The Maze Runner

Part 5

I wake up just before dawn; I yawn softly as I look beside me and see Gally with his arm draped over me, sound asleep. I slowly remove his arm from me as I get out of the bed, pulling on my shoes. I glance back at the Gladers sleeping before quietly walking to Thomas' bed; I lightly shake him and quickly puts my hand over his mouth as he wakes up. I put my finger to my lips as he nods slightly.
"I want to show you something." I whisper motioning him to come with me.
I slowly walk away as Thomas soon catches up to my side, with a curious look.
"What did you want to show me that we had to be up before dawn?" Thomas asked looking around at the darkened Glade.
"As I said last night, Thomas, you're curious and I just want to show you something that'll open your eyes with what we live with." I say as we finally reach one of the walls.
I move a bit of ivy out of the way and reveal a window. I look back at Thomas.
"They are Grievers." I say with disgust as I motion to the small window.
Thomas leans forward and looks into the window. I watch Thomas' reactions when he sees exactly what we're up against; I glance at the window and see a Griever charge for the window, hitting it making Thomas fall back on his arse. I laugh softly before helping him up.
"Now you see what we're up against." I say turning my head back to the window.
Thomas and I sit under a tree by the crops; I smile softly looking around the Glade.
"She's a beauty, isn't she?" I mention speaking my mind as Thomas nods slightly before looking over at me.
"How come you're the only girl?" Thomas asks cocking a brow.
I laugh softly, looking over at Thomas before looking back at the walls of concrete.
"That, I don't know." I say with a look of sorrow in my face.
I never thought much of why I was the only girl, every time I did I just pushed it back and never gave it much thought. Thomas watched my reaction and put his hand on my knee, giving it a small rub and a reassuring smile. I smile slightly back before Thomas asks the obvious question.
"Why do you waste your time with Gally? I mean...you're so polite and approachable and he's such an asshole." Thomas says as I shrug softly looking over at the Homestead.
"Gally and I have been friends for two years." I respond. "Alby, Newt, Gally and myself got to know each other being the first four. We created the order and everything. Something about Gally just meshed with me, we had fun and everything. But I think he wants more than friends, you know? But I don't feel the same, I was just wanting fun and that's what I told him 2 years ago when we started this."
"Have you told him how you felt? Nothing more?" Thomas asks looking over at me.
"I have and I'm going to say we can't continue. It's too difficult with the Gladers around and we need to keep everyone in line." I mention with a sigh passing my lips.
"Good luck with that." Thomas mentions before looking out at Minho and Ben who are geared up and waiting by the wall.
The walls slowly start opening now that the sun has risen and off the Runners go.
"What if I don't want a job like everyone here? What if I want to be a Runner?" Thomas asks with a curious and excited look on his face.
I cock a brow, laughing before patting him on the back.
"As Newt said last night, no one 'wants' to be a Runner, Thomas." I say shaking my head. "Besides, you'd have to get chosen to be one."
"Get chosen by-" Thomas started before we were interrupted by Newt and Alby.
"Adriana and Greenie up before anyone else." Alby mentions with a smirk playing on his lip.
Thomas removed his hand from my knee as I stood up; defensive.
"I was showing Thomas the window." I say with a nod. "He's not like the others, he's curious."
Thomas stands up beside me as Gally walks over, scratching his head.
"Why are all you shanks over here? Shouldn't we be getting the others up?" Gally asks looking at Alby, Newt then Thomas before his eyes fall on me. "I didn't hear you get up, must've been as quiet as a mouse."
I shrug softly, before looking at the three guys.
"Let's go get the Gladers too work." I say walking passed the boys towards the Homestead.
"She really is a piece of work." I hear Newt say behind me as a smile creeps on my face.
Finally it was 3:30pm and I look through the opening of the wall, seeing Minho run back through to the Glade but no Ben. I put down whatever I was doing before jogging over to Minho.
"Hey, where's Ben?" I ask confused and worried about the answer.
"Didn't anyone tell you?" Minho asked before a scream comes from the Med-jacks part of the Glade.
Minho and I look at each other before running over and barging through the door, running up the stairs. I see Ben laying in bed, tied down, breathing heavily, his eyes blood shot red and purple veins all over his body. I look around at Alby, Gally and Newt.
"No one told me about him?!" I yell furiously as I should've been one of the first to know as I thought we were equals.
"I only just found out too." Newt adds gesturing to Alby and Gally.
I look at Alby and Gally, annoyed and hurt as to why they didn't tell Newt and I about this.
"He got stung...during the day." Minho says moving Ben's shirt up showing a swollen, bloody hole in Ben's side.
"Oh my God." I say before dropping back against the door.
"We've given him the antidote." Clint adds.
Clint is the Keeper of the Med-jacks; Jeff is our only other Med-jack.
Now that the Med-jacks have given Ben the antidote. Ben will be experiencing killer pain which we call the "Changing". He gets glimpses of the past, before the maze, his life and everything. But to do so, he has to accept the pain of which the stinger has done to him; letting him remember.
"This has never happened...why is this happening? Why now?" Newt asked panicking.
"We also found something else." Minho chimes in making each of us turn heads.
"And that is?" Gally finally asks leaving us waiting for Minho's next answer.
"We found a dead Griever." Minho says as we all look at him dumbfounded, not believing what we just heard.
"Everything's going to change." I mumble to myself as I stare at Ben's wound.
"What did you say?" Jeff, the other Med-jack asks as no one heard what I said.
"I gotta go." I say before rushing out the door.
"Adriana!" Gally calls out after I've already found my way back out to the Glade.
I run out the door and grab Thomas' arm pulling him with me to the Keepers Keep.
"Whoa, hey, Adriana what's wrong? You look like-" Thomas starts as I breathe heavily, pacing in front of him.
"Who are you?" I ask, running my fingers through my hair. "We know your name is Thomas but are you sure you don't remember anything else?"
Thomas shakes his head, confused as I shoot questions he had no answers too.
"What's this about?" Thomas asks before grabbing my forearms, stopping me from pacing. "Calm down, Adriana."
I look at him as my breathing slows down with a nod.
"Now tell me what's going on." Thomas says rubbing my arms with his thumbs, soothingly.
"This came up with you in the box yesterday." I say softly grabbing the folded paper from my pocket.
Thomas read both sides of the paper aloud before looking up at me.
"What does this mean?" Thomas asks, confusion written over his face.
"I don't know but it came up with you and now...Ben, you remember the Runner from yesterday? Yeah, he's been stung, this time in broad daylight which is the first time something like this has ever happened." I say starting to get into a slight panic again. "Everything is going to change and if things change, especially Ben getting stung in the day, we can kiss the Glade goodbye."
"I swear...I don't remember anything else." Thomas says looking into my eyes as I nod slightly realizing he's telling the truth.
"I'm sorry...I'm just-order is all we have; it's what keeps us together and now..." I slowly trail off before staring at Thomas.
"Adriana? Are you okay?" Thomas asks waving his hand in front of my face.
"You...I know who you are." I say in almost a whisper.

TO BE CONTINUED