From Neverland to the Glade

chapter ten

Alby and I set off to find Ben. He disappeared. We walked to the edge of the graveyard. I saw Ben standing there, he looked sickly. I frowned. Thomas stood before him. "Ben." Alby called to the sick boy. Thomas looked at us. "Ben." I repeated. Alby stepped forward raising the bow to stop me from heading to my old friend. He aimed the arrow at Ben. "Stop right now, or you ain't gonna see tomorrow." He threatened. Thomas looked back at Ben, he looked at me and Ably viciously. "If you kill me." Ben shrieked, spit flying from his lips. "You'll get the wrong guy." He snapped his gaze to Thomas. "He's the shank you wanna kill." His voice dripped with madness. This was not the boy I knew. "Don't be stupid, Ben." I said, voice soft. "Thomas just got here—ain't nothing to worry about. Your still buggin' from the changing. You should've never left your bed." Alby said. "He's not one of us!" Ben yelled. "I saw him—he's......he's bad. We have to kill him! Let me gut him!" I gasped and Thomas took a step backwards, towards us. "You leave me and the Keepers to figure out, shuck-face." Alby said, hands perfectly steady. "Right now, back your scrawny butt down and get to the Homestead." Ben looked at us. "He'll wanna take us home." The sick boy said. "He'll wanna get us out of the maze. Better we all jumped off the cliff! Better we tore each other's guts out!" Ben yelled. "What are you talking—" Thomas started. "Shut your face!" Ben screamed. "Shut you ugly, traitorous face!" I flinched. "Ben," Alby said calmly. "I'm gonna count to three." I looked between the two boys. I tried to reach Thomas without moving but I couldn't. "He's bad. He's bad, he's bad;" Ben was whispering now, almost chanting. He swayed back and forth, switching the knife from hand to hand, eyes glued in Thomas. "One." Alby started. "Bad, bad, bad,bad..." Ben smiled; his teeth seemed to glow, greenish, in the pale light. Thomas didn't move. "Tomcat." I whisper but he didn't look at me. "Two." Alby's voice was louder, filled with warning. "Ben." Thomas said. "I'm not....I don't even know what—" Ben screamed, a strangled gurgle of madness and leaped into the air, slashing out with his blade. "Three!" Alby shouted. There was a sound of snapping wire. The whoosh of an object slicing through the air. The sickening, wet thunk of it finding a home. Ben's head snapped violently to the left, twisting his body until he landed on his stomach, his feet pointed towards Thomas. He mad no sound.

Thomas jumped to his feet and stumbled forward. I screamed falling to my knees. "Ben!" I called. The long shaft of the arrow stuck from Ben's cheek, the blood surprisingly less then I excepted. Black in the darkness, like oil. The only movement was Ben's right pinky finger, twitching. I crawled to Ben, grabbing his shoulders. "Ben?" I whimpered. "Come on." Alby said. "Baggers'll take care of him tomorrow." Thomas looked at him. I cried, letting my tears fall to Ben's cheeks. "Shiloh come on." Alby said in the softest voice he ever used. He picked me up bridal style as I sobbed. I became best friends with all the Gladers so I didn't have to deal with fights with people.

I squeezed my eyes shut against the blinding sun light. Thomas was limping when I opened my eyes. What happened? Thomas fell to his knees by one of the scraggly trees on the outskirts of the forest and threw up.

It was getting dark when the runners came back, tears still fresh on my face. Gally kissed Aquata when she ran in. I ran to her, wrapping the older girl in a hug. She held me close to her. "What happened?" She asked in a soft, caring voice. "Ben's gone." I whispered. She runs her fingers through my hair to calm me down. Gally walked over standing by Aquata. "Is everything okay?" He asked. "She'll be okay." She said. Gally kissed Aquata's cheek and pats my head. "There there girly." He said. I swatted at his hand. "See ya youngsters later." He said. Aquata looked at him. "I'm a year and a half younger." She said. I looked up at the girl's face she was a bit taller then me. "Good to bed Shy. Sleeping might help." Aquata was like a older sister too. "B-but the nightmares.." I said. She looked at me. "Newt right by you. You'll be okay. Go to sleep I need to go to the map room." I nod and hugged her again. I walked over to my sleeping bag, laying down.