𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 / the maze runner

𝟎𝟕

one of justin's friends stood up. "guys, listen to me," he said loudly. the boys quieted enough to turn to him expectantly. "i know on the surface what justin did seems bad, but what if that's what the creators wanted? i mean, look around, we're a bunch of boys in a very stressful who have suddenly been handed a girl. what do you think we're supposed to do with her? just let her join us like the other greenies did? as if she's nothing special? because i don't think that's what we're supposed to do."

"you're bloody right she's special," newt suddenly snapped. "but not like that." then he fell silent as though he'd said too much.

"newt, do you have anything more to say?" alby inquired. newt glanced up, just enough for chelsea to notice that his face was ever so slightly a light shade of red. he simply shook his head.

"alright, anyone else? minho?"

minho looked up. he seemed to be thinking over his words. he cast a glance at newt, then spoke. "i think i agree with gally and newt. justin is dangerous to one of our own, he needs to be banished."

again there was uproar. justin looked rather sick. if it weren't for the bubbling anger in chelsea's stomach and what he'd done to her, she would have felt sorry for justin. but as it was, she felt he deserved even worse.

"alright, all those in favour of banishing justin, who attacked one of our gladers, then lied about it?" alby called.

most hands in the room shot up. newt, gally, minho, and alby included.

"all in favour of sparing justin and giving him another chance?"

justin and a few of his friends raised their hands.

alby slowly nodded, a grim expression on his face. "very well. justin, your fate has been decided. you will be banished at sundown."

a sense of solemnity settled over the group. no one laughed, no one looked pleased at the result. even those who voted that justin be banished looked downcast. they looked at justin as though he was a dead man sitting among them.

"put him in the pit and get everything ready," alby said, his lips pursed. gally and minho both moved to grab justin, who struggled, but seemed to realise he could not get away. he hung his head and dragged his feet as he was carried from the gathering hall.

chelsea peeked around the round structure to watch as justin was locked up. minho and gally were back in the gathering hall within five minutes.

"so what are we going to do about chelsea?" newt asked, his accented voice thick with some sort of emotion.

chelsea tensed. the wood was already across the glade, if they came looking for her now, or even came out of the gathering hall, she'd be found out. she couldn't handle that. deciding against taking the risk, she lit out across the field, heading straight for the wood again.

her feet landed lightly on both the ground of the field and the forest floor. she felt so free when she ran, like she could go anywhere if only she ran fast enough. her strides were long, like that of a deer. she bounded through the trees, ducking as branches reached out and grabbed for her. she found the same tree that had given her refuge the night before, and again leapt into the branches. she climbed past the numerous branches and settled down, knowing that it would not be too long before the boys came looking for her. sure enough, not thirty minutes later, the wood was swarmed with boys. she hardly moved as she watched them search below her.

"chelsea?" called gally, peering into a bush only a few yards away from the base of the tree. she watched in silence as he moved on, only to be replaced by newt a few seconds later. he looked much more thoroughly than gally had, searching behind every tree and under every bush, even the ones too small to conceal her. she watched, entranced by the mess of blonde hair under her. just then a twig came loose under her fingers, and went tumbling down throughout the branches. she didn't even allow herself to gasp and clutched the trunk to the chest, trying to watch newt at the same time.