Needing You | Gally X Reader | Tmr | The Maze Runner

Chapter Twenty Four: Bye Bye Benny Boy🫶

The next morning, Thomas was trying out all the different jobs. I could tell Gally was on edge about the boy so I did my best to distract him all day before he decided to kill someone out of frustration.

It was quite a nice day. The sun was out, people seemed to be in good spirits and nothing bad had happened.

"HEY! HELP!" someone screamed. Dammit, I jinxed it.

I shared a look with Gally and we both ran to where all the commotion was. We were met with Thomas and Ben wrestling each other on the floor until Newt took initiative to whack poor Ben on the head.

"Yo, what the hell happened?" Fry asked, alarmed, just like everyone else was. It didn't help that Ben looked weird.

"He just attacked me!" Thomas accused, shaken up.

Alby pushed his way to the front of the group. "Lift his shirt," he ordered.

"I didn't mean it!" Ben wailed as someone pulled up his top and revealed his injury. What was it? It didn't look like any injury I'd ever seen; black veins and goo trickled out from a black gash in his stomach.

"He's been Stung in the middle of the day?" Gally asked, making my heart sink. How did a Griever get to him? Grievers never came out during the day.

"Put him in the Pit," Alby instructed, to which a few boys reluctantly obeyed.

That night, just before the Doors were about to close, everyone crowded around, awaiting Ben's banishment. No one wanted to be here; everyone loved Ben. His death would be hard-hitting for us all.

I couldn't look as he repeatedly begged Minho for mercy and promised to get better despite knowing it would be impossible.

"Poles!" yelled Alby and soon all the Keepers were forcing poor Ben into the Maze. As the Doors rumbled shut, there was complete chaos - Ben pleading for a second chance while everyone struggled to watch.

Eventually, he was trapped, ready to be claimed by the Grievers.

"He belongs to the Maze now," Alby said gravely before walking off.

I went straight to Gally and buried my head in his chest, crying. Ben was so sweet, so kind. He didn't deserve this. I'd miss him. I hadn't spoken to him loads, but he was still my friend. I'd always meant to get closer to him but now I'd never get the chance and I'd feel guilty about that for the rest of my life.

That night, I struggled to get to sleep no matter how hard I tried. However, when I'd finally started to doze off, I heard a horrible scream come from the Maze. Yells and shouts followed, until everything went completely silent.

Ben was gone.

The next morning, Alby and Minho went to retrace Ben's footsteps, see what had happened and how far he had gotten and Newt, who had taken charge temporarily, decided Thomas continue being a Track-Hoe.

I threw myself into my work, making myself do the hardest tasks I possibly could in an attempt to take my mind off of Ben.

Although, around the time when the Doors would be shutting and heavy rain had started to pour so everyone had ran for cover, Alby and Minho still hadn't come back.

"I don't get it," I said. "Minho's careful. He's never this late. Do you think something happened?"

"Don't focus on that, Jules, okay?" Gally replied, wrapping a reassuring arm around my waist. "They'll be alright. Yeah?"

"Mhm."

When the rain cleared and there was still no sign of them, we crowded around the entrance. A pit settled in my stomach. We'd just lost Ben. We couldn't afford to lose both Minho and Alby too.