𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗨𝗦, thomas (tmr)

Chapter Eighteen

An ominous atmosphere hung in the air like a thick fog. It happened every time someone was to be Banished, and it never got any lighter. Because there was no way any of them could get used to it.

Clara, no longer the leader or the second-in-command, had been demoted to the role of the other Gladers; at the side lines with a small wooden spear. Her previous job, along with the Keepers, was to push the infected Glader inside the Maze with wooden poles they held with great shame.

Minho looked pained beyond belief as he walked Ben from the Slammer towards the Maze doors. Ben was crying desperately, begging for his friends to help him, and he was only making it much harder for them.

Minho dropped Ben to his knees in front of the Maze doors, and then unleashed his knife to break the rope binding the infected boy to one position. As he let out a fearful whimper, Clara felt forced to turn away from the horrific scene.

She could see Thomas jogging towards them all, face painted in confusion and upset, besides Chuck who looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but there. With one glance back to her friend - who didn't look like himself anymore - Clara turned away from the Banishing and made off towards the two boys.

At the sight of the boys pointing the spears and poles in Ben's direction, Thomas started forwards, as if he wanted to stop it all. The girl wished he could, but there was no hope for Ben anymore.

"Come on Greenie, you don't wanna watch this." Clara said with a grimace, moving towards Thomas as she pushed a stray hair away from her face.

As she outstretched her hand towards his arm, he jerked away, leaving her with a briefly pained expression which quickly turned to confusion. He shuffled a few feet away from her, glancing past her and to the Banishment.

"No, they need to stop! He's gonna die out there!" His outrage was catching the attention of a few other Gladers, but Clara tried her best to keep the boy from making too much of a scene.

"They can't help him, Thomas. He can't stay here." She replied sternly, but she understood his frustration.

She wished they didn't have to Banish him.

"So, what? You just get them to do your dirty work around here and then leave?"

He spoke spitefully, and now Clara found herself swelling with anger. He had a lot of nerve speaking to her like that. But as the girl had grasped from his actions so far; he didn't seem so bothered about how he spoke to people. It didn't stop her from getting mad when he spoke to her like that.

"You do know that I'm not the leader around here, right?"

Not anymore, she thought to herself. Thomas faltered as if he hadn't thought about it, but before he could stumble over an apology, she had whirled on him out of fury.

"I didn't want this to happen, Thomas. Ben was my friend. Do you know how many people I've seen Banished? How many friends I've seen Banished? Do you know how traumatic that is?" 

She paused after unloading the questions, as if waiting for a response, but she knew Thomas wouldn't reply. He knew nothing.

"Shuck me for wanting to save you from that trauma, I guess."

Roughly pushing past his shoulder, she left towards the Deadheads, hot tears running down her face. She told herself to keep it together, just until she was away from everyone, and then she'd let herself cry.

Because the thing was, Thomas' words resonated with her. It was her fault they Banished people in the first place. She came up with the idea. They wouldn't have thought of it otherwise.