Chapter three:

To the people that reviewed: for some reason I couldn't find your username, or I would have thanked you personally! But thanks so much! It means a lot that you read and reviewed! I too am excited to see how this turns out! And yes, I agree, Minho is awesome! To Runnow11: I am so happy that you decided to click on my story! I'm glad I made you laugh! (I love writing humor) And thank you so much for the helpful advice! I do have a rough plan, so don't worry, they won't be in a relationship for a while. (if ever) it means so much that you cared enough to help me out! So thanks again! I would also like to thank artpunkxX for favoriting and following and amycahill57 for cavorting. You guys inspire me to keep writing! I will try my hardest to update regularly! If you want, you can PM anytime! I love making friends!

Ok, so I am trying my hardest to not let this story move so quickly. I will put on the breaks and just do fluff for a while. K? K.

Disclaimer: Do I even need to say it again? I don't own The Maze Runner.

So far, the Glade just keeps getting weirder. First, the terrible nightmare about someone attacking me. Then, Minho touching my bruise. I'm pretty sure that he didn't mean that in a romantic way. He doesn't seem like that kind of guy. And now, clumsy Jeff fumbling with the ointment that he's trying to apply to my bruise.

"Jeff, its fine. Let me do it myself." Truthfully, he's hurting my forehead.

"No, no. It's my job." He smiles at me and goes back to touching my throbbing forehead.

"Ow," I mutter.

"Sorry!" Jeff yelps. "I just… your face is kinda…" He grimaces.

"Oh, I know. I'm sure that my bruise looks bloody awful. I bet it's hard to look at. Disgusting, huh?"

"Um... yeah. It's turning blue." I wonder how he's a Med-jack if little bruises bother him.

"Thanks for treating it. Back to the slammer I go." I give him one more smile and walk out the door. I am greeted by Alby, who looks unhappy.

"I'm sorry I'm not in the slammer, I just had," I start. He cuts me off.

"You're fine, Syd. Just go back, and I'll send someone in a minute. The Gathering is going to start soon." Right. The Gathering.

"You're trusting me to walk there by myself?" I look at him warily. I thought I was a prisoner. Prisoners don't have free will.

"It's not like you can go anywhere," he says.

"Good that," I say, using some of the slang I picked up. He's trusting me. I can't mess up. Alby nods and briskly heads off in the opposite direction. I head back the way I came, worrying about my fate.

"Hello." A strangely flirtatious voice startles me, after I closed the door to the slammer, sealing myself inside the empty room. I jump and spin around to face a tall blond grinning at me through the bars. It isn't Newt.

"Um, hi," I say, unsure of how to react. "Who are you?" I back slowly away from the bars. I don't like the people here. They are too forward.

"I'm Ben. I'm here to guard you." He grins again.

"Okay, Ben. I have some questions." I gather up courage and step forward toward him. "Care to answer them?" He shrugs. "Great. First of all, why aren't YOU at the Gathering?"

"Simple. I ain't a buggin Keeper."

"What's a Keeper?"

"They're the shanks in charge of a certain job. Give instructions, attend meetings and stuff. I guess. I'm not really good at descriptions." He smiles sheepishly at me. What is with this kid and smiling?

"That's fine. I just need answers. Alright, what IS this place? I mean, what's beyond those enormous stone walls? Is there danger out there?"

"Well, it's a maze. The Runners…they search it every day to find a way out. No exit has ever been found. But, we won't give up. I know we won't. As for the danger… well there's creatures out there…I can't tell you about them yet… you're not… ready." He speaks hesitantly.

"Wow. That's, um, horrifying." Images of all the horrible mutants that could be out there float through my mind like another nightmare. I shake off the images and continue to probe Ben for answers.

"Alright, Ben, answer me this. Are you keeping me in here, or someone else out?"

He pauses, and I can see the wheels turning in his head. "Both."

"What do you mean 'both'?"

"Well, you can't leave, so I gotta keep you here, but also, Alby doesn't want any other boys to hang around you constantly." He shuffles his feet awkwardly. Clearing his throat, he mutters, "You know, hormones, and you being the only girl and all. But," he says suddenly, "I'm sure it's only temporary. It's not like he can keep you in here forever, you'll have to interact with everyone at some point."

"Yeah. If he doesn't bloody kill me," I mutter under my breath. "I don't really have any more questions."

"Okay," he says simply. I head over to the tiny bench in the corner. It isn't big enough for sleeping, but I can sit on it comfortably. My brain is overwhelmed with the ton of useful information I just received. Keepers? Creatures? Maze? Needless to say, I'm worried. I don't want to die. Minho and Newt will stop the council from making any bad decisions, right? I'm left to wonder and hopelessly worry, while holding my head in my hands.

For the next twenty minutes, I'm left to ponder about what will happen to me next. Life here in the Glade wouldn't be great, especially as the only girl, who also only has one friend, but I would definitely prefer it to a torturous death. I hear the sound of running footsteps heading in my direction. I perch on the edge of the stool, my knuckles white from gripping the edges. I hear Ben discussing something with someone who just approached. It sounds like Alby. I creep to the door to listen in.

"How is she?" Alby asks quietly.

"She's fine. She's a curious little shank, she is." I can almost imagine him grinning from ear to ear.

"Did you tell her anything?"

"Only a few things about the Glade."

"Good. We'd better get her out here, so we can tell her what we decided." The quiet pounding of a fist on the door lets me know it's time. I don't answer. I can't. I just know that they'll do something terrible to me. The moment has come and I can't escape it. But I may be able to prolong it. I clamor to the back of the small room and huddle in the corner.

"Syd! You can come out!" I don't answer. A few muffled voices come from near the barred window. "Syd?" I want to scream and yell at them to go away. All that comes out is a nearly inaudible sob. The knocking on the door once again commences. "Syd, come out. Or we'll send someone in." I don't make a move for the door.

"That's it." I hear a rugged voice say. As the door swings open wide, I recognize the person as Minho. He sees me in the corner and slowly approaches me, I can tell he is worried by what he sees. I'm sure I'm a sight. Dirty clothes, sloppy hair, my nose running and my eyes leaking small tears.

"Syd," he quips cautiously, "Syd, what happened? What's wrong with you?"

"Everything," I growl. "You're here to take me somewhere to die."

"You don't even know what we decided. You've gotta come out. Or I'll make you."

"Minho, I don't want to die." As I say it, a single tear rolls down my cheek. I may be feisty, but I'm not made of stone. I'm worried and scared.

"I know, Syd, I know." He pauses. "Come on."

I know I have no choice. I don't want him to forcefully take me outside. I am not strong enough to put up a fight. Minho reaches out a hand and gently pulls me to my feet. He lets go, and I wipe my nose and follow him out the door. It doesn't take long to notice the crowd of boys that waited for my arrival. I look to Alby. He nods and walks toward me.

"Follow me."

I follow him to the biggest building. The only people that come inside are Alby, Minho, Newt, myself, and a bunch of other boys that I don't know. I assume that they are the other Keepers. No one else is allowed to enter. Alby clears his throat.

"Sit." He says. I oblige him by gently sitting on a wooden chair. "Now, Syd, I'm sure that you're wondering what we have decided." I nod my head. He continues. "Because we aren't sure if you should be here, we have decided that you must be put to a test." I nod, but don't understand. My heart beats faster. "You're trial will be this: today, before the doors close, you will be sent into the maze with a dagger." My eyes widen in terror. "If you can keep yourself alive until the doors open in the morning, you will be welcomed into the Glade. If not, then we'll know that you were a simple mistake made by the Creators." I hear a shrill scream from someone, only to realize that it's me. I don't know what's in that maze, but I know it can't be good. The way the boys look at me, their faces full of pity, I know that it's unlikely that I'll last through the night.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA…I feel like a real author… with cliff hangers and death… Anyway, for those who care, I will be updating soon. So, yeah, thanks for reading!

Quote of the day: "I got a jar of dirt! I got a jar of dirt!" –Captain Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean)