The dark-skinned boy grabbed y/n by the neck. The black-haired boy held her around her shoulders. Y/n screamed but a hand clamped around her mouth.
She struggled and struggled. Her vision was growing darker.
Then it all went blank.
Y/n gasped for breath, sitting up and grabbing the edge of her hammock. Minho was looking at her with concern. He placed his hand on her shoulder and steadied her fidgeting movements. Y/n's eyes grew from panicked to relieved.
"Just a nightmare" she mumbled to herself.
Her legs were shaking when she stood up. It was dark outside and the candle on the floor was the only source of light. Minhos hand was still on her shoulder.
He leaned downwards and looked into her eyes. Y/n nodded, indicating that she was alright. This nightmare had been worse than the others for y/n. She didn't even feel the usual butterflies under Minhos gaze, only slight terror knowing that that same face had helped get her killed in the dream.
Barely satisfied with y/ns answer, Minho still let go of her. He exited the wooden stack they'd started to call homestead. Y/n picked up the travel bag she had packed the previous day and hurried after Minho. Jack was already standing at the entrance of the maze, waiting for it to open.
"Newt knows?" Y/n asked Minho as they jogged across the grass.
"Course..." Minho slowed down to a walk and pulled something from his pocket. "Take this"
Y/n extended her hand and Minho revealed a short knife. She gasped a bit. The reality of them possibly having to use weapons in the maze hit her like a concrete wall.
She took the knife with shaking hands, her fingers swiping along Minhos for just a moment. Y/n pretended that she didnt notice but in reality she got that annoying fluttering feeling again.
She placed the weapon under her belt. Minho smiled a bit, then gestured that he had something to defend himself with as well, a similiar knife.
Minho offered to carry the backpack y/n had packed but she declined. Making her crush carry this heavy thing? Definitely no. Minho sighed, insisting that he would at least carry it on their way back.
The duo approached Jack just as the maze doors rumbled open. They covered their ears, exchanging tired gazes with each other. As soon as the doors were fully open Jack was already inside with a bounce in his step. Minho followed eagerly.
Y/n wasn't as excited, and she took a moment to take in the view of the Glade. The boys were wandering around already, having woken up from the racket. Y/n smiled, seeing all the work they had done to the area since they had arrived.
She was so proud of it. All they had built. She loved this place. But then Minho yelled for her and she was snapped from her daze. Y/n waved at Newt who was gazing their way. He raised his hand to return the gesture but y/n had already run off.
Keeping to their idea of taking only left turns, Jack, Minho, and y/n jogged, then walked for a while. They rarely talked. Admiring the vine covered walls and seemingly endless passages of identical stone walls. Luckily Jack was short like y/n, so Minho having to slow down his pace wasn't only her fault.
Eventually y/n grew hungry and she quickly grabbed an apple from her bag for breakfeast. Because of the lack of conversation her most recent nightmare began playing thruogh her mind.
The two boys she had arrived here with, attempting to kill her. It was her worst fear. The muscles she felt under Minho's shirt when hugging him instead holding her back while the kind giant she had come to love squeezed her neck.
The Glade was built on trust.
Y/n shook her head and leveled her breathing. Jogging for so long wasn't the most pleasant thing but Minho seemed to be fine with it.
They stopped for lunch at twelve, using Minhos watch that he had requested from the box. It was a pretty cheap design but it worked.
Y/n coudn't banish the memories of her nightmare from her mind as she sat leaning against the maze wall. She pinched herself and tried to focus on something else, like the vine that was lightly tickling her shoulder, but it wasn't working.
Tears brimmed in y/n's eyes and she looked down, swallowing the lump in her throat. She jumped a bit when feeling an arm around her shoulders.
Y/n didn't even have to look up to know who it was. Jack would never touch her like that. It was Minho.
He squeezed her against him and y/n leaned into his touch. This time it was... less awkward. The touch did comfort her. But something in the very depths of her mind still screamed for her to tell Minho how she felt. But is she did that, the support that she was receiving now would never return, because Minho would never like her back.
Y/n wiped her eyes and sniffled. She stood up, sending a thankful glance towards Minho followed in suit. She stuffed the container their lunch had been in back into the bag but before she could sling it on her shoulder Minho had grabbed it.
Y/n didn't resist and let him carry the bag as they continued on thruogh the maze. It was heavy and she was already having trouble running for such a long period of time.
After running for another hour, things were starting to look bad. They would have to turn back soon. And there was still no end in sight. Minho looked anxious and was quickening their pace the closer his watch ticked to their turn around point.
He leaned against the wall with a dissapointed shout as the clock hit 2 o'clock. Y/n stopped as well. She hated seeing Minho like that but was relived they could turn around and head back home.
The Glade was her home. It really was.
Jack kept on running a few steps. He gazed down the next stone corridor, their last hope. And his eyes widened. He turned to y/n and Minho with a smile on his face. He ran into the passage and y/n quickly followed him with new found energy.
As she passed by Minhos slumped figure she patted his shoulder and heard him following her. Then they turned the corner.
It was a dead end.
"And what's so exciting about that huh?" Minho rolled his eyes but admittedly was curios.
Y/n sent him a bad look and looked at Jack with sympathy, sorry for Minho's mean comment. His frustration was understandable, but the dead-end was at least something different from the endless corridors they had been running thruogh the past few hours.
Y/n walked past Jack and ran her hand along the dead ends wall. The boys behind her inspected the area as well. There was nothing special about the walls here... it was just a dead end.
"We could try to climb the wall" y/n suggested, not entirely serious.
"We have to turn back guys, but good work" Minho told them, seemingly feeling a bit guilty for snapping at Jack.
Y/n sighed, taking one last look at the dead-end then following Jack and Minho back the way they'd come from. They only made right turns and were confident they had time to return to the Glade.
The trio grew hungry. They ate. Jack stumbled on his feet. Y/n fell and stood back up. Minhos foot caught caught in dead vine and he scraped his forearm as he was gaining his balance.
It was already a normal routine. Jog, then walk. Comment a vine that had grown to make the shape of a heart of something like a face. Eat a snack while walking. Drink water.
For the whole time y/ns mind was in anguish and the mindless running again gave her time to think about... life. Just like every night when it was quiet and dark.
She looked at Minho from behind and felt like someone was squeezing her heart. Nearly five months here and she was already head over heels for him. He sort of knew it but was ignoring it.
If y/n could have one question answered about anything, it wouldn't be who put her and the boys in Glade. It wouldn't be why she's the only girl here. She would ask what Minho felt about her.
And her memories. She had been getting a few in her dreams. Nothing like the nightmare from last night. Flashes of her with strangers she reconized. Doctors leaning over her.
After every dream she would wake up in a sweat with the memory of her whole life story. But seconds later she would forget it all and be a clueless teenager once again.
Minho commented that he recognized the walls and y/n agreed. They were getting close to the Glade.
And the roars during the night. There was some creature in the maze-
The very roar y/n had been thinking about sounded behind her and she stumbled. She turned around and screamed.
A gooey form shaped like some huge dog was behing her. Sharp and gruesome weapons stuck out of its dark body. Mechanical things too, they shook and swung around searching for something to kill.
It roared again and it's red eyes flared with something reminiscent of human anger. Y/n did the only thing she could think of.
She ran.
The two boys in front of her shouted in alarm and began to run as well. The monster was loud as it gave chase. It's whole body rattling and cranking. It's roar was a combination of the sound of a blender and a lions roar.
Y/n had never run so hard in her life. She was breathing hard but barely noticed it. She whimpered and screamed, waving at Minho and Jack to run harder every time they turned around to glance at the monster chasing them.
Y/n turned a right corner and nearly slammed into the opposite wall. A vine fell in front of her face and poked her in the eye. She stumbled forward, hearing her pursuer getting ever closer. Tears streamed down one side of her face and she could barely open her eyes.
Then someone grabbed her by the arm and pulled her forward. It was Jack. Y/n heard Minho shouting at them to hurry up, his knife in hand.
Y/n pulled her own out as well, Jack then let go of her and armed himself. Y/ns eye felt a bit better by then and she could see now.
More panicked running.
Then Jack tripped on a rock and the knife flew from his hand. He yelled for help and y/n turned back to watch the creature kill him.
Almost, kill him. She saw the light nearly leave his eyes as the weapons imbedded in the monsters skin violently impale Jack.
Y/n shrieked, gripping her knife hard, turning her knuckles white. Jack's twitching body was forgotten by the monster and it bounded straight for y/n.
Minho was already yanking forward and she had no choice but to continue running. Tears were streaming down her face and she barely noticed it when they arrived at the glade.
They both collapsed onto the grass at the last minute. The rumbling sound signaled the closing of the maze doors. Y/n leaped to her feet.
She didn't catch her breath. She pushed herself into the gap. She met eyes with Jack, who was crawling towards the doors.
Help he mouthed.
Y/n screamed as she felt someone yank her back onto the glade. It was Alby. He was gripping her wrist tightly.
The maze doors slammed shut. A roar was heard from the monster followed by Jack's unintelligible yells.
Y/n screamed with frustration and punched the wall. Minhos knuckles were already bleeding from doing the same. Their voices were hoarse.
Then Alby grabbed y/ns other wrist and pulled her against him. Gally was pulling Minho back and he resisted.
Y/n buried her head in her arms and Alby rubbed her shoulder. She looked over at Mihho. He was still struggling against Gallys hold. But when he met y/ns eyes he calmed down. He began to cry and y/n coudnt watch.
She fell to her knees and Alby let her go. She wrapped her arms around herself and hunched down. Jack was stuck there. He had asked for help. What had he done to deserve this?
On cue, y/n heard another shout from Jack and she gasped, covering her ears.
He wasn't going to survive the night.
A/n:
"Apple tater"
(Only the valid people here will get that reference)
- San-san❤️