Blank Spaces (A Maze Runner fanfic)

Chapter 12 (Alice's POV)

Lizzy and I are quietly eating dinner, making desperate conversation to get away from the thought of Gally's actions. I need to lighten the mood somehow, and I know that, but how. I've got it. I smirk to myself. "So," I say,"you and Minho." I am fully aware of the anger bridging my voice, as Minho makes me think of the situation with Gally earlier.

"Really?" Lizzy says, referencing the fact that the attempt was pathetic. I nod and she sighs. "We did kiss, and we did sleep together, but there was no shucking," she laughs dryly. "And you and Newt?" she says, smirking.

"Same here," I say. Though, he's more straight forward with the fact that he'd be ready to pin me up against the wall and shuck me all night if he had the chance. Lizzy laughs, as if reading my mind. I laugh with her. It's times like this that remind me, Lizzy is my light in the darkness. I can't lose her. She's too precious to me. We finish our food and head to bed. I sleep with Newt again, but don't talk much. I end up crying, thinking about what could have happened to my sister. Newt just pulled me closer to him and whispered to me, calming me down. I eventually drifted off, but I couldn't help but have a gnawing feeling in my stomach. Something was wrong. Or was going to go wrong. I could tell.

In the morning, we rose and went to breakfast without a struggle. Something still bothered me though, something was going to go wrong. I could just tell. I don't know how, but I felt it. We met Minho and Lizzy for breakfast. While eating, the others made casual conversation. I barely talked. When we were done we were assigned our jobs that day. I got assigned as a Slicer. It was an ok job, other than meeting Bark. That was fantastic. Lizzy always had a thing with animals. I could tell from the amount of memories trying to break the glass barriers that felt physically implanted at my brain at the sight of Bark. The Keeper of the Slicers, Winston, shows me around the dimly lit wooden shack they call the Bloodhouse. He teaches me how to feed the animals. After finishing that off he informs me that we're going to butcher a pig. I just shrug. I don't mind blood. I take Newt's shirt off and toss it against a wall, this seems to surprise Winston. "You make one move like Gally and, I swear, the knife we're using to butcher this pig will end up up your ass faster than you can say sorry," is what I say to him eyeing me. He just smirks.

"We could get along, shank," he says. I smile.

"Whatever," I say. He chuckles.

I'm cleaning up from the butcher when, suddenly, a loud siren pounds against my ears. "Holy shit!" I yell, surprised. "What the hell is that?!?!"

"The Box!!" Winston yells over the siren. We jog out and toward the Box where I already see Newt, Alby, Minho, Gally, and other Gladers gathering around. The Box rattles to a stop and Alby and Newt open the metal lid. Newt jumps in. The Gladers at the front seem dumbfounded by whatever, or whoever, is in there. Newt clarifies.

"It's a girl," he says. Well, they have me and Lizzy, but this is flat out weird. A Glader is supposed to come up once a month. They pull the girl out of the Box and lay her gently on the ground. The first thing I notice is how beautiful she is. Jet black hair, fair skin, she was gorgeous. Then, Newt pulls something out of her hand. A note.

"She's the last one," he says,"ever?" Murmurs break the eerie silence that had fell, but what comes next is something I'd not expected. The girl sucks in a deep breath. Her eyelids shoot open, revealing icy blue eyes. She stares directly at Thomas.

"Thomas," she says, still gasping. Everyone shifts their gaze to him as the girl falls back, unconscious again. Med-Jacks take her to the infirmary and I'm let loose from my job early. I find my sister. We sit together and discuss what just happened. Newt soon interrupts us, looking disheveled and worried.

"They should be back by now," he says, his voice cracking.

"What?" Lizzy says, but I completely understand.

"Minho and Alby," his face is unchanged, his worried expression almost set in stone. Lizzy suddenly stands and walks at a brisk pace toward the entrance to the Maze. I follow her with Newt by my side. he keeps repeating one thing. "No one's ever survived a night in the Maze." Lizzy reaches the entrance. She's searching for signs. I'm worried sick, but I can't imagine how Lizzy feels. Then, my sisters face changes to an indescribable expression. Looks of worry, relief, happiness, anger, and much more flood her features. I suddenly see what she's staring at. Two figures, one carrying the other. Minho and Alby, but Alby is being dragged along by a strained Minho.

"C'mon Minho!" my sister suddenly yells. More Gladers are packed around the entrance now. They join in, shouting encouragement. Newt, Thomas, and I are by my sister nearest the entrance. Minho drags Alby along.

"They're not going to make it," Newt says. I hope he's wrong. The doors are coming closer together. Nearer and nearer. Time suddenly seems to slow. Thomas and Lizzy both have a look on their faces. They position themselves in a stance. A stance for beginning to run. Time suddenly begins to work again, but I'm not fast enough. Lizzy runs full speed into the Maze, followed by Thomas. I run to the walls, but they slam shut inches from my face. No ones ever survived a night in the Maze. I begin to cry. No ones ever survived a night in the Maze. I sink to my knees, tears pouring down my face. No ones ever survived a night in the Maze.

"LIZZY!!" I scream. It rips my throat to shreds. I pound on the walls and continue to scream. No ones ever survived a night in the Maze.