Runner of Group D (Maze Runner fanfic)

Chapter 4

Sandra and Carol started to laugh. Real, genuine, joyful giggles. Over two years in the Maze and now they had a possible chance to escape. Turning off the Grievers forever would give them the chance to search at night, find something never found in the day. No more stings. No more tortured screams. This was the best day ever.

"I can't believe this is happening!" Carol squealed, jumping up and down.

"Victory is so close, I can taste it!" Sandra yelped. They kept laughing until Florence opened the door. Her eyes were wild, looking around the room.

"What's wrong? Did the boy wake up?" Sandra looked at Carol and Carol stared back. They glanced at the boy, still sleeping in the bed. They turned to Florence, struggling to hold back childish grins.

"Everything's fine," Carol squeaked, covering her mouth. Sandra's grin slowly formed as she tried to grasp a remnant of her self-control. She couldn't find any.

"We gotta go." She grabbed Carol and the girls ran past Florence. They burst out laughing again as they ran out of the Homestead. Sandra couldn't stop laughing as the breeze blew through her hair.

"I feel like we robbed a bank," Carol whispered, starting up the laughter all over again. Sandra wiped her eyes of the tears coming up. She put on a more serious face and turned to Carol.

"Ok, what's the plan?" Sandra asked. Carol nodded, regaining her composure.

"Right, I'll go get Psych. She's the best we got in the Techno department. You'll go with her into the Maze, just in case things get bad. Actually, why don't I go too?" Sandra stopped walking when she heard this. Carol realized this and turned back. "What?"

Sandra's brow furrowed. "You sure?" Carol scowled and crossed her arms.

"Why not?" she retorted. As Sandra spoke, she pointed at her fingers like a mental list.

"One, you're a terrible runner. Two, you don't know anything about Grievers. At least, as much as I do. Three, you're not techie or anything like that. Four,-"

"Ok, ok. I get it," Carol interrupted, holding up her hands in surrender. "I just thought it would be a good idea since I'm sort of the leader and all." Sandra cocked her head.

"If you have a death wish, sure. It's a good idea. Haven't you thought about if we were to get caught outside at night?" Carol turned away. Sandra was only being hard because Carol had never gone out into the Maze. She could only handle protecting one newb in the Maze at a time. And she didn't want to risk Carol.

"I guess it was also a little selfish," she mumbled. She grinned a little as she said, "I kinda wanted to see a Griever close up. Like you do." Sandra knew what Carol was doing. She was hitting soft points in hopes of getting in the Maze. Carol knew Sandra and her love of fans. Unless those fans asked dozens of questions, taking Fledglings off the list completely.

Sandra groaned. "Ok. But you have to promise to do whatever I say." Carol smiled and hugged her.

"Thanks." Carol let go and ran toward the Forest of the Dead. Sandra went in the opposite direction, headed for Animal Heaven. Where the Smelters operated.

"Do you have my precious ready?" Sandra called as she neared the Smelters' Hub, a small nook with a smoking chimney. There were only two walls, one housing the furnace and the other holding up a rack of numerous tools. Metal hammers, drill bits, all protected by an intricate lock mechanism only the Smelters could decipher.

Marge stepped out from under the metal roof, supported in one corner by a large metallic rod. She leaned against the sturdy pole as she crossed her arms.