AN: Hey all! So I'll probably be trying to pick up the pace with this book a little, because the main plot actually starts in the scorch. Hopefully I'll be able to try updating at least twice a week? We'll see how it goes, because I actually want to shift my focus to the second book soon HAHA

They headed for the source of the shriek, turning corners and running along the corridors as fast as they could. It took a moment but they soon realized that the shriek they heard wasn't a griever. It was most definitely a human. Qiufeng raised her eyes to the skies that were starting to turn pink and yellow. Considering the time it was now, it was plausible that a griever had already been wandering the maze and stumbled upon an unsuspecting runner.

That is if they were back to their usual timings and not just out to slaughter the next batch of runners. She felt a chill run down her back as she imagined coming face to face with the horrendous creatures that had taken out five of their runners just barely last week. She tried to think about other things, but the image of a griever ripping her body apart in various ways stayed fresh in her mind no matter how hard she tried to shove it to the back of her head.

Just then, she caught a movement from the corner of her eye. Minho had raised his hand as he slowed to a stop and she followed carefully, noting his sudden cautiousness. There were voices coming from around the corner. Whilst deep in her thoughts, she had totally stopped paying attention to her surroundings. Qiufeng chided herself inwardly, she needed to keep alert if she wanted to stay alive in the maze.

"Ben, stop it!"

If Ben was one half of the pair, that meant that Samuel was the one who was shouting. He sounded a little panicked and they heard Ben mumble some nonsense to himself. Pressing their backs onto the wall, they edged closer cautiously.

"She was the key!" Ben's voice sounded in a low growl and she froze in place. There was only one 'she' around the glade, and that was her. "Was until they dumped her here, but then… They suddenly want her back."

Qiufeng's eyes widened, and she looked up at Minho frantically. The other was still peering out from the corner of the wall, too focused on what Ben was saying to pay attention to her. She had no idea what Ben was talking about or why he was suddenly acting this way. His voice was full of madness. It was like he was stung, but there were no signs of any grievers being nearby. At least for now. She did a quick time check. They had a bit of time to spare but they needed to move soon if they wanted to get back into the glade by the time the doors close.

"They want her back." Ben continued to screech, and as Qiufeng peered out from behind the wall she saw him tearing at his hair. "They want her back they want her back they want her back…" He repeated in a crazed chant.

"Who's they?" Minho suddenly asked, stepping out from behind the ivy.

There was no indication whether or not she should stay back, so Qiufeng followed him cautiously, but made sure she was behind him.

"The creators." Ben snarled as he whipped around, not even the least surprised to see him.

"Minho!" Samuel's voice filled with relief as he ran over. "W-we were just running, until Ben just collapsed with a scream, when he got up he just started saying all these weird things."

"Bad bad bad bad bad…" Ben was whispering now, hands hanging limp as he swayed back and forth. All while keeping his eyes fixated on Qiufeng. He almost looked like a beast that was just about to pounce on its dinner. "You and the new boy, you're both bad."

"Thomas…?" she asked quietly as she reached down into her holster to touch one of the knife handles with her fingertips.

"Shut your face!" Ben screamed, clearly agitated by her presence and Qiufeng flinched at his sudden hostility. "He'll wanna take us home, he'll wanna get us out of the Maze and then they'll kill us all like the rest for the sake of her!"

Qiufeng felt her heart stop and her fingers froze in place, just barely curled around the knife handle. Kill us all like the rest? What the hell did that even mean?

"Ben…" Minho said cautiously as he reached for his weapon as well.

However the movement was not gone unnoticed by Ben who immediately retreated a few steps. "Why're you targeting me?" he shrieked, "it's her you want! That boy too! They're not one of us!"

He took a few more steps backwards as Minho advanced a little more, speaking calmly to him. "Stop your yappin' Ben, there's clearly something wrong with your head and you need to get back to let the med-jacks fix you up."

"No no no no no!" The boy started to tear at his hair again, screaming almost incoherently. "You don't understand, y'all think both of them shanks are innocent just because they're good actors, just because one of 'em is a girl, but I know what they really are, if I get to the boy first no one else can get us out of the glade and after that I'll get her!"

"Ben!" Minho yelled but it was too late, the other had already disappeared into the pathway behind him, the pathway leading back to the glade.

"Shuck it." He growled as he quickly sheathed his knife. "We need to move. Fast."

Minho and Samuel ran down the pathway after Ben, but Qiufeng, still stunned by his words, stood still as if still unable to process what just happened. For a second it looked as if she wasn't going to move, but she pushed her unwanted thoughts to the back of her head. A life was as stake here. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she sprinted after the two boys.

As she ran, questions filled her mind even though she tried not to think about it. Were there more people that have been killed? It couldn't be within the glade though, everyone was accounted for since two years ago. But if it wasn't within the glade then… She felt her heart take a plunge. Before they all lost their memories…? But still she didn't understand. For the sake of her? Why were people being killed for her? What the hell was even going on anymore?

After a while, she finally crossed into the doors back into the safety of the glade.

It wasn't hard to tell where Ben was, there was a huge commotion in the middle of the glade. Pushing her way through the crowd, she finally saw Ben with his knife unsheathed in the middle of the circle. His crazed eyes were fixated on Thomas who was standing opposite him, and he was smiling.

"Ben," Alby's voice suddenly echoed across the commotion. Qiufeng looked up and gasped in horror. The other was holding a large bow, an arrow cocked for the kill, aiming straight at Ben. "I'm going to count to three."

"I keep telling y'all!" Ben shrieked, his focus shifting briefly to Alby for a second. "You're all wrong, you should be killing this shank and that girl there!"

His gaze snapped back to Thomas who had taken an involuntary step backwards, seemingly horrified by what Ben was saying by the expression on his face.

Alby hadn't moved his weapon at all, still pointing it at Ben. "You leave that to me and the Keepers to figure out, shuck-face." His hands never wavered as he held the bow and Qiufeng even in the heat of the moment, briefly admired his ability to keep his cool even in this sort of situation. "Right now, get your scrawny butt down to Homestead."

"No! I saw him– both of them!" Ben screeched. "They're bad, bad bad bad... We have to kill them! Let me gut him!"

"One." Alby started.

"They're not one of us! Especially not her, so many died because of her!" The boy shouted, completely ignoring Alby. He was now speaking to the rest, turning his head frantically in search of support from the gladers around him. However all of them stayed silent, equally confused as Thomas and her about what he was yelling about.

"Two." Alby's voice grew louder, filled with warning.

"Ben," Thomas suddenly said, his voice shaking a little. "I'm not… I don't even know what–"

That was the last straw for the crazed boy. Ben screamed, a strangled gurgle of madness, and leaped into the air while slashing about wildly with his blade.

"Three!" Alby shouted.

Wire snapped, and something sliced through the air. There was a sickening, wet thunk of it digging through flesh and skin and Qiufeng felt nausea pool within her gut. It was as if she had murdered Albert all over again.

The gladers all jumped back as Ben's head snapped violently to the left, twisting his body until he landed on stomach a little way from where Thomas stood. He made no sound, the long shaft of the arrow sticking out from somewhere on his face. His right pinky finger twitched. Blood seeped out slowly, lesser than what she would've imagined. Even so, Qiufeng had to look away to avoid being sick on the spot.

"Move along," Alby shouted over the whispers that were starting to emerge from the crowd. "Baggers'll take care of him tomorrow."

Qiufeng could feel some of the stares shifting towards her direction but her mind was too much in a whirl to even care about that. What just happened…? What did Ben even mean? Was she… An entirely different person before she lost her memories?

She looked up, seeking someone that could give her answers, but the gladers only gave her wary gazes in return.