dandelions || 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘰 (COMPLETED)

xii - attempted confession

ATTEMPTED CONFESSION
-
"i see forever in your eyes"

• • •

          AS SOON AS she was within newt's earshot, she told him everything. everything. how she'd felt about him the whole time; how she was too scared to admit it; how she could only hope he was able to return her feelings; how all she wanted at that moment was to hug him and talk to him again. and then she remembered the plans they'd made for that night about sneaking out together (though avoided telling newt that part in fear of the rule-abiding boy blabbing to alby).

she completely disregarded her job of being a med-jack the rest of the day, her insides buzzing with excitement in anticipation of finally being able to tell minho the truth about how she really felt, and stood with newt and thomas as dusk drew closer.

the sun was beginning to set as it usually would, the trees still stood as they usually would, and life in the glade went on as it usually would — but minho wasn't back. neither was alby, but lyn was more worried about the former, as selfish as it sounded.

minutes passed. still no sign of either of them.

thomas and newt spoke back and forth, thomas continually asking what would happen if they didn't make it; newt growing agitated at his endless flood of questions.

it was clear everyone in the glade's insides were squirming uncomfortably with nerves as lyn wandered around, looking for something to entertain herself with in hopes to take her mind off of everything. they couldn't lose alby. or minho. but alby was their leader — they were nothing without him. even before lyn was there, the death of nick (the previous glader in charge) had taken a serious toll on all of them. the 'order' she'd been told about: it was already falling to pieces in the mere hours alby had been in the maze, and she couldn't imagine what it'd be like if he went missing permanently — or worse, died.

and then came back the thoughts of minho; how he might not return either. she knew he was one of the first boys to be sent up in the box and knew he was close with almost everyone else, but she also knew that of all of them, she'd probably be the most crushed by his disappearance.

no. think positive, her brain hammered into her several times.

and then, she inexplicably heard his voice.

lyn, you need to listen to me. it was definitely him, not a doubt in her mind about that. she couldn't hear it exactly, as in she couldn't hear it through her ears, just inside her brain. but how? she set her mind on trying to talk back to him, if she wasn't imagining it like she assumed. maybe the lack of sleep and nutrition was finally having an effect on her mentally; it had already caused her several pounding headaches.

minho? silence followed, and she tried again. minho!

i'm in the maze with alby. he's been stung. you cannot tell anyone about this; i don't want you getting hurt over it. they'll suspect you of being with the creators or some klunk like that, okay? but listen: i've been hearing your thoughts inside mine since you got here, and when i heard you just then i thought i'd try again. it worked, i think. anyway, i'm running back with alby now — i'm dragging him along, sort of carrying him, but i don't know how much longer i can go. if i don't make it back... i-

and then he was gone, just as fast as he was there. it was too much for her to handle: how she had to keep her mouth shut about it, how she'd likely never see him again, and how he didn't even get to finish what he was going to tell her. she turned back to newt and he cradled her sobbing face like a child.

but minho and alby would be back. that's what she continued to tell herself in the proceeding thirty minutes, until gally shouted that the doors were due to close any second. she was stood just by the opening at the front of a huge swarm of people, all waiting with baited breath for the pair to return. hopefully return.

gally was by her side and and squeezed her hand tightly when he noticed the lifeless expression plastered across her face. her attempt to conceal her unease had clearly failed since newt half-hugged her from the other side as well.

they all stood silently until the familiar rumbling of the walls almost caused her to throw up. everyone solemnly began to turn and walk back towards the homestead, knowing they had no chance getting back, when chuck suddenly called out, "look! guys, it's them! and alby... i think he's dead. no, stung! alby's been stung!"

shouting. screaming. chanting. out of context, the noise could've been linked to that of an angry football mob.

"come on minho!"

"you can do it!"

instead of joining the various eruptions of racket sounding around her, she closed her eyes and compressed gally's hand even more as she concentrated on trying to contact minho through his mind again. she had enough proof what he'd said before was true; alby had indeed come back stung, and surely her useless mind couldn't have predicted that itself. minho, please. please try. for me. she assumed it worked since minho's eyes caught hers as she finished. there was pain in them, but she knew he wouldn't give up.

they were approaching at a moderate speed.

please minho, hurry.

her heart felt like it was hammering all the way out of her chest, her stomach in twisted knots.

they were moving fast;

but not fast enough.

the doors were only metres from closing fully when thomas did the unimaginable: he made a run straight for them, completely disregarding everyone else's roars of protest. she saw newt try to grab his arm and drag him back, proving his rationality as minho and alby were two of his closest friends, but his feeble endeavour ended up pointless as thomas squeezed through the ever-shrinking gap, well out of reach of even gally.

the not-usually-squeamish girl looked away, not wanting to see thomas' organs spill out of his body if he ended up being crushed by the cumbersome stone walls — the likelihood of which growing until the walls stopped suddenly. to save thomas? it was unclear.

and then the voice in her head came back, but this time it wasn't minho's.

it was a booming monotone voice, robotic almost.

and it told her, go or we'll kill you.

it suddenly became apparent to lyn that she was supposed to go into the maze with the boys for the first time since she arrived.

she stepped forward, not knowing what else to do. she surely couldn't stay there and, like the voice had stated, be killed, could she?

no. the silence and shock radiating from the others worked to her advantage — the doors had never stopped for anyone and the sheer unrest it had caused gave her just enough opportunity to run to minho, whose eyes looked as wide as tennis balls, and hug him. and suddenly, the stone began grinding again.

the stone doors joined together before minho could shrug her off and throw her back into the glade.

all four of them were stuck. together. in a huge, unsolvable maze.