Shadow of the Maze | Maze Runner [1]

TWENTY-THREE

Electra groaned on impact, before looking up and seeing Newt standing just beyond the Griever, putting most of his weight on his good leg. She noticed one of the monster's limbs laying on its own just beside the monster before Newt took his spear and brought it down square in the middle of the monster's head.

She pulled herself up slowly, flinging some mucus off of her body before Newt limped up to her.

"You saved me?" Newt asked, and Electra could barely process the words he was saying. She looked in the distance and saw Thomas, Teresa, and Chuck standing at the edge of the Cliff. Teresa dipped just below the edge before Electra turned back towards Newt.

"You're welcome," Electra said breathlessly, her head whipping back and forth to try to take in everything that was happening around her. "Be careful. Maybe the Griever isn't dead yet."

Electra put her hands on her knees in an attempt to catch her breath. This was the second time she'd saved this boy's life. She remembered when she'd been controlled to save Newt. Would she have saved him without the control? She wasn't sure if she would have. So technically, Electra reckoned she'd only saved this boy's life once.

Still, why had she helped him? Why hadn't she jumped in to help any other boy? What about Minho?

Minho. Where was he? She wandered away from Newt and frantically looked around the battlefield. She saw mostly boys' bodies littered across the floor. Most of the Grievers still seemed to be fighting, although some of them were missing legs or suffered deep stab wounds.

Electra forced herself to look at the dead bodies on the floor, needing to see if Minho was one of them. Where was he? She spun around, blinking through the madness in an attempt to see better.

Then, a Griever slowly stalked up to her, pulling her away from her search for her best friend. Electra wiped her knife on her pant leg and bolted forward. The monster in front of her was already decorated with multiple stab wounds glittering on its face and chest but acted as if it was perfectly fine. Had this monster fought one of the boys who were dead on the ground?

The monster charged at her, swiping with its sword arm. Electra tried to evade it, but the Griever was able to swipe its weapon right across her right cheek. Electra collapsed to the floor, reaching a hand up to her cheek and feeling her hand becoming coated with blood. When the Griever loomed over her, Electra wiped her hand on her pants and fell onto her back.

The Griever roared in her face, and Electra screamed as she took her knife in both hands and stabbed upwards through the monster's mouth. The Griever instantly recoiled, but Electra's knife was stuck in the Griever's mouth. The monster lifted her off the floor, and Electra tried to wiggle her knife free.

Luckily, the Griever continued screaming and didn't chomp down on her when she was precariously close to its mouth. Electra brought her other hand up and pushed against the roof of the Griever's mouth. The knife loosened and she fell to the floor, landing awkwardly on her elbow.

She cursed under her breath before the Griever stabbed into the floor beside her. Electra kicked out with one of her legs, and the monster lost its footing, falling on top of her.

This time, the Griever viciously snapped at her, trying to physically eat her alive. Electra squirmed backwards, waving her knife back and forth wildly and without any strategy. She just needed to get out from under this monster.