Saudade // The Maze Runner // Thomas [IN EDITING]

Chapter 14

Thomas couldn't see anything. His body felt as if it was being jabbed with needles and he writhed and cried from pain. His body felt heavy and all of the sudden his vision exploded with light.

He flinched backward, and his vision focused. He felt his pulse quicken as he remembered. Visions flickered past his eyes, interspersed with jolts of pain. He remembered his parents, he remembered the light bulb in his old house, he remembered her.

Thalia.

"I love you," She giggled, pressing her lips to his nose. Thomas' hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her to him as she tried to get away.

"I'll always love you...I'm going to miss you." He said, rubbing circles on the soft skin of her lower back, where her shirt had ridden up. He let out a breathy chuckle as she shivered at his movements.

She looked up at him, her blue eyes sparkling with hesitance. Thalia bit her lip slowly, before leaning up. Thomas leaned down to meet her and their lips met softly.

Pain lanced through him, and he let out a scream of agony before his vision unfocused and focused.

"We'll call you Thomas," A voice said gruffly.

"After Thomas Edison, because of that light bulb." Another person said. Thomas was looking up at two large men in suits. One of them pointed at the small lightbulb screwed into a light ficture in a ceiling. It flickered as the man gestured to it, almost as if Thomas should be afraid of the man.

The memories assusalted him without a reprive and Thomas felt his body aching and twitching from the many sting wounds all over his chest and back.

Then there was nothing.

- -

Thomas had been out for twenty-seven hours. Yes, I was counting. Yet another night had gone and passed and a third boy was taken only a few hours ago.

After Thomas slipped into the Changing, Gally took over. I know he didn't have bad intentions but I was growing increasingly suspisious. He had guards placed around Thomas' bed and had quickly taken charge, becoming more brash and harsher than I'd ever seen.

It was around three o'clock in the morning and the sky had remained a chilling grey. Though it should've been darker, it wasn't. It seemed as if the Maze had simply shut down and was quickly falling apart.

Not fifteen minutes earlier someone had set fire to the Map Room. We weren't sure who, but I was afraid and nervous. All records of the Maps were stored in the Map Room. Without those precious pieces of paper, we would have no hope of ever getting out.

I was nervous because Thomas was going through the Changing. I could hear his pierced cries and I winced each time I heard him scream. But that wasn't it, he was going to remember me. He was going to remember us, more importantly. I couldn't help but be afraid.

What if he decided he was angry because I didn't tell him? What if he decided he didn't love me anymore? What if he regretted loving me at some point?

Needless to say, I was trying to ignore the fact that when he woke up he would see me as a completly different person, and I was simply trying ot focus on the task at hand - putting out the raging inferno that was the Map Room.

Winston, Minho, and I were finally managing to control the fire when I heard several noises of protest from the Homestead behind us. I ignored it, straining to put out the last few embers.

Minho turned to see what was the matter and his eyes widened. "Thomas, you're out of the changing?!" He asked increduously.

I turned, surprised and was shocked and afraid to see Thomas racing out of the Homestead. His eyes were locked on mine and I was only able to take one step back before he reached me. His features were set in a determined grimace and with the light of the flames dancing off of them my heart practically leapt out of my chest.