The Girl

Chapter Twelve

 "We should probably keep going, we got a pretty late start so we're going to need to get back soon."

"Alright, which way?" I ask, staring between two corridors. Minho studies each one before deciding.

"That one," He points towards the dank and dark corridor. I nod and start on my way.

"It's awfully dark in here, I can barely see!" I shout to Minho, who's a good ten feet behind me.

"This is the way back! We just have to keep running! Be careful!" He shouts back to me. I pick up speed as I notice the corridor get darker, before I hear a loud thud and yelp behind me.

"MINHO!" I squeal, stopping abruptly and running back to him. I find him and kneel down next to him. He's lying down, his face to the ground. He groans as he attempts to push himself up.

"What's wrong? Where does it hurt?" I shower him with questions in a hurry.

"Ribs, knee..." He groans as he tries to answer. "We... we have to get out of here..." He says, trying to get up and failing miserably. I catch him before his head can slam to the cold hard rock. I quickly run a hand over his ribcage and he yelps.

"Bruised ribs...or broken ribs? Ugh, how can I fix this..." I mutter anxiously to myself. If I can't fix this quick enough, we're dead. Literally. I wrestle with a few ideas in my mind. Suddenly a light bulb goes off.

"Tight bandages help the pain!" I exclaim excitedly. I look down. "God bless Newt," I smile as i pull his hoodie off and wrap it tightly and carefully around Minho's chest. He slowly gets back up.

"We... have to run..." He says.

"Can you?" I ask cautiously. He nods slowly.

"With help..." He says. I wrap my arm around his waist. We run as quickly as possible to get out of the maze before the doors close. We turn around a corridor and see the doors and a group of gladers standing outside. The ground rumbles. A wave of panic washes over me. The doors are closing.

I rush as quickly as I can down the corridor with Minho pressed to my side. The gladers all shout encouraging things from outside the doors. I continue to haul myself and Minho down the corridor. I glance up. We can make it... if I do the right thing...

"CATCH HIM!" I shout as we're close enough that I can shove Minho outside of the doors. He makes it. I use every ounce of my energy and strength to throw myself to the doors. With only second left, I run into a tumble and roll out of the doors. They close only a second after I make it out. I cough, as I landed with my face next to the dirt. I glance to the side and see the rock doors pressed together. Two gladers rush over to help me up. I look down and brush myself off.

"I'm fine, I'm fi-" I cut my sentence off abruptly as I look up to see Newt staring down at me, a mixture of relief, anger, fright, and hurt on his face.

"Newt... I-" I'm cut off when he pulls me into his arms and holds me in them tightly. The other gladers rush away from us.

"It's alright. I told you I'd be okay, and I am. It's okay, I'm here now," I try to assure him.

"I thought I lost you..." He says quietly.

"You can't get rid of me that easily," I try to lighten the mood.

"Please don't go back, Beth." There it is. The one statement I knew would come and I was dreading. I sigh and we sit down.

"Look, I understand your concern. I know today was a close call, but I'm alright. I'm still here, I'm still alive-"