final moments → THE MAZE RUNNER ✓

o n e

CHAPTER ONE
( THE BOX )

     I FRANTICALLY SLAM MY FISTS against the barred walls of the box that I'm trapped in, breathing heavily.

"Someone let me out of here!" I shout, looking all around me for any signs of help.

How did I get here?

In a quick jolt, the box moves upward at an incredible speed. I fall the the floor, holding onto anything stable that I can find. My stomach rattles, and I try hard not to throw up.

I crash into the walls as the elevator- or whatever this thing is -moves faster. The floor of this box/elevator is almost open, only holding me up by a few criss-crossed bars. Looking down at the bottomless trench below, isn't the best experience for me. And the fast jolts don't seem to stop. I keep moving upwards, higher, and higher. But where am I going?

Crates lined against the walls move around, sliding against each other and making a screeching noise. I yelp in pain as something sharp falls from an open crate, and jabs into my thigh.

A knife.

I pull it out carefully, and stuff it in my back pocket, ignoring the blood from the wound.

The elevator never seems to stop moving. But where is it going?

I have no memory of who I am, where I'm going, or where I came from. I can only think of a name. My name.

Grace.

I huff as I try to refresh my mind. Unfortunately, to my prevail, I come up with nothing. I'm stuck in a box- or elevator -and I don't know where I'm going. I don't know who I am. I don't know why I'm here. I don't know anything.

I smash my hands into the walls again, thinking that someone would somehow hear me. "Please! Someone let me out!"

I breathe steadily, and look up as a light appears. It's yards above me, but I know it's there. As I get closer to the light, I get excited.

Maybe that's my ticket outta here...

But when the box gets to the light, it slams to a stop, sending me to the floor, once again. I cover my eyes with my hand, blocking out the bright sun waves above me.

"Hello? Anyone up there?" I ask, hoping to get a responce. And something finally goes right today.

A boy looks down at me with wide eyes, but excitement in his expression. "It's a girl." He mutters, although I'm not sure if he's saying that to himself or me. "It's a girl!" He says louder.

Voices crowd at the top of the box, and more boys gather around.

Have they never saw a girl before?