Minho's POV

So far, the new chick didn't seem so bad. Sure she was super sarcastic at all the wrong times, but I could work with that. Plus, she wasn't bad looking either. I mean she wasn't drop-dead gorgeous, but hot in her own kind of way. Rachel was tall, with light skin, and a smattering of freckles across her nose. Her long blond hair went down to about the middle of her back. The bottom of it was tinged with red. I have absolutely no idea how she did that but it only added to the look. Maybe she asked the Creators for hair dye in the maze. The thought made me smile. It did seem like something she would do.

The most striking thing about her, however, was her eyes. They were a deep brown, almost black color and seemed to hold secrets of some sort. I know that sounds super cheesy and stereotypical, but it's true. They looked like they were full of hidden sadness that made me want to ask more about what happened to the other boys in her group.

But now wasn't the time for chitchat. The greenie alarm had finally stopped, and the door to the cafeteria opened. It was pitch dark on the other side.

"So," Rachel said. "Who wants to go through the creepy door of death first?"

"You reckon there's some sort of a Box out there?" I asked.

"Don't tell me we're still gonna get bloody newbies thrown in our laps," Newt complained.

"Well, I'll go first. If there is a greenie out there, I want to be the first to pick on the shank," I said. "We could use another Chuck." At that, Rachel gestured dramatically towards the door, and I stepped through. I felt Thomas bump into my back almost immediately and told him to hold off. "No need to play bumper cars with the dead bodies again," I remarked. I edged around the walls of the room until I reached a light switch. I flipped it on and gasped.

Rachel's POV

All of the 'gladers', as they so called themselves were blocking my view of the doorway, but I could hear their gasps. Newt and I shoved our way through them until we could get a clear view. All of the bodies were gone. No drag marks or any other clues were visible on the floor. There was no trace of the bodies ever having been there in the first place. Even the awful stench had left.

"The bloody cranks stopped screaming as well," Newt remarked. Suddenly, I broke through the crowd and ran to the section of the wall where my dorm had been a moment earlier. It had dissolved too. Only a smooth second of the wall stood where I was positive a door had been before. I heard the boys run up behind me.

"Oh Rachel, I almost forgot," Thomas said, standing behind me.

"Forgot what?" I asked, confused. He didn't answer but merely scrunched up his forehead. He was staring at me and looked like he was concentrating on something. "Uh, Thomas? Everything alright there buddy?" I sent a questioning look at Newt.

He chuckled, "Oh Thomas is just trying to do his freaky head talk thing," which really cleared things up for me. I raised my eyebrows and sent him another look.

"When you were in the maze, could you talk to one of the boys in your head? You know, like telepathy?" Thomas asked, bringing my attention back to him.

Tag.

The name flashed through my mind against my will. I shook my head to clear his image.

"Yes."

"Then why isn't it working now?" Aris asked.

"Wait, what did your tattoo say again?" Thomas spoke to me instead of replying. I turned around and swept my hair over my shoulder so he could read it. Suddenly, in an oddly serious voice, he announced,

"Property of WICKED. Rachel. Subject C0. The Madman. Telepathy engage." For a moment, we all just stood there and stared at him. I was just opening my mouth to emit a sarcastic reply when my head exploded in pain. I fell to my knees and clutched my skull. I heard a distant scream that I only later realized belonged to me. Images from the past few weeks flashed through my mind before I could even register what I was seeing. The memories finally faded away to one scene. When I saw what it was, however, I wished they would return.

Tag, Henry, and I were in WICKED's lab. We had just escaped the Maze. We were the only three still alive. Suddenly, Henry turned to me with a wild look on his face.

"Run," he said in a raspy voice.

"What's wrong? We escaped. I don't see anyone," I replied.

With tears streaming down his face, he pulled out a knife."Run," he repeated, then lunged for me. I couldn't move. I just stared, shocked, as the hand with the knife dove towards my heart.

"No!" That was Tag's voice. He stepped in front of me in the blink of an eye and took the knife stab meant for me in his left arm. That snapped me back to my senses. I put my arms around his middle and dragged him away, trying to get as far away as possible from Henry. I didn't understand what had come over him. Perhaps a sort of PTSD from his years in the maze. I was moving as fast as I could, but Tag was heavy. Henry followed us, walking slowly, like a leopard stalking its prey. I reached a door but had to put Tag's body down to drag it open. Henry appeared at my side. He had somehow gotten hold of a machete now.

"Not so fast, darling," he sneered. I pulled out my own knife and turned to face him.

"Henry, it's me, Rachel. Put the knife down and let's talk." Apparently disliking my suggestion, he lunged for me instead. I grabbed his right arm and attempted to spin, using his momentum against him. He caught my wrist with his other hand, however, and held me there. Ugh. I could beat him in any aiming or knife throwing contest around, but he completely dominated me in contests of pure strength. I brought my foot up and kicked him in an uncomfortable place. He winced but didn't waver.

Tag abruptly stood up and got Henry in a headlock. How he did that with a knife still sticking out of his arm, I will never know. Adrenaline does weird things to you. I pushed the door open again, stepped through, and motioned for him to follow. He still had his arms around Henry and had several new scratches from the latter's machete.

"Go, I'll hold him off." he looked into my eyes.

"Fat chance. I'm not losing you too." I replied.

"Go!" Tag yelled. He never yelled. Before I could react, he kicked the door closed with a strength I didn't know he had. My grip slipped and I was caught on the other side. I pulled with all my might, but it was locked on this side. I glanced through the window and pounded on it.

"Let me in! Tag!"

Tag's eyes met mine for one final time before Henry escaped his grasp and...

It was too horrible. I couldn't describe it. I slid to the ground, the whole world crashing in on me.

"TAG!" I screamed over and over again. I was choking on my own tears, but I didn't care. Maybe choking to death would at least would be an escape from my horrid reality. It was here that the people found me. I wouldn't get up, but someone slung me over their shoulder and carried me to their "safe house". I didn't care. Nothing mattered anymore. Fib was gone. Henry was gone. Eli was gone. And now, Tag was gone. He was the only thing that kept me going. And he died because of me.