Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
~ after hours ~
prompt: "stay with me!" character: thomas (maze runner) warnings: cursing, entrapment
Mechanical whirling explodes within the maze, the doors obviously starting to close. You make a right turn, then a left, knowing that the West door is but down that corridor. "Greenie! Hurry your shuck ass up," you shout, not even slowing to look back at Thomas. He's new, unexperienced, and honestly shouldn't even be in the maze. As you turn the last corner you see the door shutting, maybe giving you enough time to get through. Your body picks up speed against the wind slowly pushing you back. "Thomas!" You shout again, this time using his real name, attempting to insinuate a sense of urgency.
"I am!" He shouts back, slowly picking up speed to match yours. You watch as Gladers shout your names, waving their arms as if that's going to make you go quicker. Newt's foot steps forwards, as if he's going to run in, save the two of you. As you get closer, the door is but a foot apart, impossible to get through in time. In a second, you stop running, instead leaning over and setting your hands on your knees. Your stomach gurgles as it feels as though you could throw up.
Despite the time you've spent as a runner, basically a runner-up Keeper, you never spent a night out in the maze. No one had. Thomas stands beside you, likely staring up at the maze door, the sound of the Grievers echoing throughout. "We'll get out of here," his voice is somewhat shaky, as though he's attempting to convince himself as well. You look up at him, slowly positioning your body back into a standing position, "We will? Sure greenie, we absolutely will." Sarcasm laces your voice as you stare at the backend of the door, looking at the destroyed vines from the machinery.
"We have to figure out a way to stay alive, you know the maze more than I do, what's the plan?" Thomas questions, crossing his arms across his chest as he looks over at you. You let out a sigh and meet his eyes, the only emotion within his is hope. "Hide in the vines, run our asses off, there is somewhere else we can go..." you trail off, thinking that it could be the death of either of you, worse than possibly walking straight into one, "nevermind, it's too risky."
Thomas instantly looks like he's about to freak out on you, "Nothing is too risky when robotic things are trying to kill you!" You bite your lip, crossing your own arms and looking down the corridor. The darkness fading in overhead, sending every turn looking darker. "There's a place, you have to jump to reach it, but we may just be able to hide over there," your eyes look back towards him, watching for some sort of expression that indicated fear, anger, something. He looks expressionless almost, like nothing phases him anymore. It's almost non-human. "Okay, let's go there then."
Despite his confidence, you can't help but want to turn around and hit your fists against the door, yelling at someone to open it. This inner feeling of worry and an unconscious lingering of doubt bubbles up within. In a light jog, you attempt to shake off the feeling, leading Thomas towards the deep hole with seemingly no end. Metal scrapes along one of the corridors, a Griever closer than before. "Thomas, stay with me!" You attempt to say with urgency, trying to keep your tone down as to not alert any of the Grievers to your exact location.
Behind the final turn, there's a gaping hole just a few feet away from you. There's a platform in jumping distance. Due to you testing it and checking it out before, you effortlessly make the jump. As you look back at Thomas, you can see a Griever make it's way towards him. Its body slightly stumbles, likely going too fast. "You have to jump! I'll help you!" You eagerly say, waving your arm in a similar motion to the other Gladers. Thomas' confidence halters while he looks back, suddenly he's no longer the excited and curious runner. "Thomas! Jump!" You shout at him, rapidly looking at him and back at the Griever.
Thomas lets out a sigh and takes a short running start, jumping towards you. The griever follows soon thereafter, slipping right as it's about to jump to the area in which the two of you stand. It falls into the darkness of the hole, disparaging from view. "I told you to stay with me shuckface," you breath heavily. You make eye contact with Thomas who opens his mouth to open, attempting to say something. "You're right, I'm sorry. Thank you, by the way, you really helped."
