Day 3

Thomas POV

Thomas woke up the next day with the biggest headache. All night he tried to fall asleep, but yesterday's events remained vivid on his mind. Not to mention the flashes of confusing images kept blaring in his head, keeping him awake at night. An image of him on a hospital bed kept popping in his head, a voice of a woman calling his name, and then lots of water.

Newt told him that everyone remembered their names only, so he didn't know what to make of those memories. Were they his? Or were they conjured up dreams? Or something else?

Thomas chose not to dwell on things he didn't know. Alby had told him yesterday that he wanted to show him around, so he got up from his hammock to look for him.

On his way toward's Alby's small home, where the leader of the Glade slept, he was intercepted with a blond boy who stopped him in his tracks.

It was Newt.

"Where you heading to mate?" He spoke with his British accent, blocking out the sunlight from his eyes with one of his hands.

"Alby. He told me he was going to show me around the Glade." Thomas explained to the second-in-command.

"Alby's not here." Newt replied. "He left with the runners this morning."

"What? Why?" Thomas asked, eyes widening. He didn't know that Alby was a runner as well!

"He had to. Ben used to be a runner, and someone had to take his place." Newt answered with a nonchalant shrug. "Now come on, I'll show you around instead. After all, I am the second-in-command when Alby is not here."

Thomas nodded and followed the blond boy.

They walked in a comfortable silence, pausing from time to time so Newt would explain what each place was and what each built home was used for and for whom. It was like a mini village or a campsite. The homes were made of twigs from trees tied with plant roots. The hammocks were created from the blankets the box sent up with supplies. The food was planted, while the meat was hunted. Each person in the Glade was responsible for something. When Alby said that they were all in this together, he really meant it.

"Thanks for defending me yesterday." Thomas suddenly remembered Newt's and Gally's small argument last night.

Newt looked at him momentarily before looking away. "I wasn't really defending you, more like reminding Gally about our rules."

"That we have to stick together?" Thomas affirmed.

"Yeah. That's all."

"Still...thanks." Thomas repeated. So far, since he got here, Chuck, Alby, and now Newt were the only people he was fond of. Chuck was nice to be around, he didn't judge. Alby was another guy he liked being around, his sense of fairness made things easier for him here. And Newt. If he wasn't stuck in this sick game or whatever this place was, he knew that back in the real world they would have been best friends. He enjoyed being around him, he was easy going.

Newt only nodded and gave a faraway glance. "Right. Well, we need to get back now."

He turned and began to walk back toward where the rest of boy's began to wake up.

Thomas looked at his tense back with a confused look. Shaking his head, he scrambled after him.

Day 3: Afternoon

All day, Newt remained distant from him. They were supposed to be working on fixing a roof of one of the houses. Chuck, who Thomas finally managed to convince to get up on his ass and help, collected twigs and branches from the forest floor, while Thomas, Winston, and Newt worked on the roof. It took some convincing from Winston and him for them to finally convince Newt to join Chuck, since with his limp they didn't trust him to keep his balance on the roof. With deep reluctance, he glared at both of them before finally yielding.

"You think Newt is mad at us?" Thomas asked Winston after ten minutes since Newt left.

He grunted as he twisted the roots Chuck brought from the forest for them and began to tie to branches together. Thomas bent down to help him, holding onto the two branches while he tied them to the shaky roof.

"Why would he be?" Winston asked.

"I dunno," Thomas shrugged. "He looked upset when we told him he couldn't help out with the roof for one."

Winston waved his worries away. "Nah, he's always like that. He's Newt." He said as if that explained everything.

Thomas peered down to where Newt was leaning against a tree. His blond hair ruffled in the wind, his arms crossed over his chest. He still had that distant look, even while instructing Chuck. As if he sensed his eyes on him, Newt glanced curiously up at him.

Flushing in embarrassment for being caught staring, Thomas resumed his own work. Whatever was up with Newt, Thomas figured it was just part his character. Winston seemed think this was normal, and he knew him much longer.

Pushing his confusing thoughts away, he focused on his task all the while wondering what Alby and the runners were doing in the maze at that moment.

He soon got his answer later that night.

Day 3: Night

After a long day with tiresome work, the Glade gathered up around the entrance of the maze awaiting the runner's return. It was almost night time and so far there were no signs that they were back. Muttering rumbled among the boys, as they stared into the maze with nervous glances.

Newt stood beside him with a stoic look. While everyone looked nervous, he was the only one who maintained a calm, composed look. Thomas admired his unwavering trust in his friends to make it back.

"Do you think something happened to them?"

"Usually they are back by now.."

"What's going on?"

"Maybe they got stung like Ben.."

A wave of worry spread through the boys, while Newt kept his gaze planted in front of him.

"When is the doors going to shut?" Thomas asked him.

To answer his question, the doors rumbled and began to move to close together. Everyone gaped in horror as they realized that the doors were going to shut before the runners came back. Something did happen.

Newt clenched his hands in fists at his side.

Some of the boys began to turn around and head back, accepting the runner's fates with a disheartened expression.

Suddenly a boy who Thomas recalled named Frypan shouted, "Look! They're here! Guys!"

Inside, Minho was dragging Alby over his shoulders.

The boys began to shout frantically. "Hurry! Hurry!"

"You can make it. You're almost there!" Chuck yelled. They all huddled near the entrance.

Thomas gulped soundlessly. He knew, without a doubt, that at this rate they weren't going to make it. Unless Minho left Alby behind, there was no way.

"Leave him! Save yourself!" Gally screamed at Minho. Thomas saw Minho shake his head in protest and continued dragging Alby along.

"I'm not leaving him behind!" He shouted back.

Without thinking, Thomas ran toward the entrance. He felt Newt grab onto his shirt, but he jerked him away and ran. The walls crept closer and closer together, until he finally managed to squeeze through.

"Tommy!"

Newt's urgent plea was the last thing he heard before the concrete walls clamped shut and he was greeted with silence.

End Day Three