The First, Last Trigger -The Maze Runner's Base-

Thomas

The first thing I feel is pain. A pulsating, pressure-filled pain radiating in my head. I feel weak, tired. Too many parts of my body hurt.

I slowly open my eyes and attempt to focus the blur. It takes me a while as it's a bit dark. As soon as I open my eyes fully, I turn my head slowly, trying to analyze my surroundings. I'm laying down.

Walls made of tree branches and dead palm tree leaves. I slowly start to recognize where I am. I'm at the Homestead.

Once I realize where I am, with relief, I take a deep breath I soon regret as it pinches my ribs and I let out the air with a cough.

"Theresa?" A voice frightens me and my body jumps, sending a sharp pain down my spine and to my head.
"Ahh!" I groan loud, now on the verge of crying.

"Theresa! Woah, it's Gally, be careful!" I see Gally moving toward me quickly and he puts his hands on my shoulders to push my back down gently.

"Gally?" I ask, finally making eye contact.

"Hey, I'm here." He pulls and chair and sits next to me. He grabs my hand between both of his and he looks down at me smiling. "Relax, you're okay now."

His smile brings warmth and relief to my chest. I feel safe with him.

"Gally... what happened?" I ask, flinching at the pain in my head.

"That's what I want to know. What were you doing out in the woods by yourself? Me and Minho heard a scream and ran out there to see what the hell that was. We found you laying there at the bottom of a hill, passed out."

I feel a quick beat jump in my chest when I hear Minho's name.
Everything he says sounds like gibberish to me. I can't remember a thing. All I know is I walked out to the woods and the rest is a blur.
"Oh." is all I manage to get out and he seems confused, but doesn't seem to push me further.

"You scared the shit out of me. I'm so glad to know you're okay." He smiles softly and brings my hand up to his cheek.

I give him a weak smile and close my eyes. I feel as though my head will burst.

"There's something else." I listen to his voice and don't bother to open my eyes.

"Mhm?"

"There's a new greenie."

"Oh really? Nice." I say, feeling my eyes getting heavier.

"Yeah, he's a funny looking shank. I really have a bad feeling about him too. I think he's hiding something we should know...."

"Yeah?" I say with no effort, slowly drifting off to sleep.

"His name's Thomas...."

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It's morning, the next day. I slowly wake and I'm not in the Homestead anymore, I'm in my hammock. I wonder who brought me here I think.

I feel better, the only mild pain coming from my forehead and down my back. I'm covered by a warm blanket, which I wrap around myself as I come to my feet. I look around and I don't see anyone sleeping. It must be later in the day.

I get up and start to walk out to see where everyone is. While I limp more than I walk, I notice my left thigh is wrapped in bandages and I can feel a stinging from what's probably a big cut.

I try to ignore it while I walk, it's not like I can remember how it happened anyway.

The further I walk, in the distance, I can see a group by the entrance of the Walls. What's going on over there?

I start to worry someone's hurt or something bad happened so I limp faster.

Why are they so close to the Walls? Is a runner hurt? I curse my negative thoughts.

As I'm getting closer to the group, Jeff looks back and notices me, then quickly jogging in my direction.

"Theresa what the hell are you doing up? You need to be resting!" He pulls my arm from under the blanket I carried around me and wraps it over his neck to help me stand.

A few more of the boys look back at us and get closer. They of course start worrying about me and telling me I need to go rest, but I ignore them, focusing on figuring out why everyone is here. I cant see anything, too many boys are in the way.

"....and if that leg gets worse, I'm not fitting you for a wooden one...." Jeff keeps going on trying to scare me back to bed and I interrupt him, "what's happening, why is everyone here?"

"Theresa...."

"Jeff, stop! Can you just-" I'm interrupted by a boy screaming in the distance.

"Let me go! Stop! Let go!" I hear someone scream and at the walls' entrance, I see Minho and Ben pushing someone back into the maze by force.

The boys peel their attention away from me and head toward the group, only Jeff staying with me.

"Jeff who is that?" I ask him and he shakes his head.

"The greenie. Crazy shank ran out the Glade first chance he got. He's gonna get himself killed at this pace." He tells me and I'm more confused and worried as ever.

I see the boy start walking back into the Glade. From a distance, he looks angry, confused.

He is walking closer, away from the walls. He passes the group, not taking a second look at them. He starts to walk past me and Jeff.

My first instinct is to help him. He is obviously scared, confused. As I was when I first came, and as every new boy was. Maybe he'll talk to me.

"Hey!" I yell out at him and Jeff quietly scolds me.

The boy stops in his path and his head quickly turns in my direction. His expression is angry, but as soon as he looks at me, his face seems to drop.

I'm not sure what's happening, but I hope he comes over so I can calm him. I just want to help.

At this point, he's been standing there for a minute, staring directly at me. It seems as though he's confused.

"Umm..." I don't know what to do next and look around at the boys, who are staring at us.

The boy then starts to walk closer to me and Jeff, slowly. He approaches us but is still at least 10 feet away.

"I know you're scared," I say loudly, "we all were. Please talk to us. We just want to help." I tell him and his eyes widen. I worry that I've said something wrong.

"Oh my god." I hear him say under his breath and me and Jeff glance at each other confused.

"Theresa?" the boy asks.
I freeze.
The sound of the group of gladers talking goes silent. I can feel everyone staring at me.
How the hell does he know my name?