𝐃𝐈𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓-𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙨

IX-A SAFE PLACE

After the showers, we were taken to a med room. It was bigger than the Med-hut back at the Glade and had more equipment than I have ever seen. Some were put to physical tests while others got their blood drawn. I was one of the latter's.

The needle pinched as it went in, and I can feel the blood being drawn. I looked away from the needle as it did its work, surveying the room. Thomas was also getting his blood drawn and sat in the station next to mine. Newt was getting a shot from a cylinder syringe thing, Minho was running on a treadmill, Teresa was getting led to a separate section that had curtains all around the area. I could only give her a smile until the rings of metal echoed through the room as the doctor drew the curtains around them.

I felt the needle pull my skin as it was pulled out. I looked back at the table beside me and saw eight tubes full of my blood. "Are you guys feeding a coven of vampires?" The doctor seeing me didn't find my joke funny. But it was ok, because I heard Thomas snort.

When we were done getting our tests done, I had to run a treadmill too - something my body wasn't really ready for after running in the Maze to get to the exit, we were led out of the room. Minho laughed at me, mocking my un-uniformed running. I was too out of breath to retort.

It was cruel to make us shower and then do this after. Seems kind of counterproductive.

A guard led us this time, Jansen talking to Thomas, if what I heard was correct. We no longer walked down the bright hallways and were taken down a ramp that stopped at an open door.

It was loud and a bit brighter in there, a bunch of voices lapping over each other. I frowned and looked at Newt who gave me the same look. Then we both shrugged and followed the guard into the room, where he showed us where to get the food and told us to sit anywhere we liked.

Looking around there wasn't much place to sit, considering it was full of teens our age.

There were rows of lunch tables in the room, most of them holding kids in separate groups or a huge big one. After looking for a couple minutes, we finally found one that had a group of kids at both ends, but an open space in the middle with two boys sitting on one side.

"What's going on here?" I asked as soon as I sat down in front of them. The rest of my group sat with me.

"Wow, no introductions?" One said. He was taller of the two and had lighter skin.

I blushed and pulled my hands back, laying them in my lap. "I'm sorry. The name's Aesara." I looked to Minho who sat on my left and instantly got hit with a wave of deja vu. He can barely tell you guys apart, what makes you think that he's gonna be able to tell his feelings apart? My head swam and by the time I came back to, the other boys were talking about how they came from a Maze filled with creatures.

Just like ours.

Apparently everyone here was from a Maze. We weren't the only ones. Of course we weren't.

We continued to speak with the boys, talking about our Maze experiences. I had drifted off when they started talking about me and Teresa, about how we were the only girls and the boys were lucky. They said something about someone else, but I missed it when I started thinking about Teresa.

I didn't see her after the Med room. After the doctor closed the curtains. I hope she was okay. Maybe there were extra tests that needed to be run? I turned my head and caught sight of a tall boy with dark brown hair. "Thomas."

Minho had gotten up to greet him and bring him to our table. Bringing him up to date about the other Mazes and what the new boys told them.

"Good evening gentlemen. Ladies." Janson's voice quieted the room, bringing everyone's attention to the front of the room. He held a clipboard in his hand and had guards behind him. "You all know how this works. If you hear your name called, please rise in an orderly fashion, join my colleagues behind me, where they will escort you to the eastern wing. Your new lives are about to begin." He raised his clipboard and listed off names. Five girls and five boys. There were claps for the ones who were called and groaning when he finished. "Now, now, don't get discouraged. If I could take more, I would. There's always tomorrow." He paused. "Your time will come. Go on, eat up." Him, the kids, and the guards left the room.

"Where are they going?" Minho asked the boys.

"Far from here. Lucky bastards." This one was shorter and darker skin.

The other one added on. "Some kind of farm. A safe place. They can only take in a couple people at a time."

I frowned. Wouldn't it be easier if they took everyone? Get everyone safer faster? I sighed and looked to the side. Catching sight of two females walking past the window. One of them being Teresa, the other being the doctor that was seeing her.

"Teresa?" Thomas stood up, going to the window.

"Hey, Thomas, wait." I went to grab his hand, but my fingers barely grazed his skin. I felt a sharp feeling jolt down my arm and pulled it back. He called to Teresa, but was stopped by a guard. They talked for a couple seconds and then Thomas was led back, the guard saying it was time to go to our rooms.

He took us out of the room through the door that we came in through. But we didn't go back up the ramp. Instead we continued forward, down multiple halls and finally stopping at one that doors on both sides going down to the end of it. The guard opened the door and we started filing through, only I was stopped before I could enter.

"I'm sorry, females sleep in different quarters."

"What?" I looked to the boys who noticed I had been stopped.

"What's the problem?" Newt stepped forward, Thomas and the boys behind him.

"She cannot sleep in here with you boys."

"I literally lived with them in the Glade." I stared hard at the guard but he didn't spare me a glance.

"Director's orders."

"But-" Thomas walked forward, moving the guard's arm out of the way and holding onto my shoulders. "Hey, you'll be ok. It's just for the night. We'll see each other again tomorrow. I pro-" His eyes darkened, a look of sadness and guilt crossed over them. He shook his head and smiled. "I swear."

I stared at him a bit longer. Was he thinking about Chuck? He promised him he'd get the kid out didn't he? That's why he didn't say it. I pushed the tears away. For now. "Ok." I allowed the guard to take me to the room next to the boys, which wasn't that bad, but I was by myself. Which reminded me. "What about the other girl that was with us? Teresa?"

"She has more tests to do. She'll be back before you know it." He tried a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Good night." With that he left and closed the door.

I walked to the closest bed, taking off my shoes and laying down. I didn't realize how tired I was until my head hit the pillow. A few tears slipped out, but I didn't allow them to take over me. Instead, I welcomed sleep.