Into the Maze

Chapter 13

(This chapter is going to be kind of confusing. I'm going to be switching points of view a lot, but it's essential to the story, so pay attention to the different switches. Thanks! Enjoy!)
3rd Person POV
As soon as James had given them the news about Gally, Minho and Jackie had hurried to find Alby, who had been supervising Clint and Jeff as they dosed the serum into Gally.
Alby told them that Gally had taken a break from his work and wandered too close to the maze. "It was brief. The Griever came out of the maze and stung him, then went right back into the maze again. Nobody saw it except Zart."
Jackie and Minho walked silently to the kitchens to receive the food that Frypan had left out for them. Jackie was tense because she knew that it was only a matter of time before the screams began. She ate hastily, but once she was finished, she just sat and stared into the fire, waiting.
When it came, she nearly jumped out of her skin and Minho, who had been sitting next to her in identical  silence, tensed and grabbed her wrist protectively, as if making sure she was still there and not the one screaming.
They sat, tense and still, listening to the constant stream of tortured shrieks, for a few minutes, then Minho gave her a sidelong glance and asked, "you okay?"
"Yeah," she sighed, trying to block out the sound. "I'm fine."
He shifted his position, and she sucked in her breath. There was almost a laugh in his voice when he said, "don't worry, shank, I'm not going anywhere."
She slumped down, dreading that night of screaming and nightmares. But Minho kept his promise and he didn't leave through that long night, and so, eventually, she slept.
James's POV
The Glade is on fire. The bright red sparks play against the walls of the maze and the flames leap almost to the sky. Our wooden shacks are crumbling, falling, crushing those trapped inside. The fire creeps along the ground, licking the grass to charcoal, threatening to overtake me as I stumble away, coughing in the smoke. Jackie collides with me, stumbling out of the shack on my left which is seconds away from collapsing. Her breathing is labored, and I can feel the energy leaving her body as I support her with my arm.
I look over my shoulder and see the flames licking at our heels, driving us away from the Glade and into the maze. I barely have time to look straight ahead again before a piercing scream behind me makes me spin again to see.
Newt is crawling away from the flames, charcoal in his hair and burns covering his face and hands, shrieking in pain. He's on fire. The flames are creeping up his legs and licking at his arms.
Suddenly, Alby is by me, pushing us along. "Give it up, we're too late."
I don't question my leader. Still supporting Jackie, I haul her through the gap in the walls to what we can only hope is safety. Then we hear the doors closing.
The Gladers around us are pushing, shoving, trying to get through, desperately scrambling away from the burning Glade.
Right before the doors seal, I glance back for one last look at the Glade, and what I see makes my heart stop completely. Ben is standing, helpless, on the other side of the doors, the flames creeping up behind him. Then the doors close.
I bolt upright, eyes staring into the darkness, hand thrown across the chest of Ben, who is asleep beside me. My chest is heaving and it takes me several seconds to realize it was just a dream. I lay back down, rubbing my hands over my eyes, wishing the dreams away. And I once again think what I find myself constantly thinking: I'm not Superman. I'm a Slopper and I can't save everyone.
Minho's POV
I jog out of the maze easily, wiping my forehead of its sweat and sighing with relief. I don't have to go back into the maze until tomorrow. I stop and bend over to put my hands on my knees, breathing heavily. I'm happy, but something's missing. I feel like I've forgotten something.
"Nice run, man," says Alec running out of the maze past me.
"You too."
"Doors are closing soon."
"Yep."
I straighten up, trying to think of what I forgot. The wind rushes through the maze and ruffles my hair, and the stone-on-stone grinding noise begins as the doors begin to slide closed. Then I hear a scream, and I remember what I forgot.
Jackie is limping down the corridor to the doors, which are closing fast. In her leg is a wound which is bleeding freely. She limps as quickly towards the opening as she can, but we both know it's not fast enough. She screams again, and the doors slide closed.
My eyes snap open and my hand instinctively reaches out and seizes Jackie's arm, before I realize what I'm doing and jerk back, afraid I've woken her up.
She just shifts away and continues to sleep, and my breathing calms slightly as I clasp my hands under my head and try to go back to sleep. I think about the Grievers, and the maze, and then I know: I, Minho, the keeper of the Runners, has a weakness.
And then I swear: I will never, never leave anyone to die in the maze alone.
Alby's POV
When I wake up, the birds are chirping and the sky is blue, but there is an eerie silence around the Glade. When I sit up, Newt isn't laying next to me like usual, and his mat is gone.
In fact, there isn't any proof that anybody was ever in the Glade except for me. The shacks are empty, and even the animal pens are completely bare.
The silence is driving me crazy, and I hurry over to the kitchen, hoping to find Frypan. But I don't, I only find a scrap of paper nailed to the door. It reads,
We're sorry, Alby, but we couldn't take it anymore -Newt
I drop the note, it crumples and falls to the ground. I am truly alone.
And when I wake up, there is little consolation in the fact that Newt is still next to me, and all the other boys are asleep as well, because the dreams remain and will continue to pursue me.
Jackie's POV
I'm running behind Minho, and we're running from something. Our footsteps echo off the stone walls, and the sound of a Grievers claws are right behind us. I don't dare look back and Minho keeps shouting, "Keep Running! Don't stop!" But I can feel the energy wearing down, I can feel my body shutting down. I trip on a loose stone and go flying. When I hit the floor of the maze, I feel the skin being stripped off of my legs and arms. The Griever is almost on top of me, I can hear it's screams of triumph. Minho shouts something, and I close my eyes, waiting for death to come-
Hello, Jackie, I'm Ava Paige. Please remain calm.
Wait, what?
You are the first test subject. The next test will be arriving soon. Thank you for your time. I hope we can meet in person soon.
I sit straight up, wide awake. "Minho!"