Treasured | Minho [TMR]

Ten

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"Wait, Ben!" I call out as Ben starts walking away from the maze. "What do you mean? How can you be sure-

"Mira." Ben stops me. "No one survives a night in the maze. That's just how it is, how it's always been."

"But-

"No, okay!" Ben cuts in with a raised voice. "Nick and Minho are gonna go into the maze in the morning, see if they can find them." He continues on. "They won't, because that doesn't happen. And the rest of us will just have to move on."

"Maybe this time it'll-

"Be different? It won't be." Ben finishes for me with a shake of his head. "And do me a favour, don't go to Minho with all this." He sighs. "I'm sure he feels horrible as it is, as our Keeper. Give him the night to come to terms with all this. He won't want to be bombarded with all this false hope."

I just nod my head in agreement. Ben goes to say something else but stops himself with a loud sigh, then leaves. I don't say anything else. I also walk on. I go to my cabin and try to fall asleep but I barely get an hour in.

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I wake with a jolt from the knock on my cabin door. I get up quickly and see Ben standing outside waiting on me. He doesn't say anything. He doesn't have to. I see all the other Gladers slowly making their way towards the maze.

I follow Ben to the maze, quietly. I stand by him and some other Gladers as we all wait for the maze to open again. We're not waiting long. It soon opens. But there's no one there. No Stephen and no Alfred.

This must have happened dozens of times because most Gladers instantly started walking away once we didn't immediately see them. No one waited longer than a minute. No one but me. I stayed there for a little bit, hoping that they might turn up. I barely talked to Stephen and Alfred in all the time I've been here and now, I'll never have the chance to again.

"Mira, we have to get to work." I hear Jeff's voice beside me. I nod my head gently and turn to follow him back to the Med Bay.

On my way I look back at the maze. In front of it is Nick and Alby in running gear, with Minho talking to them. I see our first and second in command both shake their heads repeatedly. Minho doesn't look impressed. He looks defeated as he walks away from the maze, and Nick and Alby run into it.

"I'll be back in a minute." I say to Jeff, leaving his side. I don't wait for his reply as I pursue Minho. He's quick on his feet and I only manage to catch up to him just before he heads into the woods. I call out his name before he goes much further and he stops, pivots around.

I walk right up to him now that he's stopped. Minho looks at me for just a moment before he focuses elsewhere. I lean in, taking his hand in mine. He seems to process it, looking at our hands entwined and then pulls his hand away.

"I don't need coddling, I'm fine." Minho replies. His arm drops to his side, as does mine.

"You don't look fine." I shrug my shoulders.

"Then you clearly don't know what I look like when I'm fine." Minho says sternly.

"I think I do." I shake my head. So stubborn.

"Mira-

"No, you say you're fine but you're not." I interrupt. "You know you're not."

"I just..." Minho pauses. He curses loudly, throwing his arm up into the air, letting out whatever frustration he's built up. "It's my fault."