INTERTWINED ~ THE MAZE RUNNER

~EIGHT~

    Addison had spent an hour hiding in the map room trying to break her promise. Her slender form was hunched over the chest as she blindly scrawled through all of her drawings. And when she thought one might be right, it didn't seem to add up after proper comparison to the mass replica.

   At some point, her mind aimlessly started to wander and sketched the gladers. She found herself attempting to draw Gally in all his rage, but didn't have the energy left in her to do so. Instead the boy looked rather peaceful with an actual smile. Addison shivered at such a strange thought and instantly moved back to drawing the maze. This time she decided to draw the entire thing instead of small bits hoping that might do the trick.

    A partially completed maze was all the girl accomplished. Her fingers had unconsciously been scribbling over the same section until the lead snapped. Ads didn't notice as she had already dozed off.

~*~

   "Things are changing. There's no denying that. First Addison shows up. Then Ben gets stung in broad daylight. And then Alby." Gally spoke from the front of the room. Addison sat beside Chuck amongst the rest of the gladers in the council hall. At the front of the room sat Thomas in a chair who nervously awaited his punishment.

    The girl had almost missed the gathering altogether if Henry hadn't found her. The boy had shaken her awake gently. She could tell he felt bad about his decision to not be a runner, especially when she was overworking herself and she wasn't one. It was no doubt that he and Connor had been rung out by Minho for it. But she understood fully well what the maze does to you.

    "And now our Greenie, here, has taken it upon himself... to go into the maze. Which is a clear violation of our rules here."

    "Yeah...but he saved Alby's life." Frypan defended.

    "Did he?" Gally asked. There was an uncomfortable silence. "For 3 years, we have coexisted with these things. And now, you've killed one of them. Who knows what that could mean for us."

    "What do you suggest we do?" Newt asked him. Addy bit her lip as she furrowed her brows in worry.

    "He has to be punished." Gally stated simply.

    "Come on!" She let out as the rest of the crowd started to complain as well.

    "Minho. You were there with him. What do you think?" Newt asked, making everyone quiet again.

    "I think... in all the time we've been here... no one has ever killed a Griever before. When I turned tail and ran... this dumb shank stayed behind to help Alby." He spoke. "Look, I don't know if he's brave or stupid. But whatever it is, we need more of it. I say we make him a runner."

    Addy froze. She had never wanted Thomas to be a runner, she needed to protect him and keep him safe. But the hope in his eyes and the conviction in Minho's voice lead her to believe that he possibly had potential. She couldn't help the small amount of pride that bubbled up in her chest.

    Despite her instincts and the outburst of the crowd, Addy smiled. Thomas had been wanting to be a runner since the day he arrived. He had always bombarded her with questions about the maze. But that was one thing that they had in common, the need to go beyond the walls.

    "If you want to throw the newbie a parade, that's fine. Go ahead." Gally's voice boomed over the crowd again. Everyone calmed down as he continued "But if there is one thing I know about the maze...it is that you do not-"

    There was a familiar alarm that rang through the air. What in the stick? A blondie's coming? Addison and the rest of the gladers stood quickly and made their way out the doors.