I'd Give You My Life

Entering The Maze

*Thomas's POV*

A computer screen stood before me, messages flashing up on every inch of the screen. Although I could read the codes, consisting of only numbers, my mind was somewhere else. Beside me was my friend Teresa, her long dark brown hair tied up in a loose bun. We were both dressed identically in white overalls. People surrounded us, busy with their work- lost in the numbers.

"That's all for now Thomas." I looked up to see Ava Paige standing, surveying my work- or lack of it. Gently tapping my arm as beckoning me to follow, she lead me into a room. One I did not recognise. Lining the far wall were a vast amount of tanks containing what looked like teenage boys. They mustn't have been older then 16 or 17. My mouth dropped open in ill-disguised horror and I felt my feet take a few steps back.

"Now, now Thomas," Ava smiled, revealing two perfect rows of white teeth, not unlike how a predator might reveal theirs before eating you.

"W-who are they?" I asked, taking another cautious step backwards, not wanted to look at the suspended and chalky bodies any longer. In all honesty, I just wanted to turn tail and run but there were too many questions that were waiting on the tip of my tongue.

"You must understand Thomas," said Ava as she looked down at me, " There are things in this world that will hurt us, and there are things that can kill us. And although you may not understand what we are doing at this moment in time, you will soon enough. We can cure pain and prevent death, we are finding a solution. That disease that is spreading so rapidly won't stop and we are doing all we can to at least slow the spread- save the survivors."

 I was then told about the infection- not that I didn't already know- but I learnt of the extent of its destruction and how we- all of us in the lab- were the key to eradicating it once and for all. I watched the boys get sent up one by one, each one stuttering and confused as they broke the surface of their new home, shuddering and, in their own minds, alone. I had to endure the pain of their deaths each day, and to me, nothing good could come of this. When at last, Chuck was sent up- I read his name on his tank- I knew that it would be the final straw for my sanity. What good could possibly be coming from surveying a lost group of teenagers, stranded and alone in an unnecessary and endless simulation. I knew that they were here because they were immune to the disease- god, I knew- but these 'tests' were both unexplained and although no one else seemed to be, I was losing faith. Chuck was 13, too young to be put into the hell that was the maze. Way too young.

He went up. He was terrified. And that's when I made my decision. I could stand to do this no longer. I couldn't live another day in the comfort of the tech room whilst there were boys my age dying out there. Striving for an unreal cause. Being scared senseless for this so called 'greater good'. I'd been biting my tongue for two years and now I needed to stop this. Grabbing my coat from the back of my chair, I clutched it in my hand and making my way out of the lab. Planning to get out of this place for good.

I was surprised to find that I could make it most of the way around the building without bumping into anyone. Although this was certainly an advantage, I couldn't help but become increasingly aware of my rapid heart rate and how the quiet seemed almost too eerie.

"Ah, Thomas!" the familiar voice of Ava Paige echoes down the hallway to greet me, as I stood with my back to her, eyes closed and furiously cursing her appearance at this crucial moment. 

I turned on my heel, a fake smile plastered on my face as I tried to calm my thumping heart- knowing her, she could probably hear my fear. 

"You wouldn't mind following me back into my office would you? Unless you were going somewhere important?" A wicked smile graced her lips, tugging at the edges of her mouth as if to mock her calling me out. The only place down the end of that corridor was the exit, and she knew full well. She also knew that I was aware no personnel were allowed to leave this building- I had known that my whole life here. We had dorms and all the facilities we needed here. 

"No, no- of course not." I replied, my tongue heavy and my smile too taunt.

"Great"

                                                               *********************************

Back in the 'Paige office'- as displayed on the door- I was seated in a chair that squeaked with every small movement I made- making it even harder to relax. Especially under the steely gaze of my captor. 

"What are we going to do with you..." she mumbled, tapping her nails on the glossy white varnish of her desk. 

"I-I don't know what you mean." came my not-so-convincingly oblivious reply, wiping my sweaty palms on the white overalls. 

"I see that you are obviously bored with your current job..." Ava let the sentence hang in the air, as if waiting for me to interject.

"Bored?" 

"Yes, you haven't really been giving it your all over the last couple of months and, hey, I thought maybe you were finding your time spent in the lab tiresome.2

"Oh, no! Not at all!" I rambled, suddenly on the edge of my seat- it squeaked with my sudden movement which was quite off-putting. I didn't understand what Ava was trying to imply- I wanted to leave but no one ever does. You see, once you are cleared to see and work inside of this very building there is no option to leave- you've seen too much- and I think we all know what happens to people that see too much.

"Now, now Thomas. I was just about to offer you a , well, promotion so to speak. Not that you would be doing any more work, but it would be something I feel may challenge you more than the tasks you are completing currently."

Well, that didn't seem so bad.

"Okay, yeah, that sounds great." I beamed, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Great." 

And before I had time to move, Ava had already beckoned to someone who had been standing behind me (when did they appear???) and I felt pain to the back of my head. Then nothing.