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It was later that day when a Gathering was called. Normally Allie would stay out of it, but this was about the girl, and taking she was only the second one to come to the Glade Alby thought it would be goo to have Allie there too. Not much was known of this situation so Alby tried his best to get everything sorted. Allie put her own opinion whenever she thought it was necessary, but Alby was good at the whole leadering klunk so she let him do his job.
It was when she went to check up on Benny and the new girl when another problem rose. Benny wasn't there. "Clint?! Where's Benny?"
"What?" Clint asked as he run over to Ben's room.
"Where is Ben!?" Allie asked more forcefully this time.
"I don't know he's supposed to be here!" Clint answered. Allie didn't need to hear more before she ran out of the Homestead and started to frettingly look around for Benny.
Alby noticed her running around and asked "What's going on, Why are you runnin' like a chicken without its' head?"
"Ben isn't in his room. Clint doesn't know where he went." Allie quickly explained as she started to run to the woods.
"Where're you runnin'?!" screamed Alby after her.
Allie didn't stop but screamed back "The Graveyard!"
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She just got to the edge of the Graveyard, Alby close behind her, now with a bow and arrows, when she saw Ben crouched, ready to spring for attack, a knife gripped in his right hand and Tomas on the ground few meters infront of him. "Ben!" Alby screamed as he come to stop next to Allie.
"Benny," Allie tried. "stop right now, please. You know what will happen if you don't." Ben looked at her and for a moment his eyes softened. It amazed Thomas what affect had Allie's voice even in his sickly state.
"C'mon Ben. Stop it right now, or you ain't gonna see tomorrow" Alby said when Ben didn't let go of the knife. His bow, an arrow cocked for the kill, pointed straight at Ben.
Allie saw Ben's stare harden into vicious glare at Alby's words. "If you kill me," Ben shrieked, spittle flying from his mouth, far enough to hit Thomas in the face, "you'll get the wrong guy." he snapped his gaze back to Thomas. "He's the shank you wanna kill." his voice was full of madness.
"Be reasonable Benny." Allie said, her voice calm as she continued to try and calm him down.
"Thomas just got here, ain't nothing to worry about. You're still buggin' from the Changing. You should've never left your bed." Alby said.
"He's not one of us!" Ben shouted. "I saw him- he's... he's bad. We have to kill him! Let me gut him!"
Thomas took a step backward, horrified by what Ben had said. Allie was confused. What did he mean, he'd seen him? Why did he think Thomas was bad?
Alby hadn't moved his weapon an inch, still aiming for Ben. "You leave that to me and the Keepers to figure out, shuck-face." his hands were perfectly steady as he held the bow, almost as if he had propped it against a branch for support. "Right now, back your scrawny butt down and get to the Homestead."
"He'll wanna take us home," Ben said. "He'll wanna get us out of the Maze. Better we all jumped off the Cliff! Better we tore each other's guts out!"
"What are you talking-" Thomas began.
"Shut your face!" Ben screamed. "Shut your ugly, traitorous face!"
"Ben," Alby said calmly. "I'm gonna count to three."
"He's bad, he's bad, he's bad ...," Ben was whispering now, almost chanting. He swayed back and forth, switching the knife from hand to hand, eyes glued to Thomas.
"Ben." Allie said, more authority in her voice. Ben's eyes snapped towards her his gaze full of plead. "Put the knife down, right now Ben."
"You don't understand Boss Lady, he will kill us, he was watching us, he's a bad bad guy. You never really wanted to admit it to yourself but it's time now. Do you want another rebellion happen Boss Lady? He will make it happen. Please just let me gut him." his head turning back to Thomas with the last sentence. Allie was stunned by Ben's rant. What was he talking about. I never wanted to admit it? When? What?
"One."
"Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad..." Ben smiled; his teeth seemed to glow, greenish in the pale light.
Thomas wanted to look away, get out of there. But he couldn't move. "Two." Alby's voice was louder, filled with warning.
"Ben," Thomas said, trying to make sense of it all. "I'm not... I don't even know what-" Ben screamed, a strangled gurgle of madness, and leaped into the air, slashing out with his blade.
"Three!" Alby shouted. There was the sound of snapping wire. The whoosh of an object slicing through the air. The sickening, wet thunk of it finding a home. Ben's head snapped violently to the left, twisting his body until he landed on his stomach, his feet pointed toward Thomas. He made no sound. Thomas jumped to his feet and stumbled forward. The long shaft of the arrow stuck from Ben's cheek, the blood seeping out. Black in the darkness, like oil. The only movement was Ben's right pinky finger, twitching.
"Come on," Alby said. "Baggers'll take care of him tomorrow already turning around to walk back.
But Allie made no move. Tears started to gather in her eyes, but she did not let them fall, not in front of Thomas and Alby. Not now. "Got Thomas, it's done, you are safe. Go." she said with a nod of her head.
Thomas started to follow Alby and when he was in safe distance Allie walked towards Benny's now dead body. Tears already falling from her eyes, guilt eating up her chest. "I'm sorry Benny. I'm sorry" she fell to her knees at his side and took his unmoving hand into hers. She kept mumbling how sorry she was while smoothing his hair out of his forehead. After a while Allie kissed the Runner's forehead and stood up.
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By one of the scraggly trees on the outskirts of the forest was Thomas, hunched over, his body wracked with coughs, Allie approached him quietly, her hand gently resting on his back. "It's okay, Greenie. Get it out," she reassured him, her voice bringing comforting presence.
Thomas, still catching his breath, mustered the strength to respond. "Not a Greenie anymore," he managed to say between labored breaths.
Allie couldn't help but chuckle at his defiant spirit. "Alright, tough guy," she teased gently. "How about you argue with me when you stop throwing your guts out, huh?" Thomas's chuckle in response brought a brief moment of levity amidst the seriousness of their situation.
With a nod from Allie, they moved to sit under one of the scraggly trees on the outskirts of the forest. There, in the quiet solitude of nature, they found solace in each other's presence. No words were exchanged, but the silence between them held a comforting weight. They sat together, enveloped by the stillness of the forest, finding a sense of peace.
