The Maze Runner: The New World

Chapter 3

Minho's words were beginning to soak into him. He was focusing all his effort on listening to the meeting yet he kept having to pull his thoughts back from wandering astray. Brenda hadn't moved since she abandoned Thomas. They were only a few feet away, but to Thomas it felt like an entire ocean was between them. An ocean of guilt, anger and love. Stop being so over-dramatic he told himself. Brenda will be OK. He forced himself to believe it, saying the same words over and over again in his head. Discussion was dribbling round the room. There was not much to say - the situation was a fact, not a choice.

"See you later," Minho spoke up.

People were rising from their seats all around, gathering children, partners and friends. Minho was striding towards Thomas, but Thomas was set on fishing Brenda's thoughts out of her head. He peered over his shoulder at the door. Brenda was gone. "I know," Minho said as he approached Thomas. For once he had misread his best friend's emotions.

"You don't" Thomas replied, his voice empty of all emotions racing through him.

"What then."

"Something is wrong with Brenda. Really wrong."

"Any elaboration on that?" Minho replied jokily, but not managing to conceal the anxiety that had glazed across him.

"I don't know. But she's not right. I've never seen her like this before. We need to find her - we both know she's not one for over-dramatizing," Thomas said nervously.

Minho grabbed Thomas's hand, pulling him up and walking out the door. "We have to find her," Minho said assertively.

"What about the meeting?" Thomas responded.

"Not important right now." They both knew it was a lie, but chose to ignore it.

Without communication, they hurried straight to Brenda and Thomas's hut. Neither man spoke a word on the way, rushing up the incline but never breaking into a run. Thomas flung the flimsy, wooden door open. The air was still and no trace of sound was there to be heard. "Where is she?" Thomas asked, fear becoming more prominent with every word.

"Yeah, because we're searching high and low for the shuck girl but I secretly know just where she is. I have no idea, shank," Minho replied, the sarcasm thick and sticky.

Simultaneously, the boys turned on their heels, this time running down the slope. "We need to get this out of her," Thomas breathed.

"Hold on a minute! We have no idea what is going on. For all we know she could just be having an off day," Minho panted in-between his heavy breathing. Thomas twisted his head and stared at Minho. Minho looked back to see a huge concoction of sadness and anger mashed together in Thomas's expression. "Sorry." He replied, realising the stupidity of his last sentence.

They didn't slow or even pause all the way through the clearing, zigzagging through the increasingly sparse trees and right down to the beginning of the cliff path. All the while keeping their eyes wide for Brenda.

Dangerously close to tripping down the narrow, uneven path, Minho slowed down to a walk. "Careful there," Thomas said, grabbing Minho by the back of his shirt and pulling him away.

"Yes, mom," Minho joked.

The pair looked at each other and nodded. They both put Brenda higher on their priorities than meetings, even though they were the leaders. They were going down the path and they wouldn't stop searching until they found Brenda.

Walking down the path single file for the second time that morning, Thomas was behind Minho, peering over the edge of the crumbling rock, searching for Brenda. As the path levelled out, Minho sped up. Gradually increasing their speed, the boys began jogging along the sand side by side, each one scanning their heads left and right whist running. Fear persisted to rise in Thomas. He didn't know how much longer he was going to be able to conceal it. It was the not knowing. The lack of control. He was having yet another battle with his thoughts, desperately trying to keep his emotions inside, fight the urge to fall into his thoughts and keep his concentration all at the same time. Brenda needed him. Yes she was strong, yes she was independent, yes she was a fighter but she was also still human. Something was not right and he could feel it to the core. " Thomas," Minho began, "This isn't right."

"I know," he replied slowly, hoping his face wasn't giving away his feelings.

Both boys slowed to a walk, panting like wolves. It was clear that Minho was trying to stay calm and think with his head, but it wasn't working. Thomas could barely comprehend the situation, even though he was so deeply involved in it. Just yesterday everything had been normal, just the same as every day - eating working and organising with his favourite people. Twenty four hours later and the whole civilisation was hanging in the balance. Not to mention whatever mystery was about to unfold with Brenda.

"Thomas! Thomas!" He suddenly realised Minho was shouting an pointing to a shaded palm tree in the distance, "Look over there!"

As Thomas studied the view, he began to see a small black dot under the tussling green branches. The dot had long, brown hair and a dirty, ripped shirt on. It was Brenda.

"Thank god," he breathed, instantly shifting into a sprint, Minho close on his tail. But as they neared the increasingly large tree, they saw something was wrong. Very wrong.