in another life; the maze runner

☆fifteen☆

"What about Alby?" Newt inquired, his expression dripping with a mix of hope and anxiety. Everyone else turned to Mae, even Gally and Thomas, listening intently to hear what she had to say. Trying not to be phased by the sudden attention, she took a shaky breath and addressed the group with her hands calmly at her sides.

"Alby's awake. Teresa said he wants to talk to- us," She was looking straight at Newt now, trying to get the message through with just her emotion filled eyes. He nodded quickly, biting his lip briskly in thought as he glanced to Gally, Thomas and Minho. Without waiting for a response, the girl turned on her heel swiftly, strutting toward the Med-jack hut with as much confidence as she could possibly muster.

They better be following me, she was thinking to herself, not wanting to awkwardly look over her shoulder in an attempt to see if they had listened. Her prayers were answered when she heard someone's foot slip, due to the slippery mud, behind her and a grunt from Thomas, which then resulted in an exasperated sigh from Newt.

When they reached the hut, Mae let Newt and the others go in before her, seeing as some of the other Keepers had followed and they had known Alby a lot longer than herself. She stayed behind until they all filed into the hut, and she took an empty seat next to Teresa.

Alby was sat up on his bed completely still, with a deep faraway look in his dark eyes. He looked different. Like a broken glass that was pieced back together, appearing to look the same as before, but there was a small shard missing. He was incomplete. Not himself. Mae made eye contact with her sister, who had been eyeing the leader anxiously.

Newt approached him warily, lowering himself onto the cot and trying not to let his disappointment of his friends mental state show through his expression.

"Alby, you alright?" He asked with a soft tone. When Alby didn't respond, Thomas kneeled down in front of him scanning his face for an answer. Still no response.

Thomas glanced at Mae and Teresa for a moment with in a nervous manner, then back at the older boy. "Hey Alby," He said soothingly. "We might have just found a way out of the Maze,"

"We could be getting out of here."

Alby took a second, as if he was searching for the right words to say. His eyes were narrowed and brimming with tears, his forehead creased with discouragement. "We can't leave..." He muttered finally, slightly rocking back and forth where he sat. His breaths were staggered as he shook his head with dismay. "We can't leave." Alby repeated.

Mae stared ahead blankly, trying to inhale a breath of air as anxiety filled her more and more with every word Alby said. Something had happened to him when he was stung. He knows something we don't.

"They won't let us." Alby continued with his warnings. Newt jerked his head away from him slightly at his statement, taken aback.

"Alby, what are you talking about?" Mae asked, fear taking hold of her.

"I remember." He announced. Frypan and Gally shared a look of uncertainty, and Newt kept his gaze firmly on Alby.

"What do you remember?" Thomas asked slowly, trying not to startle or anger him in anyway, based on his reaction last time. Alby finally broke his harsh stare, his eyes traveling from the air in front of him to Thomas, who kneeled curiously in front of him. "You."

"You're always their favorite, Thomas." Alby spoke, his voice cracking slightly as he croaked Thomas's name. "Always."

The boy felt everyone's eyes land on him, and he tried not to shake with fear. He glanced at Mae, who was looking at him with pure terror embedded in her eyes. Whatever Alby knew, it had to connect to the girl in some way. Their shared dreams and visions couldn't just be a coincidence.

"Mae. You let them down." Alby squeaked, and now the attention was on her.

The girl felt a chill roll down her spine, and her heart pounded in her ears like a base drum. It was if the world around her had slowed down, and shone a spotlight on her. Everyone was waiting for her to retaliate, and she screamed at herself in her mind.

Say something Mae. Say something.

"Why? Why did you do this? Why did you make them angry?" Alby questioned again, causing her anxiety to sky rocket. A stray, solemn tear rolled down his cheek like a drop of river escaping a dam.

You're an idiot. This is your fault. All of it. Nasty, malicious voices hissed at her in her head.

She didn't notice through her panic, but commotion had broken out outside the hut. Boys were yelling and scrambling around the Glade. Something was very wrong. Thomas backed away from Alby slowly, peering out of the hut. Newt did the same, but Mae was frozen in place, breathing heavily.

Everyone started to leave the hut, except for Mae.

"Mae?" Newt called behind him, snapping her out of her pessimist thoughts. Trembling, she took one last look at Alby, who now held his head in his hands, and allowed Newt to take her hand and lead her outside.

When they stepped out, the sun had almost set completely, the only source of light from the torches that several Gladers were holding. Newt still had a firm grip on Mae's hand, the girl herself was still shaking from the confrontation with Alby. Newt couldn't tell if he was holding her hand for her comfort, or his. Thomas was leading the group from the Med- jack hut toward the center of the Glade, with Teresa right as his side. He paused when he saw Winston hurriedly walking past them.

"Hey, Winston what's going on?" Thomas questioned the Keeper of the Slicers.

"It's the doors- they aren't closing." He told them breathlessly in a flurry, gesturing to the gap in the walls, which were still wide open. When obviously, they should have been safely shut by this time of day. Several boys were jogging toward the opening, panic and fear gripping them to nearly insanity.

Mae took a deep breath as Newt started dragging her after the others, who had continued moving in the direction of the Maze. She glanced over her shoulder, seeing Gally still standing where they had stopped. His eyes were wide with terror, darting from each boy as he watched everything he ever remembered begin to crumble in front of him.

She didn't have enough time to feel pity for him, as Newt had persuaded her to leave him be and keep walking.

Everyone stopped in front of the area where the Maze and the Glade met, examining the seemingly empty corridor ahead of them.

Mae noticed Chuck next to her, and glanced down at the bracelet on her wrist. So delicate, he must have poured his heart and soul into making it for her. An emotional pain swept over her as she imagined the fear he must be feeling, and she tried not to look at his terrified expression. Instead, she took her free hand and squeezed his shoulder comfortingly.

Everyone waited. For something, anything to happen.

Suddenly, a deep blaring sound like a rock scraping eerily against metal sounded from what felt like every corner of the Glade. Mae had to release Newts hand and shield her ears from the horrible moaning sound, that was taunting the Gladers like all of this was some sort of sick game.

Everyone turned around swiftly as the Maze walls on the other side pulled apart, the ivy that covered them snapping in two like string. Yet another opening had been created.

The same sound again. Another opening. And then another, until four pairs of doors had been opened, exposing the seemingly safe Glade to the horrors of the Maze.

Well, this is it. Everything did change. Thanks a lot for the warning, Teresa.

WOOOO ITS GETTING DRAMATIC. THANK YOU ALL SO FREAKING MUCH FOR ALL THE LOVE I'VE BEEN RECEIVING, I LOVE THE TMR FANDOM AND OUR LITTLE COMMUNITY SO MUCH. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOUR COMMENTS MAKES ME SO HAPPY. ALSO FRIENDLY REMINDER, newt and maes relationship is strictly platonic.