Inferno

Chapter 28: Well...We're All Screwed Now

A/N: Finals are over, I've been friendzoned, and now I'm having a rough mental health day. Have a chapter anyway though.

It shouldn't have made the girl as mad as she currently was—but here she was, fuming silently at the lack of runners in the morning. And the fact that Alby fully intended on going into the Maze with Bellamy and Minho nearly sent her over the edge.

She kept her neutral expression carefully, arms crossed as she stared their fearless leader down. "Don't you think that Minho and I can handle ourselves out there?"

"Twinkle-Toes has a point. We've got each others' backs." Minho insisted, eyes flicking briefly over to Alby.

"That's not the point."

"Then what is?" Bellamy blurted before anyone could stop her.

"The point," Newt cut in, staring the trio of idiotic runners down. "Is that things are changing out there and someone needs clear answers."

"And if we all die?" Bellamy blurted again, earning herself a sharp elbow from Minho. "What?" She asked in disbelief. "We were all thinking it!"

Newt and Alby exchanged the same weary gaze. "Then at least we know that the Glade is the only place we'll be staying." Alby said pointedly.

"Just be careful out there, alright? That's the bloody point, you firecracker menace." Newt said in exasperation.

"We're always careful!" Minho called, giving a mock-salute as the trio began to run off into the Maze.

But Bellamy couldn't help but be worried that Newt was right. The whole thing seemed rather stupid anyways—and now that they were sending three semi-competent people into the Maze (fine, two and a half), it left her worried about everyone else.

Because if things were changing...what else could they do?

Bellamy led the way through the Maze, back to the same place where Ben had been stung—close to the same spot that Ted had been found. It was eerily silent as they ran, not a single sound other than their feet hitting the ground and the occasional gust of wind.

It wasn't particularly sunny today, and Bellamy was grateful for that. Heat always made it harder to go for long periods of time. But what she couldn't really stand was the silence that painted across the group.

Normally, when she and Minho ran, it was filled with conversation, jokes, and the weirdest stories being shared. There was a light-heartedness that was currently missing. And she didn't really blame anyone for that.

Admittedly, it didn't take very long for the trio of runners to get to the spot of the incident. The smell was what brought Bellamy screeching to a halt and staring ahead with an ashen expression.

"This is it?" Alby asked in a low tone.

Wordlessly, she pointed ahead at the mutilated corpse. It seemed even worse than the day before and Minho shook his head as he stared. "Damn."

"This is where they were waiting for us," Bellamy said in a quiet tone.

"You make it sound like a trap." Alby mumbled, leaning down near the body with a grimace on his face as he examined things.

"Wasn't it?" Bellamy breathed out. She tore her eyes away from Ted's boody, realizing that both boys were staring at her with horror on their faces. "It's the laws of nature," she mumbled in response. "They're predators and we're prey."