Meant to be / Book 2 / A maze runner story

Chapter 12 - Missing the Glade

Winston. Death. Chuck. Glade. WICKED. What I have done. All thoughts that flood my head as we continue on walking. Everyone is in total silence, broken by what happened. But it's not just broken, it's scarred; I will be for the rest of my life. No one is talking and no one wants to talk. Slowly, the sun is starting to set. We should start on looking for shelter.
- "We should start to find shelter." Says Thomas. "The sun is setting."
- "There." Says Minho, pointing to the right.
I turn my head and see this little broken down building. That's going to be perfect. We slowly head there and all sit in silence. Minho opens his backpack and takes out a lighter.
- "I'm going to start a fire. Can someone help me find some wood?"
- "I can go with you."
He nods and we walk away. We look around and find a few pieces. I turn to Minho and he doesn't look like himself.
- "I'm sorry." He says.
- "For what?"
- "For you to see me like this. It's so hard to not lose hope in front of the others, and i just can't handle this anymore. Y/n i cant become like the kids you saw hanging from WICKED and i can't end up like Winston...it's like there's no bright end to the tunnel."
I walk up to him, drop the pieces of wood, and hug him tightly.
- "I know how you feel Minho...trust me I do. But something good will happen. There's a place for us out there, a safe place, I just know it. We're going to find it."
We let go and continue on picking up pieces of wood. Aris comes to us.
- "Just wanted to make sure you guys are ok. You've been gone for quite some time."
I smile.
- "Yeah. We're fine." I say. "Do you mind lending a hand?"
He nods and grabs a few pieces too. We all go back to the group and place the wood in an orderly manner to properly start the fire.
- "Aris." Says Minho. "Can you get some more please?"
Aris nods and walks away. It is now completely dark outside and everyone is sitting around the fire, still in silence. Minho lights it up and a few minutes later, Aris arrives with a few other pieces. He sits down. Minho is playing with a knife.
- "I thought we were supposed to be immune."
I look to him and sigh. I thought so too.
- "Not all of us, I guess." Says Teresa.
She is lied down, and looking at the fire. If Winston can get affected that means we all can too.
- "If Winston can get affected, we should assume so can the rest of us."
I turn to Thomas, who is sitting on my right, and he has a tear streaming down his cheek. I grab his hand and he squeezes it. Just like the conversation I had with Minho, I know that Thomas is feeling the same way we are feeling.
- "I never thought I'd say it..." Says Fry, softly crying, "I miss the glade."
- "I miss it too." I say.
We all sit, or lay there in silence. Minho is sharpening his knife. Thomas let's go of my hand and gets up. I look at him walking away. I look at Newt.
- "Ill handle it."
Newt gets up and sits next to Thomas, who is facing his back to us, maybe about half a mile away from us. I try and listen to their conversation but I can't. I have a feeling I know what Newt is saying but I'm not sure. My leg is shaking.
- "You know you can get up and go see them. Right?" Says Minho.
I look at him and sigh. I look back to Thomas and Newt and slowly get up. I walk towards them and stand behind them.
- "So we cant give up, you can't give up." Says Newt. "I won't let you."
I smile. That is a typical thing Newt would say; always kind and big hearted.
- "Thanks Newt. I really appreciate, but I just...I don't even know where to start." Says Thomas.
- "And that's ok."
- "Yeah but all of our lives are at risk, y/n's life is at risk."
I look down and sigh. I know that what Janson said about me had affected Thomas, but I never realized it had affected him this much.
- "If there's one thing I know from my twin sister is that she can take care of herself, trust me. I know how you're feeling right now because I can't loose her either. I don't know what I would do with myself if that ever happened," my heart tightens, "but she's strong and she knows what she's doing."
- "And hes right about that." I say, sitting down next to Thomas.
- "Really?" Says Newt.
I giggle. He isn't happy that I was eavesdropping.
- "How long have you been standing there?"
- "Not long."
He goes behind Thomas and hits me in the arm.
- "Hey!"
Thomas giggles.
- "You two don't stay up too late. Thomas needs some rest."
Says Newt getting up.
- "Don't worry mom."
Newt sends me a death stare and rolls his eyes, which makes me burst out laughing.
- "You two really have a great relationship."
- "Yeah, we really do. We always had been before we knew we were siblings, and I'm guessing that actually knowing that we are, strengthen that bond."
He looks in front of him and sighs.
- "Thomas. Newt is right. I hate seeing all of this eat you alive and I want you to stop worrying. I know it's harder to it sounds, but I can't see you like this, especially because it's about me."
- "I don't remember what you did but I do remember what it was like losing you when you went into the maze and I promised myself to never feel that way ever again. When my memories came back, the idea of you being gone has been haunting me. Day and night."
- "I'm safe now." I say, grabbing his hand.
- "Are we? Are we truly safe?"
Thomas has this fear in his voice, that I never heard before. He is slowly panting. I lean him and kiss him. He kisses me back and the kiss is slow and passionate. I gently pull away.
- "I love you Thomas."
He puts his hand on my face and looks at me straight in the eyes.
- "I love you too."
He kisses me again. I hear someone whistling and I pull away from Thomas. Minho is laughing, which means it was definitely him who did.
- "Come on. Let's get some rest."
I grab Thomas's hand and we make our way back to the group.