𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗨𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗥 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟 ᐅ 𝙣𝙚𝙬𝙩

𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿

╔═══*.·:·.☽✧    ✦    ✧☾.·:·.*═══╗

She's different than the other
subjects — less advanced.

╚═══*.·:·.☽✧    ✦    ✧☾.·:·.*═══╝

It had only taken two days for Newt's hand to heal properly, during which time he never complained once, and insisted that he get back to gardening again. I argued that that wasn't helping, and he argued that neither was I. As the days blended into each other, the pain in his hand — to my relief — had subsided, only making him wince now and then. I was wary that Clint and Jeff's magic concoction would have been defective, however I was just as surprised as Newt was when he removed the bandage to reveal a small cut a couple of minutes ago.

"I had a thought—" I say suddenly as we both stare out at the Maze walls from the comfort of the Hammocks, the soft snores of the Gladers drifting through the air.

"That's dangerous," interrupts Newt.

"—and it doesn't involve murdering you for a change," I say nonchalantly, glaring at him. Newt knows how annoyed I get when people interrupt me, so naturally he does it as often as he possibly can and it takes all of my willpower to not push him off the Cliff. I'm tempted, however I'm not too sure where the Cliff is... and there's also the issue that I like the shank. So instead, I make my point by chewing and snoring as loudly as possible, earning a plethora of glares from him which never fail to amuse me.

He scoffs, easing his gaze. "That's surprising."

The fireflies aren't out tonight, and so we can hardly see the Maze walls in the pitch black. I'm only just able to make out the thick vines crawling over each other. It's like another maze in itself. Sometimes, when Newt and I are especially bored, we'll walk up to the walls and try to follow a single vine down to its end, yet I could never trace it far enough. It's exactly how my memories are. You know they're there — you can see it, yet you can't follow it. It's in shapes and blocks of colour, but it's devoid of life. And since I don't know the people or even the places, it's also devoid of meaning. No faces. Nothing familiar.

Hopeless.

I sigh, leaning back on my hands and shuffling on the log — someone really needs to make us some chairs. These logs are more insufferable than Gally's snoring, if that's even possible. I stare into the void around me, the darkness morphing into dappled swirling patterns in my vision. I whisper, "What if we're all being tested on?"

"Alby told me about that," Newt says thoughtfully and nodding at the Maze. "It would all make sense. The Grievers... the Maze... someone's gotta be controlling everything. S'just not natural."

I dwell on the that. It's not natural. It's all artificial. None of this could ever be real. I don't exactly remember what society was like, but what I do know is that it was nothing like this. Would Newt and I have been friends out there? Would I have been friends with anyone out there?

Where even is there?

"Some things still don't add up," I muse.

"Like?"

"Like my visions."

"What d'ya mean?" He says, tilting his head, his eyes inquisitive as he turns to me, searching for a clue in my expression.

I nod behind me at the thicket of trees that house our hammocks. "Remember on Game Day when I was in the tree?"

"When you were stuck in the tree," he corrects with a smirk, his eyebrow tweaking up ever so slightly. I'm starting to rethink my decision about that Cliff.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Frog-face," I grumble. Should I even tell him this? My voice becomes soft as I say, "I had a vision. It disappeared when ya helped me."

"What?"

My frown fades into a smile at his confused expression, his brows furrowed in thought. "They go away when you're around."

Newt's face relaxes and his lips lift into a small reassuring smile. I can't help but return it. He shifts a little closer to me, almost unnoticeable if I weren't paying attention. But that's the thing about Newt and I. I'm always paying attention. Newt whispers though the darkness, his voice comforting me more than anyone else ever could. "Then I'll always be around. I promise, Scaredy-cat."

His features are only just visible in the darkness. Even in little light, he looks breathtaking. The shadows carve his jawline even sharper, his hair appearing as light brown waves falling over his forehead. His eyes are like stars themselves, twinkling through long eyelashes. My voice is almost silent. "What did I do to deserve you?"

He chuckles softly, turning his head to face the walls once more. "Insult me with endless sarcasm apparently."

I flick him on the shoulder and huff, "The one bloody time I'm serious and ya ruin it."

"It's all part o' the charm," he says, winking playfully sideways at me.

"Change your charm."

"You change yours," he retorts. "I'm not exactly likin' the sass right now."

"It's almost as if you're in denial," I say, my voice a singsong.

He rolls his eyes. "I ain't in denial."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really."

I know that deep down, he finds my sass very amusing, although I don't think he'd actually ever admit that. My cheeks flush every time my thoughts flicker back to the night in the rain, and the way we'd almost kissed when he'd hurt his hand. I don't know what this is, but whatever it is, I'm enjoying each second of it. "I find that extremely hard to believe."

"S'not my problem." A grin breaks out on his face as I narrow my eyes at him. "What? No witty comeback this time?"

"If I were to kill ya, but I gave ya a heads up first—"

"That'd be a threat, Greenie," he says, smirking at me.

"Oh. A threat it is. I've got a lovely spot in deadheads prepared for you," my voice lowers. "Insult me again and the shovels out of the shed."

Newt only rolls his eyes at me in a failed attempt to cover his smile. "On the subject of diggin' a hole, did ya know humans make great fertiliser?"

My eyes widen. What the shuck? Newt laughs at me, his onyx eyes glistening. I'm sure if I weren't so freaked out by what he'd just told me I'd be swooning over the reflections of the stars in them — I can almost see the whole nights sky in his eyes. "No... wait how d'ya know that?"

"Because I'm secretly a serial killer," he says simply, so casual I'd actually be inclined to believe him had I just met him. "I thought that was obvious."

"A ginger kid with long legs?" I raise an eyebrow. "Seems more like an octopus to me."

"There's gotta be a hidden compliment in there somewhere and I'll take it."

"You piece of klunk."

"Ah, there it is!" he says, grinning.

I chuckle and roll my eyes, which makes a small laugh escape him as he looks sideways at me. His shoulders shake, his laughter sweet in my ears. "You still didn't answer the shucking question."

"I told ya, I'm a feared criminal on the run. Now you're an accomplice."

"I think even Chuckie looks more intimidating than you."

"Chuckie couldn't hurt a fly."

I chuckle quietly. "And you can?"

Newt's eyebrows raise, his tone challenging. And he knows just how competitive I am. I never back down from a challenge. "Ya think ya know me so well, huh?"

"Think so?" I scoff. "I know so."

Newt tilts his head and studies me, as though trying to find out just how much I know. His face is impassive as he tries to read me, making me squint through the darkness to study him clearly. Is there something he hasn't told me? I give into my curiosity, but before I can open my mouth, Newt jumps in. "I was kiddin', Green bean."

I decide to let it go. Whatever it is, he doesn't seem to want to talk about it, and I know I've got to respect that — no matter how intrigued I am. I wipe my face of all confusion and force out a laugh. "I don't even wanna know what you and Zart get up to in the gardens. Remind me not to get on your bad side."

"Ya have," he says fondly. "Every shuckin' second of every shuckin' day."

"It was twice," I drawl. "You're almost as dramatic as Minho."

"Now that's an accomplishment."

❀

The next day, Ben, Minho and I are sat against the walls, the remains of the lunch we didn't manage to finish thrown against the wall in front of us, sweat dripping down our faces. I'd been gushing for at least five minutes now, random words tumbling out of my mouth in a waterfall as I try to distract myself from my thoughts. They keep swerving back to W.C.K.D, and I won't let myself think about that right now. Ben went back to check part of the pattern quickly, and Minho and I are waiting for him to get back so that we can continue running. Alby's new rule: no one leaves the Greenie alone in the Maze.

It's more infuriating than embarrassing.

Ben's my official running partner, and since we usually bump into Minho during lunch times in the spaces between sections Seven and Eight, we made ourselves a schedule. At lunch, we meet Minho and after that, Minho goes back into Section Eight and we stay in Seven. Today's been weird. That's the reason that Ben's gone back.

The pattern isn't regular anymore.

"I'll banish ya if you don't slim it right now," Minho grumbles, pinching the bridge of his nose as I continue to bombard him with questions about the pattern. Almost a month here and I'm still wondering about how this all works. It's pathetic. Minho's trying to think, clearly shaken by the change in pattern, however I have too many questions. And I'll be damned if I stay naive.

"Banish?" I echo. "What the shuck?"

"Ya tellin' me you been here for almost a month and ya dunno what it is?" Minho asks.

"Don't act like that's my fault."

He rolls his eyes. "Whatever. We only banish shanks who've broken the three rules, and probably not even then. I've only seen one or two of 'em."

My voice is piqued in interest, "What happens?"

I hope it's not as bad as it sounds.

"Lock 'em out in the Maze overnight. They ain't ever comin' back."

It's as bad as it sounds.

"Charming."

"What's charmin'?" Ben says, running around the corner and giving us a little wave. Minho grumbles something about Ben taking his time, to which I punch him on the shoulder. Minho glares at me, and I smirk back at him in response as he rubs his shoulder with malice. "What's charmin'?" Ben repeats.

"Not you," I scoff, giving Ben an incredulous look as Minho runs back into Section Eight, his figure disappearing. Would it kill him to have at least said goodbye? I call sarcastically, "Bye then."

"As if ya had more charm than a dead slug."

My eyes widen at his insult before I raise my head and turn around. "Fine then, ya can run on your own."

"You're so petty."

"Damn right I'm pretty."

Ben jogs beside me as we dart round the corner of the Maze. "I said petty. I wouldn't dare compliment ya, Greenie. Ain't nothin' to compliment in the first place."

"Newt would disagree," I say cheekily.

"I'll tell him ya said that."

I roll my eyes and continue to run forwards. My mind flicks back to the concept of this all being a test. What's the objective? What are we supposed to do? It's probably best if I didn't know what we were supposed to do — I'd wind up doing the exact opposite just to spite W.C.K.D.

The testing tubes flash in front of my vision again, bringing me to an abrupt stop in the middle of the Maze. The Maze spins around me, though my feet are planted firmly on the floor, my body as rigid as a statue. Ben whips around and curses, gripping his hands on my shoulders to steady me. But I can barely register him at all. Because this isn't just a vision anymore.

I'm sucked into a memory.

❀

The bright light blinds me as I squint through the dreariness of my vision, hoping with no avail to see anything but white. In a haze, I try to move my body, but find straps pressing my wrists and ankles into the cold surface underneath me. I struggle against them, hearing my heartbeat echoing in the void of brightness from a monitor.

"Subject A11," a chilling voice greets. Is she talking to me? I struggle even harder, the monitor bleeping even faster, mirroring my terror. Where am I? Who are these people?

"We retained some information," one man says gravely.

"A slight setback," says the other.

Equipment clashes against each other and footsteps near as someone presses my head back into the cool surface. I thrash around, trying to scream through the blankness of my vision, but it's no use. I can't make a sound. For once, someone's stronger than I am.

"She's different than the other subjects — less advanced."

Subjects. I'm a test subject.

"Meaning?" The woman snaps.

"Meaning that she's not immune."

Something rattles as commotion resumes, flying through the air. "That wasn't planned. That wasn't how this experiment was supposed to go! Are you telling me you want us to send her into the Maze even after all of this?" the woman rages, her voice raising.

The Maze? What on earth is the Maze? Where am I? Who am I?

"It may not be such an issue." I can almost hear his cruel smile. "We do have others that aren't immune."

"She was programmed to be different — better. How on earth could you miscalculate her immunity?"

"She can still be the answer to their escape."

"Or she could be their downfall," a man adds thoughtfully. "I suppose we should change her alias?"

Alias? What the hell are they talking about?

"The Chance."

"The Chance it is."

Something sharp is stuck into my arm and a freezing liquid floods into me and drowns my veins, immediately making the white fade to gray, and the gray fade to black.

Nothing.

❀

"Come on, Thea!" Ben pleads, shaking me until I snap back to reality. Words fly around my head. What do they mean? A11. Subject. Immune. Escape. The Chance. My heart is thrumming out of my chest, my eyes darting round as panic sets in. Ben's shaking next to me. "Holy shuck," he breathes.

"What?" I say, still in a haze. Ben grabs my hand and points at the other end of the corridor. The blood drains from my face, paling as I stare in terror at the creature barrelling towards us, it's metallic legs clattering against the stone. It's the thing that haunts my visions, plagues the day with an inescapable nightmare.

A Griever.

—

Flo makes me chuckle because it's like the most serious scene and then there's ❀ flo ❀ just sitting there. But then again ITS A RLLY CUTE SCENE BREAK. Sorry about the delay, I had the chapter done but then I scrapped it because I hated it... and I still don't like this one but it's better than before. I'm honestly surprised I don't have more Virgo in my chart lmao.

The support at the moment is mind blowing so thank you so much y'all. It brightens up my day so much! Also y'all are so funny and kind I jus wanna hug you.

If you find any errors feel free to let me know! I'd rather know and then I can change it :)

~ sophie xx
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