I Promise | The Maze Runner

Chapter 6: Through The Vents And Somewhat Of A Plan ✔️

I look back at Aris. "You think he could help?"

Aris nods, still not looking away from the boy.

-----

I stick my head into Aris' room before pulling myself out into the open. Aris' sitting on his bunk, looking at the ceiling.

"If you want to show him we got-" I look at my watch. "-10 minutes."

Aris nods and stands up. "Let's show him."

-----

I lead Aris and the boy through the vents til we get to our destination. I look down through the vent grate as Aris and the boy get to me. I look at my watch. "30 seconds."

The boy looks at Aris and I confused. Right on time, Dr. Crawford walks under the vent, pulling a key card out of her pocket and swiping it. The doors slide open. Tables with a silhouette of a human body are rolled through the doors, followed by Dr. Crawford. After the doors close the boy looks up at Aris and I.

"What was that?" He asks.

"They bring new ones every night in like clockwork." Aris replies. 

"Do you know what they do with them?" The boy asks.

"I dunno. This is as far as we'e gotten. The vents don't even go into that section." Aris says "But when they go in those doors, they don't come back out."

"I don't think anybody ever really leaves this place." I say.

"Come on, we gotta go before anybody notices we're gone." Aris says, starting to leave.

"Why are you showing me this?"

"Because maybe the others will listen to you." Aris says. "There's something weird going on here, and I know you think so too."

"W-wait." The boy says. "What are your names?"

"Aris."

"Spencer."

He gives us a small nod. "Thomas."

-----

"...Henry, Tim, and last but not least, David."

I look over at Thomas. Him and the boys in his group are all looking at me. 

Thomas tilts his head. 'key card' he mouths before glancing over at the guards. I look over before back at him. I give him a nod before turning back to Aris. 

"This might actually work." I say, quietly. Aris gives me a small nod.

We watch Thomas get up from his chair and walk towards the doors, but two guard stop him again. They talk for a few seconds before Thomas turns, pretending to walk away before turning and trying to sprint through the doors. The guards grab him and push him back.

"What's your problem?!" Thomas yells as the boys from his group run over to him and grab him, pulling him back.

"What's happening here?!" Janson pushes his way through the guards to Thomas. "Thomas!? I thought we could trust each other. You know we're all on the same team here."

Thomas raises an eyebrow. "Are we?"

"Get them to their dorms." Janson says before walking away. Thomas looks at me and gives me a small nod as a guard leads Thomas and his group out of the cafeteria and towards their dorms.

I turn to Aris. "I'm kinda tired. I'm gonna go take a quick nap."

He nods. "Me too."

-----

I get to the vent outside of Thomas' room and hear him arguing with another boy.

"We haven't had that in a long time! Some of us a lot longer than others."

I kick the vent cover out and pull myself out of the vent. Thomas is standing in the middle of the room with the boys surrounding him.

"Hey, Thomas." I say, standing up and brushing a little dust off my shirt. "You got it, didn't you?"

Thomas holds the key card up with a small smile. "Yeah."

"Wait, what is happening?" The blonde boy asks, stepping forward.

"Waiting for Aris because he takes so long." I reply, leaning against one of the bunks.

"I do not!" Aris says, popping his head out from under the bunk.

"Come on, let's go." Thomas says as I kneel down, getting back into the vent.

He says something to the other boys as Aris and I start crawling back through the vents.

I land on the ground under the vent. Thomas looks over at me as Aris closes the vent cover. Thomas takes the key card out of his pocket and puts it in the scanner. The doors slide open. The three of us glance at each other before going through the doors.