Shadow of the Maze | Maze Runner [1]

TWO

After running, marking, and cutting into unnecessarily thick ivy walls for around an hour and a half, the two stopped to rest. Sitting on opposing walls just like they did the day before. They caught their breath before talking.

"Almost forgot to tell you since y'know you almost killed me and all," Minho said, feigning offence and waiting for her reaction to his comment before continuing. "Another person came up in the Box yesterday while we were out running. A girl."

Electra shook her head in disbelief. "A girl?"

Instinctually, she felt jealousy stab at her heart. For three years she'd been the only girl in the Maze, watching as boys got the special treatment of being brought up in the Box and being able to live safely in the Glade. She'd almost convinced herself that the reason she was banned from the Glade was because of her gender. But now a girl got the special treatment? What made the new girl so special and deserving of safety?

"Yeah, I know. It gets even more wild." Minho scratched his head. "She apparently looked dead when she came up. Everyone assumed she was until she suddenly woke up saying 'Everything is going to change' before passing out again. She also had this crumpled up note stating 'She's the last one. Ever.' Spooky, right?"

"Last one ever? Then it's obvious isn't it? The Creators ran out of kids to torture," Electra replied cynically, trying to hide the imminent worry that boiled underneath the surface.

Everything is going to change. The sentence chilled her to her core. The Grievers she'd seen last night drifted into her brain. They were different. Was it because of the new girl? Electra felt her face flush and her muscles tense at the thought of the girl causing what had happened last night. Some random new girl couldn't have been the true cause, the entire situation had to be much bigger than her. But Electra still couldn't shake off the feelings of frustration surrounding the girl.

Minho scoffed at her response, "The Box won't go back down anymore either. Those shuck-faced Creators watched us for three years and now they're gonna watch us starve to death. Nice guys, whoever they are, really."

That definitely wasn't good. No Box meant no new supplies. While they mostly supported themselves, the Gladers still relied on the Box's routined shipments for their survival. For a while they would probably be fine with the livestock, gardens, and supplies they had but it was impossible to tell how long it would last.

Minho got up from his sitting position against the wall and reached a hand down at her. She grabbed it and he pulled her up. They started running again and Electra's thoughts ran wild.

She worried for Minho above anything else. He had to deal with the anxiety from the Gladers, and they all looked at him to try to find a way out. While they both faced their own pressures, he was the Keeper of the Runners. The leader. They all counted on him to get them out safely. For a moment Electra was selfishly grateful the boys didn't know of her. She didn't want to handle the type of pressure that Minho faced every single day.

"By the way, a shank named Ben went through the Changing but he became a psycho and tried to kill the Greenie," Minho said while he ran. "Ben's getting Banished tonight so watch out for an unhinged wannabe murderer, okay?"

"Good that," Electra said. She'd never cared for the Banished boys, and mostly just tried to keep distance between her and them. It wasn't her job to try and interfere with the Gladers once they entered the Maze, especially those who were unwell enough to get themselves Banished.

Whenever someone got stung by the Grievers they needed to be rushed back to the Glade in order to get the Serum. The Serum had been around since the early days of the Glade, although thankfully they rarely had to use it. Whenever someone received the Serum after a Griever sting they went through a lengthy and painful process called the Changing. The Changing would usually be accompanied with some form of memory recollection. Those who could remember were never the same, and some never even fully recovered from their Griever stings. Ben, the boy who was going to be Banished, obviously never recovered.