There was a crowd gathering around the Maze doors, and you knew exactly why - today was the day of Ben's banishment. You'd shown up in the Maze back when he was just Minho's running partner, but he'd been bit by a Griever, and things had changed around the Glade. Constant screams of pain would be heard, at any given point - it was haunting.
You sigh, leaning back against a tree in the shade. You had decided not to go - seeing anyone like that, in so much pain, both emotional and mental - it was hard to watch. Your boyfriend Newt, however, being a Keeper, took the place of both of you near the front.
You shut your eyes, thinking about how you had started your life here, in the Glade. You'd originally met Newt, who had helped you out of the box - the metal death trap that had brought you here. Then, wanting to be a Runner, you'd gotten close with Minho and Ben, and over the past few months, discovered that you and Ben had much in common. However, you'd managed to stick with Newt since the start, and you'd gotten together last month.
All things considered in the Maze, Ben was one of your closest friends, aside from Thomas, the greenie before Teresa, Minho, and of course, Newt. You would be able to talk to Ben, though he seemed unapproachable at the start. Once he was bitten, everything changed - the air was filled with not your mingled laughter or his booming voice, but instead his screams of agony. It tore you apart.
You sigh again, sinking back against the tree. This'll suck.
The Maze doors should open any time now - and the grinding sound of metal on metal alerted you that it was, in fact, going to happen. You hear Ben scream. "Help! Someone - help me!" You cover your mouth, doing everything you can not to get up and run to him. Then, he says something that makes both your heart and stomach turn over the wrong way. "Y/n! You know I didn't mean to! Tell them to stop! Y/n!"
A tear slips down your cheek, and you bite down on your lip hard. No, it's for the best. He attacked Thomas, it is for. The. Best. You run your hand through your hair, muffling a sob. "I'm sorry." You whisper.
You hear footsteps coming closer, and you see Chuck perch on a log in front of you. You look at him, and he shrugs. "Don't wanna be around to see it." You nod, leaning your head back against the tree and shutting your eyes. To your surprise, the usually-talkative boy hadn't said anything else.
It is quiet for a few moments, and you open your eyes, turning to see if it was over. Unable to catch a glimpse, you stand and turn - and just as you do, a piercing scream erupted from the center of the crowd; a sound so earsplitting that you covered your ears, knowing damn well who it came from. The doors begin to close, and the shrill cry gets cut off once the two stone walls meet. You pull your hands away from your ears, and cover your mouth again, sobs escaping.
Chuck stands next to you, shifting on his feet uneasily. "I'll go get Newt or Thomas or...something." He says, and dashes away.
Soon, you see Thomas run towards you, his eyes creased with worry. "Y/n? Are you alright?"
You pull your hands away from your face, wiping at your cheeks, and shrug. "As okay as I'll ever be," you say, your voice breaking near the end.
Thomas sighs, pulling you into his arms. "That was horrible to watch." You nod into his shoulder, not trusting your voice to speak.
The two of you stand there for a few moments, before you hear Minho's voice next to you. "Hey, shanks."
You pull away, looking to Minho, your heart breaking. He has the look of utter despair written all over his face, and his eyes are full of emotion. "Minho..." You start, walking over to him.
