Losing Game - Newt [The Maze Runner]

01:05 - THE FIASCO BEGINS

"Well, they've still got another two to get back, and Alby hasn't been out in ages he might be slow." Alice rationalised, relieved when Newt subtly slipped her hand into his before he gave it a reassuring squeeze.

It was then that Thomas, who was leaning against one of the poles which faced the Maze, spoke up while he was listening to their whispers, "what if they don't make it back?"

"They will." Alice spoke, her voice steely, "they always do."

The two hours that Minho and Alby had left to get back seemed to pass at both a lightning speed and at the speed of a snail, the boys kept asking Newt and Alice if they would make it back and they tried to reassure them in both their words alongside their tone of belief.

But when the rain stopped, there were only five minutes until the Maze doors closed, the group was all crowded in front of the doors with pits of dread inside of their stomach. Alice was pulling at the sleeves of her shirt and she couldn't stop herself, two of her brothers, in every way apart from blood, were still out there and she could lose them just after they lost Ben. It had been a long time since they lost this many boys in such a short time and she didn't want to lose any more of her dearest friends.

Gally, a few people down from her, was not helping the situation, "they either make it back or they don't."

A few moments after he said that the wind picked up in the Maze and the doors began to close, there were several murmurs of "no.". Then were was a shadow of movement coming around the last corner, it was Minho dragging an unconscious Alby.

Before Alice could even blink, Thomas was pushing himself through the closing doors of the Maze, Alice tried to pull him back, but he slipped out of her grip, "you asshole, Thomas!" She may have just lost her biological brother too. Nobody knew what to do after that, Alice was like a robot just moving around the Glade before she decided just to sit with her back to the door for the night – she couldn't sleep and had barely any appetite at dinner that night.

While she was sat, staring idly into the distance, with her back to the door, the last person she expected came over to keep her company.

"You going to stay here all night?" Gally asked while he sunk to the ground next to her, keeping his eyes straight ahead. The torch that he had carried over laid next to him in the sand, the flame slowly dying.

Alice didn't feel like fighting and didn't give any of her usual biting talk whenever she spoke to Gally, as he hadn't given her any of his either, "I guess, I know they're probably dead already but doesn't make sleep come any easier."

"I know Minho is like your brother," Gally sympathised, "that can't be easy, especially after just losing Ben."

Alice laughed humourlessly, "I'm the last runner left now that Minho is..." She had to cut herself off as she couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence, saying out loud that Minho himself was dead was a lot harder and it made her heart hurt. "Everyone else quit."

"You should go to bed, try and get some sleep – you can always go out and look for them in the morning." Gally said as he stood up and brushed himself off, he extended his hand down to Alice and she saw it for what it was – a peace offering.

- - - - - - -

Morning dawned over the Maze and Alice was stood at the doors with Chuck, she had volunteered to go with him at first light as he was so sure that they would make it back but everyone else was unsure which included Alice. The doors creaked open and revealed the empty corridor and despite the fact that she knew the most likely outcome, her heart still broke.

Everyone who had walked over to see if they had made it also turned away to walk, Alice patted Chuck on the shoulder before she turned away herself.