chapter nineteen:
Falling into the Void

Silence swept through the Glade. Even as Newt read what the paper said, Elizabeth still couldn't hear anything. Everything was muffled out while she thought about it. The very much alive girl was the last one. Which meant no more Greenies. The fact that no more people had to suffer seemed like a wonderful thought but it also meant that something changed. Something big was most likely going to happen.

"Elizabeth," Someone snapped their fingers in front of her face. Elizabeth looked down at the girls body to see Clint was about to check up on the new girl.

"I already did that," She frowned because her voice was soft and broken. Elizabeth took a deep breath and tried to seem strong. "She is fine. Pulse is slow but she is alive. Seems like she is in a coma but alive at least."

Clint and Jeff exchanged a few words and another few with Alby. Then they picked up the unconscious body and started to head back to the Homestead. Elizabeth stayed behind for a few seconds before she started to walk, but she didn't make it two steps before Newt turned her around.

'Are you okay?'

That's what she read off Newt's expression. Was she okay? Was it a state of shock? Or did her subconscious know something big was going to happen?

"I'm okay," Elizabeth mouthed before she took off running after Clint, Jeff, and the new greenie. When she caught up to them, they were halfway up the stairs.

"Is there anything I can do?" Elizabeth asked. Clint didn't turn around but continued to help Jeff bring the not-dead-girl upstairs.

"Could you go to the Kitchen and make some more soup for the Greenie." She knew it wasn't a question but a command. There was a feeling in Elizabeth's gut that Clint saw her fragile at the moment and didn't want her to stay with the girl for long.

"On it," was her only reply. Cooking somehow made her feel at ease or comfortable and it seemed to be what she needed.

Elizabeth headed to the Kitchens and walked in to see Chuck making sandwiches. Then she noticed Thomas sitting down at the table.

"Frypan wouldn't like this," Elizabeth spoke trying to make herself feel better. The presents of Chuck, Newt, or Minho always seem to make her better. Even Ash and Luke with their horrible puns.

"But you won't tell him, Lizzie," Chuck tried to get Elizabeth to agree. She couldn't help but shake her head and laugh. She also tried to ignore Thomas and his stares along with the feeling that she knew him.

***

"Alby!" Elizabeth yelled in panic. She didn't know when it happened and how it happened but it happened. Ben was gone and it caused Elizabeth to run out of the Homestead looking for the leader in panic. The dark skinned leader run towards her with a bow and arrows before stopping in front of her.

"What's wrong?" He asked. Elizabeth tried to control her breaths as she never had so far lost a patient without dismissing them. Until now.

"Ben's gone and I can't find him," right when Elizabeth finished her sentence there was a scream. The blond Glader and Alby took off running into the direction of the scream. Into the woods area.

They made it just in time to see Ben holding a knife, ready to murder the greenie Thomas. Elizabeth was suprised since she never thought Ben would ever do that, especially in his condition. But somehow being stung turned him into a monster that she couldn't recognize anymore.

"Ben!" Alby yelled, pointing an arrow straight at Ben. "Ben. Stop right now, or you ain't gonna see tomorrow."

"If you kill me," Ben spoke, spit flying from his mouth. "You'll get the wrong guy. He's the shank you want to kill."

"Don't be stupid, Ben," Alby said, his voice seemed to remain calm while pointing the weapon towards Ben's head. "Thomas just got here-ain't nothing to worry about. You're still buggin' from the Changing. You should've never left your bed."

"Just head back to the Homestead and rest Ben. Maybe it'll help you collect your thoughts," Elizabeth suggested. She tried to keep her cool during the situation that was happening.

"He's not one of us!" Ben shouted. "I saw him-he's ... he's bad. We have to kill him! Let me gut him!"

Thomas took an involuntary step backward, while Alby hadn't moved his weapon an inch, still aiming for Ben. Elizabeth was slowly trying to figure out how to get him to go to the Homestead with minimum damage.

"You leave that to me and the Keepers to figure out, shuck-face." Alby spoke. His hands were perfectly steady as he held the bow. "Right now, back your scrawny butt down and get to the Homestead."

"He'll wanna take us home," Ben said. "He'll wanna get us out of the Maze. Better we all jumped off the Cliff! Better we tore each other's guts out!"

"But don't we want to go home?" Elizabeth questioned. Shifting from one foot to another.

"What are you talking-" Thomas began.

"Shut your face!" Ben screamed. "Shut your ugly, traitorous face!"

"Ben," Alby said calmly. "I'm gonna count to three."

"He's bad, he's bad, he's bad ...," Ben was whispering now, almost chanting. He swayed back and forth, switching the knife from hand to hand, eyes glued on Thomas. Elizabeth balled up the extra material of her shirt out of nerves.

"One."

"Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad ..." Ben smiled. She felt so helpless, so useless at that moment.

"Two." Alby's voice was louder, filled with warning.

"Ben," Thomas said. "I'm not ... I don't even know what-"

Ben screamed, a strangled gurgle of madness, and leaped into the air, slashing out with his blade.

"Ben!" Elizabeth shouted at the same time as Alby yelled.

"Three!"

There was the sound of an object being released and slicing through the air. It was followed by a sound that concluded that it hit its target.

Ben's head snapped violently to the left, twisting his body until he landed on his stomach, his feet pointed toward Thomas. He made no sound. Thomas jumped to his feet and stumbled forward. The long shaft of the arrow stuck from Ben's cheek with the blood seeping out. The only movement was Ben's right pinky finger, twitching. Elizabeth's eyes widen in shock with a small gasp escaping her mouth.

"Come on," Alby said. "Baggers'll take care of him tomorrow."

Elizabeth stood planted in her spot while Alby turned to leave. Her eyes didn't leave the body as the blood came out of it. First she sees Nick's mangled body and took Ben out of the Maze to treat him. Now she witness Ben's last moments. Elizabeth looked up to see Thomas staring at her. He looked like he was ready to ask her questions that she wouldn't have the answers to.

She shook her head and continued to look at the body.

***

Elizabeth layed in the bed with her back turned so Minho couldn't see her face. She didn't want him to see how truly broken she was.

"Talk to me," Minho spoke lowly. Elizabeth closed her eyes tight before she opened them and turned around to face him.

"And say what?" Elizabeth asked.

"Beth, you won't tell me what's wrong. You won't even tell Newt," Minho stated. "And he is your twin brother."

"Ask Alby or Thomas," Elizabeth suggested in a low voice.

"Oh and if you can talk to ghosts. Tell Ben I said hi."

○●○●
I don't know how to explain why I unpublished this but I'm going to post it again and write chapter 20 😅

I'm currently listening to Hamilton

JMC