teenage wasteland ;; the maze runner

2.33

the aftermath was hell. wreckage was scattered across the ground, twisted metal and broken concrete. blood mixed with dirt, and the air was thick with the scent of smoke and loss. tears had been shed, hearts broken, and in the silence that followed, the harsh truth sank in—no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't save everybody.

florence still couldn't find the words. it felt like her throat was closed off, as though the weight of everything pressing down on her made it impossible to speak.

she sat in silence with antony, the broad light of day casting harsh shadows over them. sweat trickled down her neck, but she barely felt it, too numb from everything that had happened. her mind kept replaying the images, the sounds, the faces of those they'd lost, the ones still missing. it felt like the world had shifted, and they were all left behind, struggling to hold on to what was left.

across from them sat lyla and grey, both of them looking as exhausted and traumatized as florence felt. but despite everything—despite the horror they had witnessed—there was a sense of relief in their eyes. they were alive. they were together. and for the moment, that was all they could hold onto.

lyla leaned slightly into grey, her face pale but determined. grey's hand rested on her shoulder, his own face weary but grateful. they were both fighting to keep the darkness at bay, to keep moving forward, but florence knew it wasn't easy. it would never be easy again. but for now, they had each other. and that was all they could cling to.

florence and antony sat in silence, the weight of the world pressing down on them. she could feel the tension in the air between them, the aftermath of everything that had happened hanging heavy like a storm waiting to break. it was almost suffocating, the silence too loud, the unspoken words too much to bear.

finally, florence broke it, her voice trembling but determined. "we couldn't stop them."

antony didn't immediately answer. he stared straight ahead, his jaw clenched as if he were fighting something inside himself. when he did speak, his voice was quiet but firm. "we did what we could. we did everything we could."

florence shook her head, her fingers gripping the edge of the seat in front of her. "it wasn't enough." the words felt like they cut her from the inside out. "not for sammy, not for minho..."

antony's hand brushed hers, a small touch that was more grounding than comforting. "you don't get to carry all of that alone," he said softly, his voice steady despite the storm inside him. "we're in this together. every step of the way."

she turned to him, her eyes searching his face, looking for some kind of reassurance she wasn't sure she'd find. he wasn't offering any easy answers, but his presence beside her—the quiet strength in his eyes—was enough for the moment.

"i don't know what comes next," she whispered, the weight of their failure and uncertainty pressing down on her chest.

antony's eyes softened. "we figure it out," he said quietly. "one step at a time. together."

florence nodded slowly, but her head felt as heavy as her heart did.

florence sat there, her mind swirling with the weight of everything that had happened, the faces of those lost and the uncertainty of what was still to come. the silence between her and antony stretched on, heavy, but somehow comforting. she was starting to find some semblance of peace in it, even if only for a moment.

her fingers instinctively moved to her pocket, searching for something to distract her from the overwhelming emotions. it was a small movement, almost unconscious, but when her hand brushed against the crumpled paper inside, she froze.