Wildfire ~ Newt

2.8

Pain was all she knew as her body roared against her burning muscles; the sting of her raw wounds; and the exhaustion received from running the maze.

"Come on!!" Vera cried as she and Minho hauled Alby's body round the last corner, the faint clicking of the doors beginning to shut, echoing in their ears. 

"Argh!!" Minho groaned, using what strength he had left to heave their unconscious friend round the last turning. They been like this for a couple of hours now, going their fastest to make it back but it wasn't easy with a 160 pound boy on their shoulders.

Vera cried out in anguish from the effort and looked up a second to see the gladers waiting at the entrance, Newt in the centre. 

"COME ON GUYS YOU CAN DO IT!" she heard someone shout from afar, but she was too focused on helping Minho haul Alby's body the last stretch. 

She'd been in this situation before, however last time she didn't have a heavy boy slung in her arms. 

Everyone was calling after them, shouting words of encouragement. 

"YOU"VE GOTTA LEAVE HIM YOU TWO!" someone else yelled, but there was no way in hell they were bringing Alby this far to ditch him at the last second. 

"COME ON! COME ON!"

"YOU CAN DO IT!"

"LEAVE HIM!"

"RUN!" 

Both she and Minho cried out in desperation, resulting to pulling on an arm each, Alby sliding across the floor. 

"Go Vera! Run!" Minho shouted at her, but she shook her head in denial. 

"No way, we're doing this together!" she shouted back, using all her strength to pull Alby along. 

The doors were closing too quickly, and they still had several meters to cover. It was in that moment, Vera looked up in horror to Newt. So far, yet so close. They weren't gonna make it. 

Everyone was calling their names, but in that moment she heard no one, and saw only saw Newt staring back at her in horror. 

He'd run into the maze for her before, but after that she had made him promise that if she ever was in that situation again...not too. Vera couldn't bare the thought of him sacrificing himself for her.

Both of them stared at each other in terror, his face broken and for a second he looked like he was about to break his promise to her, but suddenly another figure came charging in instead.

Thomas.

Vera's eyes went wide as he squeezed himself through the tiny gap. Scrambling to make it in time and at just the last second he made it, collapsing on the floor in front of them just as the doors closed.

Both she and Minho were knelt down, gasping for breath. 

"Good job. You just killed yourself" the latter gasped, panting in exhaustion. 

Vera was frozen. She was in the maze. Trapped in the maze. She more than anyone had a reason to fear it so. 

"What?" she heard Thomas ask, totally confused as he pushed himself to his feet. 

Minho ignored him, instead he pushed himself over to were Vera was sat, placing two hands on her shoulders. 

"Are you alright? Breathe, it's okay, it's okay" he assured her, knowing full well what was going on in her head. Vera looked up at him, her eyes wide with fear, "we're trapped -" she gasped, a terrible feeling of being choked closing up her windpipe.