𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓑𝓻𝓾𝓲𝓼𝓮𝓭 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓑𝓻𝓸𝓴𝓮𝓷 - [EDITING]

Chapter Sixteen - Addy

"Newt!" I call, leaning against the table as I study a map. "Come look at this."

Newt lifts his head and blond locks fall into his eyes. He shoves them aside and walks closer to me. "What is it luv?" My heart flutters when he calls me love and remind myself that it doesn't mean anything. It's just a saying.

I swallow. "Um, I was just noticing that when you stack the maps like this," I move one map over another, "some of the lines meet up. Maybe they make a picture?"

Newt runs his hand down his jaw as he studies my discovery. "You could be on to something here. What order do you think they go in? All the sections for a day? It could be each section for a week."

Newt and I start stacking maps and holding them up the light to see them better. Finally, the order I try works and the walls line up to form the letter 'F'. "Newt!" I exclaim in excitement.

"Addy!" Newt whoops. "You did it! This could be the key to solving the Maze!"

"C'mon!" I practically shout. "Let's keep going!"

I hear the groan of metal as the box comes up while we work. I would've been surprised if Newt hadn't warned me that it came up every week, with a Greenie every month. There seems to be much more commotion with it than I would've expected, but I'm too focused on the maps to pay much attention.

After a lot of trial and err, Newt and I finally manage to form more words until they begin to repeat themselves.

FLOAT
CATCH
BLEED
DEATH
STIFF
PUSH

"What does it mean?" I ask, standing back to admire our work.

"I'm not sure yet," Newt admits. "We've got to tell Alby!"

Alby had been released by the Med-Jacks a few nights before but he'd been incredibly irritable after the Changing. Newt dashed out the door and limped as quickly as he could to the Homestead, with me right behind him.

"Addy!" It's Chuck.

I turn and see him jogging over to me but in place of his normal grin, his pudgy face is pulled into a frown. I let Newt inform Alby and stop to talk with Chuck.

"What's wrong, bud?" I ask. Chuck is like a little brother to me, even though it's only been a week since I got here.

"Is it true?" He looks very disturbed, but I have no idea why.

"Yes!" I exclaim, assuming he somehow figured out a clue to escape the Maze. How, I have no idea, but I can't think of anything else he could be talking about.

Chuck's eyebrows furrow. "You're ok with this?"

"Of course!" I say, putting a hand on his back to comfort whatever worries he's got. "I'm excited! You should be too! This will be good for all of us! Don't worry!"

"If you say so," Chuck walks away, still looking utterly unhappy. I'm not sure why he's upset, but it saddens me to see him that way.

"Thomas?" Movement to my right catches my eye and I turn to see Minho and my brother running back in through the East Door. "What are you doing back so soon?"

"No hello for poor Minho?" Minho questions through pants but I ignore him and wait for Tommy to answer.

He holds up a finger as he tries to catch his breath. "I think we found an escape!"

I gasp. "You did? Me too! Well, not really, but we solved the maps!"

"You did?" Minho purses his lips in skepticism but I have a suspicion it's also a bit of jealousy for stealing his win. "We've been trying to figure those out for two years and you're telling me you solved it in two days?"