in another life; the maze runner

☆ eight ☆

"It was a disaster... Tomatoes- everywhere. That will haunt me for the rest of my life!" Mae sat on a log watching Newt, Zart and Thomas chop away at a tree. Chuck sat beside her, carving into a little wood figure and listening to her story. They all laughed as she told them about her misfortune in the kitchen.

"Frypan is never letting me back in there, I'll tell you that much," She snickered. Newt paused for a second, breathing heavily and raising his hand to shield his eyes from the sun.

"What about the Med-jack hut?" He asked.

"That went really well actually! Winston came in with a cut, and I did everything Jeff told me to do." Mae exclaimed proudly, thinking back to her time in the med-jack hut just a few hours earlier. Thomas shook his head and smiled up at her.

"I did pretty bad in there. I guess you really are a pure soul," He teased, and she mock-glared at him, just enjoying her down time with her brand new friends.

After they were finished with whatever task it was they had been doing, (Mae had barely been paying attention) Newt and Thomas joined the other two on the log while Zart went to work somewhere else. Thomas and Chuck soon became very much engaged in a game of 'try and annoy Newt as best you can to see if he'll crack'. However, they weren't very successful seeing as the boy of interest was thoroughly focused on something else.

Mae noticed Newt kept glancing towards the maze, and she turned her attention to the doors as well.

"They should be back soon, shouldn't they." Mae stated warily, thinking about Alby and Minho who had gone into the Maze that morning. The blonde nodded, his eyes still glued to the walls. Chuck yelped suddenly, causing everyone to snap their head in his direction.

"It's raining! I felt droplets," He announced. And just as he said it, small pellets of rain started pelting down on them, drenching the whole Glade. Mae startled for just a second, taking a moment to get used to the sensation of the water pouring down on her.

"Come on, let's get out of this bloody rain," Newt called over the sound of the downpour, leading the group toward the kitchens where they could stand protected from the rain.

Everyone was looking to the Maze in desperation, praying that their friends would appear sometime soon.

"What happens if they don't make it?" Thomas asked, his tone laced with concern. Newt leaned against the standard with his arms crossed, his gaze fixated on the walls.

"They're going to make it." He assured. No one spoke for a while, they just all waited anxiously for Minho and Alby to emerge. Some more time passed, and the rain ultimately subsided, leaving the grass soggy and the trees dripping with fresh water.

The fifty-some Gladers made their way out of the shelter and immediately headed to the doors, everyone stood as one uniform shape at the border between the Glade and the Maze. Mae couldn't even stand still, she felt her whole body shaking with anxiety as she stood among the others. She hated feeling so useless, so helpless, while Alby and Minho could be out there struggling.

Deep creaks and whaling sounded from inside the Maze, terrifying everyone further. Mae shook her head and furrowed her eyebrows, her stomach churning as she thought of all the horrible things the runner and leader could be going through right now.

"Why can't we send someone after them?" She questioned anxiously.

"That's against the rules," Gally, who had been leaning down and peering into the Maze spoke. "Either they make it back or they don't." He stated coldly. There was no emotion in his tone whatsoever.

"Can't risk loosing anyone else, Mae." Newt tried to explain to her as she spiraled further and further into a state of panic. Thomas noticed her discomfort and narrowed his eyes, attempting to stand still. But it was very difficult for him to remain calm with the circumstances at hand.

More creaks and unsettling sounds. The wind picked up from within the maze and roared into their faces threateningly. And then, what they all had been dreading happened. The gigantic opening in the walls slowly started shrinking, closing in the space that was left for the boys to return through.

"Oh no..." Chuck mumbled.

"There!" Thomas pointed to two figures that had just turned a corner and had started staggering back toward the Glade. But something was off. Minho was carrying Alby on his back, struggling to hold his weight. He was breathing heavily, his chest heaving, and he glanced up at the crowd of boys (and girl) waiting for him. All the Gladers soon understood what was going on and began shouting words of encouragement, cheering their friends on.

"Come on Minho!"

"You can make it,"

"Don't give up, slinthead!"

Minho continued limping forward, but Mae could see it in his eyes that he knew he wasn't going to make it in time. She locked gazes with him, her great green eyes filled to the brim with emotion.

"We can't just stand here and let this happen." Mae protested in a hushed tone to Newt. Sensing which direction she was implying, he grabbed hold of her forearm before she could take action and gave her a harsh look.

"Leave it." He deadpanned.

But, unfortunately, no one had paid attention to Thomas's concern. The boy had bolted like a firecracker into the small space between the walls, squeezing into the Maze before anyone had a chance to do anything about it. Mae watched in horror as she caught a last glimpse of the boy hitting the hard cement floor of the maze.

"Thomas!"

It was too late. The doors shut finally with a deafening boom, leaving Mae in a state of complete and utter shock. Newt covered his mouth his hand, Chuck was frozen in place, and the other boys had no idea how to react.

__

"Do you think they'll die in there?"

"No one's ever lasted a night in the Maze."

"But that doesn't mean it won't happen,"

"Go to sleep, Mae."

Despite how tired she was, it was a real challenge to bring herself to drift off to sleep. Minho, Alby and Thomas were out in the Maze. Whether they were alive or dead, no one knew for sure. But at this point, everyone in the Glade was convinced that they weren't coming back.

However, Mae wasn't the type to give up hope. She tossed and turned all night, praying that when she woke in the morning, there would be three boys who turned up at the Maze entrance, still very much alive.

Hiiii. I've been updating a lot recently, so I hope you're enjoying. Please comment if you ever feel like it! <3