Sadie was sprinting down a long white hallway a gun in hand and a wicked looking blade strapped to her thigh. Explosions shook the building as her feet thudded against the hard floor. They were after her, she had no back up, and she was almost out of ammo. If it came down to it Sadie would have to pull out her knife, and then things would really get… messy. Sadie was alone for now but she could already hear the echoing thuds of boots on concrete, and it was coming from everywhere.
"Stop!" A voice barked from behind her causing Sadie to put on a new burst of speed that sent her flying around a corner into another long corridor and smack dab into the chest of a guard.
"Crap!" Sadie yelped as the guard grabbed onto her arm yanking her off her feet and pointing his gun to her temple. She knew it wasn't a normal gun she could tell just by the electric hum coming from the barrel. But one shot to her temple would definitely kill her. And it would definitely be painful.
"I got her!" The guard shouted into a radio as more guards flooded the hallways surrounding her in a sea of black uniforms and guns.
"Oh why don't you take that freaking gun and shove it up your-" But Sadie was cut off when a female guard stalked forward and slammed the butt of her gun into Sadie's gut knocking the wind out of her. The guard hit her a few more times for good measure before they dragged her off. But Sadie didn't mind, they were taking her exactly where she wanted to go. After a few turns they arrived at a sleek silver door that slid open to reveal a large room filled to the brim with computers and monitors all of them currently empty. The screens flashed quickly switching frames and showing different views of a large open field crowded with boys and another one with girls. They actually did it. They actually made the Maze. Sadie thought in disbelief and horror, so her informants hadn't been lying when they briefed her.
"Did you get her?" A reedy male voice asked as a tall rodent looking man stepped into the light his eyes focused on one of the screens.
"Yes sir." The guard holding Sadie answered shaking her roughly for emphasis.
"Excellent. It's so strange, they're already forming a community." The man said rubbing a hand over his nearly baldhead. He was watching one of the screens intently his eyes flickering with a sickening glee as the boys on the screen started to organize into groups. "It really is fascinating I never thought they would start off so well." The man laughed and brought his hands together with a loud clap before turning his attention towards Sadie. "Thank you, the rest of you may leave now."
"But sir she could be dangerous." The female guard barked nudging Sadie's stomach with the gun.
"Please she's only a little girl. Besides the rest of her buddies in that pathetic group of renegades are already dead. She has nowhere to go, and no way to escape." Sadie felt her blood turn to ice and her gut twist. They're dead? She couldn't deny this didn't only complicate things it made everything impossible. I have a job. She thought determined to not let the worry show on her face. And I already have a plan. The guards nodded and left taking Sadie's gun with her but unknowingly forgetting to confiscate her knife.
"So Sadie, you and the rest of those rebels have sure caused a lot of trouble." The man said tsking at her like she was a child who'd just broken a vase. "You were so intelligent, you had such promise." He sighed shaking his head in disappointment.
"You actually did it. You actually sent those poor kids into those damn experiments. How can you people do that?" Sadie growled in disgust watching a camera as it spanned over the Maze.
"It was for the sake of humanity."
"It's wrong!" He continued to shake his head and stepped forward grabbing Sadie's jaw in his hand with a steel-like grip.
"It's the only way, the only way we can find a cure."
"There is no cure!" Sadie spat wrenching her face from the man's grip.
"If only you would have helped Thomas and Teresa. The Maze experiment would have been done months ago. But no, you had to play the little hero and escape. I will admit however it does make for an interesting variable." He wrung his hands and turned his back on her focusing on a screen that showed a group of girls. "We'll send you into Group B, it's an honor really. You should be grateful." Sadie ignored him and quietly pulled out her knife the blade glinted in the florescent lights and the weight was almost a comfort in her hand. He had his back turned it would be easy, so easy. Just do it. She thought creeping towards him. But then another door opened.
"Sadie!" A girl yelled causing Sadie to stumble backwards in surprise as two figures entered the room. A boy and a girl.
"Teresa? Thomas?" Sadie whispered her eyes wide as they surged forward wrestling the knife from her hand.
"Don't do this Sadie! Wicked is good, they're finding a cure!" Teresa said holding onto her arm tightly as they pulled her out of the room the rat man waving as they left. Sadie kicked and screamed and struggled but Thomas and Teresa wouldn't let go. You're my friends. You're my best friends. Why are you doing this? Sadie thought hopelessly as they carried her into a bleach white room and strapped her down on a cool metal table.
"This is wrong! There is no cure! Wicked's just wasting money and time. You can't let them do this!" Sadie begged as the two went to work.
"I'm sorry Sadie, so sorry but we have to." Thomas urged flipping switches on a panel and lowering a helmet towards her head.
"No!" Sadie yelped struggling against her bindings even harder now. Teresa gripped her hand tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
"I'm sorry." She whispered to Sadie over and over again as the helmet pressed against her skull. And then everything slowly faded into darkness.
Sadie's dream shifted quickly steam rolling into a new one. A worse one. Sadie was again running, but she was running straight towards the Maze. Girls on either side of her called out her name yanking on her arms to try and stop her but Sadie just plowed through them. She disappeared into the Maze right as the doors ground shut sealing off her only hope of escape. She ignored the grim thought and rushed forward skidding to a stop as a small limp looking figure came into view. Small sobs echoed off the walls as the huddled girl trembled. Sadie knelt by the girl and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"You need to get up." The girl lifted her head up to reveal a tall pale and freckled red head. The girl shook her head and started to shake even more. "You need to get up." Sadie repeated pulling the girl to her feet and dragging her out of the open pulling both of them into the dense ivy.
"You shouldn't have come." The girl whispered. "You shouldn't have come! Now we're both going to die." Sadie ignored the girl and pulled some gauze from her pocket quickly wrapping her friend's wounds, as their surroundings grew darker.
"No one's going to die." Sadie said soothingly focusing on her work. But as soon as the words were spoken a low and haunting moan echoed down the corridor. The hair-raising sounds of whirring blades and grinding metal rang out and Sadie felt her terror finally set in. "You need to climb those vines and hide. Understand? Get as close to the doors as you can." She instructed pulling herself to her feet.
"No! Where are you going?" The girl yelped climbing to her feet as well. Her friend looked terrible, bloody gashes and bruises were peppered all over her body and she looked exhausted her eyes wide and bloodshot and her limbs sagging in fear and weakness.
"I'm going to buy you some time Newbie." Sadie teased trying to sound upbeat as she prepared herself for what she knew she had to do.
"You can't do that! They'll kill you."
"As soon as I round the corner you need to start climbing. You need to stay here no matter what." Sadie instructed grabbing the girl by her shoulders and staring her straight in the eyes. "No matter what. You got that?" The girl nodded and Sadie let go with a relieved sigh.
"They're going to kill you." The girl whispered again tears streaking down her face, Sadie smiled sadly in response and gently ruffled her friend's ginger hair.
"Don't worry. It is me we're talking about after all." The girl let out a cracked chuckle and pulled Sadie into a tight hug. Sadie pulled away and felt her own eyes begin to water as the sounds of the Grievers grew closer and closer. "Stay here. And stay safe." Sadie said walking away, "And that's an order." Then she took off sprinting down the corridor and taking the path she knew would lead her and hopefully the Grievers as far away from her friend as possible. When she rounded another corner Sadie let out an earsplitting yell that echoed off the walls. She unhooked her knife and slammed it against the wall with a booming Clang.
"Come and get me you sorry ass Sticks!" She shouted again and again. It was working. The sounds of the Grievers had followed her and were gaining on her fast. Sadie turned and ran screaming and shouting the whole time. Can't let them find her. Gotta distract them. Can't let them find her! There were seven on her tail now all of them chasing her with surprising speed moaning and clicking disgustingly the whole time. It's working! Sadie thought letting out a whoop of triumph. That's right you assholes take me instead. She had almost made it to the cliff when the first Griever caught her. Sadie screamed in terror as a sharp mechanical arm plucked her off the ground by her torso and slammed her into a wall. The rest of the Grievers circled her, pushing in until her back was against the wall. This is it. Sadie thought as the first Griever pounced.
Excruciating pain sliced through Sadie's body as blades and needles tore into her skin slicing up her chest, stomach, and back. Sadie screamed and sobbed as more Grievers quickly joined in mauling her shoulders and back with their sharp appendages. Her vision was fading and Sadie knew she was dying. She'd never felt so much pain; it was so bad it made her wish for death. It made her pray that she would die soon. She saw flashes of silver and red. She could feel her own blood spilling from her body as the Grievers slashed her again and again, their blades ripped her apart slowly, as she cried and screamed. Sadie squeezed her eyes shut and tried to think of her friends in the Meadow tried to picture their faces. She refused to have her last image be of the Grievers.
And as Sadie's mind was beginning to fade she felt something move beneath her. As if small metallic arms were picking her up, the clicked underneath her like dozens of metal legs skittering on the ground. They carried her away and she could no longer feel the sharp pain of the Griever's needles. Is this what dying feels like?
Sadie shot up in bed her heart pounding and a small sob escaped from her mouth. She held her face in her hands and trembled. They were getting worse. It seemed like each nightmare was getting longer and were starting to become even more vivid than before. This one was the worst out of them all. She clambered out of bed and stumbled towards Teresa's watching her friend who was still in a deep coma. What did you do to me? Sadie thought balling her fist in frustration. Why is she remembering all of this? No one else seemed to remember anything, why her? Why her? She knew she should hate Teresa and Thomas now, or at least be suspicious but she couldn't. They were her friends, her best friends. Then why did they capture me? Sadie shook the thought out of her head and tried to get Teresa to drink some water before quickly leaving the room. Her feet rattled the old and rotting stairs as she hurried down them and yanked open the door. She breathed in the smells of the Glade and tried to clear her head.
"They're just dreams Sadie." She said to herself even though she knew it was a lie. They were memories, she knew they were. She ran off and found Newt in his usual spot plopping down beside him and gently shaking him awake.
"Sadie?" He yawned pulling himself into a sitting position and rubbing at his sleep dazed eyes. "Is everything okay love?" Sadie shook her head in response frowned deeply. "C'mere." He whispered pulling her into his strong arms and laying his chin on her head. Sadie breathed in his reassuring smell and lay her head against his chest.
"They're getting worse Newt." She mumbled shifting out of their awkward embrace so that she was sat between his legs his arms circled around her. The feel of his chest pressed against her back slowly began to ease the stuttering of her heartbeat and the shaking of her hands.
"What happened in your dream?" He asked slipping his hand into hers, his other one tugging on her curls and wrapping loose strands around his index finger. She sighed and started tracing the lines in his palms.
"Don't really want to talk about it." She answered.
"It might make you feel better to talk about it Sadie." She snorted in reply and shook her head again. "Fine." He sighed "Let's talk about something else then since you're acting so bloody stubborn." Sadie chuckled and leaned her head back against his shoulder her cheek grazing his jaw.
"You can call me stubborn as much as you want, I'll only take it as a compliment."
"Of course you will. Knowing you you'd think me calling you a difficult and sarcastic smartass is a compliment too."
"I'll also take that as a compliment." Newt laughed this time and held her tighter. "I feel bad I keep waking you up. Have you gotten any sleep since I've showed up?" She asked turning to look at him. Sadie couldn't remember if she had ever been like this with another person. It all felt incredibly new. She wondered about her old life and whether there had been a guy like Newt in there somewhere. One good thing about Wicked is that they brought me to the Gladers, and to Newt.
"Not really. But I wouldn't worry about it Tommy bugs me just as much as you do." They both snickered and Sadie gently elbowed him in the chest.
"Gee thanks Newt."
"Anytime love." He replied kissing her cheek.
"Tell me a story." She requested looking out into the Glade and listening to the sounds of sleeping Gladers and barn animals.
"Another one? Fine. But only because you're going to jail tomorrow."
"Oh right. I forgot about the Slammer."
"Yep you and Tommy have to stay in there tomorrow all day. Nothing to do but die of boredom." He replied the hint of a smirk in his voice.
"Sounds fun." Sadie snorted sarcastically imagining her and Thomas clanging metal cans against jail bars and scratching tally marks into the walls. Maybe she would try and talk to Thomas about her dreams. Maybe he'd been having some dreams of his own, Sadie hoped he did, hoped that she wasn't the only one. But above all she hoped Teresa would wake up soon. She had so many questions and for some reason she felt like they were all running out of time.