"He's worse than Minho." Newt muttered, with a slight, angry chuckle.
Alby obviously didn't know what to do to comfort his friend. They just sat there for a few minutes until they heard footsteps in the trees.
Both boys abruptly looked up to see Gally burst into the small clearing. Newt got to his feet, looking like he was ready for a fight.
"Don't." Alby whispered to Newt, who ignored him.
Newt walked towards Gally, his hands in fists. When he reached him, he punched the Keeper right in the nose. He stumbled back, clasping it. Newt cast him a glare and raced back through the trees. He went through the larger clearing and out the Door. He went down a few corridors and sat in one, hands to his head again.
He just sat there, not even thinking of anything. He breathed heavily in anger.
Before the Doors closed, Newt ran back through them, not feeling any pain in his injured leg anymore. He pressed down on spots of it. No pain. It was better. But, when did that even happen?
Newt went and slept in the middle of the Deadheads for the night.
*X*
A few days later, he was no longer thinking about Gally. The Runner job was officially available and Minho was as excited as Newt.
Newt stood next to him wearing a backpack full of food and gear for the day.
Right now, there were only three Runners total. Minho, Newt, and a boy named Ben.
"You guys ready?" Asked the proud and exited Keeper.
"I bloody am." Newt answered.
"Yep. Let's go." Ben said.
"Alright." Minho grinned.
The three boys took off into the Maze, making sharp turns and memorizing the way they came in their heads. They stayed together the whole time. They stopped for a few short breaks of water and for lunch about noon.
Then they turned and went back the way they came, getting back to the Glade a few hours before the door was to close.
They went into a concrete room that was there when they came up in the Box and drew the area they'd covered today. They put the map in a trunk in the corner of the room. Then they left and locked the Mapping Room.
Newt went over to the supply boxes and began looking through them. He found some watches and decided that they should be for him, Alby, and the other Keepers. Even thought he hated Gally. He put one of them on his wrist. He searched out the other Keepers and gave them their watches. Alby was pleased. The food and water was put in the Cooks' area. Building supplies and tools were given to the Builders. Everything got to the right place and Newt put the crates back into the Box.
By the time he had done that, it was 7:00 P.M. The Doors closed. Newt made a note to self that they closed at seven. When, the doors woke him the next day, he noted that they open at six.
*X*
After a few weeks of being a Runner, they had covered decent ground. Each week, more supplies came up in the Box. There were eight Runners and eight trunks in the Mapping Room now. Each Runner covered his own section of the Maze. There were only eight sections, so it worked out well.
Newt had just woke up for another day of running. He gathered supplies and put them in his backpack and then put it on his back. He went to his door. Two boys were at each door. Once they reached their sections, they'd split up.
He saw Minho give the signal to go. Newt raced into the Maze. He turned corners and made mental notes of which ways he'd turned. Being a Runner wasn't too hard.
Jinxed it.
When Newt entered the huge area of his section, he heard a clicking noise, followed by shrieks and moans. A Griever. Then he realized that there was more than one. Then he saw them. There were three. They saw him at the same time. Oh no!
Newt gulped and took a few paces back. Why couldn't the creators have given them phones or walkie-talkies so they could communicate? The Grievers advanced towards him. They were actually pretty fast. Newt turned and ran back towards the Glade, but knew he wouldn't make it before the Grievers caught up.
I reached into my backpack as I ran and pulled out two knives. I closed the backpack and gripped the knives tightly. He'd have to fight his way out of this to live.
He heard screams and yells from other areas of the Maze. Everyone was under attack by Grievers!
"Newt!" Ben screamed. Ben was the boy who went into the Maze the same way he did.
"Ben!" He called back. Suddenly, one of the Grievers jumped over Newt and landed in front of him, blocking the path. He muttered, "Oh no."
The Griever let out a shriek and then lunged. Mechanical arms with many different weapons came out of it and started trying to hit him. The other Grievers advanced towards him, arms coming out of them as well.
He ran and ducked under the one in his way, scrambling up the wall, clinging to ivy vines. The Grievers were climbing too! Newt got on top of the wall and so did they.
Newt ran along the top of the walls, as fast as he could. But, to the surprise of him and the Grievers, Newt tripped. It wasn't any trip and scrape your knees though. He tripped and accidently rolled right off of the edge of the wall!
Newt used his left leg to block the damage, but that didn't work as planned. He landed on top of the leg and a wave of pain filled his leg. It hurt twice as bad as when he first jumped off the wall on day one. He let out a cry of pain.
"Newt!" Ben had just rounded the corner, followed by one Griever. The boy almost froze when he saw that Newt was surrounded by three. Ben held both of his knives.
Newt had dropped his in his pain. The scared and injured boy looked around at the Grievers. One of them flew at Newt with a knife showing.
