Day 1248
Lyra bolted up from her nightmare. Sweat was streaming down her face. She glanced at her palms, as she thought blue. She took some deep breaths, trying to calm down. She noticed Minho, Ben and the other Runners waiting for her a little ways off. She put her Runner's pack and gloves on as she made her way out to them. She glanced to her right, Alby was making his way to Thomas. She smiled a little, it was a tradition for Alby to help welcome the newbie to the Glade. She glanced at the side wall, a wall she knew was covered in names. The Runners paired off. Lyra was paired with Ben, as usual. Minho went with another runner. They would run separate paths. They had been running a while when Ben looked to Lyra,
"Did you have a nightmare again?"
"Yeah" Lyra knew there was no point lying to Ben about it
"Did you tell him?" Ben asked
Lyra looked to Ben confused, "Who?"
"The one person in this Glade who loves you more than me" Ben said in a joking manner.
Ben was like Lyra protective slightly older brother. They even looked similar, both has strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes. They had been friend since Ben became a Runner. He was the only other person besides Alby that knew that Lyra and Newt loved each other.
"No. I don't want him to worry." Lyra stated after a moment.
Lyra stopped, she looked at her arms. The veins in her forearms were glowing blue. The hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end. The warning signs were too clear for Lyra to ignore.
"Ben, run!" Lyra screamed.
Lyra turned and ran. She could hear Ben behind her. She sprinted through the maze and didn't stop until she saw Minho further down a path. She turned around, Ben was not behind her. Fear and worried crept into Lyra's skin. She ran slowly back the way she came. A few times she thought she caught glimpses of the back of Ben. She followed those glimpses until she found herself at the entrance of the maze. She looked out at the Glade. Trying to see Ben, but he was nowhere in sight. She scanned the groups until she spotted someone who could help, Newt. She walked up to Newt who was with Thomas and Zart.
"The only way out of here is through the maze." Newt said to Thomas as Lyra walked up.
"Hey, Newt" Lyra said
"Hey," There was some surprise in Newt's voice, " Aren't you supposed to be running?"
"Have you seen Alby?" Lyra asked
"Not for a while, I'm afraid." Zart answered.
Newt turned his attention back to Thomas, "You want to be helpful? Dig us up some more fertilizer."
Newt threw a basket back to Thomas, who in turn walked off towards the woods.
"If you do can you tell him I need to talk to him immediately." Lyra said watching Thomas walk off.
"Sure." Newt responded, "What is it about?"
"I don't want to worry you if I don't have to." Lyra said walking off.
Lyra walked around looking for Alby or Ben. Lyra then decided to try looking in the woods. Lyra heard some fighting noises over an embankment. She saw Ben on top of Thomas, Ben was holding Thomas throat. She picked up a rock and hit Ben over the head with it. Tears streamed down her face as she helped Thomas to his feet.
"Run" She yelled at him.
She followed Thomas closely as they ran, Ben closely on their heels. Ben lunged at Thomas causing both of them to fall down the other side of the embankment of dirt. Thomas got free from Ben as they fell. Lyra was running along side of Thomas.
"Help" Lyra screamed as they neared the camp.
Lyra was sure that Newt could hear her. As they reached the outskirts of the camp Ben lunged at Thomas, causing Thomas to trip, which in turned tripped Lyra. Lyra scrambled trying to pull Ben off of Thomas as the other Gladers ran towards them. Ben didn't get off Thomas until Newt hit him over the head with a shovel, causing Ben to turn onto his back. Gally, Newt, Lyra and a few other Gladers held Ben down.
Tears streamed from Lyra's face again. Not another friend. Not Ben. The other Gladers were a buzz of questions to Ben.
"What happened." Frypan asked
"He just attacked me." Thomas replied.
"I am so sorry. I'm sorry… I thought he was right behind me." Lyra said breathless.
"Lyra. What happened?" Newt looked into Lyra's eyes.
She could feel the whole crowd looking at her.
"We were in the maze. I felt something with us. We ran. When I was safe I turned, but no Ben. I went looking for him found him fighting with Thomas." Lyra said really fast.
"Lift his shirt" Alby ordered.
Some of the Gladers lifted Ben's tank top up revealing a puncture wound on his side stomach. The veins were already visibly black. Lyra cried when she saw.
"He's been stung, in the middle of the day?" remarked Gally
"I'm so sorry Ben." Lyra cried as she began rocking back and forth
Under her breath she began to repeat the numbers, "71526483...71526483…"
Ben's pleas for help were too much for Lyra to bear.
"Put him in the Pit" Alby ordered again.
While Gally, Newt and other Gladers put Ben into the Pit. Alby helped Lyra back to her tent.
"I can help him. Alby I need to help him." Lyra pleaded as Alby sat her on her hammock.
"No Lyra you know the rules. If you did that others would have questions. Questions that would lead to the violence we have gotten over. We as a group cannot go through that again." Alby remarked.
Just then Newt appeared in the tent, "I don't think she should run again."
"Newt don't let your feelings for her cloud your judgement. She is the best chance we got." Alby stood in front of Newt.
"I don't want to run. At least for a while." Lyra piped up.
Newt pushed past Alby and sat next to her, "You don't have do, if you don't want to."
Newt put his arm around her and held her close to him. He knew she just lost one more person she cared about to those things in the maze.
"Newt is right. You don't have to run if that is your choice." And with that Alby left them sitting on her hammock.
