I Know Places [Thomas The Maze Runner]

[25: The Disappearing Bodies]

Elle and Teresa got to chatting right away. Dr Crawford left the two girls to get to know each other, promising to check up on them before the day was over.

"So you were in a Maze full of boys too?" Elle echoed. Her eyes were wide in wonder, and her body was turned to face Teresa, giving the girl her full attention. "That's incredible, I didn't think anyone else would know how I feel," she explained.

Teresa smiled widely. "Me neither," she agreed. "So, when you went into the Maze, were you unconscious? That's how I went up."

"No, I was awake," Elle recalled. "I went up in the Box with this other boy, Thomas, and we were both conscious when we arrived." Her brows pulled together. "They sent you up while you were unconscious? That seems dangerous to me."

"I don't know," Teresa shrugged. "I woke up for a moment, spoke the name of the last guy who arrived before me, and then passed out for another day or so."

"I passed out a few days after arriving," Elle informed her, tilting her head thoughtfully. "I don't remember exactly how many days it was anymore, but not long after Thomas and I arrived, the Box came up for the last time with a note from WICKED saying--"

"She's the last one ever?" Teresa guessed.

Elle exclaimed, "Yes! That happened to you as well?"

"Yes! The note came up with me while I was unconscious. Before I woke up I remembered all these little things, like dreams or memories. I remember water. Feeling like I was drowning. These faces staring at me. And this woman's voice saying the same thing over and over--"

"Wicked is good," Elle guessed.

"Yes, exactly," Teresa said. She sat with her legs crossed on her cot, and her hands rested on the pillow on her lap. Her bright blue eyes studied Elle concisely, wondering what else the two girls had in common. "It's all so strange. It's as if all the same things happened to us but in different ways. Just the fact that you didn't enter the Maze by yourself is completely new, though. Unheard of."

"Really?" Elle asked rhetorically.

Teresa nodded. "I haven't been here all that long, but I've never heard of anyone who came up with someone else. Everyone I've met and all the stories I've heard said that people come up one at a time, and the last one arrives unconscious with the note. I wonder why you and your friend Thomas are so different."

"I wish I knew," Elle agreed with Teresa. The two girls had been chatting for the last two hours, and it brought Elle a lot of comfort and peace of mind. Even though their experiences weren't identical, they had so much in common that it was impossible not to get along. "How was it all for you?" she asked. "Being the only girl was fairly easy for me, but it lingered in the back of my mind in every interaction. I felt like I was constantly reminding myself that I was different and created a division between myself and the other boys because of it. Did you ever feel like that?"

"It was kind of like that for me," Teresa recalled. They hadn't known each other long, but Elle liked her already. Teresa had a strong and intelligent energy that made Elle feel like she was speaking to someone who wouldn't lie to her. She had piercing features that gave her a striking appearance, and her bright blue eyes stood out even across the room. "I stuck to myself a lot because I didn't trust any of the boys. When I woke up I remembered a lot of the dreams I had while I was unconscious, and I was suspicious of everyone except Edward." When Elle raised an eyebrow, Teresa clarified, "I guess you could say he's my Thomas. He's the guy I remembered the most and felt really connected to."

"Oh!" Elle nodded. "Of course, that makes sense. How come you trusted him right away?"

"He was in my memories that I recovered while I was unconscious," Teresa confessed. "Before I fully passed out, I remembered his name clearly. Maybe even more clearly than I remembered my own name. Based on the memories and familiarity, I think we knew each other before we entered the Maze."