AN: I know it's pretty short, but I needed to update. I have mild writers block, but I didn't want to leave you guys hanging.
26
Honestly, it was a miracle I didn't throw up. I felt horribly guilty. Ben looked up at the snap of Alby closing the collar around his neck.
"Please, Alby." Ben pleaded. Alby chose to ignore his begging. Ben's eyes were glistening with tears, and he looked like a completely different person than the maniac who'd tried to murder me yesterday. Here, Alby looked like the murder. His eyes were bloodshot, his face contorted with anger.
Alby ran his hands along the pole until he reached its end, where he picked it up, then turned to face the crowd. Ben, twenty feet away from Alby, was crying and trembling. I wanted to hide behind Chuck. He was the closest, but unfortunately I was a head taller than him.
"Ben of the Builders," Alby started, his commanding voice echoing ceremoniously across the courtyard. "You've been sentenced to Banishment for the attempted murder of Liz, the resident girl." Great, thanks Alby. Practically everyone turned to look at me, and this time I really did try to hide behind Chuck. To my dismay, my goal wasn't accomplished. Realizing how stupid this looked, I stopped and side stepped back to where I was. Thankfully by that time no one was still watching me.
"The Keepers have spoken, and you ain't ever coming back." There was a morbid silence. More than anything, I wanted this disgusting ceremony to be over. "Keepers, take your place on the Banishment Pole." Boys were stepping out of the crowd to grab the Banishment Pole, gripping it tightly with both hands, as if they thought Ben had super strength that could rip it out if their grasp.
I watched with a sickening anticipation as Newt, Minho, Winston, Gally, and the other Keepers took up their positions. Once they had all taken their places, the world fell silent. Silent except for Bens sobbing. Silent until he-
"PLEASE! You can't do this! Somebody help me!" Ben screamed desperately.
"Shut up!" Alby yelled harshly. I winced. Ben ignored him, searching the crowd for help as he screamed and desperately tugged on his collar. I couldn't meet his eyes, but neither could anyone else. My eyes darted to Thomas, who looked completely horrified at the whole ordeal. I couldn't blame him; he'd been here two days and now he was watching someone being murdered.
"We let you shanks get away with this stuff, we woulda never have survived this long." Alby said grimly. "Keepers, get ready."
"I'll do anything! Please! I swear I'll never do it again! You have to-" Bens miserable pleas were cut off by the rumbling of the Maze walls. The doors were beginning to close.
"Keepers, now!" Alby yelled. Ben was jerked forward by his collar, all ten Keepers pushing him towards the Maze and out of the Glade. Soon he was four feet beyond the closing walls, screaming and thrashing as he tried to escape the collar. That poor guy. He looked completely insane, his eyes full of madness, the noises coming from his throat were not at all human. Ben didn't even look human anymore. He looked a wild animal. One that knew exactly how he was about to be slaughtered and would do anything to escape what was coming.
"Hold!" Alby cried. Ben screamed a horrible screech, seeming to go on forever, and it was so loud I had to cover my ears. At the last second, the person in front managed to detach the final pole from Ben's collar. The boy's terrible screams were cut off as the walls slammed shut, sealing his death sentence.