control ⇢ the maze runner / thomas [1] ✓

Chapter Seven

Gally nodded, following after Ruby. "You sure you're okay?", he asked as he followed Ruby down the rickety old stairs.

"Totally", Ruby nodded. No. Her head hurt. And she still felt paranoid and dirty. She needed to keep herself busy. She wanted to keep her mind wandering.

She met up with Clint and Jeff, after being instructed to find him if she needed anything, who were eager to work with her. They walked her through what they did and filled her arms with supplies as they went to check on Ben. She hadn't seen the boy, only heard his animal like screeches.

Ben's room was on the opposite end of the hall from her own. The boys went in first. "Morning, Benny Boy", Jeff greeted. "Got you some food and meds."

This was the first time Ruby was seeing Ben, and he looked like something foreign — something alien. Ben's pale chest was bare and his body twisted and writhed awkwardly, painfully. Tight, rigid veins which were a sickly green color webbed across his body and limbs. Purple bruises and red hives and bloody scratches littered his body. His bloodshot eyes locked on her own and that seemed to enrage him. "Yoouuu!", the boy roared, spittle flying from his mouth. "You did this! You and him! It's all your fault!" Ben lunged towards her like a jumping spider, causing Ruby to go flying backwards and land on her ass. "I'll kill you!", he screamed in her face, looking crazed and enraged. "Your fault! Yours and his! Yours and his!" He repeated the words like a sickening mantra.

Clint and Jeff pried Ben off Ruby before he could hurt her, but Ruby was just shocked. Her fault? "Ruby, take a breather. We'll call you when we have something else to do, okay?" Ruby nodded, pushing herself up off the floor and running.

Coincidentally, she ran into Thomas, colliding harshly with the boy's body. "Ooow", she groaned, once again falling onto her butt. "What're you running for?"

"I was taking a walk", Thomas lied. "What're you running for?"

"Ben", Ruby said quietly. "He says this is our fault."

Thomas sighed. "Sure it is", he said sarcastically, helping her up. "Let's go, walk with me."

The two of them walked into the woods near the Deadheads, when something silver, almost lizard like scuttled by. Ruby looked at Thomas to see his wonder filled eyes. "No—" But Thomas was already running after it. Ruby groaned, taking off as well. "I literally just got out of a two day coma, slow down!"

"Or you could just keep up!", Thomas shouted back. Ruby rolled her eyes.

It was dark and she was having trouble seeing, but she managed. Ruby couldn't wrap her head around how dark it had gotten so quickly. It didn't look like there should be so many trees, but they stood tall and proud. The thick canopy of leaves cast a greenish hue with the light, beautiful and slightly terrifying. She ducked to avoid being slapped by a branch, barely keeping sight of Thomas. How far into the forest had they gone? Thirty feet? Forty? She ducked and dodge, trying to keep up, before finally catching up to Thomas. He was staring up at a larger tree, probably where his beetle blade gone. Ruby double over, her hands on her knees, as she struggled to catch her breath. "Did you catch it?"

"No. It went up there." Thomas scowled, kicking at the tree's trunk. "Shuck it", he whispered.

Ruby rested a hand on his shoulder. "You'll get it next time." She tried to sound reassuring, but she failed miserably.

A twig snapped. Then another, louder and closer. Thomas narrowed his eyes. The two of them were gripped by fear. "Who's there?", Thomas called out. The only answer he got was his own echo, bouncing off the trees, and the whistles of birds. Clearly without thinking, he began following the sound.