control ⇢ the maze runner / thomas [1] ✓

Chapter Six

"Yes, I may meet a million pretty girls
that know my name, but don't you
worry cause you have my heart."
—Big Time Rush; Wolrdwide

CONTROL,
CHAPTER SIX

AFTER ABOUT TWO minutes, the siren came to an abrupt stop mid-whine. A crowd had gathered in the middle of the courtyard around the steel doors.

"Hey, Greenbean", Chuck greeted playfully. Childishly, Ruby stuck her tongue out at him.

"What's the big deal about the Box coming up again?", Ruby asked in confusion. "Isn't that how we all got here?"

Chuck shrugged. For a moment, he surveyed the crowd. "It's always been real regular-like. Once a month, every month, same day. Maybe whoever's in charge realized that Ruby is in the wrong place and sent someone to replace her — back in the Box you go."

Ruby knew he was only joking, but that thought made bile rise in her throat. She didn't know where she came from, but she had the sinking feeling that she didn't wanna go back.

Alby and Newt headed over from the Homestead, which apparently sparked a question in Thomas's mind. "Chuck, man, you gotta tell us what this whole Changing business is. What have they been doing in there with that poor Ben kid?"

Chuck shrugged once again. "Don't know the details. The Grievers do bad things to you, make your whole body go through something awful. When it's over, you're... different."

"Different?", Thomas asked, "What do you mean? And what does it have to do with the Grievers? Is that what Gally meant by 'being stung'?"

"You ask too many questions", Ruby mumbled.

The elevator arrived with a boom. Alby and Newt positioned themselves on both sides of the metal doors, grabbing the hook-handles and yanked them apart. The doors opened with a metallic scrape that hurt Ruby's ears. A puff of dust floated up into the air, and then there was silence.

Newt leaned into the box to get a look and then certainly jerked back, rigid. He looked back at Ruby and then to the Box again. Then back at Ruby. Then back at the Box. "Holy...", he whispered.

Alby had finally looked in as well, and did exactly what Newt had done. "No way", he murmured, dazed. Ruby's stomach twisted. Was she in trouble?The Gladers began murmuring. "Hold on!", Alby shouted, effectively silencing everyone. "Just hold on!"

"Well, what's wrong?", one boy shouted back.

Alby stood up, voice barely above a whisper. "Two Newbies in less than a week. Now this. Two years, nothin different, now this." He looked directly at Thomas and Ruby. "What's goin on here, Greenies?"

Thomas blinked, confused, before his face turned bright red. "How are we supposed to know?"

"Why don't you just tell us what the shuck is down there, Alby?", Gally called out. The other boys began mumbling in agreement, shoving forward.