Trials Together (Book One): The Maze Runner

Chapter 8

That night they slept behind the Homestead again, Thomas waited until everyone was asleep then started talking to Rachel through their weird mind link, they had been practising with it since this afternoon but it came very easily, he had remembered a few pieces of information, small and unimportant but Thomas still wanted to tell her. She was his best friend in this place.

I remembered a couple other things. Thomas said through the link, hoping Rachel was still awake, Thomas could feel her presence somehow even though he could not see her in the dark. He found himself taking great comfort in their closeness.

What? Rachel sounded slightly excited and Thomas couldn't blame her, he wanted his full memory back more than he had ever wanted anything in his life.

Nothing that important. We all came from the same place, and we were the smartest ones there. I think that might have something to do with this.

But we weren't the only ones. She finished, and Thomas found himself knowing her next words before she even spoke them. If you could call it speaking. There were four of us, too bad we don't know who the other two are.

Thomas thought of the two other kids who had arrived in the Box today, the strange connection they felt to them.

I think we do. Thomas replied, she responded before he could elaborate.

I do too.

In the morning they started their Trials with the keepers, first it was the slicers, the ones who looked after and slaughtered the animals. The keepers, a boy called Winston and a girl whose name Thomas wouldn't attempt to pronounce, he was sure to butcher it and she looked like she would hit him. Both of them seemed to enjoy their job way too much. Thomas had to watch whilst Winston slaughtered a pig, a disgusting sight that made Thomas sure he would never eat anything from one again, he spent a lot of it talking to Rachel in his mind to take his mind off it.

That was disgusting. Thomas told her as they were walking to lunch, he really hoped they weren't serving pork.

I don't want to know, I'm hungry and I don't want to be put off my meal. Rachel responded with a smile. What do you think they found with that dead griever?

Not sure, shouldn't they be back yet?

Ask Newt, he seems to be in charge today, or Harriet.

Entering the dining hall Thomas saw Newt and Harriet questioning Sonya and Miyoko at the back of the room, both girls looked exhausted. No sign of Minho or Alby, getting closer Thomas could hear some of their conversation.

"The thing just woke up and started flailing around, Minho and Alby ran a different way to us, I don't know what happened to them." Miyoko was describing between sips of water.

"So it wasn't dead?" Newt asked.

"Kinda obvious don't ya think." Sonya rolled her eyes, "and chill, they've got all day to get back here and Minho knows the Maze better than anyone."

"Let's hope so," Harriet sighed, "first we get two new greenies a month early who don't wake up, then we find a dead griever that isn't dead, what next. The sun gonna go out?" She laughed at her last remark but Thomas felt an inexplicable dread. Surely it couldn't happen?

Thomas walked away and got some food, they didn't seem to have seen him, he didn't miss the look of death Gally threw at him when he noticed Thomas. As if he thought everything bad that had ever happened to all of them was Thomas's fault. Again the strange feeling, could he have had some part in this? Thomas shook his head violently and tried to think of something happier.