The Beginning of the End // The Maze Runner // Newt

// Chapter 6 //

After the group dispersed, the girl was moved to the Med-hut and shortly after, Clint and Jeff had both left, presumably to get something to eat, leaving Athena in the shack. She could hear the wind blow gently through the cracks in the walls, creating a small draft. It wasn't the most comfortable either, sitting on a hard wooden chair for ages, but she was willing to endure it in the hopes that the girl, whoever she was, would wake up soon.

Alby was also in the hut, his arms bound together and his feet tied down so he couldn't hurt anyone while he went through the Changing. He grunted in pain every so often and his breathing was heavy and laboured, an indicator that whatever he was experiencing was unimaginable. Apparently you also got your memories back, or at least some of them depending on how much of the Griever venom got into your bloodstream when you're stung. She didn't know the details but, from the looks of it, Alby seemed to have received a full dose.

The constant whimpering eventually triggered something in Athena's mind and she became extremely nervous herself. Images flashed before her eyes, much like what she saw in her dreams only different. This time she was walking in a pitch-dark room filled with whines, whimpers and the occasional blood-curdling screams. She couldn't see the cause of these noises until she made her way closer to the source and out of the darkness she finally saw cages upon cages upon cages, filled with ravenous monsters like those she had slain in her other dreams.

Yes, she called them monsters, but the more she looked at them, the more she noticed some with normal behaviours. There were a few people who looked completely sane except for their tattered clothes, matted hair and perhaps a slight tick in their fingers, but apart from that, their eyes were clear. As though they knew exactly what was going on. As though they were still regular people who have already accepted their inevitable fate. She couldn't describe her confusion. What had happened to them? Why were they locked up? Where were they?

As quickly as the vision came, it vanished and Athena was once more sitting on the uncomfortable wooden chair in the Med-hut.

Oddly enough, the next time she looked at the girl, Athena felt as though she recognised her from somewhere. Yes, she had felt some air of familiarity with the whole Glade and most people there but that was a lot more distant. This familiarity was stronger, just as strong as what she felt when she had met Newt, but as similar as that was, it was completely different. All she did know was that she needed to be wary before she figured out why the girl had such a peculiar air about her.

She hadn't even noticed the Med-jacks arrival until Newt, Thomas and Minho joined them and she was pulled from her thoughts by their questions.

"Jeff, what's going on?" Newt asked, "What's the matter with her? Why won't she wake up?"

"Listen man, I got my job the same way you did." Newt's eyes flickered around the room, landing on Athena for a brief moment before settling on Thomas.

"Well, d'you recognise her?"

"No."

"Really? Because she seemed to recognise you." Newt seemed skeptical about whether he should believe Thomas, looking to Minho for some kind of sign, but the Keeper merely kept his head down and eyes focused on the girl.

"What about the note?" Thomas questioned, removing the focus from himself for the moment.

"Well, we'll worry about the note later." Newt brushed off. They continued to discuss the Box situation while Newt continued to be optimistic, wanting to simply wait until the girl woke up so we could hopefully get some proper answers.

Athena only began to fully pay attention again when Thomas quickly started to exit the room, apparently heading off into the Maze.

"You're kidding me, right?" I asked Newt who simply shrugged, not very surprised at the not-so-Newbie's behaviour, "You okay?" The boy was a lot more quiet than usual and merely nodded in response. Clearly not. "What's on your mind?"