Not Your Average Glader (Completed)

Chapter 19: My Nightmare

George yawns as he accepts the small bag I give him.

"What's in it?" He says forgetting to whisper.

"Keep it down, you want to wake up everyone?" I whisper angrily.

I take a breath, and regain my calmness. Last thing I need is to upset my help.

"There is food, water and a knife in each."

Morris speaks up and quietly asks, "What's the knife for?"

"Cutting the apple." I answer without a second thought.

That eerie shadow of my imagination has faded to nothing more than a faint memory and the only possible fear I have for these boys is getting lost.

George suddenly bursts into a grin and waves. I turn around and see John standing there, disheveled from a long night's sleep.

"Did you change your mind? Are you coming?" George asks eagerly.

"I came to wish you good luck and to-" He stops and casts a fearful glance my way.

"To what?" Urges Morris.

John lets a heavy sigh escape then says, almost pleading,

"To see if you would stay here instead."

My mind wanders back to my first running day. Alby had waken me up early just to try to talk me out of going. The anger and frustration of that moment rises up within me now.

"Don't even try," I say slowly and in a threatening tone.

"But-"

I don't give John a chance to reply.

"You and Alby are just alike. Trying to stop progress. Afraid of your own shadow!"

John turns his attention to the new Runners.

"You don't have to do this. "

Kevin shakes his head enthusiastically. "We have too, you heard what Graham said."

There is silence as John is frowning at that statement. Just as he opens his mouth, the maze opens it's own mouth. Anything John was about to say is shut down as the powerful Maze awakens. Beckoning us inside.

"Follow me, I have more instructions to give you."

Morris, Kevin, Bobby and George say quick goodbyes to John before heading inside. I give a last glance at John, my first real friend. The words from yesterday sting and I want to aplogize but as quick as the urge comes it vanishes. I jog inside and let my mind clear.

》》》》》》[]《《《《《《

I pull down a vine from the nearby wall and show the boys.

"Lay down a vine every so often so you don't get lost."

Bobby's eyes grow wide as I hand him the vine.

"Lost?"

I force a reassuring smile. "I've ran this thing a dozen times, I'll try to keep close by. Just use the vines as a precaution."

Obviously, my words do nothing to settle their new fears and I hate myself for even mentioning it. I pull off a thick handful of the vines and the boys place them inside their bags. I do the same.

"So just keep a sharp eye out, keep a nice steady jogging pace. We will take breaks every so often and a lunch when the sun is high at noon." I say, keeping my voice firm and confident.

"When should we start heading back?" Morris asks.

"About a couple hours after lunch, that will give us about three hours to make our way back before the doors close. Any questions?"

The boys shake their heads and the Running day begins.

》》》》》》[]《《《《《《

I watch as the boys race ahead of me and out of sight. On my own once more in my Maze I run down the concrete path, gazing about for something, anything. The sun shows it past noon and my watch verifies it.

As I drop a vine my mind wanders to the kids, on a mindless chase for fictional stones.

'Wonder what I'll tell them when they don't find any. What lies I could add to my account.'

I pick up speed as I run from those thoughts. The Maze is no place to spend energy in guilty thoughts.

I arrive at a cross roads and my blood runs cold as a shrill scream sounds off to my left. Hurridly, I open my bag and pull out my knife.

'That proves that shadow was an imagination, I would have thought to grab my knife.'

Without a moments hesitation I run off in the direction of the terror, clutching my kitchen knife. As the screaming stops I do as well and cautiously look about.

'Too quiet..it's too quiet!'

"George?" I call out softly, afraid of my own voice.

"Kevin? Morris?"

A darkness flashs by and my soul is filled with intense dread.

"Bobby?" My voice is barely audible.

I take a couple step foward and freeze when my feet come in contact with something. I try to control my breathing as I gather the courage to complete the simple task of looking down.

When I do, I wish I hadn't.

I don't bother to think or to let the events of what happened sink in. I run, the path ahead is blurry as hot tears cloud my vision.

I hear sounds ahead, unearthly sounds. A clash between whimpering and a scream. Then I hear it. The word that places the blame where blame is due,

"GRAHAM!"

The horrific wail stabs me inside and I have to stop to make myself breath. My body racks with sobs and I cannot breath.

Whirr - click - click

I whirl around and fearfully look on as I know that sound. The sound that belonged to a shadow that I hadn't the sense to fear.

A long metal limb steps into view, followed by another and another. Evil tools: knives, axes, saws come alive as the monstrous creature fixes his terrible eyes on me as he stands in full view.

Suddenly he rushes at me, a knife driving for me. That's I when I remember my own knife. Moving out of the way just in time, I clutch my lone knife and stab it hard into the creature who lets out a heart stopping gurgling wail.

It is all I need to wake myself up and run. I push and pull myself, as I fly dreadfully fast, dangerously fast. My heart ready to burst, my lungs cry out for mercy. I don't stop, I don't slow down.

Whether the nightmare is close behind or has let me go I don't know. What I do know, the horrible fact that eats away at my heart and beats away away my brain is relentless.

'I'm a murderer.'

A/N
Wow I hope that this chapter is Maze Runner worthy.... and yes, George is a real character in the Maze Runner book, read it and you'll probably cry. (Chapter 10)