CHEATING DEATH - A Maze Runners' Tale • 001

CHAPTER 3

After I met zart he taught me how to graft in the gardens so I spent the day doing that. He made friendly conversation but I was more interested in something else. Newt kept eyeing the maze like something might come out at any moment. The Runners wouldn't be back till the evening so there was no point in what he was doing.

"What's up with you?" Zart asked. I must have been staring at newt instead of working.

"Newt keeps looking at the maze." I said In a quiet voice as I crouched down next to him.

"It's been like that for a few days." He said nonchalantly.

"Well I caught him standing right in front of the maze doors this morning while they opened. It didn't look normal." I said as I lowered my voice even more.

"Newts second in command I'm sure he's just tryin' ta make sure everythings right. Good that?" He said a little above my whisper. I heard people saying good that throughout the glade and I just assumed in ment an agreement or something.

"Good that." I replied though I still planed to keep an eye on newt just in case.

I kept quiet for the rest of the day. I mostly liked learning things for myself instead of asking a million questions so at lunch I ate as much as I could then went to the deadheads where I sat at the base of a tree and watched everyone.

It was like this for the rest of the day after I resumed track-hoe work. I wasn't bad at it but my heart really wasn't in it so hopefully I was better at something else.

I was in the kitchen the next day with frypan who I was well acquainted with now. He got me up early to start making breakfast with the other cooks and as I made my way to the kitchen I looked over at the doors by the gardens and saw newt standing there watching them open like he did the day before.

He had a hoe with him this time and it looked like he was about to go into the maze. Without a second thought i ran as fast as I could to him. He must have seen me coming because he walked away in the direction of the gardens a moment later.

"I really hope you weren't planning on going in there." I said with heavy breaths as I reached him.

"Well that would be shuckin' stupid of me if I was."  He said angrily as he turned away from me.

"Why are you upset?" I asked as I stepped closer to him.

"Doesn't matter." He said quietly.

"No it does matter." I said back which made him perk up and smile a bit before his face fell again.

"You just got here, you don't get it." He argued.

"I'm just trying to help." I said in a saddened tone as I stepped in front of him so I could be face to face with him.

"Then go do your job instead of worryin' about me." He said trying to shew me away.

"Right now your my priority. Tell me how I can help and I'll do what I can." I said sternly as I folded my arms and looked at him with an authoritative glare.

"This is pointless." He said as he finally made eye contact with me.

"Newt." I said as I dropped my arms to my side.

"What?" He asked as I opened my arms gesturing for him to hug me.

"You need a hug." I said as I grabbed his arm gently and pulled him into a hug. I felt him melt into the embrace before he pulled away and looked at me with a pained smile.

"I've gotta go make breakfast." I said as I turned to walk away.

Once I arrived at the kitchen frypan threw an apron at me and brought me to a station where he was making some sort of batter.