Retrovaille | The Maze Runner

09.

He secured it with a knot at her wrist and flashed her a smirk.

"And your hands will still be pretty."

Leo took her other hand and tied a second piece of cloth around it. Elisabeth realised how close he was to her and a blush creeped up her cheeks, turning a slight pink colour.

"There you go."

"Er-thanks."

She grinned at him. He ran a hand through his messy curls, blue eyes tinted a slight orange in the fading sunlight.

There was a sudden commotion coming from the far side of the Homestead, three boys appeared, dragging Ben along. His clothes were torn, barely clinging on; a thick, bloody bandage covered half his head.
The guards were having difficulty as their prisoner was refusing to put his feet down.

Ben looked as if he was already dead. But she noticed his eyes were open, wide with fear.

"What are they gonna do to him, Eddie?" She whispered to Edward who stood beside her and Leo.

"Dunno, Ellie," Edward whispered back. "I've only been here a few months, haven't seen a Banishment before."

Ben stood in front of Alby with his head hung low, refusing to meet anyone's eye.

"You brought this upon yourself, Ben," Alby said shaking his head.

"Can you guys see anything?" James asked, standing on the tips of his toes behind them.
Elisabeth and Leo, who were quite tall, could clearly see over the heads of the Gladers in front of them. James however, was a few inches shorter and had his view blocked by El and Leo.

Leo and Elisabeth each put an arm around the younger boy's shoulder and pulled him to stand in front of them.

"Newt, bring out the pole." Alby ordered.

Newt disappeared inside a small tool shed used for the Gardens. And a few minutes later returned, carrying something that made a scraping sound against the stone floor as he walked.

He was holding several aluminium poles, connecting at the ends to make a shaft that was twenty feet long. He handed the end of it to Alby and Elisabeth got a good look of the strange attachment.

A massive staple fastened a loop of rough leather to the metal. She realised it was a collar when she saw a large button snap which indicated that it could be opened and closed.

Ben looked up at last as Alby unbuttoned the collar, he wrapped it around the boy's neck and pressed the buttons together with a loud pop!

They were going to throw him in the Maze with the Grievers. Elisabeth's stomach turned and she ft like she were going to be sick. Something kept her rooted to the spot

Tears streamed down Ben's cheeks in an endless crystal line, blond hair plastered to his face with sweat.

An intense feeling of dreadful anticipation hung over the Gladers like thick fog, muffling out any sounds except for Ben's tiny whimpers. Elisabeth felt icy fear crawl up her skin like a venomous snake. She couldn't help feeling sorry for the boy.

Does he really deserve this horrible fate?

No. He wasn't himself when he attacked Thomas.

There was that strange voice in her head again. She wondered if it was a normal thing, and if everyone could hear voices like that in their heads. But she wasn't about to ask anyone about it.

Hello again weird head-person.

"Please, Alby," Ben begged. "I swear I was just sick in the head from the Changing. I never would've killed him- just lost my mind for a second. Please, Alby, please!"

Alby ignored Ben and walked past the boy to pick up the pole. He turned to face the crowd with narrowed bloodshot eyes and spoke in a loud voice.

"Ben of the Builders, you've been sentenced to Banishment for the attempted murder of Thomas the Newbie. The Keepers have spoken, and their word ain't changing. And you ain't coming back. Ever."

One by one, boys stepped out of the crowd and grabbed a pole. Elisabeth realised they were all Job-keepers.
Minho, Winston, Frypan and Gally.
Ten Keepers spaced evenly apart between Alby and Ben. The air grew still and silent as if a thick invisible veil was pressing down on the Glade.

Ben kept wiping at his eyes and nose, looking left and right, muffled sobs wracked through his body.

Elisabeth bit her lip and clenched her fists, knuckles turning white. He was going to meet a gruesome fate at the hands of Grievers and no one was going to save him. She couldn't do anything. She had only been on the Glade for a few days and she didn't even know Ben, but he was just a teenage boy and didn't deserve to go through that.

Someone tapped her hand and she looked down to see Leo offering her his hand.

She gratefully took it, interwining their fingers.

"Please," Ben said, his voice rising in desperation. "Pllllleeeeeeeeease!
Somebody, help me! You can't do this to me!"

"Shut up!" Alby roared from behind him.

"Asshole!" Elisabeth said not bothering to keep her voice down.

Couldn't he have a bit more compassion?

Ben ignored Alby. "Someone stop them! Help me! Please!" He glanced from boy to boy, begging with his eyes. Most of the Gladers looked away. Elisabeth quickly looked down to avoid her own confrontation with Ben.

"If we let Shanks like you get away with that stuff," Alby said, "we never would've survived this long. Keepers get ready."

"No, no, no, no, no," Ben was muttering under his breath. "I swear I'll do anything! I swear I'll never do it agai-"

His shrill cries were cut off by the rumbling crack of the West Door begging to close. The massive right wall started sliding to the left. The ground shook beneath their feet.
If Elisabeth wasn't holding Leo's hand she surely would've lost balance as she wasn't used to the Doors closing yet.

"Keepers, now!" Alby yelled.

At the leader's command, the Keepers surged forwards. Ben's head was painfully snapped back as he was jerked towards the Maze outside the Glade.

"Noooooo!" Ben screamed, as he thrashed about. He struggled, the heels of his shoes digging into the first, and his hands grabbing at thin air, desperately searching for anything to grab onto. The screams came out of his mouth like the percussion of distant explosions. The pole sent him fully four feet outside the Glade. The Door was only seconds away from sealing shut.

"Hold!" Alby shouted.

At the last second one of the Keepers somehow unattached the longer pole from the one attached to Ben and yanked it back.

Ben let out one final piercing scream until the Doors closed on him with a terrible boom!

A/N:

After reading the Fever Code I feel very bad for Ben : (
He was happily living with his family in Denver but of course Wicked had to take him away.

But hey! We got some Eleo fluff!
Ugh I ship them so much

I wish to complete this book by the end of this year so there might be more frequent updates. But no promises tho because school~

I hope you understand!

- Zara