She Was Their Cure (Rewritten) - A Maze Runner Fanfiction

Into the Maze

The first hints of dawn were just creeping over the Glade as Thomas lay in his hammock, unable to sleep. His mind was buzzing with too many unanswered questions—Aurora's name on the wall, the strange liquid in the med-hut, and Newt's haunting reaction to it. The quiet of the early morning was calming, but it wasn't enough to settle his thoughts.

As he glanced around the Glade, his eyes stopped on Gally's hammock, just a few yards away. It wasn't Gally himself that caught Thomas's attention, though—it was something beside his hammock, hanging carefully on the pole.

A flower crown.

The flowers were dead, shriveled and brown, but they still held together, almost as if someone had taken great care in preserving them. They were tucked neatly into a spot where no wind, rain, or sun could damage them further. The crown looked out of place, a delicate relic in Gally's otherwise harsh, no-nonsense corner of the Glade.

Thomas furrowed his brow, curiosity piqued. Why would Gally, of all people, keep something like that? The flower crown seemed like a prized possession, something precious. It didn't fit the Gally he knew—the Gally who shoved him to the ground, barked orders, and seemed to carry a constant chip on his shoulder.

Before he could think any further on it, the stillness of the morning was interrupted by movement in the Glade. The others were starting to stir, the usual hustle of the day beginning. Minho and Alby were the first to get up, heading toward the entrance to the Maze, their faces set in determination.

"Today's the day," Minho muttered to Alby as they passed by. "We're gonna find him."

Thomas didn't need to ask who they were talking about. Ben. He had been stung during the day—something that wasn't supposed to happen. All the other Runners had refused to go back into the Maze since Ben had been found. But Minho and Alby weren't giving up.

As they set off, Thomas watched them disappear into the towering walls of the Maze. A strange unease settled over him, but he shook it off. They were Runners—they knew what they were doing. He had to trust that.

Later that morning, Thomas found himself wandering through the woods again, this time in search of firewood. As he weaved between the trees, his mind still restless, something caught his eye in the distance.

A sign.

It was small, worn by time, and tucked away in a little clearing behind the trees. Aurora's Spot, it read, in faded letters. His heart skipped a beat.

The name again.

Without thinking, Thomas stepped toward the clearing, drawn to the sign and whatever lay beyond it. But before he could get any closer, a voice cut through the stillness.

"Thomas! Hey, Thomas!"

He turned to see Chuck running toward him, waving his arms. Whatever curiosity had drawn him to the sign would have to wait. With a sigh, he turned back and headed out of the woods with Chuck.

As the day wore on and the sun began to dip lower in the sky, Thomas found himself sitting with Chuck by the bonfire. The mood around the Glade was strangely tense, as if everyone was waiting for something to happen. There was a quiet panic in the air, but no one was saying anything.

"What's going on?" Thomas asked, glancing around at the nervous faces of the other Gladers.

Chuck shrugged, looking equally confused. "I don't know. Everyone's acting weird."

Just then, Zart came running by, his face pale and his eyes wide with worry. Chuck jumped up, stopping him. "Zart, what's happening?"

Zart slowed down just enough to throw a hurried response over his shoulder. "Minho and Alby haven't come back yet, and the doors are about to close!"

Thomas's heart sank. Minho and Alby hadn't returned? They'd been in the Maze all day—what could have gone wrong? The rising tension suddenly made sense, and Thomas felt a surge of panic flood his chest.

Without thinking, he and Chuck took off running toward the entrance of the Maze. When they arrived, a small group of Gladers had already gathered there, their faces anxious as they watched the giant stone doors, waiting for Minho and Alby to appear.

The sun was setting fast, casting long shadows over the Glade. The doors would close soon, and once they did, anyone still inside the Maze would be trapped for the night.

"There!" someone shouted.

Thomas's eyes darted to the gap between the closing walls, and his heart leaped into his throat. Down the stone aisle, Minho was running toward them, but he wasn't alone. He was carrying Alby on his back, struggling under the weight.

The sight was jarring. Alby's body was limp, his head lolling to the side, clearly unconscious. Minho's face was a mask of exhaustion and fear as he stumbled forward, trying desperately to reach the doors before they sealed shut.

"Help him!" Thomas shouted, turning to the group of Gladers standing by. But no one moved. They just stood there, their faces full of helplessness.

"They can't," Chuck said quietly, his voice trembling. "No one's allowed to go into the Maze at night."

Thomas stared at him, disbelief washing over him. No one? He turned back to the Maze, watching as Minho struggled, barely keeping himself and Alby upright. It was clear he wasn't going to make it. The doors were closing too fast.

A sinking feeling gripped Thomas's chest. They were going to die.

Without thinking, without hesitating, Thomas broke into a sprint. He could hear Chuck yelling after him, but the words didn't register. His feet pounded against the ground as he ran toward the closing doors, the sound of stone grinding against stone deafening in his ears.

He reached the threshold just as the doors were about to close completely. With one final burst of speed, Thomas dove into the Maze, the doors slamming shut behind him with a thunderous crash.

The silence that followed was suffocating.

Thomas stood there, his heart hammering in his chest, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He was inside the Maze. At night.

The reality of what he had just done hit him like a ton of bricks.

He was trapped.

With Minho.

With Alby.

And with whatever else lurked in the Maze after dark.