Day 15

This building is so hot. "Jess…" I said trying to get her attention. But she just sat there an starred off into space. Jen came to sit down next to me. "She's still not talking." Jen asked. I shook my head. Jess didn't even look at us. She normally don't t like it when people are talking about her in the same room. She still didn't say anything. "Jess… What's wrong?" Jen asked Jess, taking hold of her shoulder. "Jen..." I snapped, giving her a look, but I don't think she felt threatened. "What, she can't not talk forever. Even if it's just a scream." Jen reached forwards and pinched Jess in arm. "OWW" Jess yelped an held her arm to look at it but only went right back into her little turtle shell. I gave Jen a good little tap on the shoulder. "Hey…Thought it might wake her up." Jen explained. "Let's give her some space." Jen added, I huffed but I stood up and Jen stood with me. We both walked to the door for the office and started down the hall.

I could hear kids playing and laughing. They hadn't played all week, I thought for a second how I might have never heard laughter again. But I guess this family is well rounded enough to bounce back. It was nice but it only made me think of Jess again. I walked past the door where Mr. Sean and Mrs. Lucy was sitting in. I stopped walking and walked back into their room. It took Jen a second but she followed.

"Hey girls." Sean greeted, "hey." I said an sat on the desk across from the chair from where they were sitting. "How is she?" Lucy asked, "Same." I muttered, "She hasn't told you." Lucy asked an I sat up interested. "Told me what?" I asked. "I would have thought she might have said something by now. This might not be good you should know there were marks on her inner thighs, bruises. I asked her and she only nodded but I'm pretty sure whoever… they assaulted her." She tried to say as easily as possible. I stood an went to go back to the room but someone grabbed my arm. I gawked up to see Jen, "Wait, you can't just go rushing in there. If she wanted you to know she would've told you." Sean added as he touched his wife's shoulder stepping forward as well. I wanted to scream, I left her the gun an she didn't…or she couldn't. or… my… holy shit.

I sat on the floor where I was standing and buried my face in my hands. They might have used the gun. The thought ran over an over in my head as I thought what I could have done if I had stayed. I never killed anyone. Haven't had to but I would have that day. And I know could right now.

Someone grabbed me by the shoulders an forced me to stand. Must be Sean. "doesn't mean you can break down. You gotta be strong kiddo." He told me brushing my shirt of because most of the floor was covered in ash. "But I…" I started to say. I couldn't think. "C'mon let's take a walk." Jen said as she took hold of my arm an we walked out of the room back into the hallway. We turned back to walk in the direction of the room Jess was in.

I didn't say anything. I went to walk back in the room but Jen stopped me. "ah C'mon…Were taking a walk." She repeated. I huffed and kept walking with her. We walked to the window and looked down. The water was still there, it had receded some but not by much. Jen turned and we both headed for the set of the stairs.

She let go of my arm and we both jogged down the stairs a few floors. I really didn't want to go. I wanted to hold Jess till she said something. Even if it was get off I didn't care I just wanted her to be okay.

"I came down here earlier." Jen stated bringing me back from my daze. "What did you find?" I asked, "Nothing but some extra water down in a closet." She described. "There might be some be some food down here we should take a look." she determined. I didn't say anything I jus let her take me along. So we walked.

We got down a few flights of stairs and I still hadn't said anything. I was furious, I wanted to run back to Jess an hold her. "Ya know I didn't like you at first." Jen said plainly. "What?" I asked. "Yea, you were an annoying little git…but you grew on me." She added. "Thanks." I said unsure if tha was a good thing. "For what…" she asked. "I don't know not telling me that before all this. Staying with us." I stated, an chuckled. She kind of smiled. "Where else would I go…besides kinda gotten to know you now, kinda like a little sis to me I guess. Jess an I wouldn't worked anyways." She continued to say. I just listened. "Feel better?" she asked. "Yea…maybe." I said she stopped at a floor. We walked in through the door to find that it hadn't been completely under water. It only went halfway up this floor. It smelled moldy, it made me gag.

From where I was standing I could see a outside window so I walked over to it. When I looked down the water was one level below us. Along with a boat. "JEN…COME HERE." I yelled, she popped her head out of a door. "What?" she asked walking out. "I found a vending machine." She said, "it's a boat." I told her an she jogged over. She got to me a leaned out to look. "They're already inside." She said, I noticed a rope attached to the building. I left the window an went to the stairs. The floor they wer eon wasn't flooded anymore either. "Amy?" I heard Jen yell but I didn't wait. I kept going down the second set of stairs an through the door. "AMY Wait!" Jen called out to me again. I didn't care, maybe they could get us out of the stupid hot ass building.

"HELLO." I called out, I heard movement to my right so I went that way. I looked back to see Jen coming out of the stairwell. I turned a corner and pow. A bullet hit a wall next to me, leaving a small hole in the plaster. I froze.

I didn't hear Jen moving either. As I stood there a man and a woman stepped out into the open. One holding a revolver. Both looked like they been through hell and back. "Come On OUT I heard ya Yellin upstairs." The man said. The woman next to him smiled an laughed. I glanced up to see Jen walk out of an office a few feet away. I didn't even see her go in there. The man pointed his gun in y direction. "You two the only ones in here." He asked. "Yes." Jen said. Before I could answer. She didn't look at me. She starred him down, not scared, no. More like sizing him up. Jen was reaching around her back towards her knife.

They came closer, "Okay this can go the easy way or the hard way. We need food and water, this building looks like it might have been full of it. So go get it?" he said, Jen an I both looked at eachother. An turned to go back to the stairwell. "Ah ah…what do you think I'm stupid. You look strong enough to carry shit by yourself. The skinny one stays here. Go with her." he said motioning for me to stay an for his girl to go with Jen. "um turn around." The woman asked Jen. Then she did so an woman searched her. She found the knife and took it. "I guess I don't have to say, don't try anything." He added. Jen huffed annoyed an went to walk back up the stairs. "There might be a vending machine up here." He said as they walked away.

I stared back at the man, then the boat. "Why are you doing this?" I asked him, "Does it look like I wanna talk. It's the end of the world kid. Everyman or himself, now sit down an shut up." He demanded an pushed me towards the floor. I stumbled but I regained my footing an walked over to the far wall. I didn't want to sit because the floor was gross so I sat on my heels an leaded against the wall.

About ten minutes later Jen an the woman came back with plastic grocery bags full of stuff. They must have gone up a few floors. When they got over to us she hit Jen in the back forcing her to her knees momentarily. I went to her an helped her up. Jen rubbed the back of her neck. They threw the bags onto the boat. "When I go, you take her. We're getting that boat." Jen whispered. I wasn't sure if I could take the already feral looking woman down. I should try though for the sake of everyone upstairs. For the sake of Jess.

"That can't be all of it. This building is huge." He claimed, Jen half turned back. To go back down the hall then she turned an sprinted. I dove for the woman next to me and to my surprise I actually connected with her. I sent her flying into the wall. I heard a shot pop off but not a scream or anything so I know he missed. I swung before she could get up hitting her in the stomach. Than swung again wildy not really paying attention to where an hit her somewhere in the cheek. She fell back into the wall. I dashed to her as quickly as I could an put my hands around her neck. The full furry of what I would have done to the man that hurt jess. I held her up by her neck choking her. Putting my full weight in to her. She was turning red. Gripping at my hands and kicking but I had her pinned.

Then I heard three gun shots. "I got two left…I can put one in your shoulder and one your friends head from this distance. Left my girl go." He said, I looked back over my shoulder, he was holding Jen down with his knees. With the gun to the back of her head. She lost. I let her go. Whap.

I didn't even know what hit me. I was down on the ground an my eye throbbed. That's gonna be a black eye. "bitch." She spat as she walked back over to her guy. "Well don't just sit there get your ass over here you dumb bitch." He demanded an I slowly stood. There was little light flying around in my vision as I walked over to him. He stood over Jen, he had let her go but he is still holding the gun to to her head. She looked pretty pissed. She wasn't bleeding so he must have pulled the trigger as they fought. "Just take what you have an go. We won't fight." I said, Jen tried to get up but the woman kicked her in the side. Jen rolled over onto her side an held her stomach. "ahhh." "C'mon really just let us go. You got what you want." I told him an he shook his head no.

"Hey." Someone said off in the distance. And POW. It surprised him. "What the fuck...Fucking liars" he said after He shot the gun straight down the hall at the stairwell door. It was a clear line of sight for him. I went to look down the hall. "AHHHHHHH' when I heard this piercing scream. I turned back to see both of our captor back on their boat. "You two go lucky I only got one…which one of you wants it?" he asked, I stood next to Jen. Then turned an helped her stand as they un-docked an pushed away from the building. "SEAN, SEAN!" someone yelled panicked, the boat pulled away. They took off on the water... I turned to Jen, "you okay." I asked Jen as I helped her stand. "Fine. Let's go, c'mon" she said. I got up still shaking the fireflies from my vision and ran down the hall.

We ran down the hall. I could hear was legs kicking for a second. Lucy was crying. I ran over to door way stopped. Sean was shot in the stomach, he was bleeding everywhere. "Oh my god no…oh my god." She repeated over an over again she tried to put pressure on the wound. It only seeped up between her fingers. He was coughing it up and it was stating to pool around him. "Lucy…We have to get him upstairs." Jen said, "No..." He coughed. "Sean…" Lucy cried. I watched as she started to slip away. I went to his head. Then back to his chest. To help Lucy but it was no use. He raised his hand an touched his wife's arm then I sat up. Jen an I both scooted back to the wall and sat. I looked down at my hands, they were covered. "Honey no…don't leave me please. Don't go." She pleaded with the dying man. I had only known him for the last few weeks but it just seems like longer. If he wouldn't have pulled me out of that tunnel I'm sure that water would've takin me. Is this just how the world is now?

But this, something so small could do so much damage. Just like that, he was gone. I started walking back up the stairs first. I just didn't want to be down here. My pace turned into a run and I made my way to the office Jess was in. I stopped at the door. I jus had to see her.

Jess stared up from where she was sitting and stood. I ambled over to her an sat down on the floor. "What happened?" Jess asked as was trying to examine me. The look of worry came over her an she looked like she was about to cry. "No, I'm fine. They shot Sean. Jen an Lucy are down there with him. I couldn't…" I said as I sat there. Jess stood, walked over to me an hugged my head. Today of all days she decides to snap out of her trance. "Sean's dead." She asked and I nodded. She knelt back down sitting in front of me. Still holding my head up to hers. "No matter what we have to stay alive. No matter what." She said to me. An I nodded. "No matter what."

Okay for all who is reading and wondering when I'm going to get to the maze. Keep wondering, I had this story in my head for a while after i read the book. I kinda just wanted to get all it out. It's weird I know. Strangely I could see the entire thing play out and how it all might have happened for the parents involved with having their kids taken or either giving them away. Oops there a spoiler for my own story. Anyways thanks for reading this far. I will be updating soon. Thank you mazerunner26, your awesome and I'm glad you like it so far... So let me know what you think. Leave a review, review review. as always.

ONE LOVE- Ray