❝The Maze Runner❞ Thomas

chapter nine

A few weeks had gone by whilst the two new Greenie's got used to our system just like everyone else in the past had done so. Once you knew and understood how the Maze, the Glade, and the jobs worked; it was pretty much second nature. Luckily the two Newbies had a name. Minho was the more reserved and laid back kind of guy whilst Bree was a more independent and impulsive. She just rolled with the punches unlike a few other Gladers here.

     I examined the Gladers who were all enjoying the food Frypan had cooked up for everyone as I sat peacefully, eating alone at my table, while allowing my thoughts to venture on. I was still a tad sweaty from just recently returning from the Maze with Newt and Dean. I sat staring at the empty spot in front of me till it was soon replaced with a figure. I looked up to see Dean placing his plate of food against the table; sitting down and looking up to me with a slight grin.

     "Hey," he breathed in a mono tone before taking a bite of his food.

     "Hi," I exhaled bluntly in a more unenthusiastic ton of voice before taking a small gulp of my water that sat before me. I swallowed before taking another bite of the meal from Frypan. "Find anything new in the Maze?" I questioned, almost knowing the exact answer that I would be receiving.

     "Nope," Dean paused. "Nothing new," he exhaled as I just sighed in annoyance taking another bite of my food. "You?" He questioned as I swallowed the bite of my food that still remained in my mouth.

     "Nope," I breathed out. "Same as always," I stated as I shook my head in annoyance. "What section did you check out this time?" I asked as I waited for him to reply. He swallowed a bit of his mashed potatoes before replying.

     "Section four," he stated. "Nothing new even though I hoped there would be," he exhaled in annoyance, sipping some of his water. I let out a sigh of annoyance as I scratched an itch on my left arm. "Hey, let's cheer up," Dean stated giving me a smile. "You still afraid of those beetle blades?" He questioned smirking slightly, looking down at his plate, not wanting to meet my eyes as I looked up with nothing but a blunt facial expression.

     "We don't speak of that," I stated placing my fork down before pointing my index finger towards Dean. "You tell anyone about that and you're dead."

     "I'll never forget the look on your face," he breathed out with a chuckle still not meeting my eyes before he looked up with innocence. "You have to admit, it was pretty funny," Dean snickered at his own remark before taking another bight of food as I looked to him in disbelief. "But I'll never forget seeing you running out of that forest screaming your head off!"

The two of us busted into laughter, our smiles bigger than most. My gaze soon fell upon Newt as he stood with his plate of food seeming hurt, angry, just full of mixed emotions. He turned his head away and sat down by Minho, soon taking a bite of his food. I looked back at Jaxon, leaning back and moving my hair out of my face in the process.

"Oh man," I paused as I stood to my feet, picking up my plate. "I'm pretty tired."

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow," Jaxon states as I nodded my head in reply.

"See you tomorrow," I replied with a nod as I turned myself away from Jaxon, heading towards Frypan with a smile, placing my dish onto the wooden counter. I glanced over my shoulder, noticing Newt's gaze towards my figure. I gave him a small side smile hoping he would return it like he use to, but he turned away with a sad expression. I let out a sigh as I felt a wave of hurt hit me like a knife in my chest.

Why?
Why is he like this?
Jealousy? Envy? Anger?
All for what?

     I turned heading towards the Homestead as I played with my hands. I started humming some stupid random tune while hearing the boys chattering and laughing behind me.

Suddenly, a blood curdling scream was heard coming from the left region of the forest. My head shot straight up, watching as the girl came running out of the forest in full panic mode. I jogged over to the girl, stopping her in her tracks, almost falling in the process.

"Woah, slow down. What's going on?" I questioned with confusion as she frantically gazed around her figure. Her breaths were heavy as her chest rose up and down rapidly.

"Some weird," she paused. "This weird thing was in the forest." She began using her hands, trying to gesture and shape out whatever she saw. "I touched it and it practically attacked me! It started chasing me with its weird metallic sticks with red eyes," the girl tried to explain, catching her breath in the process.

I just had to let out a small laugh. That whole scenario had happened to me just a few weeks ago. "Darling?" I paused as I placed a hand against the girls shoulder. "That's a beetle blade and it doesn't kill anything. It observes us and sometimes scares us off if we bother it."

"Well, why was 'Property Of WICKED' written on the side of it?"

My face fell in all seriousness.

Property Of WICKED?
What the shuck?

"You're sure 'Property Of WICKED' was written on the beetle blade?"

"Yeah, on its eyes," she admitted as if it was so obviously casual.

WICKED?
Why would-
Wait. WICKED!
Holy Klunck!

"Holy Mary mother of God!"

"What?" The girl quickly questioned as she looked to me dead in the eyes for an explanation.

"Thank you! Thank you!" I yelled, turning away from the girl and towards the boys. "Alby! Alby!" I shouted, approaching all the boys as they all stopped and stared at me with confused expressions.

"What is it now?" Alby questioned with frustration with his mouth completely full food.

"Spill the beans, shank." Gally crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for what was to come of my outburst.

"We need a Gathering. Now."

     Alby, Gally, Newt, Jaxon, and the new girl were the only individuals I called upon to come to the gathering, and so they did.

"Alright, spill the klunck." Alby waited as I nodded my head, taking in a breath.

"The Newbie said she saw a beetle blade," I began before Alby cut me off.

"Are you serious? This is why you brou-"

"Hey! You know the rules!" I lifted my voice as he sunk into his seat with a full on eye roll. I let out a sigh before continuing. "As I was saying, apparently there was the phrase 'Property Of WICKED' written on the beetle blade."

"What the klunck does that mean?" Jaxon's brows were furrowed in confusion as a few 'yeahs' were heard from the boys.

"Calm down! Now this is what what I am thinking. So, thanks to our Greenie here," I paused as I pointed to the girl in the room. "That WICKED's the people, the individuals, the scumbags who sent us here. I mean think of that title," I paused as everyone nodded their heads in agreement. "Property Of WICKED sure does sound like they made those shuck of beetle blades, and where else could those blades have come from? What else could have been allowed in here?" I paused as they all looked up to me with understanding. "They built the bloody Griever's, the Maze, the Glade, everything."

Gally then stood to his feet, crossing his arms over his chest. "Then why?"

We all looked to one another in desperation, wishing we knew the answers to all of this insanity. The agony of knowing this just wasn't all there was to be.

"I don't know, Gally. I just don't know."