Trials Together (Book One): The Maze Runner

Chapter 6

They stood by the Box for a few minutes, it was hard to comprehend, what was going to change? Was it their fault, why had the creators sent up two comatose kids? Why did they know them? And why were they the last ones ever? Had they run out of kids to throw into this place? That brought the question of why they were here in the first place, something no one knew the answer to. They were yet to start their trials with the different keepers so they wandered around the Glade, everyone was looking at them strangely, some with accusatory glances. Like they thought the whole thing was their fault.

"Isn't that one of those beetle blade things?" Rachel asked, pointing at a robotic, lizard type creature, a gleam of red light came from it and Thomas noticed the word WICKED was scrawled across its back. Without thinking Thomas ran after it and could hear Rachel following as he disappeared into a copse of trees whose branches blocked out most of the light.

When Thomas's eyes adjusted he realised there were graves in the trees, marked with crosses carved with names. One was in front of a window and when he looked into it he saw the top half of a boy's rotting body and felt sick.

"Looks like this is the Deadheads." Rachel said behind him, looking around, there were about two dozen of the graves. A lot seemed to have died. Abruptly there was a noise behind them, turning around Thomas saw two figures coming towards them in the darkness, limping strangely, a boy and a girl it seemed but he couldn't be sure.

"Er..hello." Rachel said hesitantly, "we were just following one of those beetle blade things." The figures began to run towards them, Thomas couldn't understand this, what were they supposed to do? Was this normal here?

The figures entered the clearing and before Thomas could say anything one of them jumped him. Trying to bite him and clawing at his skin, he heard a cry of alarm from Rachel and realised something similar must be happening to her. He couldn't exactly consider helping her right now, he needed to get this crazed boy off of him. Thomas summoned all of his strength and pushed at the boy on top of him, pushing him into a sliver of light, in that second he saw it was Ben. One of the kids who had been going through the changing yesterday. He looked completely unhinged, ready to leap at Thomas again. At that moment there was a yell from nearby, Thomas recognised the voice as Alby's. So apparently this wasn't normal and someone had come to do something about it.

"Ben, Rosa, stop this now and go back to the Homestead or I will personally throw your butts into the maze tonight and let the grievers have you!" He shouted at them, Alby was holding a bow and arrow pointed straight at Ben. Thomas noticed Rosa had gotten off Rachel and helped her up. She didn't seem any worse off than he was. A few cuts and bruises, a bit shaken. They'd probably be okay in an hour.

"They're bad." Rosa said vaguely, "them and the two who came up today, they sent us here. They're going to try get us out but everyone'll die. They're bad, they're bad, bad, bad, bad." She kept chanting in a very unsettling way, Ben joining in. The two of them repeating the same word incessantly ignoring Alby's threats.

"One." Alby said, "the two of you shut up and go back to bed and we'll all pretend this never happened, you have until I get to three." He shot Thomas and Rachel a look to shut-up-now-or-I-will-get-you-later. There was no response.

"Two, if you don't stop I'll shoot you both in the head and leave you here to rot." Still no response, the unnerving chant continued.

"Three, last chance." Still no response, an arrow flew from the bow and buried itself in Ben's cheek, the boy fell to the ground unmoving. Rosa started to scream but had barely opened her mouth before a second arrow hit her in the chest. Alby stared at them both, Thomas couldn't tell whether the look was malevolent of not. He did not look happy.

"I'm keeping an eye on you greenies, and I'll make sure all the other keepers do too." He said harshly before walking off into the Glade, leaving them both stood there in shock.