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[ Chapter 27 ]
❛Release the Beast❜
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SPENDING A WHOLE NIGHT IN THE SLAMMER somehow was even worse than it sounded. Boredom ate away at his brain and hunger ate away at his stomach. If it weren't for Chuck visiting him and dropping off some food for him to devour, he probably would've began eating away at the bugs on the dirt floor keeping him company. . . he was that desperate no matter how grim it may be.
The sun may have risen and with it the birds singing their morning tune, but despite the pleasant image, the place Jungkook was locked in was far from pleasant. Even the rays of the sun shining in through the bars couldn't brighten the dull grey, stone cell he grew to despise in such little time. The dull atmosphere reflected through Jungkook's mood— he was bored, miserable and tired.
It was his own fault, however, that he was tired. Instead of sleeping, the trouble maker had spent the time he should of been sleeping, dwelling on his encounter with Amara and the sincere words they shared when she visited him in the middle of the night. No matter how tired he felt, his thoughts kept him awake like someone was shining a bright light in his eyes and preventing him a moment to relax.
It's thanks to her that he felt less on edge now than what he originally felt. However, he didn't let his guard completely down. It wasn't a good idea to do so in a place like this surrounded by the people he was stuck with. He was beginning to warm up to the likes of a select few, but he was certain now that Amara had his back. She was the only one he could completely trust— for now.
At the unexpected sound of approaching footsteps, the boy suddenly rolled over so his back was now facing the back of his cell instead of his head, so he could look out and see who was the cause of the noise. His round eyes widened at who was stood at his cell door.
"Namjoon?" Jungkook breathes out, perplexed.
"Ain't dead, are ya, shank?" He asked.
Jungkook frowned. Namjoon looked so much better than the day before, the younger boy couldn't help but stare at him. His skin was back to full colour, his eyes no longer criss-crossed with red veins; he seemed to have gained a stone back in a matter of hours.
He wondered if everything he thought true before was a lie. Had he actually fell asleep and this was all just a dream? A crazy; weird dream.
Namjoon noticed him ogling him. "What ya looking at, boy?"
Jungkook shook his head slightly, feeling like he'd been in a trance. His mind was racing, wondering what Joon remembered, what he knew, what he might say about him. "Wha—? Nothing. Just seems crazy you healed so quickly. You're fine now?"
Namjoon tilted his head up and reached for something behind his back. "Never been better," he deadpanned. Jungkook wasn't convinced with his answer, however and Namjoon saw this. "Actually, nothin but a lie. I feel like a piece of klunk." He said instead before throwing something at Jungkook.
His quick reflexes allowed him to easily catch whatever was thrown at him. Jungkook nearly moaned at the sight of the green apple, not wasting a second to sink his teeth into the juicy, crisp fruit.
Jungkook rose the apple up in thanks at Namjoon before he took another bite. "Yeah, you looked it yesterday," when Namjoon glared, Jungkook hoped it was in jest and quickly clarified. "But today you look brand-new. I swear."
Namjoon put his hands in his pockets and leaned against the slammer door, peering down at Jungkook. "So, quite a little talk me, you, and Amara had yesterday."
Jungkook's heart began to pound at the new topic of conversation. He had no idea what to expect from the man in front of him at that point. "Uh. . . yeah, I remember."
"I saw what I saw Greenie. It's kinda fadin', but I ain't never gonna forget. It was terrible. Tried to talk about it, somethin' starts choking me. Now the images are gettin' up and gone, like that same somethin' don't like me remembering." Namjoon confessed slowly, his gaze sturdy as he stared down Jungkook.
The graphic scene from the day before flashed in Jungkook's mind. Namjoon thrashing, trying to strangle himself— Jungkook wouldn't have believed it had happened if he hadn't seen it himself.
Despite fearing an answer, he knew he had to ask the next question. "What was it about me and Amara? You kept saying you saw me, but not Amara. What was I doing?" he asked.
Namjoon stared at an empty space in the distance for awhile before answering. "You were with the. . . Creators. Helping them. But that ain't what got me shook up."
Jungkook felt like someone had just rammed their strong fist into his hard abdomen. 'Helping them?' He couldn't even form words to ask what Namjoon meant by that despite the obvious.
Namjoon continued. "I hope the changing doesn't give us real memories— just plants fake ones. Some suspect it— I can only hope. If the world's the way I saw it. . ." He trailed off, leaving behind an ominous silence.
Jungkook was confused, but pressed on. "Can't you tell me what you saw about me?"
Namjoon shook his head. "No way, shank. Ain't gonna risk stranglin' myself again. Might be something they put in our brains to control us— just like the memory wipe." Jungkook could see the fear in Namjoon's eyes clearly.
Jungkook sighed, "We'll, if I'm evil, maybe you should leave me locked up for good."
Namjoon scoffed out a laugh, "Greenie, you ain't evil. You might be a shuck-faced slint-head, but you ain't evil." Namjoon showed the slightest hint of a smile, a bare crack in his usually hard face. "What you did— riskin' your butt to save me, Jay and Amara —that ain't no evil I've ever heard of. Nah, just makes me think the grief serum and the changing got somethin' fishy about 'em. For your sake and mine, I hope so. I did say to Hope we could trust you and Amara, didn't I?"
Jungkook was so relieved that Namjoon thought he was okay, that he only heard about half of what the older boy had just said. "How bad was it? Your memories that came back?" he asked.
"I remembered things from growin' up, where I lived, that sort of stuff. And if god himself came down right now and told me I could go back home. . ." Namjoon looked to the ground and shook his head again. "If it was real, Greenie, I swear I'd go and shack up with the Grievers before goin' back."
Jungkook was surprised to hear it was so bad— he wished Namjoon would give details, describe something, anything. But he knew the experience of choking himself had traumatised him enough and was still fresh in his mind for him to budge even the slightest. Jungkook tried his best to ease the males conscience.
"We'll, maybe they're not real, Namjoon. Maybe the grief serum is some kind of psycho drug designed to make you hallucinate." Jungkook knew he was grasping at straws.
Namjoon thought for a moment. "A drug. . . hallucinations. . ." then he shook his head, as if ridding the thought. "Doubt it."
It had been worth a try.
"We still have to escape this place," Jungkook reminded.
"Yeah, thanks, Greenie," Namjoon remarks sarcastically. "Don't know what we'd do without your pep talks." Again the almost-smile made an appearance on his face.
Namjoon's change of mood broke Jungkook out of his gloomy mood. "Quit calling me, Greenie. The girls the Greenie now."
"Okay, Greenie," Namjoon sighed, clearly he was done with the conversation. Jungkook scowled at him. "Rest for a bit. Jay and Amara should collect you soon, only then is your terrible prison sentence of one day officially over."
"One was plenty!" Jungkook shouted out at Namjoon as the man retreated away from his cell. It took every single ounce of self-control Jungkook had to not throw his apple core at him whilst he walked away— he may well earn himself another day locked in the slammer if he did so, which he definitely didn't want.
He had hoped Namjoon came to not only bring him something to eat, but to release him from his cell. However, that wasn't the case and poor Jungkook found himself locked away still and forced too wait for Jay and Amara to come and collect him. Today's the day he would finally get the chance to become a runner and enter the maze and despite the horrors it withheld. . . he couldn't be more enthralled.
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"Wake up, ya lazy shank,"
Jungkooks sleeping body flinched awake when he felt something small yet hard collide with his back from where he lay on the floor. Still half asleep, the boy frowned in a confused daze.
"Stop that!" A feminine voice scolded, before speaking again. "That's not going to work. . . try this instead."
Jungkook flinched again, this time more violently, when his poor body was plummeted with more, a lot more, of the tiny rough; jagged objects. Now more awake, he looked down to see he had been assaulted by dozens of little stones. His frown deepened.
"What the hell?" He whispered.
The boy quickly turned to face his cells entrance, only to find two people stood there with proud, mischievous smiles on their faces. Jay and Amara. Jungkook groaned loudly.
"Rise and shine, sleepin' beauty," Jay grinned from ear to ear, his eyes disappearing the more he beamed. "Ready for a day of runnin'?" He asked.
Despite feeling tired still moments ago, the pairs eyes widened when they watched the boy clumsily rise to his feet and jump at them. His long, slim fingers gripped the wooden bars of his cell and he clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white.
"Please let me out," he begs desperately.
Amara felt a twang of guilt struck her heart. She pitied him for having to be locked up and isolated from everyone else like he really was a prisoner who had committed an awful crime-- when that was far from reality-- he must of been bored to death.
"That bad, huh?" Jay tilted his head in question.
Jungkook didn't say anything but he nodded his head, answering Jay's question.
Amara turned her head to face Jay's, her eyes pleaded with him to open the door immediately, knowing he would rather leave Jungkook locked in there just a bit longer just to torment and wind him up. It was his idea of fun. Usually, she wouldn't be against it and find his humour amusing herself, but seeing just how desperate Jungkook was and the newfound revelation that he was her brother. Her twin. She couldn't find it in her heart to make him suffer any longer, no matter how amusing it may be.
Jay heaved a sigh, but did as he was told, or more so what her eyes told him. He fished inside of his dark pants pocket and retrieved a set of keys, the metal slowly haven rusted overtime. Shoving it inside, the lock was stiff but Jay managed to turn and unlock it effortlessly. The door brushed up against the dirt as it opened and neither Jay nor Amara had time to blink before Jungkook was throwing himself out of the cell and into freedom.
"Finally!" He cried out and Jay and Amara both laughed.
Jay approached the boy, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pulling him along to follow him. Amara trailed behind them happily, smiling at the two and the blossoming friendship stroke brotherhood between them. It ignited something inside her chest, a sense of familiarity to see the two together and getting along again. She briefly remembered how the boys were close friends before the maze fucked everything up between them and everyone else. However, knowing her twin and the man she held feelings for were getting alone. . . well, how could she not smile and be happy.
"No time to waste, we've got a big maze to run, Jungkook," Jay smiled as he guided the trio over to the familiar, worn-down shed near to the Homestead.
The keeper pulled out a key Amara had seen once before from his pants pocket. Walking inside, Amara and Jay had prepared themselves for the onslaught of dust that would attack them as they entered. However, Jungkook was unaware and so he coughed and coughed.
Jungkook's face was scrunched up, displeased. "God, when was the last time you cleaned up in here?" He asked, knowing the answer was probably 'never'.
Jay simply chuckled, clearly amused.
"Why bother to clean junk? You don't polish a klunk, do you?" Jay countered, his eyes sparkling with smugness knowing he was right.
Jungkook was stunned into silence and Amara laughed at their strange exchange of conversation.
Now fully inside, Jungkook could see just how dusty the inside of the room actually was and how it was crawling with all types of bugs and insects, the wooden walls dressed with cobwebs. The lack of light made the room have a depressing ambience to it.
Seemingly old and what looked to be 'poorly-crafted' weapons hung from the walls, or were left strewn about the room, sat idol on top of tables and cabinets. Numerous boxes were also scattered around the place and Jay had busied himself in sorting through one of them in particular.
"What size are you?" Jay asked, breaking the silence.
"Size?" Jungkook repeated, thinking to himself for a moment. "I don't know." He said with a frown.
Amara rolled her eyes. "Why don't you try checking the tag on the shoes you're wearing now." She lifted up one of her feet and gestures to it.
"Oh," Jungkook smiled sheepishly, his cheeks beginning to grow a soft pink as he lifted one of his feet to check his boot. "Ten."
Jay whistled. "Wow, shank. You got big feet!" He laughed as he continued rooting through the box. It wasn't long before he pulled out a pair of off-white trainers and stood up, turning to face the twins. "You're lucky. Man, we could go canoeing in these things." He says as he stares in wonder at the shoes.
Embarrassed, Jungkook snatches the shoes from Jay's grasp and hugs them close to his chest, shielding the large shoes from both their sights. Amara fought back a smile. Eager to try them on, Jungkook sits himself on a wooden bench and begins to remove his current shoes, wanting to replace them with his new trainers.
Jay grabbed a few more things before rejoining Jungkook and Amara, standing by the girls side. The keeper held a rucksack in one of his hands and some sort of material in the other. Himself and Amara watched Jungkook tie his shoes laces patiently.
Jay continued talking. "Here's a rucksack. We'll fill them with everythin' you'll need. Water bottles. Food. Spare clothes and some other stuff," he nudged Jungkook, who looked up at him. Jay was holding out a couple of pairs of tightly cut underwear, made from a shiny white material. "These bad boys are what we call Runnie-undies. Keeps you, uhm, nice and comfy." He glanced at Amara, who tilts her head, confused.
Jungkook was apparently confused too. "Nice and comfy?" He repeats.
Jay awkwardly rubs the back of his neck. "Yeah. You know, your--"
"Yeah, got it!" Jungkook was quick to cut him off and Jay didn't complain. He took the underwear from the Keeper, as well as the rucksack and placed them down next to him on the bench.
Amara was not so subtly trying to hold in a laugh, catching the boys' attention. "Is that what you meant when you told me trainers were a runners second best friend and wouldn't tell me the first," she gestured to the underwear by Jungkook, her eyes sparkling. "No wonder you got all flustered." She laughed. Jay rolled his eyes at her teasing.
"Yeah," he scoffed. "Didn't wanna make you uncomfortable right before I took you out runnin' in the maze for the first time."
"That was very thoughtful of you, Jay." Amara smiled, although it wasn't sincere, more mocking and so again the dark haired boy rolled his eyes and the girl laughed once more.
Jungkook ignores their bickering and instead looks down at the items besides him. He was rather impressed, he didn't ever once think that all this effort went into running. He believed you got up, are breakfast and then went into the maze, not returning till just before the doors closed in on themselves. Oh, how wrong he was. He also knew Jay and Amara had more to show him, more to explain, before they even dared set foot in that hell made out of stone and vines.
"You guys really have this all thought out, don't you?" Jungkook asked as he looked up at the mastermind behind it all.
Jay shrugged. "Couple of years runnin' your butt off everyday, you figure out what you need and ask for it." He said and started stuffing things into his own rucksack and kindly filling Amara's too, in which she was grateful for.
Jungkook was surprised. He'd yet to hear that the Gladers could ask for whatever they wanted, within reason, and it was gifted them every time the box comes up to deliver supplies. "You mean, you can make requests? Supplies you want?" He asked. Why would the people who sent them there in the first place, want to help so much?
"'Course we can. Just drop a note in the box, and there she goes," Jay said before he shrugged. "Doesn't mean we always get what we want from the creators. Sometimes we do; sometimes we don't."
"Ever asked for a map?" Jungkook asked.
Jay laughed. "Yeah, tried that one. Asked for a TV, too, but no luck. I guess those shuck-faces don't want us seeing how wonderful life is when you don't live in a freaking maze."
"Well, if Joon's words are anything to go off. . . I don't think the outside world is as pleasant as we all want to believe." Amara says thoughtfully with a sigh. The boys were silent, because they knew she perhaps was right.
But if the world was so bad, worse than the Glade even, then want motivations did they left have to leave this place?
Jungkook felt that little trickle of doubt that life wasn't so great back home, wherever home was-- what kind of world allowed people to make teenagers live like this?
Shaking his head, he finished pacing up his shoes, then stood up and jogged around in circles, jumping up and down to test them out. "They feel pretty good. I guess I'm ready." Jungkook reveals with a relieved sigh.
Amara put her fist in her mouth, struggling to hold back a laugh once again in the presence of Jungkook and Jay, who in which, was still crouched over the two rucksacks on the ground; he glanced up at Jungkook with a look of disgust. "You look like an idiot, prancin' around like a shuck ballerina," he shook his head before he stood and put the rucksack on Amara's back, doing the work for her, before putting his own on. "Good luck out there with no packed lunch. No water. No weapons."
"Thankyou." Amara mouthed to Jay with a smile, thankful he had done all of that for her without needing to be asked or told. Jay nodded and returned the smile subtly.
An oblivious Jungkook had his mind focused elsewhere. "Weapons?" He squeaked, eyes wide.
"Weapons," Jay confirmed. The keeper stood and began to walk to the other side of the small shack. "Come here, I'll show ya."
The twins followed Jay and watched as he pulled a few boxes away from the back wall. Underneath lay a small trapdoor. Jay lifted it to reveal a set of wooden stairs leading into blackness. "Keep' em down in the basement so shanks like Gally can't get to them. Come on."
Jay went first. Amara second. Jungkook last. The stairs creaked with every shift of weight as they descended the dozen or so steps. The cool air was refreshing, despite the dust and the strong scent of mildew. They hit a dirt floor, and Jungkook nor Amara could see a thing until Jay turned on a single light bulb by pulling a string.
The room was larger than the twins had expected. Shelves lined the walls, and there were several blocky wooden tables; everything in sight was covered with all manners of junk that gave them the creeps. Wooden poles, metal spikes, large pieces of mesh- like what covers a chickens coop -rolls of barbed wire, saws, knives, swords. One entire wall was dedicated to archery: wooden bows, arrows, spare strings. The sight of it immediately brought back the memory of Ben getting shot by Namjoon in the Deadheads. Despite having trained with Jay before, Amara had not once been down in the basement. . . perhaps because Jay didn't want her seeing all the horror devices that could end someone's life either quickly, slowly, but most definitely painfullly. It wasn't pleasant.
"Wow," Jungkook murmured, his voice a dull thump in the enclosed space. At first he was terrified that they needed so many weapons, but he was more relived to see that the vast majority of weapons were covered in a thick layer of dust.
"Don't use most of it," Jay said, after seeing the uncomfortable expression on Amara's face. "But ya never know. All we usually take with us is a couple of sharp knives." Amara knew this.
Jay nodded towards a large wooden trunk in the corner, its lid open and leaning against the wall. Knives of all shapes and sizes were stacked haphazardly all the way to the top.
Jungkook just hoped Jay was telling the thrush and this room was in fact hidden away from most of the Gladers. "Seems kind of dangerous to have all this stuff," he said, swallowing away his rising nerves. "What if Ben had gotten down here right before he went nuts and attacked me and Amara?"
Jay clenched his fists and jaw at the thought alone, before he released a breath and pulled more keys out of his pocket and dangling them in front of the twins. "Only a few lucky toads have a set of these." He smirked.
Jungkook was still unsure. "Still. . ."
"Enough, Jungkook," Amara scolded. He turned to look at the girl who had her arms folded over her chest. "You need to start trusting people around here. Jay's no idiot, no matter how much he likes to act like one. Ben didn't get his hands on the weapons, clearly the keys work and keep this place unavailable to those undeserving."
Jay ignores her little jab at him and smiles cheekily, wrapping his arm around the girls waist and pulling her into his side happily. "Tiger's right. Quit your bellyachin' and pick a couple," Jay gestures to the box. "Make sure they're nice and sharp. Then we'll go and pay a visit to Hope and Jin. They'll have our lunches packed and ready for us in the kitchen. I wanna spend some time in the map room before we head out."
Jungkook was pumped to hear that- he'd been curious about the squat building ever since he'd first seen a runner go through its menacing door. He selected a short, silvery dagger with a rubber grip, then one with a long black blade. His excitement waned a little. Even though he knew very well what horrors await him out in the maze, he still felt uneasy taking a weapon or two into there.
Jay grabbed weapons for himself and Amara, before he told the twins to follow him out so they can grab food before rendezvousing in the map room before they went out into the maze. Jungkook followed the keeper up the steps, leaving Amara to leave last.
Before she followed after the boys, Amara's gaze lingered on the bow and arrows hung up on the wall and collecting dust. Something in her chest tugged and she felt drawn to the unpopular weapon, feeling as if her hands would fit perfectly around the carved wood. Shaking her head, she tore her eyes away and trudged up the steps, ignoring the hollow feeling beginning to show in her chest.
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Half an hour later, fed and packed, they stood in front of the riveted metal door of the Map room. Jungkook was itching to go inside. Dawn had burst forth in all her glory, and gladers milled about, readying for the day. Smells of frying bacon wafted through the air- Jin trying to keep up with dozens of starving stomachs.
Jay unlocked the door, cranked the wheel handle, spinning it until an audible click sounded from inside, then pulled. With a lurching squeal, the heavy metal slab swung open.
"After you," Jay said with a mocking bow, gesturing for the twins to go first.
They went in without saying anything. Amara had been inside of the map room many times before, however, Jungkook hadn't so this was all new to him. A cool fear, mixed with an intense curiosity, gripped him, and he had to remind himself to breathe.
The dark room had a musty, wet smell, laced with a deep coppery scent so strong he could taste it. A distant, faded memory of sucking on pennies as a kid popped into his head. He wondered if Amara had felt the same when she first walked into this room weeks ago. It seemed now, after finding out she was his sister, his twin, he had begun comparing his experiences to Amara's in wonder if she felt and went through the same things.
Jay hit a switch and several takes of fluorescent lights flickered until they came on full strength, revealing the room to the three pairs of eyes now inside of it.
Jungkook was surprised at its simplicity. About six metres across, the map room had concrete walls bare of any decoration. A wooden stable stood in the exact centre, eight chairs tucked in around it. Neatly stacked piles of pencils and papers lay about the tables surface, one for each chair. The only other items in the room were eight trunks, just like the one containing the knives in the weapons basement. Closed, they were evenly spaced, two to a wall.
"Welcome to the Map room," Jay said, more so to Jungkook since he was the only one who hadn't been in before. "As happy a place as you could ever visit."
Jungkook couldn't lie, he was slightly disappointed- he'd been expecting something more profound. He took in a deep breath. "Too bad it smells like an abandoned copper mine." He sighed.
Amara patted him on the back as she breezes past him. "You'll get used to the smell, don't worry." She assures.
But Jay shrugged. "I kinda like the smell," he said as he pulled two chairs out from underneath the desk. He gestured for Jungkook and Amara to sit in them. "Have a seat, twinnies. I want you both to get a couple of images in your head before we go out there."
As they sat down, Jay grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil, before situating himself to stand in between the two. He began drawing and they both leaned in to get a closer look and see that he was drawing a large box that filled nearly the entire page. Then, he filled it with smaller boxes until it looked exactly like an enclosed noughts-and-crosses board, three rows of three squares, all the same size roughly. He wrote the word 'GLADE' in the middle, then numbered the outside squares from one to eight, starting in the upper left corner and going clockwise. Lastly, he drew little notches here and there. Jungkook frowned.
"These are the doors," Jay clarified. "You know about the ones from the Glade, but there are four more out in the maze that lead to Sections One, Three, Five and Seven. They stay in the same spot, but the route there changes with the wall movements every night." He finished explaining, then slid the paper over to sit in front of Jungkook on the table.
Jungkook picked it up, completely fascinated that the Maze was so structured, and studied it as Jay continued talking.
"So, we have the Glade, surrounded by eight sections, each one a completely self-contained square and unsolvable in the two years since we began this freaking game. The only thing even approaching an exit is the cliff, and that ain't a very good one unless you like falling to a horrible death," Jay tapped the map. "The walls move all over the shuck place every evening- same time as our doors close shut. At least, we think that's when, because we never really hear the walls moving at any other time."
Jungkook looked up, happy to be able to offer a piece of information he hoped would be helpful. "I didn't see anything move that night we got stuck out there."
Jay shook his head. "Those main corridors right outside the doors don't ever change. It's just the ones a little deeper out." He explains.
"Oh," Jungkook's head drops down to stare at the map again. He tried to visualise the maze and see the stone walls where Jay had pencilled them on to the paper.
"We always have at least eight runners, including the Keeper. But with Ben's exile, we only had seven. That's when my Amara came in and we now have eight. One for each section. It takes us a whole day to map out our area- hoping against hope there's an exit, otherwise we're screwed -then we come back and draw it up, a separate page for each day," Jay threw a glance over at one of the eight trunks. "That's why those things are shuck full of maps. . ."
"So. . . it takes you a whole day to run through these little squares?" Jungkook asked as he pointed down at the paper.
"Feels like longer." Amara grumbled to herself. The girl was growing bored where she sat, listening to the same things Jay had talked her through when she first started her training. It was just as boring the second time she hears it.
Jay ruffled her hair at her passive-aggressive comment. "Hilarious," he says and steps over to one of the trunks right behind them, knelt down, then lifted the lid and rested it against the wall. "Come here."
Jungkook had already got up, whilst Amara stayed seated lazily. He leans over Jay's shoulder and took a look inside. The trunk was large enough that four stacks of maps could fit, and all four reached the top, despite the thin paper. Each of the ones Jungkook could see were very similar: a rough sketch of a square maze, filling almost the whole page. In the top right corners, 'Sections 8' was scribbled, followed by the name 'Hank', then the word 'Day' followed by a number. The latest one said it was day number 749.
Jay continued. "We figured out the walls were moving right at the beginning. As soon as we did, we started keeping track. We've always thought that comparing these day to day, week to week, would help us figure out patterns. And we did- the mazes basically repeat themselves about every month. But we've yet to see an exit open up that will lead us out of the square. Never been an exit."
"It's been two years," Jungkook emphasised the word. "Haven't you got desperate enough to stay out there overnight willingly, see if something opens up whilst the walls are moving?" He suggest innocently. Amara, who had been rather quiet all this time, pursed her lips at his words. She knew Jay wouldn't be happy. . . and she was right, he wasn't.
Jay looked up at him, a flash of anger in his narrowed eyes. "That's kind of insulting, dude. Seriously?"
"What?" Jungkook was shocked- he hadn't meant it in that way. It was simply a suggestion.
"We've been bustin' our butts for two years, and all you can ask is why we're too sissy to stay out there all night?" Jay scoffed, shaking his head. "A few tried it in the very beginning- all of them turned up dead. You wanna spend another night out there? Like your chances of surviving again, do ya?"
Jungkook's face reddened in shame. "No. Sorry." He apologised. He suddenly felt like, what the Gladers would say, a piece of klunk. And he certainly agreed- he'd much rather come home safe and sound to the Glade every night than ensure another battle with the Grievers. He shuddered at the thought.
"Yeah, well," Jay returned his gaze to the paper, much to Jungkook's relief. "Life in the Glade might not be sweet livin', but at least it's safe. Plenty of food. Protection from the Grievers. There's no way we can ask the runners to risk staying out there- no way. Least not yet. Not until something about these patterns gives a clue that an exit might open, even temporarily."
"Are you close? Anything developing?" Jungkook asked.
Jay shrugged. "I don't know. It's kind of depressing, but we don't know what else to do. Can't take a chance that one day, in one spot, somewhere, an exit might appear. We can't give up. Ever."
Jungkook nodded, relived at the attitude of his superior. As bad as things were, giving up would only make them worse.
Jay pulled several sheets from the trunk, the maps from the last few days. As he flipped through them, he explained, "We compare day to day, week to week, month to month, just like I was saying. Each runner is in charge of the map for his own," Amara coughed. "Her own, section. If I gotta be honest, we haven't figured out jack yet. Even more honest- we don't know what we're even looking for. Really sucks, dude. Really freaking sucks."
"But we can't give up." Jungkook said it in a matter-of-fact tone, as a resigned repetition of what Jay had said earlier. He'd also said 'we' without even thinking about it, and realised he was truly part of the Glade now. Amara smiled proudly.
Jay slapped Jungkook's shoulder. "Right on, bro. We can't give up," Jay carefully returned the papers and closed the trunk, then stood. "Well, we gotta bust it fast since we took our time in here- you'll just be following me around for your first few days, like Amara. Ready?" He looked between the twins.
Unlike Amara, Jungkook felt a wire of nervousness tighten inside him, pinching his gut. It was actually here- they were going for real now, no more talking and thinking about it. But despite this, the two nodded simultaneously.
Jay smirked.
"Then let's go runnin'."
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I finally found the motivation in me to finish this story and get over my writing block!
I love this story too much and I hate to see it it sat there collecting dust and so with the right motivation, I am able to brush off its cobwebs and get the magic and creativity flowing through this book once again! Hopefully, I won't disappear for two months after I publish this chapter. . . whoopsies :/
To make up for the long wait, I've made this chapter one of the longest chapters in this book so far so I hope you appreciate that! I also hoped you enjoyed this chapter, even though it's a filler sadly, I tried to make it more interesting by including lots of fun interactions between our favourite trio. Jay, Amara and Jungkook! My babies!
See you in the next update everyone 👋