The One Who Betrays And The One Who Saves

by Eva Hydra Dahl

Thomas wakes up in the Maze having forgotten why he had come there in the first place, not knowing that he was trying to save them. The Maze trial fails and the subjects are taken from the test. Thomas, Minho and Newt are rescued by two tradesmen from a group rivalling WICKED's efforts. They must take down WICKED and save their friends with the prospect of fixing the world Newt/Tom

25. Ben

The sickly boy swayed toward them, neither could believe this was once Ben; a Glader like themselves. Thomas felt a hand grab his wrist pulling him away from Ben, "Don't you even think about runnin' from me MINHO!" he screamed, the echo of his crackling voice shook the Runners.

Ben was advancing on their position, his expression growing fiercer. Minho tightened his grip on his spear, he guided Thomas' hand to the machete strapped at his side "We do what we have to" The Veteran Runner whispered. Thomas couldn't bear to think of what he meant; killing someone wasn't something he wanted to do. From what he could see Ben didn't look like he was coming over to them for any other purpose than to kill them, Thomas looked to Minho for strength, the boys expression held to conflicting emotions; Confidence and Fear.

"Are you gonna kill me yourself?" Ben laughed slurring his words as he slowed his movements to a stop "That'd be a sight" and just as he moved to take a step a large creature descended upon him from above. Minho and Thomas were thrown backward with surprise trying to make out what had just happened.

A piercing scream shrilled as the creature began to crush the sick Glader with a metal protrusion, twisting his head with an audible click. "Griever!" Minho exclaimed, heart beating at an alarming rate scrambling to his feet, pulling Thomas along with him.

The whirring digital sounds stalked them as they ran, not sure if they had been this way before, turning and running down long stretches of corridor, the Runners heaved in breaths desperate to put as much distance between them and the Griever as possible. "Can't you control it?" Thomas hoped Minho would not let go of his arm, if he did Thomas may lose him at the speed the Veteran Runner was trying to run.

"You think I'm gonna try after that?" Minho didn't stop to find out, he was too busy trying not to run into a wall or worse a dead end. The images of Ben swirled relentlessly in his mind, the Banishment, seeing him over the pit and now watching him die by the cold metal hands of the Grievers. Ben was a symbol of the cruelty that this Maze had done to them, what the Creators had done to them, and what the Gladers had to do to him.

The next corner opened up to a narrow corridor, much like the others except at the end of the pathway was a stone archway, and beneath it an opening to a white room. The boys stopped, shocked by the sudden change of structure.

After a split second of looking over the pathway Thomas saw a figure standing under the archway, he narrowed his eyes before realising who it was and he felt his heart beating hard in his chest "Newt!" he all but screamed with relief, running as fast as his legs would carry him.

Minho was close behind him craning his neck to see the blonde Keeper, something had gone their way for once. But what he saw confused him; Newt's expression wasn't of happiness, but rather dread and hopelessness. None of that made sense until it dawned on him that Frypan was nowhere in sight.