Maze Runner: The Subject Experiment

11 ❀ The Great Escape

The girl waited patiently for the boys' snoring to begin. She tried her best to resist the urge to fall asleep too. She was so very, very tired...

She woke up with a start.

Shite.

She'd fallen asleep. However, with relief she realised it was still night as the others were still fast asleep. She still had a chance. 

As soon as she worked up the courage she sat up in her sleeping bag and glanced around at the sleeping Gladers. This was her opportunity, they were all fast asleep. She looked over to Newt, careful to make sure he wasn't waiting to catch her. She could only see a bundle in the dark. It wasn't moving. She was sure that was him. He was asleep too.

She slowly and warily got out of her sleeping bag and tiptoed towards the door of the Council Hall. Suddenly she heard someone stir. Her heart pounded in her chest.

She whipped round to see Mihno turning over in his sleep, subconsciously muttering to himself. Her breathing relaxed and she continued towards the door.

When she exited she hall she stood for a moment under the starry night sky. Panic flooded her senses.

The doors don't open until the morning. I'm here too early.

Her eyes searched the Glade for signs of anyone patrolling. She knew she had to look out for the baggers, Billy and Jackson. When her eyes found nothing she quickly planned a covered route to the doors. She would travel near the sides of the walls, going around the edge of the Glade, and slip through the door unseen. She considered going back into the hall until the sun began to rise but immediately rejected the thought, imagining the horror of waking the boys up and missing her chance to get out of here.

She so desperately wanted to leave. She wanted to escape, to prove to herself that she was right, that there was no maze, this was all not really happening. She hated everything about the Glade. She hated the early mornings, the work, the boys staring at her...most of all she hated having to be followed around by Newt and never having a peaceful moment alone.

She stood at the door, waiting for what seemed like an eternity. Finally the sky began to lighten, the black fading to a pale blue.

The time was now.

She checked again for baggers before slowly and cautiously edging her way towards the walls. She sneaked along until she was almost at the doors. She was so close. Finally she lost patience and cut straight across towards the doors. Almost ther-

"And where might you be going?"

Her heart fell to the ground. She knew that voice. Slowly, she turned around.

There Newt stood, arms folded in a confident stance. He was serious. His eyebrows were raised, expecting an answer and his eyes took on an accusatory curiosity.

"Newt I-" Luckily she was a good liar. "-I just was taking a walk."

"Really? In the middle of the night?"

His serious tone made her uneasy. She struggled to collect herself, to act unsuspicious and keep cool under the stress of more inquisition.

"Says you. I could ask you the same question. Why are you out at this time?" she deflected by questioning him back.

"That's not an answer, Greenie. I was on my way back to the Council Hall," said Newt sternly.

"Don't call me that. I'm not one of you," she spat coldly. "Where were you coming back from?"

"You are." Newt stepped forward. "Like it or not," he declared, refusing to answer her question.

The girl felt her temper getting hotter. "You know, it's funny how you all expect me to instantly trust you when you never tell me anything that's going on. You keep saying you want to be my friend, but you can't even tell me why you wonder off mysteriously by yourself. You say you want me to trust you but how am I supposed to do that if you don't even trust me enough to tell me everything you know about this place?" She stared at Newt, hoping she'd successfully shifted the topic.