Emotionless »« Newt

TWO

Thomas can't sleep that night. It's like a pestilence, whirling thoughts rushing around his brain, refusing to let him rest. Who are these people? Where did they come from? Why are they so keen to help? For some reason, something doesn't settle quite right with him, and no matter how much he tries to take Newt's advice and push it aside, it doesn't seem to work.

A quiet hiss sounds out in the room, and at first he can't help but think it's a leaky pipe or something. Perhaps he hopes it's that. But it comes again, and it's definitely a human voice. "Hey," the whisper comes once more, and Thomas frowns. "Down here."

Feeling more than a little stupid, he shifts before dipping his head off the end of the mattress, then jumping furiously at a face in the darkness. His quiet exclamation immediately results in Aris shushing him, muttering, "Come on. Follow me." He smiles before shifting backwards in the vent, and Thomas just watches in confusion, unmoving at first. "Hurry, this way. Come on."

He's not sure what on Earth possesses him to follow the strange boy who's been here for a week, but the road down the vents is bumpy and definitely not comfortable in the slightest, leaving Thomas wondering anxiously when it'll end and he can go back to bed. It's not been long that he's been surviving without a proper bed – just a hammock in the Glade – but it's as long as he can properly remember, anyway.

Thomas keeps following Aris down the never-ending vents, wondering what the hell is wrong with his brain, till they reach a larger section. Much to his surprise, Aris isn't the only one there anymore. That girl is there, too – Leandra? – and she flicks her hair back before grinning at Thomas. "Thought you wouldn't make it, Tommy boy. Now, keep quiet and get your ass over here."

Thomas isn't sure if he's meant to be relieved at her presence or not, getting a strange vibe from her, but she just rolls her eyes before beckoning him forward. He shuffles closer, taking notice of the large vent they're crowded around, before peering down.

Leandra can't help but watch him, eyes narrowed as she takes in his confusion. From what she remembers, Thomas definitely didn't care about anything dangerous or ridiculous till after he'd done it – the Maze seems to have changed him. In fact, she can't help but remember slightly bitterly, it's changed them all.

It's in silence the trio watch the covered bodies being wheeled into the sealed room, and Aris glances at Andi's closed eyes before nudging her. She shushes him despite neither of them having said a word, then opens them again just in time to see the last one disappear inside and the door shut once more. "I didn't get anything from them again," she murmurs, much to Thomas's confusion. "They're alive, but at the same time, not quite..."

"What do you mean, 'not quite'?" Thomas repeats. "What the hell are you doing, what the hell was that?"

"They bring new ones in every night like clockwork," Aris replies, voice near inaudible. "This is as far as we've ever gotten. The vents don't even go into that section. But once they go through that door, they don't come back out. I don't think anybody ever really leaves this place."

"Okay, enough chit-chat, we gotta move," Leandra hisses, already heading back the way the boys came. "You're in a room with other kids – that's a liability. You need to get back before someone notices you're gone."

"Why did you show me this?" Thomas suddenly asks, eyes still glued through the vent to where he saw the bodies. All those names called out this morning, all those excited kids...

Leandra purses her lips uncomfortably, feeling his sorrow but unable to do anything about it. Instead she turns to Aris with a raised eyebrow. They didn't get to talk about this plan for long, and it's all on him. Aris hesitates, then says, "Because maybe the others will listen to you. There's something weird going on here. And I know you think so too."