felt ready for the Grievers, then again it wasn't exactly something you could prepare for.

    Newt was whisked away at once to settle an argument between the Builders, leaving Kalisa to help the other boys place the barrier in front of the Homestead door.

    It was much bigger tonight, since they'd had more time to get ready. But it still wouldn't be enough.

    Frypan served up chicken breast and potato's for dinner. When she had received her food from Tyler, he had somehow looked even more pale than usual.

    Nobody talked or laughed. The sound of their silverware scraping against their plates echoed off the open walls of the Glade. Kalisa sat alone at first, since Minho and Thomas still hadn't return from the Maze and Newt was busy checking in on an unconscious Alby, but she was quickly joined by Teresa, who seemed uncomfortable with the eyes following her every move.

"Hey," She greeted, slouching down in exhaustion.

"Hey." Kalisa nodded back. "Did you guys make anymore progress on the Maps?"

She picked halfheartedly at her food, before allowing her eyes to meet the girl across from her. "Yeah, I think we did. Float, Catch, Bleed, Death, Stiff, and Push. Just a ton of nonsense words."

Kalisa frowned in consideration, "Thats it? Are you sure?"

"Positive. We checked over and over, but there was nothing else. It doesn't make sense obviously, but maybe there's a double meaning or something?" Teresa offered, trying to convince herself.

"Yeah, maybe." Kalisa wasn't too sure. While the words were a good sign, what were they supposed to do now? She had been hoping that it would spell out a phrase or set of instructions to get them out.

"So, where's Newt?" Teresa changed the subject, seeing Kalisa thinking hard.

"Probably off helping someone." Kalisa shrugged, then noticed Teresa sly grin. "What?"

    "Nothing, how'd it go earlier by the way?" She rested her chin on her hands, peering up casually towards her.

    Kalisa gave a dry laugh, hoping her face wasn't flushed. "Good. I think." After an uncomfortable pause Kalisa continued, "I really like him. He's perfect, you know? The kind of person you either want to be, or be with."

    She gave a defeated sigh. "I guess I just wish this was all under different circumstances."

    Teresa nodded solemnly. "I get it. But hey, we're making a ton of progress on the Maps, and Thomas and the other Runners are out there, right now. We'll figure it out."

    It was ridiculous that she was being comforted by the new girl. Kalisa knew she was stronger than this. Now wasn't the time to be weak. "Are you worried for him? Thomas I mean?"

    She shrugged, picking at her food. "Yeah. But he's smart, if anyone's getting out of there it's him."

    "You're right." Kalisa smiled, feeling the need to break the tension. "Thomas basically has nine lives, like a cat."

    Teresa grinned back, "Maybe, but he looks more like a cow."

    "Or a Griever," Kalisa chuckled.

    "He has the personality of a Beetle Blade though. Nosey and jumpy." Teresa shook her head in amusement, focusing back down on her plate.

    Kalisa broke into a louder laugh at that, gulping down a sip of water before staring at the girl curiously, "Who told you about the Beetle Blades anyways? I didn't think you got a tour."

    Teresa froze. Only for a millisecond, but Kalisa didn't miss it.

    She looked up with a smile. "Thomas told me. When I was having a party in the Pit."

    "Hey Kalisa! Teresa! Get your butts over here, curfew is coming!" The girls conversation was cut short from Henry's yell.

    "Well- I guess we'd better go." Teresa stood, waiting for Kalisa whose reaction was delayed.

    What was she hiding?

    Together, the girls tossed their trays and set off for the Homestead, along with all the other boys. The mood had fallen grim again, though by now she was used to it. The Homestead had been hastily repaired since the attack, now patched with flimsy planks and boards made of thick wood.

    Nails covered the walls, top to bottom, and you could tell it had been done in a rush. The broken window had been covered as well, but if you listened closely, you could just barely hear the high whistle of wind blowing through the cracks.

    There were dozens of boys crowded in the main room like last time, comforted by their own sleeping bags and pillows. They practically slept on top of each other, and the bedrooms weren't any better.

    There were at least seven to a room, most on the floor, but a few lucky shanks got the bed.

    A cold hand grasped her arm, stopping her from walking into her own room. Kalisa turned to see Newt, eyes tired from the work he had done that day. His head was no longer bleeding, but from the way he winced, she could tell his headache hadn't left him.

    "You're with me Kali," He smiled, before turning serious. "If thats okay?"

    "Of course it is." Kalisa only allowed a small smile, the weight of the night finally setting in. She really hoped Gally would be wrong.

    Kalisa followed Newt to his room, calling Teresa to follow her so she wouldn't be stuck with some random boys she didn't know.

    In the end it was Teresa and her on the bed, and Newt, Tyler, Zart, and two boys named Justin and Fisher on the floor.

    Before they had all turned in for the night however, Newt addressed the Gladers. "All right, listen up you shanks, I know you're all scared, especially after last time. But we gotta be brave, thats the reason we've gotten this far. The Grievers are coming- it's time we accepted that, but we're strong, all of us together we can win. We can protect our Glade." A small cheer rose at the end of his words.

    "Now get some rest, and stay quiet. I expect we'll have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

    And so there they were, once again tucked into the shadows of the tilted structure, in a void between sleep and alertness.

    Kalisa lay awake next to Teresa for what felt like hours. She didn't move once, only action being her simple short breaths. For a while Teresa was awake as well, tossing and turning to the point of annoyance. But luckily she seemed to fall into a pit of exhaustion despite her fears, leaving the bed still once again.

Outside, if you listened closely, you could make out the sounds of the Grievers, roaring in hunger, getting closer by the minute.

Kalisa squeezed her eyes shut and rolled over on the bed, so that she was resting on her stomach, her face and arm hanging off the edge of the mattress. She wasn't surprised to see Newt awake below her, staring up at the roof absentmindedly.

His eyes flickered over to her, and he gave a small smile. "Can't sleep?"

"No," She whispered back, fingertips brushing the floor. "What about you?"

He shook his head, stretching his arms to the side so that their fingers touched. "Me either. I wonder what Minho and Thomas are up to."

"Probably something stupid," Kalisa let out a breath, but humor was present in her tone. "Kinda wish I was with them though. I hate not being able to do anything."

"Trust me, you don't want to be out there, especially now." Newts face turned grave. "But I get what you mean."

They both fell silent, not wanting to disturb their roommates. Kalisa kept her eyes trained on Newt. She had to smile when she saw he still wore her necklace. What had happened earlier was still surreal. Maybe it was dumb that Kalisa was so giddy about a boy while they were minutes away from being attacked, but she couldn't help it.

In all the hurt and the chaos here, Newt was the only thing close to normal. When he was around they didn't have to be on edge, worried about danger. They didn't have to think about the Grievers or Wicked. Newt brought a sort of peace to the girl, and she knew that with him around, she was never truly alone.

"So," Newt murmured. "How was your day?"

Kalisa broke into a laugh against her will, causing Zart to groan and say, "Would you two quit yappin'? Some of us are tryin' to sleep here."

Newt and Kalisa made eye contact and sniggered, doing their best to keep it down. "It was amazing. I loved the part when the Map Room caught on fire." Kalisa muttered.

"I heard about that. Alby won't say anything, but I'm not givin' up on him. It's a good thing we moved them though," Newt lowered his voice at the end, just incase somebody was listening in.

"Yeah, good call. Anyways, how was your day?" Kalisa asked back, feeling much more eased now that she had something to distract her.

"Pretty klunky for the most part. My head hurts like a mother." He winced. "But it got better when you showed up."

Kalisa tried not to grin. "Oh really?"

Newt hummed in affirmation, "Yeah, best part of my day easily."

    "Me too," Kalisa stated. She only had time to blink before Newt sat up from his sleeping bag and kissed her.

    Like last time, Kalisa was initially starstruck, limbs falling to jelly and stomach bubbling with excitement. Newts hand rested firmly on the back of her neck, the other on the edge of the mattress to keep from falling over.

    Kalisa kissed him back quickly, finding her hand in his hair again. Their lips moved slowly against each other, but her heartbeat thumped at the speed of light.

    Everything about it was perfect. Newt's touch, the fear of getting caught by the others, his hot breath tickling her face. When they finally pulled apart, Kalisa wanted nothing more than to envelop herself back into his warmth, but a sudden cry from a Griever brought the two back to reality.

    "When we get out of here, you and I are gonna find somewhere safe. Somewhere where we can live where we aren't trapped or watched." Newt whispered, nose brushing against her own.

    "That sounds incredible." Kalisa smiled, pressing her lips back onto Newts briefly, before pulling away. Newt didn't have time to react before the Griever screamed again, this time sounding more clear.

    From across the room, Tyler sat up. "Is it just me, or did that sound close?"

    Newt sighed before pulling away from Kalisa. He stood and made his way over to the window. "I don't see anything, but they can't be far. I think we need to get ready."

Newt pulled away from the window and faced the inhabitants of the room, all whom were awake now. There was an agonizing silence before Kalisa stood from the mattress. "Then let's go. We don't have time to waste."

    The others slowly followed her to their feet, grumbling and stretching their sore limbs from the floor. As Newt led the group down the hall, lightly knocking on bedroom doors as he passed, Teresa fell into step with her.

    "Are you nervous?" She asked, as more Gladers awoke and followed them downstairs.

    Kalisa gave a dry swallow, trying to not show her fear. "A bit. We'll be fine, just stick with the others."

    When they reached the main room, all the other boys were awake. Kalisa saw Chuck off to the side, wringing his hands together while Gladers whispered urgently around him.

    "Get any sleep?" Kalisa questioned, sitting down next to the boy.

    He shook his head quickly. "No. I hate it in here. The floor sucks."

    Kalisa gave a small laugh and patted Chuck on the back. "Don't worry kid, you won't have to sleep here much longer. Who knows, when we get home maybe you'll get a giant bed all to yourself."

Chuck considered this before breaking into a grin, "That would be nice. No smelly shanks snorin' around me," He trailed off as Newt faced the entire group.

"Alright, we need to stay calm. The Grievers are getting closer now, and it won't be long before they find our Glade." A couple of hushed whispers broke out at that.

"We've known they were coming for a while now. Now's not the time to give into fear. Our Runners are out there right now, risking their lives so that we can get home. We're closer than we ever have been before, all we have to do is make it through this night. Can you shanks handle that?" Newt turned slowly, meeting the eyes of every Glader. There were a few shuffles of doubt, but for the most part the boys stood taller, Newts words fueling their thoughts.

"Good." The word had just left Newt's mouth when there was a shriek from outside.

The Homestead went quiet as mechanical whirling sounded, followed by clicks and clanks from familiar metal parts.

Newt gulped, looking pale, and moved back towards the window. He stayed for a minute before pulling away and facing the crowd. "They're here." He whispered.

You could hear a pin drop. Nobody dared to move, afraid that the slightest of noises would alert the Griever to where they hid. Kalisa felt Chuck grip onto her hand, sweat covering his tiny palm. She gave him a reassuring squeeze as the Griever roared again, this time sounding much closer.

A few of the Gladers had been given weapons, long spears, machetes, bow and arrows. Kalisa had her Slicers knife tucked into her belt, but now she pulled it out, finding comfort in its hilt.

It wouldn't do much against a nasty Griever, but it was enough to feel safer.

The Griever went quiet. Maybe it was smelling around, trying to uncover their sent. Or maybe Wicked was giving it orders. Either way, for a few seconds the Glade was eerily empty, as if everything had suddenly fallen over and died.

And then a metal leg flew through the wall, destroying the wood yet again. A few of the boys cried out in surprise as the leg pulled away and the Griever's head peered into the room through the hole it made.

Chuck made a noise in the back of his throat and stumbled back, along with many of the others. The Griever growled and smashed its other leg into the room, this time withering around as if looking for something.

"Now!" Newt yelled from the other side of the room. The boys with the bow and arrows loaded and fired onto the beast, some hitting directly onto its slimy skin, others reflecting harmlessly off the metal parts of its body.

The Griever didn't seem affected by the arrows, and it barely even flinched when it was hit with another wave.

    This isn't working.

Kalisa squeezed Chucks hand one more time before she let go and dashed over to where the boys were reloading once again.

The metal leg shot across the room, knocking boys off their feet left and right. Kalisa gripped her knife hard, and narrowed her eyes in concentration. When the leg swung towards them, she jumped onto it, lodging her knife into its metal parts.

The Griever clicked in annoyance and wrung its leg around harshly, trying to buck Kalisa off it. But the girl held strong, wrapping her own legs around the limb and tearing at wires and metal pieces.

Arrows flew past her, one nearly hitting her as she worked. But Kalisa didn't care, all that mattered now was stopping this Griever. She pulled her knife from the metal and used it to cut a rather large and important looking wire.

Apparently the Griever didn't like that because it screamed in anger and threw Kalisa into the wall, its metal scraps penetrating her skin. Kalisa's vision went blurry as pain erupted all over her body. She was sure she had cuts and bruises everywhere, but she had succeeded. The Grievers arm fell limp, too damaged to continue its attacks.

"Kali!" Newt cried out, kneeling at her side and holding her face. "What the hell were you thinking!"

Kalisa only grunted, too busy watching as the Griever backed away from the hole it made, its useless arm following behind it.

"I mean- seriously! You could've gotten yourself killed!" Newt continued, checking out her injuries.

Kalisa was about to respond when the Grievers other leg suddenly reentered the room. Boys yelled as they tried to attack it, but the Griever had had enough. It screeched in irritation before it shot across the room, and grabbed onto somebody.

Kalisa stood, forgetting about the pain she was in as she fought through the crowd to get to where the boy was struggling. Newt followed right behind her and shouted, "Grab onto him! Don't let the bloody Griever pull him out!"

Several boys held onto the Glader by the arms, as the Griever had his bottom half. "HELP!" Kalisa was horrified to see that the boy was Tyler.

"Tyler!" She shouted, running forward and grabbing onto one of his arms with the others.

"Don't let me go! I don't wanna die!" He was crying, clearly in pain as he was yanked in two different directions. "Please!"

Kalisa grit her teeth and held on tighter, refusing to give up on her friend. "Just hold on!" She ordered, begging for a miracle.

The Griever pulled harder, causing some of the boys to loose their balance and let go of the Cook. "Don't let go Kalisa! Don't let it take me!" Tyler yelled, inching closer and closer to the hold where the Griever was waiting.

Her heels dug into the ground as she was pulled along slowly with the white haired boy. Somebody had wrapped their arms around her waist to keep her in place as she pulled. Every muscle in her body screamed, her cheeks were wet with tears, all around her boys were screaming, slashing at the Grievers leg, trying to dismember it as she had done but to no avail.

"HELP ME!" Tyler screamed one last time before the Griever pulled harder, and swiped him from her grasp.

"NO!" She shouted, watching as Tyler was taken through the hole and revealed to the Griever, who roared in delight.

She could only remember the way Tyler had screamed as the Griever released itself onto him, tearing the boy apart for its own pleasure. "Let me go!" She fought against the arms around her waist, kicking and hitting, trying to run after him, but they held strong, pulling her closer and whispering, "It's alright Kali. It's okay."

She gave up fighting and melted to the floor against Newts chest, tears streaming down her face. Kalisa had failed in saving Tyler, and now, she would be forever haunted by his memory.

Hey guys, so it's been a hot minute since I've last updated, my bad! I was on vacation, then I came back and was really behind on school, but I'm all good now so expect more updates soon! I hope you liked this chapter, I was really sad about Tylers death, I thought he was super sweet. Anyways, I'm almost done writing book one for this series, I can't believe it! Thanks for the support, happy reading!

2/14/24

3286 words