LIMERENCE ﹐ the maze runner.

29

After finding absolutely nothing but stone walls and ivy, the trio decided to make their way back to the Glade.

"Map Room first,"Minho panted, and pointed in the direction of the Map room as they came through the West Door, almost as if he knew Clara's initial thought of telling Newt and Alby about the Griever Hole straightaway. "We're still Runners, and we still have a job to do. We'll just draw the Maps quick so we can talk to Newt and Alby."

There were already other Runners milling about the room, drawing up their Maps, when they entered. No one said a word, as if all speculation on the new sky had been exhausted.

Clara and Thomas sat at the table. Thomas seemed to draw the day's Map based on his memory and notes, but Clara hadn't payed much attention to the Maze while running, and ended up copying Thomas's, while trying to take Minho's pointers into account. "I think that wall was actually cut off here, not there" and "Watch your proportions" and "Draw straighter, you shanks".

"Not bad, Thomas,"Minho said. He then looked at Clara's map, and said,"Not as bad as I was expecting, redhead."

"I'll take that as a compliment,"Clara muttered.

Minho got up and walked over to the Section One trunk and opened it. Thomas knelt down in front of it, took out the Map from the day before, and held it up side by side with the one he'd just drawn. "What am I looking for?"

"Patterns,"Minho answered. "But looking at two day's worth isn't gonna tell you jack. You really need to study several weeks, look for patterns, anything. I know there's something there something that'll help us. Just can't find it yet. Like I said, it sucks." Minho tapped him on the shoulder. "You can always come back and study your butt off after dinner, after we talk to Newt and Alby. Come on."

Thomas put the papers in the trunk and closed it. "Okay, let's go."

The trio had just stepped outside the Map Room, the heavy door clanging shut behind them, when Newt and Alby walked up to them, neither of them looking very happy. Clara had first thought about asking why they looked so sour, but realized they had reason to be stressed.

The Glade was changing.

"Hey,"Minho said. "We were just-"

"Get on with it,"Alby interrupted with a snap. "Ain't got time to waste. Find anything? Anything?"

"Nice to see you too,"Minho snapped back, but Clara had noticed him recoil at the harsh rebuke. "Yeah, we did find something, actually."

Oddly, Alby looked disappointed, actually. "Cuz thus whole shuck place is fallin' to pieces." He shot Thomas a nasty glare, as if it was his fault.

Clara brushed her fingers against Thomas's arm. Almost as a way to comfort him. It was her way of saying, Don't listen to him. I'm here for you.

"What do you mean?"Minho asked worriedly. "What else happened?"

Nodding towards the Box, Newt replied,"Bloody supplies didn't come today. Come every week for two years, same time, same day. But not today."

"Oh my God,"Clara whispered, and looked over at the steel doors attached to the ground. "What are we gonna do? No sun for the plants, no supplies from the Box..."

"Oh, we're shocked for good now,"Minho whispered.

Silence hung over them for a while, until Minho continued,"Yeah, anyway. We found something weird."

"What?"Newt questioned, raising his eyebrows.

Minho took a full three minutes to explain, starting with the Griever they followed and ending with the results of their rock-throwing experiment. "Must lead to where the... ya know... Grievers live."