Cliffhangers are the worst. Please forgive me. /3
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Raine's POV:
Every glader turns to give me a stern look. I laugh nervously, not knowing what to say. "Maybe it's supposed to rain soon?" They don't laugh. Tough crowd.
After they help the boy out of the box, he takes off running toward the maze. "Stop!" I start running after him. If he keeps running like this, he's going to-
As I thought this, he hit the ground out cold. Clint, Bill, and I run over with with a stretcher to haul him to the infirmary.
After we get him settled, Clint goes to a council meeting and Bill goes to help fetch the supplies for this month. I dip a rag into cold water and begin washing dirt and residue from the new Greenie's face. Something about his face triggers something in me. I touch his cheek gently. Why do I feel like I should know you?
As I walk outside to dump out the dirty water, my mind wonders to Newt. I wonder if he's still unhappy with Alby's decision. I know he isn't directly upset with me, but he will be after he hears I'm willing to go into the maze. I know he worries about my safety, but I can't just sit here and do nothing. "The maze does something to you," he told me once. "It shucks with your mind."
Alby told Minho to take me to the shack where they had mapped out the maze. "There are eight sections," Minho explains. "One through eight are on the walls of each section. At night, the maze opens up new sections, and closes off the other." I nod slowly and peer at the map. "Minho, it looks like you've mapped everything." He nods. "I did. If there was a way out, we would've found it by now."
Now it all makes sense.
"So, if there isn't a way out, why do you run the maze daily?" Minho looks at me. "Think about it. There are several guys out there thinking that one day, we'd be able to get out. How much further do you think we'd get if they had no hope of leaving?" I run my finger along the sides of the map. "There's a way out. It's just not in plain sight." Minho sighs. "Look, every inch of this maze is mapped. I mapped it myself. I know the maze better than anyone, Raine. I repeat, if there was a way out, it would've been found."
"Think about it, Minho. If the creaters went through the trouble to get us here in the first place, they wouldn't make the way out as simple as an open end to the maze. What do grievers look like?" He swallows. "They're robotic looking. They look like a huge shuckin' weapon with legs." I nod slowly and think. Metallic creatures, not mammalistic type. Suddenly, it clicks. "Minho, you said grievers don't come out at day, yes?" He nods once. "So they have to go somewhere during the day. They have to go somewhere only they can get in. They're robotic, yes? So someone has to control their actions." He widens his eyes. "Raine, you're not seriously thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?"
I place both hands on the table in front of me. "Minho, we have to kill a griever."
Newt's POV:
I wish there was something I could do or say to change their minds. Raine is excellent at everything she does here. She's very important. She knows her way around, she's familiar with all of the jobs and how to do them, and she is the only one who knew how to calm new Greenies down without knocking them out.
Atleast, that's what I was telling myself.
I knew the real reason why she couldn't go, and Alby does too. She couldn't go because she can't leave me. She can't be in danger like that. She deserves so much more than being obsessed with that bloody maze. I hit my hand on the table in frustration. Why do I have to be so bloody selfish? If anyone was capable, it was her. She was too smart for her own good. She's athletic and can do her part. Even so, a small part of me wants to be selfish and keep her here with me, to keep her here alive.
I need to find her and convince her not to go. Alby will be bloody pissed, but I don't care. It was worth keeping her safe. I start walking to the shack where Minho keeps the map. Walking back here gives me enough bad memories of my own. I really hope Raine will understand.
I peek in the room to hear Raine say, "Minho, we have to kill a griever."
No.
A million emotions are swimming inside of me as I play those words in my head over and over. I slam the door open. Raine and Minho stare at me with wide eyes, but I'm just looking at her. "Are you bloody insane? You can't go kill a shuckin' griever, Raine. That's bloody dangerous." She sighs before responding to me. "Newt, think logically here-" I cut her off. "No, you be logicial. Don't be a slinthead and run in that maze to kill a bloody griever. Do you wish to die, Raine? Is that it? Are you wanting to kill yourself?" At this point, Minho slowly backs out of the room. "Just because you're afraid of the maze, doesn't mean all of us have to be, Newt! Stop thinking about your damn self!" She exclaims, eyes blazing in anger.
I can't take it anymore. She was right.
She was bloody right.
I was scared of the maze. She is the only fearless one here, on that note. No one, no one has ever suggested killing one before. No one has been brave enough to even suggest something so insane. I feel my eyes start to burn. She had every right to be mad at me. She had every bloody right.
Instead, she came and kneeled in front of me and held me. She snaked her small arms around my neck and held me. I was so cruel to her, but she is still here. "Why?" I ask her. "Why aren't you mad at me?" She sat in my lap. "Because, Newt. Why would I ever be mad at you for caring for me? I know you said what you did out of anger.. I know you don't want something bad to happen. It's okay to be scared, Newt. I'm scared, too. There's life outside of here for us, Newt.. There's a whole world we no longer know. What's the hurt in trying?"
"Losing you," I mumble. "Selfish of me, isn't it?" She shook her head. "I'd act the same way. The very same."
I don't know how long we held each other on the floor.
All I knew is that I didn't belong anywhere else.
Raine's POV:
Minho wakes me up early to grab a bite before we begin running the maze. Minho told me Ben went ahead before us to begin running. After we ate something, we began walking to the maze door. "Wait!" I turn around to see Newt limping toward us. "Newt, go get some rest. You deserve it." He gives me a kiss. "Good luck out there, love." I smile and kiss him again, ignoring Minho's fake gagging noises in the background.
After reaching the door, Minho took off in a jog. "Follow me," he instructed.
I kept close to Minho at all times, making sure to look at my surroundings. He tells me the sequence of the sections that open and explains what time we need to be back. I run my hands along the walls as I run. Surely, something can be triggered to open the way out.. I just don't know what it could be.
All of a sudden, Minho and I freeze.
A blood chilling scream echos throughout the maze.
"...Ben," Minho mumbles. "We need to find him."
Minho tried to remain calm as we ran, but I could tell he was panicking. I lost track long ago of where we were. "This way!" Minho instructed. We went through a lot of different walls and made so many turns that I started to get dizzy. "BEN!" Minho screamed his name. We were following the noises he was making. Eventually, we reach where he is.
"He's been stung..." As if on queue, Ben charges toward me. I back up before losing my balance. "Minho!" I exclaim. I cover my face right as Minho hits Ben on the back of the head. I watched Ben hit the ground out cold. "C'mon, Raine. We need to get him back to the infirmary." I nod once before helping him hold Ben up. I look up, and that's when I notice it. It's getting dark outside.
Ben was heavy. Getting out of here felt like it was taking forever. Minho looked panicked.
We were gonna make it.
Newt's POV:
I notice how dark it's getting, and I try my best not to panic. I notice the other Gladers looked as unsure as I did. Soon, everyone was crowding the maze doors and awaited their return.
I couldn't help but follow.
Everyone crowded the doors. They should've been back ages ago. I wonder what's making them take this buggin' long. Everyone had grim looks on their face as they watched to see if anyone, anyone at all, would come through those doors.
All of a sudden, we hear the doors begin to close,
and I feel sick.
I also hear screaming. I look up to see Raine and Minho carrying Ben. I can already tell he's been stung. In the day time?
If they leave him, they'll make it.
"Raine, RUN! Leave him! Get out of there!" Everyone screams at them to hurry. They scream at them to leave Ben behind, but I know she won't do it. They both won't leave him.
Raine and I lock eyes. I feel my bloody knees begin to give out.
She mouths the words I love you to me,
right before the maze doors slam shut.
I fall to the ground on my knees.
For the first time since I've gotten here, I allowed myself to cry.
