The Grey Walls (The Maze Runner/Newt)

Chapter 1

So here the story will officially start! I'll do my very best to keep James Dashner's original characters in character, but at first it might take some time to get used to their use of words (as I'm Dutch). Enjoy!

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Thomas knew he shouldn’t have closed his eyes in company of WICKEDs people. No, custody sounded better. He should have known better than to get his hopes up.

“Wake up, slinthead!” Minho.

Thomas awoke, blinked and rubbed his hands in his eyes. A bright yellow sun welcomed him this morning. It was morning right? A feeling of panic filled Thomas until he sat straight and the dark expression on Minho’s face told Thomas everything he needed to know: something was wrong, very wrong. Thomas raised himself from the ground and took in his surroundings. A lot of Gladers and girls from group B were surrounding him, almost all lying fast asleep on the ground. Thomas felt a rush of relief when he saw Newt walking among them, waking Frypan and others. He couldn´t be sure everyone that survived the Scorch was here, but they could easily be.

He slowly turned around in circles, taking in the strange place. They were on an abandoned crossroad, in the middle of what had to be some kind of ghost town. Many large, abandoned buildings towered high above him, the windows shattered or missing and the green nature forcing its way through cracks in the streets and walls. Except for the sounds of his slowly awakening friends there was a creepy silence at this place; no cars, no people, no birds or other animals. Mother Nature had taken over this ghost town, yet not a living thing was still around. A chill went down Thomas spine. Maybe he just hoped there wasn’t anyone; he wasn’t exactly looking forward to run into cranks or grievers or any other danger again.

“What happened?” Thomas asked Minho, yet his gaze couldn’t be taken off the new environment.

“We 'trusted' WICKED, that’s what happened, slinthead.”

“Where the bloody hell are we?” Newt came walking over, followed by a confused looking Frypan. “Where’s the bloody Berg?”

“This definitely doesn’t look like a Safe Haven to me,” Frypan mentioned.

Minho started cursing. “Shuck it.”

“Another part of their trials?” Thomas started to groan and took a deep breath. It had to be another phase of the Trials, what else could it be? There was no Berg to be seen, not one of WICKEDs people, no one. He wondered when they would get their instructions, like last time in the dormitory Rat-Man showed up after a few days being cooked up without food. But whatever WICKED was up to this time, Thomas had a plan. And his plan was to do whatever it took to find freedom, and it surprisingly gave a feeling of calmness through his body. He would change things, to end it all.

Frypan shrugged. “What else can it be?”

Two girls hurried over from the back of the group: Harriet and Sonya, the two leaders from group B.

“Anyone got a clue?” Harriet asked directly.

“Everyone was asleep when they… well, put us here. Feels like the bloody Box all over again.” Newt crossed his arms and his eyes wandered off to the environment. 

“Is your group complete?” Sonya asked. “We just did a head count; everyone made it from the Berg to here from our group.”

Minho rushed off to fulfill his duty as leader with a few loud curses. Thomas couldn’t blame him he hadn’t done it sooner; one of the most important things right now was to find safety. If it was indeed a new phase of WICKEDs trials, he hardly doubted they wouldn’t run into any danger. Thomas was only sure of one thing: they had to stick together.