The Maze Girl

"Home" Again

We took off running into the cool stone maze. A slight breeze blew across my skin giving me an eerie shiver. I followed close behind Newt as we ran through the maze. We ran for what felt like hours slowing only when we were completely exhausted. We didn't talk while we ran, I assumed he wanted to conserve our energy but then again, he probably did not have much to say to me. I was just some burden girl who ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. He may not see me as this now but once the truth is revealed my true nature will be revealed.

The sun was high in the sky implying it was almost noon. We'd travelled far from the others but I knew exactly where we were. I was sure Newt knew as well.

"We can stop and eat now if you'd like?" He said panting. We were both exhausted and sweating.

"Sure," I said as I tried slowing my breathing.

We sat on the cold stone eating the food that had been put in our supply packs. Time passed and the silence became unbearable instead of comforting. I usually enjoyed being alone, my memories may be slow returning but I knew I was not a social butterfly. Yet sitting here with him all I wanted to do was talk with him and learn about him. I wanted desperately to tell him what I knew and make him remember the past we shared, but that would be foolish. I feared he'd changed from the guy I knew before the maze.

"Do you know this spot?" Newt said casually looking around the walled space.

His tone confused me, for he knew I could read the maze like a map in my brain. It was true I knew this spot, beyond it were a couple other turns and dead ends. Although the farther I tried to reveal and see the map from the doors, the more unclear and vague it became

"Well yes, I know where we are." I said plainly, "We take a left there and then a right down further to get back on the path towards the doors."

"No, that's not what I meant. Do you know that this is the spot that I frequent the most in the maze?" He said smiling and looked over at me.

"I can't imagine why, it looks just like any other dark, depressing corner of the maze to me," I said laughing lightly.

"Ok true but there's something special about this place.. Care to see?" He said shooting me a devilish grin. His eyes were lit with a playfulness and hope I had not seen in anyone's the entirety of my time here.

"Well now I'm intrigued!" I said standing up and brushing off my legs, "What is it?"

Newt walked over to the back wall of the dead end. He pulled back the thick vines to reveal the word WICKED written on the wall next to what looks like the rungs of a ladder melted into the wall. The ladder only ran about halfway up the wall not even close to reaching the top.

"Wow." I said gasping. I walked over and ran my hand along the words. "Any clue to what that means?"

"No idea," he said with a sigh, "but I do know it's a start. It's something to hope for; it's a clue to all this misery and despair. It's kind of like... you." He looked up at me with a grim smile.

I was mistaken about the look in his eyes. The emotions ran much deeper, underneath it all there was just sadness. All the other emotions seemed a temporary mask to hide the truth.

Newt spoke again, "When I asked you if you knew this place I wasn't referring to it's position in the maze. I wanted to see if you remembered. This is the place where I first found you laying on the ground passed out."

My eyes widened. I suddenly saw this place in a new light. I looked around taking in the new cruel scene. There was a flood of indescribable emotions that washed over me. I felt my eyes watering a bit betraying my mind as I begged myself not to cry. I had no idea why I felt this way. I couldn't bring myself to look at Newt.

I felt him staring at me registering my emotions as I tried to hide my face.

"I'm sorry Marie, I uh didn't mean to upset you. The only reason I brought it up was that I always stopped here when I made my rounds about the maze. I thought it was a bloody coincidence when I stopped the last time and found you here. I thought maybe you'd remember something."

He walked toward me his hands shaky from nervousness. He looked very concerned and worried as he racked his brain for more to say; instead, he put his hand under my chin and brought my watery eyes to meet his deep ones.

"It's nothing, sorry, I don't know why I'm acting this way," I said in a heartbreakingly weak laugh. His eyes were understanding as he pulled me into a warm embrace.

I was unsure how to react to this gesture. It felt strange to have someone care for me in this place. I had felt hopeless and confused but in this moment I felt relief.