The Silent Runner

15. run boy, run

With the sun beginning to set, Minho hugged onto me, while I sat in a tall metal chair. "May we meet again," I nodded at him, dreading the loneliness I began to feel.

Newt crouched to my level, staring in each of my eyes. "I'll see you on the other side?" I nodded, a sad smile rested on my face as I only had little hope for his words. For the first time though, Newt planted his lips onto mine and I felt a burst of joy. Like he'd given my brain garden sunlight to grow. With that, he walked away, standing with Minho and all the other gladers, his cheeks bright red. Teresa gave me a weak salute and mouthed 'good luck'.

It was Thomas who had the hardest time.  He told the others to go on without him and he'd catch up so they all ran off into the Maze. Thomas paced back and forth.

"There's gotta be a way I can take you."

I'll only slow you down, you have to go.

"I just got you! I don't want to leave you behind!"

You have to.

"You're my sister." He nearly started crying. His sad eyes looked into mine, knowing he'd have to leave me. He licked his dry lip and put his forehead to mine. "Remember, I love you." Thomas's arms latched around me.

I love you too, Tommy. I'll make it out somehow, I promise. If something goes wrong, talk to me. Doesn't matter how far we are you just have to think and I'm there.

He nodded, looking me in my eyes one last time before kissing my forehead and forcing himself to walk into the maze with the others, leaving me in the ghost town of a Glade.

He stopped running, at the end of the corridor, back facing me but not moving.

Run Thomas. Run.

In a flash, he was gone, leaving me in my thoughts. I grabbed my crutches and looked around for the people who stayed. They had gathered in the homestead and were appointing new jobs and leaders. A brown haired boy took charge, appointing himself the new command.

"Griever girl," he called. Disregarding the remark, I approached him. "Name's Jackson, everyone calls me Jack." I nodded. He was tall and had a chiseled jawline as well as high cheekbones. His eyes were a dark green. "I don't know if you can do much so I'll make you my second." He looked around before speaking quietly. "I can't promise you that they'll leave you alone so just stick with me." I wanted to tell him I could protect myself but that proved to be less and less true as it got easier and harder to even walk all at once. So, I simply nodded and listened to the others' plans.

I wasn't planning on staying long. While I was here, I just had to focus on surviving each night.

Jack seemed to be a good guy, he had no intentions of changing things all too much. With the loss of a cook, he appointed a boy named Billy. Things were running smoothly. He turned to me as I began to worry about Newt and the others, imagining every possible scenario.

"I don't plan on letting Wyck roam free either but we can't keep him locked up when the grievers come." I nodded, understanding we couldn't leave him to die.  "And when they do, we'll be in the corner of the Glade. Everyone start boarding up the council room."

"Why don't we just sacrifice someone the first night?" Someone called out from the crowd.

"Yeah, it'll give us more time!" Another shouted.

"Get rid of the girl!"

"Everyone listen up! We were all too scared to go out into the maze. She has no choice right now! If anything, we'll sacrifice the sucker in lockup first."

"Wyck didn't do klunk!"

"Shut your mouth, slinthead! Get to work unless you all wanna die sooner than later. Stan, you and Billy bring all the food from the kitchen and anything you need make a quiet dinner and put it in the back of the council hall. Hank, get your hand out of your pants and go get the water from the bathroom." Jack took a break as they'd begun to disperse. "Eric, go grab a cot from the homestead and a few pillows." As Eric left, Jack turned to me. "You need to rest and keep that foot elevated." I nodded, fully knowing he was right.

"Jack!" Someone yelled from outside. He looked at me one last time before leaving the decaying building. I couldn't help but wonder what was going on. Every time a griever screeched my spine tingled. I kept trying to reach Thomas but he wasn't answering. I then hoped I hadn't distracted him.

Eric returned with the cot and pillows. He set them in a corner and tried to help me sit down but I gestured him away. He leaned down, getting close to my face. With his hot breath, he whispered, "They're all gonna die." I looked at him before sending my elbow up, connecting it with his throat. He coughed out in pain, falling back as he grabbed his throat. I spit at him before watching him run out of the room. I stacked the pillows and slowly set down my ankle as Jack ran in.

"I'm sure you had a great reason," he spoke sarcastically. "But you can't hit everyone who offends you."

I wanted to say, "Why not?" Or, "Sure I can," but of course I couldn't and so I didn't. I only nodded, pretending to care. "I know you want to be out there but it's a death wish. You're lucky to be here.

I'd rather die with my friends than live without them!

I opened my mouth but he could only see by the expression on my face that I was angry and I didn't care what he believed.

Run

I could hardly believe I heard it. I'd almost thought my mind made it up.

Thomas?

We made it. So can you. Run.