The Maze Runner Brothers

Entering the Maze

Two boys woke up gasping for air. They coughed up gallons of water. They shuffled around, confused, scared. They were a box of metal. They were surrounded by crates. They were blinded by panel side lights. They felt their backs touch each other. 

They screamed. They turned and saw each other. They screamed again. They shuffled back against opposite walls facing each other, breathing heavily. 

The taller boy struggled to breath. "Who are you?" 

"Who am I?!" the shorter one asked. "Who are you?" He heard an loud oink from inside a crate. "Ahh!" he screamed, jumping back. His heart was pounding. An animal was inside that box. 

The taller boy was about to ask another question, when a ringing of clanking echoed in his ears. He realised they were in no ordinary box. They were in a lift. It was moving upwards. "What...what's happening?" 

"What to mean what's happening?! What are we in?!" the shorter one snapped. He stared round and saw they were moving up a shaft. He looked down through the cage door and saw darkness behind them. "Why are we in a box?" 

"Hello!" the older one called down. 

"What'd you calling down there for?! You think someone's goanna hear us?!" the shorter one snapped gain. 

But the taller one wouldn't stop. He was petrified, sick with paranoia. He called up to the ceiling. "Hey! Help me! Anybody help!"

"What about me? You're not the only one stuck in this lift!" the shorter one snapped. Looking up for a second, he suddenly saw flashes of red light. He sat down and covered his eyes. The lift suddenly vibrated and the taller boy was knocked off his feet, nearly landing on the shorter one who pushed him away from his private space. 

Everything went red, then green, then black. 

"Get your hand off my foot!" the shorter one snapped. 

"Sorry," the taller one apologised. "Why's it so dark?" 

A creaking sound rung their ears and above their heads. As they looked up, they saw light flashing through an widening gap. They covered their eyes with their hands. They prepared for the worst. The light receded slightly. Uncovering their eyes, they felt giant shadows looming over them. Above their heads through the caged ceiling, they saw dozens of boys prying down at them. Some laughed. Some sniggered. Some asked questions like, "Two Greenies?" or "Why are there two there?" 

The taller one breathed heavily. The shorter one breathed calmly. He was the braver of the two. 

The next thing they saw were the cage ceilings being pulled open. Then a stout boy with a tall face stepped down towards them. He leapt down, looking at them straight in the eyes. 

"Mmm. Never been two Greenies before. Rise and shine!" Suddenly he grabbed both boys by their shirts and the next thing they knew they were being hoisted by dozens of hands and then dropped to the ground in a heap of dust. 

They cackled. They laughed. They surrounded them. Still pinned to the ground by gravity, the boys stared at everyone towering over them. They heard them muttering. As if they were reading each other's minds, they suddenly bolted onto their feet and made a dash for the open. 

"Hey! We got runners!" a voice called out behind them like he was cheering for them. 

The pair had managed to get away a good distance. Just then the taller boy lost his footing and he face planted to the grass. The shorter boy didn't trip. He just kept on running. He suddenly spotted a huge gap between two stone walls. 

An exit. 

He turned to make a getaway, not giving a glance to the other boy who had fallen behind him. He had just about reached the entrance when he was suddenly pummelled to the side. He landed with a thud. Before he could even get up, he was whacked from behind in the head.