The Link // Maze Runner Fanfiction // Book 1

chapter nine

Newt, Minho, Alby, and I all shared a room. Sometimes I slept outside, but lately I'd been sleeping inside with Newt. We slept on the far left, Alby slept in the middle, and Minho's bed was on the far right. Chuck's bed had been added to our room and now Thomas slept in the same room too.

Tomorrow, Ben would be on his last and final day of the Changing. He would be allowed to walk around during the aftermath of it and even perform little tasks. I was glad he would be out of pain soon, but that still didn't change the fact that I couldn't sleep. I didn't realize Thomas was awake until he asked me to confirm if I was Ellie.

"Yeah, that's me. I'm Ellie. How do you know Virginia?"

"I don't. I think I used to know her though. When I saw you, those two names and the word twin popped into my mind. Do you know her?" he whispered back.

"I think so. I got some of my memories back a while ago. They come and go, but I always see a little girl who looks like me. The only difference is our eyes. I have brown ones and she has gorgeous blue-green ones, so I know I'm not seeing myself in the visions. We're identical twins, so that's probably why you were confused."

He made a small sound of understanding. "Makes sense. So are you and Newt a thing?"

I giggled and informed him that yes, we are dating. I added that if he was going to try and ask me out, he'd have better chances with Minho. He snorted and stayed silent for a few moments. I already knew he was planning on asking about the maze, so when he did, I already had an answer. All I could allow him to know was that I was a Runner and that the maze was not a place you would want to go.

Thomas and I talked until the Gladers rose in the morning. Ever since Ben had gotten stung, I had that feeling that things were not right, but I had gotten pretty good at ignoring it. I carried on with my day as usual-eating breakfast, wishing Alby and Minho good luck on their run, going to the garden to work- until the sound of the alarms started up. The Gladers exchanged confused looks. The box wasn't supposed to come up for another month.

Warily, I jogged over to where the box was accelerating upwards. Newt, Thomas, and Chuck appeared by my side as the alarms stopped and the box came up. More and more Gladers crowded around the box as Newt and I opened the panels and jumped down into it. The person in the box was something I had not seen in a long time. At least not in person. It was a girl. A very familiar girl with charcoal black hair.

"Is she dead?" Frypan was the first to speak.

I shook my head and bent down to get a closer look at her. She was definitely not conscious, sleeping maybe, but I could see the rise and fall of her chest. Newt bent down and pressed two fingers to her neck.

"Who said Newt could have the first go at her?" somebody shouted.

"I call dibs!" another faceless voice yelled out.

I looked around for the faces I needed to see. Thomas looked confused, Newt looked concerned. Both were focused on the girl. I stood up and glared at the Gladers.

"All of you shut up! The next person who says something is sleeping with the Gladers tonight. I don't care that she's a pretty girl, none of you will go near her. Anyone who lays a finger on her is getting Banished the second I hear, got it?"

The Gladers grumbled "yeses" and "yeahs". I turned around and addressed the two Med-Jacks. "Take her to a room in the Homestead and write down every word she says. Come find Newt or me if anything changes. I want someone watching her at all times."

The two boys nodded and hopped down into the box. The girl suddenly gasped and sat up. Her electrifying blue eyes looked around all the Gladers and her breathing became heavier.