THE HEARTS » TMR [1]

00. Thomas

Thomas.

     That was basically the only thing he remembered about himself. Same with the Gladers. In a day or two they would remember their names, but not their lives. Confusion and fear warring for dominance in the process. But he wasn't like them; he was different. Instead of fear, he felt curious. Curious about how he ended up there, who put him there, and how to escape it. But something seemed to stop him. 

     Someone.

     A girl.

     Ever since he came out of the box, he kept seeing her walking around like she'd been there before, like the place was her home. Thomas would catch a glimpse of her every so often from afar. So far that it would be impossible to catch up to her before she flees. Thomas did see her once, but it was in his dreams. At first, it was blurry, but he caught a few glimpses of her face. She was beautiful.

     "Thomas," she said. "You can't keep doing this. You have to stop."

     Her eyes were filled with pain, and it made his heart ache. Never had he seen such beautiful emerald irises filled with such pain and worry about what would happen next.

     "I'm sorry," Thomas said to her. "I can't keep watching innocent people die. I can't watch you die. . ."

     Then darkness engulfed him. His dream had come to an end. He longed to see her again, to hear her voice, and to believe that maybe she could help him escape the hellhole. But how? She was essentially a figment of his imagination in the Glade. . . or so he thought.

     He was wandering through the woods, taking in the natural beauty that surrounded him. He was soothed by the trees and grass, and he relished the fresh whiff of dirt and growing plants. For a brief moment, he was savoring everything, until he heard a twig snap.

     "Who's there?" Thomas yelled.

     He remained silent in case he heard the person's footsteps approaching him. But no one showed up. It was almost silent until he heard another twig snap, but this time it was much closer, as if the person was standing right behind him, waiting for him to turn around. When he turned around, he saw a figure shielded by sunlight, their hair glowing.

     It was the girl.

     They both made eye contact, and for a brief moment, it felt as if time had slowed, as if the Earth had stopped spinning. It provided him with just enough time to admire her physical characteristics, such as her hair. It was red, like strawberries, but when it glowed in the sunlight, it made her hair look blonde. It was a stunning combination of hair colors, it had him in awe.

     Thomas nervously gulped and said, "Hey."

     And with that, the girl began to flee, which, of course, didn't seem to deter Thomas.

     "Hey, w-wait! Stop!" He yelled, running after her.

     It was like chasing after someone you'd never let go of. As they ran, Thomas kept his gaze fixed on her hair, which swayed from left to right. But, needless to say, she was faster than him, and, as he had previously thought, she was impossible to catch up to.

     He had lost her.

     "Shuck it," he said, kicking the leaves on the ground, groaning in frustration.

     He'd never seen—or remembered—someone so beautiful in his life, and he wasn't sure he would ever get another chance to see her up close. . .

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