Maze Runner: The Subject Experiment

17 ❀ A Name

A month passed in the Glade. Every day the girl woke up racking her brain for a memory, for anything. She sat with her eyes closed, still hopeful that her name would surface from the depths of her forgotten past life. Yet everyday she was disappointed. Everyday her heart sank deeper and deeper and the emptiness she felt grew until she was bottling up tears.

Finally, one morning, she decided she couldn't take it any longer.

****

Newt opened his eyes, discovering with horror that he was back in the maze. He could hear the whirring screeches of the grievers. He began to run. He ran and ran, fear taking over every instinct in his body. He reached a dead end, the griever close behind. He couldn't see it, but he could sense it, hear it. He climbed the ivy walls until he reached the top and...he was back there, standing at the top, looking down. He wanted to move, to jump, but he was frozen, paralysed. Then he could hear the griever climbing the walls, getting closer and closer. He heard a voice, a girl's voice. It was only a whisper. 

"Newt, please, don't do it, please." 

Then she was there, the girl, standing beside him. The griever - exactly how he imagined them to look - made its way towards her instead.  Newt could do nothing but stand and watch in horror. The griever reached the top and grabbed her, dragging her down to the ground.

Newt closed his eyes, and jumped.

Newt woke from his dream with a start. The first thing that crossed his mind was to look to where the girl was sleeping. Usually, if he was having a nightmare she would wake him up and they would go for a walk. Today was different. Why?

When he looked towards the girl he realised...she wasn't there.

He wondered if maybe she had just gone for a walk outside. Newt walked out of the hall into the early morning light and checked their usual spots. She wasn't there either. Anxiety crept up his spine. Where was she? He scanned the Glade with his eyes. Nothing.

Suddenly, dread filled his body. The doors were open. No, she couldn't have...

Newt rushed back into the council hall to Alby, waking him up.

"What is it Newt?" Alby sat up in alarm.

"It's the girl-" Newt's voice trembled. "Sh...she's-"

Alby looked at the empty sleeping bag. "Gone."

In minutes the Glade was in panic. Everyone was woken up and assembled at the campfire as the morning light was creeping across the field.

Alby wasted no time before hurriedly addressing the crowd, organising a search for the missing girl. It was still dark enough for each Glader to be given a torch and each one, apart from the keepers, were sent off in pairs to search the Glade. When Alby had gathered the keepers together, Minho approached him.

"Hank and I are going into the maze."

Alby glared at him, arms folded. "Not until we find the girl."

Minho glanced at Newt. "That's what we're planning to do."

Alby's eyes grew cold. "She's not out there."

"How do you know?"

Newt held his hand up to his chin. "She wouldn't leave Minho," he said quietly.

Minho's eyes flickered to Newt. He said it carefully this time. "How do you know?"

Newt's eyes dropped to the ground and he shook his head. "She wouldn't do that. She said she trusted me." Newt tried to sound confident and certain, but it was almost like he was trying to convince himself.