The Runners: A Maze Runner AU Story - Book 1

1.3: The Dreams & The Girl

"Thomas" a voice boomed in his mind as dreams he had no recollection of appeared in his mind. "Thomas it's almost time. Things are gonna change" the female voice said as an image of a girl who couldn't have been older than 15 appeared. The girl was thin but not too small, roughly five and a half feet tall, with burning blue eyes and skin that was pale as white as pearls. She had silky slightly curly tar-black hair that laid just past her shoulders in length. "Thomas wake up," the female voice said softly. "Wake up things are gonna change," the voice said once again before the female voice was taken over by an English accent. "Wake up Thomas," Newt said shaking Thomas gently. "It's time for you to get an assignment," Newt said as Thomas groggily looked at him wiping the sleep from his eyes.

As the day began Thomas walked with Newt over to where Alby was standing alongside Gally, Minho, and Winston. "Look it's the shank," Gally said laughing to which none of the other boys laughed at. "Morning Thomas I know you'd probably prefer to sleep but we all have jobs to do around here to keep the glade functioning. Since you got here later than most of us you will be on garden duty with Newt, Chuck, and Winston" Alby said to Thomas who just nodded. Minho was getting ready to head out into the maze gathering his spear and putting on his armor alongside two boys named Hank and Dan. "What are they going" Thomas asked Newt since Alby had gotten pulled into a different conversation with a med-jack talking about a boy named Ben having been stung by a griever.

"What was that about" Thomas asked before his first question could be answered. "Woah there Thomas one question at a time," Newt said jokingly smiling at Thomas. "First, Minho, Dan, and Hank are runners which means they go out into the maze to map it out and look for any similarities in the different sequences of the maze. We are looking for a way to get out of here but we haven't found an exit yet" Newt said to Thomas which caught Thomas's attention and something inside him told him he needed to be a runner. "As for Alby leaving that's because Ben one of our runners ended up getting attacked by a griever during the day which has never happened and now he's acting weird but we have a serum that the people who put us here send with every newbie that puts a griever stung glader into the changing where they heal from the sting and get parts of their memories back" Newt said but Thomas was more interested in the runners.

Before Thomas could ask more about the runners the alarms blared through the glade. "What the hell" Newt said turning quickly to look at the box and the red lights flashing around it. "Why is the box coming up again" Newt asked Gally who ran passed him. "No clue maybe more supplies," he said and kept running towards the box. Newt and Thomas walked over to the box to see Gally standing above it waiting for it to come up further. "Newt come help me get the door," Gally said and Newt walked over helping Gally open the cage doors. Newt disappeared into the box and Thomas was left wondering what was going on so he pushed his way through the crowd the best he could and managed to get to the front. "What's going on Newt" Alby said walking over to the box. "It's a... a girl," he said. "What do you mean a girl" Alby said walking to look over the edge of the box to which he froze in place. Thomas was also standing in front of everyone else staring at the girl who he felt he knew for some reason. "I think she's dead," Newt said and Thomas squatted down. "No her chest is rising so she's still breathing," he said and all the gladers looked at him. "You know something about this don't you shank" Gally said walking towards him with slight anger before getting in Thomas's face. "Of course not I have no idea who she is and why would I.. I barely remembered my name much less anything else" Thomas said defensively all the commotion causing the girl to wake up with a loud gasp and look directly at Thomas. "Thomas," she said and then fell into unconsciousness again.

"What did I tell you guys? She even knows the shanks name" Gally pressed to which Newt and Chuck came to back up Thomas. "It might just be a coincidence don't jump to conclusions Gally" Newt said putting a hand on his shoulder to which Gally smacked it away. "I've been telling you all since the day he showed up that he was the one I saw during my changing. He will cause the destruction of our life we have to banish him" Gally said sounding psychotic. "That's enough Gally" Alby said deescalating the situation. One of the med-jacks and frypan had lifted the girl out of the box and onto a stretcher hauling her to the medbay. "Alby she had a letter in her hand.. it doesn't sound good," he said handing the note to Alby. "She's the last one... forever" Alby recited word for word. This caused every glader except Newt, Alby, and Thomas to begin panicking. "We don't know what it means yet so everyone calm down" Alby yelled out before Gally interrupted. "No Alby no.. first the newbie shows up the same one I saw during my changing. Then Ben gets stung during the day and now a day after we get a newbie we get a new one and no supplies and then a letter that says she's the last ever.. and have you noticed the box still hasn't gone down" Gally yelled frantically. "Enough we will discuss this later right now you all have jobs to do," Alby said and walked off dragging Gally by the shirt.

"So.. Thomas wanna tell me how she knew your name" Newt asked Thomas as they walked over to where Chuck and Winston were picking crops from out of the soil. "I don't know.. I didn't even know my name was Thomas until last night" he said defensively. Newt wanted to press him more but knew he wouldn't know anything. "Okay, Thomas if you do somehow remember something at least let me know.. If you don't think you can trust anyone here you can at least know you can trust me" Newt said patting Thomas's shoulder. As Thomas worked he remembered the dreams from last night and the girl who kept saying his name. 'Thomas it's time. Soon everything will change. Wake up Thomas' The dream's three spoken sentences repeated in his mind as the girl with ocean blue eyes and tar black hair popped into his mind as well. He knew why she felt so familiar as she had been the girl saying the things in his dreams the previous night. "Hey. Hey Thomas" Newt said shaking Thomas from his trance. "You're just sitting there not moving we thought you died frozen in place" Newt joked and Thomas blushed in embarrassment deciding to finish his work in silence.