Into the Fire(Maze Runner)- Newt//Gally

17. Thomas, You Slinthead!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Maze Runner Series, any characters(besides my own), or any of the ideas. All rights belong to James Dashner.

Fair warning: This chapter will have a few quotes from the book. I'm sorry, please don't sue me!

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After we copied the maps and studied them, we found the code. To be honest, it didn't make any sense to me. It was just random words with no real meaning. I mean, did they draw words out of a hat to see what the code would be? While Teresa, Newt, myself, Leo, and a few other Gladers worked on solving the maze, Minho, Thomas, and the rest of the runners had stayed in the maze overnight to see if anything had changed. I cringed as I thought back to last night's events.

*Flashback*

Leo and I were sitting together, comparing our sheets of paper when a loud boom echoed in the Homestead. We shot to our feet and ran to see what was going on, grabbing flashlights on the way out. We hurried up the stairs, taking two at a time, before slinging open a door and rushing into the room. We quickly looked toward the source of the sound, horror filling our chests as we saw a Griever trying to push it's way in through the now broken window. It's metal claw shot out, grabbing a boy. Leo rushed forward, shouting the boy's name as he tried to yank him back from the Griever's grasp.

"Adam!"

I watched in terror as another appendage revealed itself, a needle glinting as I shined my flashlight in that direction. My heart stopped and an irrational panic swelled in my chest, suffocating me. I rushed forward, grabbing Leo by the shirt and slinging him behind me before jumping back myself. I watched as the Griever retracted it's metal appendage from the place Leo had previously been standing. A second later, and Leo would've been stung or killed. My heart was pounding wildly in my chest as the Griever took Adam and made it's way back into the maze.

I don't know what had came over me. All I knew was that I couldn't let Leo get taken like Gally. Leo stared at me with wide eyes for a moment before starting to calm everyone down. Once they had settled down, we made our way back to the Maps in complete silence.

*End Flashback*

Thomas had just walked in the room and walked over to where Teresa, Newt, Leo, and I were standing. He read the code out loud, seemingly just as confused by them as I was.

"Float. Catch. Bleed. Death. Stiff. Push."

Thomas sat down, seemingly in deep thought. For a split second, a horrified look crossed his face as if he had thought of a bad idea. Then it was gone. He excused himself, claiming to be tired, and didn't speak to anyone for the rest of the day. Night came and Thomas, Teresa, Newt, Leo, and I ended up in the big living room downstairs in the Homestead. Alby had woken up and I gave up on trying to lock him in the Slammer since we had bigger things to worry about.

I ended up close to Leo and Newt on the floor. I tried my best to sleep to no avail. Anxiety swelled in my chest as I waited for the inevitable Griever attack. I had lost track of time when they finally came. Multiple Grievers ripped their way through the Homestead, grabbing a kid named Dave and heading back toward the Maze. All of a sudden, Thomas shot up and ran out the door. My eyes widened as I ran out after him, watching as he ran right in the middle of three Grievers. He began to try to yank Dave out of one of their grasps and I watched in horror as their appendages shot out, long needles going straight for Thomas. I shouted.