Part 2: The Maze

Chapter 9

I'm in a bed. There are a few other boys in beds next to and across from me. Scientists are bustling about. I look over to the boy next to me. He has blonde hair and beautiful brown eyes. He speaks to me but I can't hear anything coming from his mouth. The scene changes quickly and now I'm sitting in a forest. I look down to see what's in my lap. There's a girl. But she's not moving she's just laying in my lap peacefully. Who is this? She has brown skin and frizzy dark brown hair. Her eyes snap open and she grabs my throat.

"You could have saved me." She whispers. Then she falls back into my lap. Now there's a spear in her stomach and blood is oozing out. I'm frozen in fear and horror. She's really young. What happened to her? The scene changes. Now I'm standing in pitch black. There is nothing around me. Everything feels so empty.

I open my eyes regaining consciousness. I look around the room. I'm in my bed at the Homestead. Relief washes over me. I didn't know if I was dead or something. Then I remember. I start crying. George is dead.

"Hey Maddie. Your ok now." A voice said. I look to the side to see Max crouching next to my bed.

"We thought you were dead." Max said.

"Is George really dead?" I ask.

"Yes."

"This is all my fault." I said crying again. Max took my hand.

"Maddie stop. This is not your fault. You didn't know that this would happen." Max said. Alex walked through the door. He crouched on the other side of the bed.

"How do you feel?" Alex asked. After he said that I noticed the pain in my leg.

"Honestly I feel like klunk." I said trying to smile. Alex and Max lean in to hug me. Alby was standing across the room and he came over and hugged me too.

***

For the rest of the day the boys took turns changing my bandages and checking my stitches. The boys are doing a good job. Alby walks through the door.

"Hey Maddie. I just wanted to let you know that we crossed out George's name on the wall." Alby said.

"Oh. Ok. That's fine. Thanks for letting me know." I said. Alby walks out of the room leaving me to my thoughts. So that's it. George really is dead now. With a sigh I roll over and try to go to sleep.

***

I'm still slowly recovering. It's been 15 days. Max has been working in the Barn. Alby has been working in the Gardens. Alex has been building the second floor of the Homestead. He's almost done. In a few days we will have 10 private bedrooms in the Homestead.

That night Alby came in and took out my stitches. Hallelujah. I hate being confined in the same place for so many days. Unfortunately I need to get my strength back up so I'll need to exercise.

Before I went to sleep for the night Alex came in.

"I came up with a new word." Alex announced.

"Oh? What is it?" I ask.

"I think we should call those scary creatures Grievers." Alex said. I thought about it. I guess giving a name to murderous creatures isn't so bad. And when someone is killed by it we grieve.

"Good that." I said. Alex smiled and walked out of the room.

***

Over the next week I exercise. Now that I have slowly recovered I'm slowly regaining my strength. No one has gone into the Maze. Not since the big incident. Grief and fear keeps us here in the Glade. No one has even talked about going back out there. I can't risk losing anyone else. I still believe it's my fault.

***

At the end of the week I'm able to finally walk around the Glade again. More like limping though. Hopefully the limp will go away soon. I limp over to the woods and sit down, leaning up against a tree. I close my eyes.

A loud ringing fills my ears for the second time. The Box is coming back up. I wonder if there will be more people. I quickly get up and limp over to the Box as fast as I can. The others are already there and worry is all over their faces.

"It's ok guys. I think the Box sends up more supplies every month. There might be more people coming up too I don't know." I said. The boys nod. The Box reaches the top and stops. The doors open revealing 5 new boys. One of them looked familiar. It was the boy with blonde hair and beautiful brown eyes. He was the one I saw in my memory flashes when I was unconscious. All of the new boys look frightened.

"Who the bloody hell are you?" The familiar boy asks. He has an accent. I jump down into the Box to face the boys.

"I'm Maddie." I announced.

"Why can't I remember my buggin' name?" He asks.

"It's ok. You'll remember it tomorrow." I tell him reassuringly.

"So we're all friends now?" An Asian boy asks. I turn to look at him.

"I still don't know who the f-" the Asian boy was interrupted by Alex.

"We don't curse here." He announced. The Asian boy glares at him.

"Fine. I don't know who the frickety frack you guys are." He said with a half smile. I hold in a laugh. I help the boys off the floor and Alby, Max, and Alex help them out of the Box. Once everyone is out Alby helps me back out of the Box.

I explain everything to the new Greenies. After I finish I let it sink in. 3 of the Greenies needed comforting. With a boom the Doors start closing.

"Should we leave?" A light skinned boy asks.

"No. I told you. No one survives a night in the Maze. Trust me on this." I tell him.

"I think I'll try my luck." the Asian boy said. Then he started running towards one of the Doors.

"NO! STOP!" I scream out of fear and panic. The Asian boy stops and slowly walks back towards us. The Doors come to a complete close. I sigh with relief.

There were 10 completed bedrooms in the Homestead. Each boy picked whichever bedroom they wanted and I picked mine. When I walked into my bedroom I felt safe and sound. I like having a private bedroom. I dramatically fall onto my bed and curl up in a ball. Before I fell asleep I heard voices in the hall. The two voices belonged to the familiar boy and the sassy Asian boy.

"I'm scared." The familiar boy said.

"If what Maddie said was true then I am too." The Asian boy said.

"Do you think it is?"

"Pretty much yeah. When I was running towards the Door and she screamed, I could hear the fear in her voice so I stopped. I think there used to be more of them."

"You think someone died?"

"Yeah I could feel the grief and fear around her and the others after I came back."

The familiar boy muttered something but it was too quiet for me to hear. I heard the two bedroom doors shut so it was obvious that they were done talking. I sighed and rolled over. I quickly fell asleep.