Mask of Promises (MinhoxOC) Sequel to Just Smile

Chapter 18

One more person became a victim of the metal balls of death. I recognized his screams: Jerry. He was a sweet Slopper who would look out for Chuck for me sometimes before Tommy came up. Memories of the Glade, Chuck teasing me about Minho and Newt, Alby snorting in laughter once in a while, Gally looking at me with an eyebrow arched in mock offense. Robbie and Ben jokingly arguing all the time, making Ren scold them sometimes. Clint blushing when Vera smiled at him during Dinner.

NO. NO NO NO. STOP, NO MORE.

I wanted to scream. I felt like I would explode. I wanted to cry, to show the Gladers that I'm in pain too, that I'm human, that I'm grieving, but I couldn't. Cause I had to be different and strong. I was their Cornerstone, I was their advisor, I was their ray of sunshine who would always laugh and make them laugh.

I ran faster and harder, trying to ignore these memories, to leave them behind somewhere in the dark with those metal balls. I heard Minho call for us to stop after swearing, and I realized I was now near the front, in between Harper and Aris.

"Why the hell did we stop?" Fry demanded.

"Cause I almost broke my shins on something up here!" Minho shouted back. "I think it's a stairway."

An exit. An exit out of this darkness. I sighed in relief, but then pushed it back down. Relief was not an option, not here, not now.

"Well, let's go up 'em!" Fry whooped.

"Ya think?" Minho responded. "What would we do without you, Frypan? Seriously."

"We would have starved in the Glade," I joked.

"Or the kitchen would have been burnt down," Fry teased.

"Hey! It was one time only," I laughed.

"Uh huh. There was that time when you tried out for jobs and the other time was when you wanted to try and make some kind of a soup," Newt joined. "I bet it was either the kitchen burning down or me getting poisoned by the bugging soup."

"Alrighty, let's go up," Minho cut through. I heard him stomp on up the stairs and followed after most of the other Gladers went on ahead.

"Ow!" Minho yelped as a metallic bang echoed through the halls along with surprised grunts and groans of Gladers who stopped too late.

"You okay?" Newt asked.

"No, I see the stars in the air shining," Minho responded.

"How'd you know I'm a star?" I smirked.

"Shut up," Vera groaned.

I heard Aris snicker.

"What'd ... you hit?" Thomas called through heavy breaths.

Minho sounded irritated. "The shuck top, that's what. We hit the roof, and there's nowhere else ..." He trailed off, and I could hear him sliding his hands along the walls and ceiling, searching. "Wait! I think I found—"

A clicking noise came from the top and I was blinded by the light. Groans and complaining erupted from my fellow Gladers before Minho shut the trapdoor.

"Shuck me," Minho groaned. "Looks like we found a way out, but I think it's on the freaking sun! Man, that was bright. And hot."

"Let's just open it a crack and let our eyes get used to it," Newt suggested. Then I heard him walk up the stairs to join Minho. "Here's a shirt—wedge it in there. Everybody shut your eyes!"

I closed my eyes for a second, then opened them impatiently. I could now see some of the Gladers and found that I was annoyingly right in front of Thomas. After Minho checked on us, he lifted the trapdoor completely and winced. I felt his pain and the heat burning the air.

"Aw, man!" Minho said, a wince on his face. "Something's wrong, dude. It feels like it's already burning my skin!"

"He's right," Newt said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't know if we can go out there. We might have to wait until the sun goes down."