I put the knife away after wiping the blood of it. The sight of my own blade covered in my own blood terrified me, but it did help a little with dealing with the loss of three of the most important people in my life. My cousin, my sister, and my best friend/ex boyfriend. I just hoped that WICKED would let Ben live now that we were no longer together.

Fortunately, Ben wasn't in our, no his, room. I gathered all my stuff and moved it away, with the rest of the Gladers.

After I had set up my hammock and organized all of my belongings, which wasn't much, I fell asleep.

Yawning, I sat up in my hammock and saw that yet again, the sun hadn't risen. I slipped into the bathroom, showered and changed, and got ready for my day in the Maze. Minho, Lyndon, and sadly Ben were already there. I stood apart from them and leaned against the Maze doors, pleading them to open.

"Lizzy," I heard a voice behind me and turned to see Minho standing behind me. Minho? What did he want?

"Minho," I replied and crossed my arms across my chest. He frowned and took a step towards me.

"What happened between you and Ben?" he asked, his eyes staring into mine.

"I can't talk about it, Minho. Not right now," I replied and looked down at my arms. Crap. I was still wearing a tank top and the cut was clearly visible.

I frowned when I heard Minho say, "Lizzy! What did you do to your arm? Are you cutting?" He yanked my arm out and stared at the deep, fresh cut.

I pulled my arm back and rolled my eyes, "No, you shuck face. I just fell down in the Maze and got a cut. It's fine. I've already had Clint look at it and everything." Minho didn't really seem to believe it, but he went back to Ben, who was staring at me with melancholy eyes. I looked away and turned back towards the Maze doors.

Newt's POV:

It was only a week until the new Greenie would be coming up. He couldn't believe he had known Lizzy for almost two months. He also couldn't believe he hadn't talked to her ever since their "argument" or "talk." He didn't even know what to call it.

As he got out of bed, he could see the Runners gathered at the doors, which were about to open any minute. Before Lizzy went back in there, where she could possibly be like him, he needed to talk to her. He would not have Lizzy committing suicide. He couldn't lose her, even if she was Ben's.

After brushing his hair and slipping on his usual white, slightly dirty sweatshirt, he jogged towards the small group of Runners. Lizzy stood apart from them, even Bend, and it made Newt wonder if something was wrong. He brushed his hair back out of his face and approached Lizzy.

"Lizzy?" he almost whispered. She turned around, and he almost gasped at what he saw. Her beautiful eyes were dull and bloodshot, her hair was a raggedy mass, she looked a sickly pale, and worst of all, a huge, fresh cut was on her arm.

"Oh, Lizzy," he whispered.

"What?" she said coldly and crossed her arms, blocking my view of the cut.

"Um, just…be safe in the Maze," Newt said and scratched the back of his head.

"Always am," she smirked and turned away from him again. Newt didn't know what had happened to the girl he loved but, he was determined to fix her.

Lizzy's POV:

I was feeling absolutely great. Maria and Rosa were gone. Ben probably hated me. And Newt still cared about me, which meant that WICKED could also hurt him. But then I realized based on my dreams/memories, I was here to save him. Well, I was doing a pretty shitty job.

The only thing that I was happy about was that I was running by myself. After I was too tired to continue, I decided to walk around and then have lunch. Nothing else really happened until Ben, Minho, and I returned to the Glade at the same time. Choosing to ignore them, I started to head to the Deadheads for some more alone time, but was stopped by Ben.

"Lizzy. We need to talk," he said in a heartbreaking voice.

I replied, "Maybe some other time. I've got things to do."

"Look, Lizzy. I don't believe that you just love someone else. I think you're just trying to have some control over something because you couldn't save Rosa and Maria. But, Lizzy. They're gone. I'm sorry. I really am. But what I don't understand is why can you be happy?" Ben took a step towards me and stared at me with his blue eyes.

"So what do you want me to say?" I said, forcing myself not to cry.

"Just say okay. Just say that you'll let me help you get better," Ben took another step towards me and placed his hands on my arms. I took a step back and glared at him. No. Ben had to live. He deserved it. He deserved to get out of the damn Maze. He deserved to find a girl that was good enough for him. And he deserved to be happy and live.

"Yeah, well. I'm not broken. I don't need anyones help, especially yours," I managed to spit out. I immediately regretted it when I saw the look on Ben's face, but I knew it was the right thing to do.

"I dont' believe you. Lizzy. Please," Ben begged and took another step towards me.

"I can't," I said, biting my tongue as I desperately tried to stop the flow of tears.

"Yeah, well. I'm not giving up," Ben whispered and walked away.

Clint's POV:

He was just finishing up bandaging one of the Builders when a worried Ben walked in.

"How can I help you, Ben?" Clint smiled and put away some of the bandages. Ben was a very good Runner, but then again, he often injured himself, so Clint wasn't too surprised to see him in the Med-hut.

"I need your help, Clint," Ben said. Clint frowned when he noticed that Ben's eyes were watery and his nose was red.

"You don't have a cold or something do you?" Clint asked.

Ben took a seat in one of the chairs and said, "No. Clint. It's Lizzy. There's something wrong with her, and I'm trying. I'm trying to fix her, but I don't know how." Clint frowned. He cared a lot about Lizzy;she had been a Med-jack, and she was also one of the strongest and smartest people in the Glade. He was surprised that Lizzy was the one that had broken done, even though two of the other girls had died. Perhaps that had taken a huge toll on Lizzy.

"Ben, when someone's broken, it takes a lot of fixing to do, especially with someone like Lizzy," Clint sighed and took a seat across from the Runner.

"What! Clint! I love Lizzy! I'm not losing her," Ben almost shouted. "What do you mean?!"

"Ben! Calm down. I mean that a strong person like Lizzy probably blames herself for the death of Rosa and Maria. They did die to save her, but I don't know why. She probably doesn't want you to get hurt. Ben, I know it's hard to believe right now, but I know that Lizzy cares for you," Clint said and patted Ben's shoulder.

"Alright. Okay. So, how do I help her?" Ben's eyes begged for an answer.

"Just…be a friend to her."

Lizzy's POV:

No more crying or cutting. That was my new rule. I had to be strong or else I'd let another person in, and they'd end up getting hurt. Gosh, if I ever met the fucked up people that put us in to the Maze, I would kill them.

The letter that Rosa had supposedly wrote me was still MIA, and the thought that the Creators could've took that away too pissed me off even more. My head was still filled with questions. Why did Rosa save me? How was she possibly my sister? What about Maria? How were the three of us all connected? Why was I being punished? And if I had jumped into the box to look after Newt, why didn't I remember any of that? And why did I have the few memories that I did? Would all of us die one day? What the hell was WICKED?

I had so many questions and little answers. After a shower and I had changed into a tight, long-sleeved black shirt and grey sweats, I walked towards the weapons room. It was about time I learned how to shoot a bow and arrow. If another Griever came at me, I'd be ready to kill it.

"Minho?" I called before stepping into the room. Fortunately, no one was there. I let out a breathe and pulled the bow of a rack along with a fresh quiver of arrows. It seemed like no one except for people like Alby and maybe Minho knew how to use them. I slung the quiver across my shoulder and walked outside to the forest with my bow in my hands. The handle fit into my hand almost perfectly.

"What are you doing?" I turned around to see Alby standing there with a bewildered expression.

"Alby," I muttered. "I just wanted to learn how to shoot a damn bow and arrow, okay?"

"Whatever. Lizzy, stop beating yourself up. It's not your fault that…that Maria and Rosa are gone," he said in a kind voice. I shrugged and gave out a little huff.

"Seriously. But I can teach you how to shoot with a bow and arrow," the leader of the Glade said and stepped towards me. I nodded.

Alby smiled and said, "Alright. First, let's see what you can do. Who knows. You could be a lot better than me."

"I doubt it, Alby. I'm probably going to end up shooting myself," I replied and reached for an arrow.

Alby laughed and said, "It's alright. Just try." Surprisingly, I managed to put the arrow in the right place and pulled the string back.

"Okay, Now aim for the center of that tree, a little under the first branches," he pointed and took a step back. Closing one eye, I stared at my target, moved the bow a little upwards, and let go. It hit the target.

"Woah! Lizzy! That was amazing!" Alby whooped and patted me on the back.

"Beginner's luck," I shrugged and reached for another arrow. We practiced a bit and I managed to get close to the target most of the time.

"Good job, Lizzy," Alby smiled and gave me a hug. "It seemed like you needed one," he whispered.

"Thank you," I replied and headed to my hammock.

It was almost dinner when I woke up from my short nap. After walking towards the kitchen for some food, I realized that I was still carrying my bow and arrow on my shoulders. Deciding to just eat with them, I trudged into the kitchen, where almost every face turned to stare at me. Ignoring the bewildered and some pitiful faces, I walked towards Frypan, who was practically the only one not staring at me like I was some decrepit animal.

"What's with all the stares?" I whispered to Frypan, who handed me a plate of steaming spaghetti.

"You do realized you've been skipping dinner and avoiding practically everyone," Frypan said and gave me a kind smile. Shrugging, I wandered off to a small table in the corner. I was joined by…Chuck.

"Hi, Lizzy. How are you feeling?" he gave me an absolutely adorable smile, which I managed to return.

"I'm alright. What about you, Greenie?" I teased. I didn't want to see Chuck get hurt, but I also didn't want to avoid the kid. He was scared, and he was the youngest one in the Glade. I couldn't just ditch him.

"I'm great!" I laughed at his enthusiasm, but there was a part of me that was jealous of Chuck and his innocence and happiness that I would never possess. My laughter was interrupted by Ben sitting next to Chuck, across from me.

"Hi," he smiled. "How's your spaghetti?" I frowned and simply shrugged.

"Ugh, you guys better not kiss," Chuck muttered before getting a thwack on the head from me.

"Hey!" he laughed. I rolled my eyes and continued to eat my spaghetti.

Ben ruffled Chuck's hair and said, "Lizzy and I aren't really together, Chuck." I immediately froze. I knew that I had hurt Ben and that he probably didn't love me anymore but, it still hurt to hear him say that.

When Ben saw my grim expression, he said, "I just mean that…um…we aren't like married or anything." Chuck raised his eyebrows but said nothing.

"Where are you going?" Newt asked before I left the kitchen after I had finished eating.

I showed him my bow and arrows and said, "Gonna work on some knife throwing and shooting with my bow."

"Can I join you?" Newt asked. I only shrugged. After we had stopped to get a pouch of daggers, we headed into the forest where I could use the trees as targets. After Newt had settled in a little bit behind me, I placed my feet in position and took my bow off my shoulder. After I had shot a couple, I moved on to knifes. They were a little bit bigger than arrows, though they wouldn't travel as far, but they could still be helpful if I ever ran out of arrows.

Placing one foot in front of the other, I pulled my hand back with a dagger in my hand and aimed at a tree about 10 yards away. When it hit its target, Newt cheered, making me smile a little. After I had finished and put away my weapons, I walked with Newt around the Glade for a bit.

"Newt?" I asked, after a long time.

"Lizzy?" he smirked.

"What do I look like? I mean, I've seen myself in the mirror like once, but it was just for a little bit," I said.

"You're absolutely beautiful, Lizzy, "Newt smiled and turned to face me.

"Newt, don't. Please," I sighed.

He looked a little sad but continued walking, "You've got really pretty dark brown hair, big, grey eyes, perfect red lips, and a strong, tan body."

"Thanks," I said. "I'm going to head to bed now. See you in the morning, Newt."

"Goodnight, Lizzy."

The day started out normally. I ate a short breakfast, showered and changed, ran the Maze and mapped my section, and then talked with Chuck for a bit. The Greenie was coming up soon, which meant that Chuck was no longer going to be the Greenie.

I was practicing with my bow and arrow when I heard a twig snap behind me. In a flash, I had an arrow notched into my bow and was aiming it at the person behind me. It was Ben.

"Hey! Whoa!" Ben put his hands up in the air like he was surrendering or something.

Putting the arrow back in its quiver, I muttered, "Sorry."

Ben laughed and said, "It's okay, she-bean."

"What do you want?" I said and notched another arrow into the bow. Ben sat down on an old wooden log and watched me as I shot a tree.

"To hang out. We haven't in a while, and I thought it'd be fun," Ben said cheerfully. What the hell.

"I'm not in the mood," I replied as coldly as I could. Ben needed to stay away from me. He needed to live.

Shrugging, Ben said, "Too bad. I've got no one else to bother." He seemed set on staying, so I just chose to ignore him and kept firing at the trees. I could hear Ben get up and stand closer to me as I tossed my bow and quiver aside in exchange for the pouch of daggers.

"Like this," Ben instructed and put his arm around me to guide where the knife was supposed to go. "You're holding it incorrectly."

"Very funny," I growled and stepped away from him. To prove that I was just fine by myself, I drew the blade back and swung at a tree.

"Very good, but I think that I can do better," Ben smirked and crossed his arms.

Rolling my eyes, I retorted, "I doubt it, asshole." Ben gave a little smile and walked towards me until he was only inches away. In a flash, he had knocked the pouch of knives out of my hand and kissed me.

I pushed him back and frowned.

"I'm sorry, Lizzy," Ben stuttered before I closed the gap between us and kissed him. After what seemed like hours, I broke away from him and said, "We can't." Tears threatened to spill from my eyes. I missed being with Ben so much, but I wanted to keep him alive more.

"Lizzy, whatever it is you're going through, I can help! You're worried that if you get too attached to me, it'll hurt a lot if I die. But Lizzy, I can protect myself," Ben whispered and placed his arms on my waist.

"Lizzy, I love you," Ben leaned in and pressed his forehead to mine.

Before I started crying and sobbing, I whispered, "I love you too."

WICKED Headquarters:

Ava watched as Ben and Lizzy stood together once again.

"Maybe she's not as strong as we thought she was," she heard a voice behind her to see Teresa standing there with a disapproving expression.

"Yes. She is. It just seems like our lovely Ben has persuaded her to go back to being her old self," Ava replied and turned back towards the screen.

"Fetch me Thomas, Teresa. I need to speak with him before he heads into the Maze in a couple of days," Ava commanded.

"Maybe you need a memory," Ava said. She knew that a memory wasn't going to do much for Lizzy at that moment, but it sure would change things up.

Lizzy's POV:

I was back with Ben that night. I cursed myself for letting Ben persuade me that easily but, I just had to be careful and make sure no Griever or threat ever came near Ben. As I closed my eyes, my head rested against Ben's, and for the first time in a while, I was happy. Of course that happiness was interrupted by another scarring dream.

I opened her eyes and gasped as I felt strong bonds tying me to a bed. I turned to my right to see Ava Paige standing there with a blank expression.

"What is this?" I growled, jerking around, desperately trying to free myself.

"Chuck's about to go up to the Maze. He's getting the swipe now, and as for you, you're staying tied to a bed. Do you know why, Elizabeth?" she said in a cold voice.

"Do tell, you dumb bitch," I spat and glared at her. Everything about her was irritating yet perfect. Her hair was pulled into a neat bun, her white lab coat was spotless, and even her shoes were shiny.

"Every single time we have a new subject go into the Maze, you try and go in too. But, Elizabeth, that's not going to happen. You're staying right here until that box is gone with Chuck in it. Thomas?" Ava said and the door opened to revealed a handsome, dark haired boy.

"Yes, ma'm?" he asked in a polite tone.

"Please watch over Elizabeth. I have other things to attend too. You may let her go when the subject is in the Maze," Ava said and walked out.

"Thomas, let me go. I need to save Newt," I could feel hot tears on my face as I tugged and tugged at the bonds.

"You know I can't, Lizzy," he said and took a seat next to me.

"I'll make you a deal," I said, an idea springing into my mind. It would hurt Newt, but at least in the Glade, I could keep him safe. Watching him jump off the Maze walls to kill himself was already enough. I wasn't going to stand by again and watch him die. "When we get out of the Maze, I'll be with you. Just let me go, now."

Thomas stiffened, "No. Lizzy, I love you enough to not allow you to make such a rash and stupid decision." But after a while, Thomas untied me and found a new set of clothes for me to wear.

"Thanks, but why?" I said after I had changed.

"I think I've finally understood something. No matter how hard I try, you'll always love Newt. But, I want you to promise me you'll be safe in the Maze," Thomas whispered.

Nodding, I kissed him on the cheek and said, "You should be with someone that really loves you, Thomas. You deserve it."

"Good luck, Lizzy," Thomas smiled and opened up the door. Sprinting past him, I found my way to the Box where a guard was standing. I ran up to him, punched him hard, and slammed his head into the wall before jumping into the Box. I could feel it shudder to life under my feet.

"Stop her!" I heard Ava call. Before she disappeared from my view as the box slowly went up, she screamed, "You'll be very sorry for what you've done." About a few minutes later, I felt my head begin to hurt until it was unbearable.

"The swipe," I whispered before falling backwards and into a deep slumber.

Hi everyone! I tried to make this a really long one. Sorry if I made Ben and Lizzy get back together too quickly, I just couldn't think of what to write at that part. Thanks for the reviews and favorites and follows. You guys are the best! See ya!