The Player of the Maze

Don't Blame Me

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑

Running back into the maze felt like a marathon for Paige. Her arm was stinging and her head throbbing. As soon as she got back into the Glade she fell on the floor weak.

"Paige..." Thomas whispered kneeling next to her shaking. Waiting for a response.

Darkness.

Opening her eyes finally, Paige woke up with her head in someone's lap. Turning her head, she saw Thomas. He was leaning against the pit wall with one hand on hers. The other across his torso.

"Tom...." Paige would say whispering

Hearing her voice, Thomas would wake up and look at her.

"Hey..." Thomas said smiling helping her sit up.

"How long was I out?" Paige asked.

"A day." Thomas replied. "We were in here for the day."

"We?" Paige asked sitting next to him.

"I couldn't leave you." Thomas said.

"What happened?" Paige asked.

"Everyone thought you got stung. No one listened to me and Minho." Thomas said rubbing her hand with his thumb. "Minho went back out to the Griever to try and find something else. But nothing."

"Let me guess Galy is in charge now?" Paige asked moving like her head was heavy.

"Yep." Thomas said. "We can get out in a few minutes. You woke up just in time."

"I had. I had this dream. A women saying the same thing over and over again." Paige said.

"Wicked is good?" Thomas said nodding.

"Yeah." Paige said looking at her shocked.

"I've been having the same thing." Thomas said.

"Chuck?" Paige asked.

"He came to the pit last night. Gave us bread and water. I left some for you." Thomas picked up the bread and water and passed them to her.

"Thanks Tom." Paige said eating it quickly. Thomas chuckled.

"What happened to the box?" Paige asked.

"A girl. Teresa. She was in it." Thomas replied.

"A girl?" Paige repeated

"Yeah that was my reaction." Paige said.

"Don't worry. I only like you." Thomas said smirking noticing her jealously.

"Oh shut up." Paige blushed.

Suddenly, a figure came from above as both Thomas and Paige jumped.

"What the hell Minho." Paige said shocked.

"Since you two are runners you are both scared of me. Yet you're not scared of the Grievers." Minho chucked.

"Just get us out of here man." Thomas said chuckling. Opening the bamboo door, Thomas got out first then helped Paige out.

"Big day. Come on." Minho said as he gave them there Runners vests. Putting them on, they stood outside the maze walls.

"Come on Tommy." Paige said running first. Followed by Minho. Smiling to himself, Thomas followed his girl. And Minho. Sprinting through the maze, they got to the open sectors.

"Funny." Minho said stopping looking around.

"What?" Thomas asked stopping with Minho.

"Section 7 isn't supposed to be open for another week." Paige said. "Get the cylinder out of Minho's back." Thomas got it and it started beeping, walking in one direction, the beeping went quieter. Turning around, it became louder.

"Thomas." Paige said stopping him. Looking down, Thomas found himself about to step into a large hole. "We're equal now." Minho looked at Paige then at Thomas and smiled watching both like an entertainment.

"You sure about this Thomas?" Minho asked following the Greenie to a dead end.

"Another dead end Minho." Paige said sighing.

"Wait." Thomas walked down the long path. Peering over the edge, Paige saw nothing but darkness.

"There's nothing down here." Minho said looking around. Looking up towards Thomas, Paige then looked at the wall behind him.

"Door." Paige said. The boys looked at her then quickly shot around to find one wall lifting and the gooey cylinder from the Griever to stop beeping. Turning green. Then another behind it. Then another. Just as the last one started to open Paige went to walk through.

"Paige..." Thomas grabbed her hand and pulled her back. "Let's all stay alive." Walking in front the two males would investigate first. Tracing his hand over a circle hole in the wall, Minho found the same substance as what came out the Griever.

"Grievers." Minho said trying to shake off the gory sticky substance. Then a red line going up, then back down over the three runners bodies. Backing up, all of them started to panic. Suddenly, a loud bang and then an alarm as loud as the Krakatoa volcanic eruption echoed in their ears.

"We got to go." Minho said. Slowly, the trap doors started to close again.

"Right now boys!" Paige would yell who was already running.

"She's amazing." Thomas said smiling.

"Won't be saying that when your dead. Give me the cylinder." Minho shouted as he started to run. Chucking it Thomas too would run panicking. Everything was against them. The blades. Rusty, large, tall, well spaced out started closing on each of them. Splitting them up from each other. Eventually, finding their way. They made it to the outer sections.

"What the fu-" Paige was cut off by the floor coming up from every direction. Not just that but walls crashing down on them.

"Get to the maze!" Minho said jumping up onto a ledge and crawling through followed by Paige then Thomas.

•••••

Waiting for them, the other Gladers stood awaiting answers.

"What the bloody hell happened out there Thomas?" Newt asked.

"We found something. Think it could be our way out." Thomas announced making his way through the glade followed by the eager ears of the Gladers.

"It's true. Something I've never seen before." Minho agreed.

"I think it's were the Grievers go during the day." Thomas said.

"Wait. So you want to lead us straight to a bunch of Grievers?" Chuck asked confused.

"They're way in could be our way out Chuck." Thomas said catching his breath. Meanwhile all of this, Paige walked behind the group listening to what each other had to say about this.

"And what if it isn't? There could be 5, 10 Grievers on the other side. The truth is Thomas doesn't know what he's done again." Galy shouted.

"At least I did something. I mean what have you done." Thomas snarled back turning to face the crowd and Galy.

"Let me tell you something Greenie. You've been here 3 days. I've been here 3 years." Galy's voice rose getting into Thomas' face.

"Yeah you've been here 3 years. And you're still here." Thomas shouted. "Maybe you start doing things a little differently."

"Maybe you should be in charge." Galy laughed.

"Guys hey!" A girl shouted but it wasn't Paige. "It's Alby he's awake."  Her black hair covering more than one side of her face. She was dressed similar to Paige but wasn't the same. Paige has more dirt marks, personality. Hearing this everyone ran to the med bay hut.