The Real World || The Maze Runner Fanfiction (1)

Chapter 17

I stood staring in to the vast pit of blackness where the monster had just vanished. The disappearance was as breathtaking as a magic trick; one minute I was filled with relief, and the next...

"What happened?" My voice echoed my thoughts aloud, even though I knew Newt was just as confused as I was. Hesitating, Newt responded to my question by picking up a small stone, which was laying on the path, and tossed it off of the cliff.

"I must be dreaming..." Newt mumbled. "It isn't possible, they're both just... Just... Gone."

We would have stood there staring in disbelief forever, if it wasn't for the sun which had slowly creeped up to shine above the walls. That meant we did it! We survived a night in the maze, and we escaped a griever!

"The sun!" I screeched, pointing excitedly at the big ball of light.

"We did it! We actually did it!"

Newt ran over to me and wrapped his strong arms around my exhausted body, before lifting me off of the floor. He was whooping with delight while spinning me round and round in his arms, holding me firmly so I didn't slip out of his grasp.

Without a second thought, Newt placde me down on the floor again only to sling me over his shoulder. I struggled hopelessly as he took off running. My head hit the hard muscles in his back as his body trembled with the effort of running, causing me to jump with every step he took. Because of anxiousness, my heart was pumping violently in its cage. What would they do to us when we get back? We were banished for a reason... Surely we will only seem more suspicious when we arrive and tell them our news...

After what was only a short time, we had arrived at our dead end. We still had a few minutes before the doors opened for the day, so we treasured the few more minutes of peace that we would have for a little while.

I moved closer to Newt until we were both sitting against one of the walls, relaxing our aching legs. As soon as I did so, he gently pulled me even closer to him, until my head was resting in the crook of his armpoit and he had an arm around my numb body. The gesture sent small sparks of electricity coursing in my veins, as if his hand had sent a wave of energy through me. I sighed, enjoying this subtle but affectionate gesture.

"Don't be nervous," Newt whispered soothingly, running a hand through my hair as he did so. "If they banish us again, at least we know how to survive. Besides, the way the things disappeared off of the cliff... It might be our way out."

The hope in Newt's voice was very clear. After all these years of being trapped in the glade, of trying to find a way out... Could we really have just found it? The possibility sounded too good to be true, but I didn't dare extinguish any hope Newt had.

I was about to reply when a familiar sound echoed around us. Newt and I hastily scrambled to our feet, positioning ourselves in front of the large stone walls as we watched them slowly scrape open. On the other side of the gap, a large group of boys were staring sadly in to the maze. However, when they noticed us, a collective gasp ran through them.

"What the shuck are you still doing here?"

All heads snapped into the direction of Gally. He was standing to the edge of the crowd, his arms crossed over his broad chest. I didn't trust myself to speak, exhaustion and the urge to try would have made my voice sound weak and fragile. That is not the image I wanted to present myself as just after I survived a night in that hell hole.

"I demand to speak to Alby, after spending a night in the maze we have discovered some important information that I think he would like to hear," Newt commanded in his most superior voice.

There was a moment of hesitation before Gally replied. "I'm the second in command now, before you are allowed an audience with Alby you must tell me what it is you have discovered."

Audience with Gally? Wow that shank has lost his mind. "Fine," Newt growled through gritted teeth.

Everyone paused to hear Newt's reply, and even though I'd been there, it still seemed unrealistic. There was no noise and time seemed to stretch on forever as Newt announced "we found the exit."