Revised

Chapter Four

sorry for not updating. Can't really give an excuse. But I hope you like this next chapter. I tried to give you some more insight into Elli's feeling and thoughts but it's harder than it seems.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

The Maze

The next two days were normal, other than Beth escaping and supposedly running into the maze. Elli didn't totally understand what that meant but she did notice that she wasn't allowed to wander off anymore. She was watched all the time. Elli didn't mind. She liked being the center of attention. She was after all still six. But usually, Elli hung around Kate or Sonya. Sometimes she'd hang with Charlotte, helping with her unusual medical knowledge. Rachel always made time for her but she was gone most of the day since she was a mapper.

On the third day, Elli decided to visit the boy. She stared at him until Rachel and Harriet came in

"Now, I want you to look at him. See if any hint of a memory surfaces." Rachel stared at the boy before taking a sudden step back.

"Did you say anything?" She asked frantically. Both Harriet and Elli shook their heads.

Rachel mumbled something. Then she looked up again, "you sure you didn't just say the name, Aris?"

They shook their heads as Rachel grabbed hers. She ran out of the room screaming about a voice. Elli thought it looked funny like she was hiding from an annoying friend.

Elli could see that Rachel ran into the maze. Sonya followed her. Elli hoped they returned before the stick doors closed.

Harriet looked at Elli, "any idea why she freaked?"

Elli shook her head as she tilted it to the side slightly. "I don't know. Maybe he talked to her?"

Harriet frowned, "how? Wouldn't we have heard it?"

Elli shrugged and left the medical hut. Her head hurt again.

XxX

Elli looked at the dark maze walls. They called to her. Not in a good way. It was like they wanted her to get trapped in their confusing sections with the vicious Grievers. Elli shivered before her feet began moving. They were leading her toward the maze.

Elli struggled against her own feet. 'What's happening?!' Elli opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out. She struggled to make a sound and to stop her feet. She couldn't stop herself until she was deep within the maze.

"Help!" Elli whimpered as her voice returned and echoed off the ivy covered walls.

XxX

Minutes passed and Elli was terrified. She was walking aimlessly, getting more lost by the second. Elli had called for help twice only for silence to greet her. No one would come.

Elli eyed the wall in front of her. It contained the number 7. Elli moved away, her fingers running along the wall when she heard it. The whirling sound she had heard only at night.

Elli looked behind her as the sound came closer. She ran before her mind could process anything other than fear.

Elli ran as far as her small legs could carry her, which wasn't far. Gasping, she leaned on a wall. Idly Elli wondered how the mappers did this every day. Elli vowed to never complain about watching the builders fix the huts again if she lived.

The wall she used to support herself caved in. It crumbled to reveal a small hole, big enough for her to hide in. Not thinking twice Elli clambered in. Not much later she heard the shrieks of the Griever. Elli shivered and wished for her to be in her comfy sleeping bag back in the Jungle. Elli curled up into a ball and cried. She could hear the sounds of the Grievers and felt the doors close for the night. She was trapped alone in the maze.

XxX

The next morning Elli woke and didn't recognize her surrounding. She was slightly squished in what seemed to be a cave. Suddenly all her memories of the previous night returned. Being drawn into the maze. Getting lost. And hiding from the Grievers.

Elli climbed out of her hole and looked at the sky. It was grey. Not like the usual clear blue that reminded her of a bird. No, a grey that gave her a funny feeling in her stomach. Like a bad dream.

Confused, Elli made her way to the next intersection. She stared at the imposing walls. 'Left or right?' Before she could make a decision she heard thumping. Elli scrambled to the nearest wall and hid behind the ivy. She could feel her heart pound. 'I want to go home.' she mentally cried.

The thumping grew louder and Elli had to bite her lip to prevent from crying out loud.

A head of familiar blonde hair gave Elli a faint glimmer of hope. It was Sonya.

Elli crept out of the vines and followed the blonde girl. Elli felt that if she opened her mouth she would burst into tears. Elli didn't want to be a baby so she kept her mouth shut and followed the second-in-command. She didn't stop for a full hour. Elli could barely keep up and swore her heart would beat right out of her little chest. She was gasping for breath by the time Sonya turned around, stopping to take a break.

Sonya gasped before scooping the little girl into her arms. "What in hell are you doing in here?! It's no place for a little girl."

Elli bust into tears upon hearing those words. She had been through a tough night.

Sonya hid her confusion, choosing to instead comfort the distressed child. She had no idea why Elli was in the maze. Sonya had left way before everyone woke up and she had fallen right asleep after dinner the night before. "It's okay. I'll take you back."

Elli continued to sob and Sonya was forced to abandon her section. Her return to the Jungle was met with much confusion until they spotted her holding something.

They crowded her and saw the sobbing Elli. All the girls felt their heart break over the sweet little girl who had crawled her way into all of their hearts.

Sonya carried her into the medical hut before calling for Harriet. Kate came too since she had been talking to Harriet at the time. Both gasped once they saw Elli.

Kate had her scooped in her arms in an instant. "What happened kid? I didn't see you last night..."

Elli shook her head as she clung to Kate. Harriet looked to Sonya for an answer.

Sonya raised her hands in defense. "Don't look at me. I found her in the maze. Kid's too curious if you ask me."

Kate looked at Elli in astonishment. "Why would she be in the maze?"

Sonya shrugged, "only she can answer that. Doesn't look like she will be for a while."

XxX

They had to leave her in the hands of Charlotte but they all promised to visit after dinner. Elli just nodded tiredly as Charlotte began fussing over her. Elli only had a few bruises. They were fixed before she drifted off to the land of dreams.

Elli woke the next day to Katie sitting by her bed. Elli wiped the sleep out of her eyes before turning to the older girl. "Katie? What are you doing?"

Kate jolted awake. "64!"

Elli giggled at the random number. Kate looked around before remembering what she had shouted. She blushed but joined in laughing.

Once they claimed down Kate got straight to the problem. "Elli, what in the world were you doing in the stick maze?! It's no place for the bloody mappers let alone a little girl like yourself..."

Elli looked down. "I...I was drawn to it. I couldn't help it..." Elli felt like crying. She had worried her new friend. Probably all the girl. It made her feel sick in her stomach.

Kate sighed not trying to wrap her mind around another confusing mystery. "As long as you don't do it again."

Elli nodded readily.

Kate gave a shaky laugh before scooping the younger girl into a hug. "I was so worried."

XxX

Elli spent the day in the nurse's hut but she didn't mind. It gave her an excuse to watch Charlotte patch up all the Warriors as well as watch the boy.

Harriet and Sonya had been by to hear her story and now she was forbidden to be alone. Too many things had happened to Elli already. Not to mention all the weird things happening to the Meadow. First, a boy shows up with a little girl then the sky turns off.

The Council had enough problems to handle. The leaders didn't need her dying to add to the list. For now, Elli was to be with an older girl at all times. She was also banned from even being near the maze but Elli totally agreed on that rule.

I know it's short. But the action hopefully made up for it. I'll try to make the next chapter longer but no promises

later gladers...