CHEATING DEATH - A Maze Runners' Tale • 001

CHAPTER 17

Minho and I woke up early the next morning even though I was going to take the day off the help Alby and the greenie. I went back to my own room and changed into a tight shirt and a pair of cargo pants that I wore with a belt that was way to big for me. The end of the belt almost went down to my knee but I just let it hang there because the belt loops were too small for me to tuck it in.

I went to check on everyone and send the wakeup call but when I got out of my room at last there was already a crowd of boys hovering over the box hole. I ran over to them as fast as I could and saw that they were standing around it waiting for it to get to the top. It was way to early for anything to be coming up the box hole so I imedeately ran to find Alby who was in the homestead doing something when I left.

"Alby do you know about the box hole?" I asked as I burst through the door out of breath.

"Yeah." He said as he looked up at me briefly.

"So should I keep letting them huddle over the box hole or make 'em get to work." I asked another question.

"Tell 'em to get to work. You and newt'll keep an eye on it till it gets up." He said as he waved me off.

I returned to the box hole and shouted at everyone to get to work and they all scrambled off. Newt stayed with me and we sat next to the box hole listening to it climb up the long shaft.

"How's the farm?" I asked trying to make conversation.

"Hasn't changed much. How's runnin'?" He said.

"I haven't been chased in a while. Unless you count getting chased by Minho cause that happens all the time." I said casually.

"Why does he chase you?"

"It gets kinda boring on the way back. What do you think's comin' up." I asked as I glanced at the cranking box then back at him looking for an answer.

"I don't kn- hold on I think it stopped." He said as he got to his feet and moved forward.

"Let's go get everyone." I said as I pulled him back and we jogged to the homestead me being quite a bit faster than he was.

Once everyone was gathered around newt and I opened the cage doors and jumped down inside of it to see what was in it. My eyes went wide as I realized it was a beautiful girl with silky dark hair. Newt pulled a note out of her hand but my mind was far from it.

"Ha! Finally! More female representation!" I called out as I jumped up and down.

"Guys it says she's the last one...ever." newt said taking a pause before he read the last word.

"What's that supposed to mean the last greenie or the last girl?" I questioned as I snatched the paper out of newts hands but sure enough it said 'she's the last one ever'.

"Well I don't bloody know why are you askin' me?" Newt said as they dropped a rope for the girl and newt and I picked up her lifeless body and got carried up the rope.

Once we got the unconscious girl situated in a bed in the med-jack hut I went to see what Ben was up to. Last time I had seen him he was getting the serum because he had been stung. When I poked my head into the room he was in it was completely empty.

"Jeff?" I called out from the room.

"What's up?" He asked me as he poked his head in the room too.

"Did you let Ben out?" I asked as I looked at him with a worried expression.

"He was out cold last time I checked. He probably left." Jeff answered and I imedeately ran out of the hut to go looking for him.

I had a first hand account of what the changing did to people and it wasn't safe for Ben to be out so soon. I checked the homestead first which was the least likely place I could find him. When I reached the gathering room to check, gally was standing in the middle of the room.