The Silent Runner

1o. open walls

Gladers everywhere were running around like a bunch of ants who'd all lost their way. Everyone was searching for Gally, high and low.

"Adam! You seen Gally anywhere?" Newt called to a tall blonde boy, his hair ruffled and pushed to the side, his shirt sleeves rolled up with a neck of sweat going down the dirty cloth.

"Couple slicers said they saw him go into the Maze." He said while glancing at the door. He looked back to me. "Don't believe we've met." He smiled before holding his hand out. I took it, shaking it before letting the sweaty palm go.

"Thomas," I nodded to him. He smiled and looked back to Newt.

"Could be a lie though. Slicers'll say anything to get a good rumor going around." He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood while looking back to Newt.

"Thanks, Adam." I would've followed him around more but I couldn't stand watching him be so angry. I wanted to help or do anything I could. I found Chuck after walking around for a bit. He seemed upset.

"What's up, Chucky?"

"Ah, nothing really." He looked to the Maze doors. I sat next to him, hoping he'd say something.

"You, uh, you seen Gally anywhere?"

"His shank buddies are probably hiding him somewhere." He sighed, still looking to the door.

"What's wrong?" I finally asked.

"Do you think I have parents? Real parents?"

I laughed but only to avoid the surge of sadness. "Of course you do, shank. You need me to explain the birds and bees?" I chuckled, lightening the mood.

"That's not what I meant." He sighed, still looking at the doors. "Most of the guys who've gone to the Changing remember terrible things they won't even talk about, which makes me doubt I have anything good back home. So I mean, you think it's really possible I have a mom and a dad out in the world somewhere, missing me? Do you think they cry at night?"

"Listen to me, Chuck." I paused, being sure my voice wouldn't crack. "I'm sure you have parents. I know it. It sounds terrible, but I bet your mom is sitting in your room right now, holding your pillow, looking out at the world that stole you from her. And yeah I bet she's crying. Hard. Puffy-eyed, snotty-nosed crying. The real deal." Chuck was quiet.

I felt so bad. Happiness had been ripped from Chuck's life, along with all the other Gladers. They should be in school, complaining about homework and girls. Not here, fighting for their lives.

"Don't give up, Chucky. We're going to solve this thing and get out of here. I'm a runner now- I promise on my life I'll get you back to that room of yours. Make your mom quit crying."

"Hope you're right," he said with a shaky voice. After giving me a thumbs-up, he walked away.

"I swear I'll get you back home," I shouted as he left.

"Yo Tom!" Fry yelled from a distance.

"Parke- Angelina's up!"

Angelina

My eyes peeled open, greeted by a dim light and a round face. Zart.

"Good to have you back." He smiled. I nodded, scared to move. "I'll get you some water." With that, he left.

I looked down at the throbbing in my leg and noticed a bandage. I tried to move it, only feeling a surge of agonizing pain.

"Woah, take it easy, Monkey," Newt said greeting me, holding a cup of water. "Took this from Zart." He shrugged, handing it over to me. I smiled at him before chugging it down. My throat felt drier than the Glade itself.

Newt seemed tired. It looked as if bags were starting to fill in his eyes. He pulled the tablet out of my bag. I'd just noticed it was next to me.

"I need you to tell me who did it." I shook my head, pushing the device away.

It wasn't that I was scared of Gally but more because I wasn't some punk snitch. He knew damn well who did it but he needed a statement, one he wasn't gonna get from me.

"Why didn't you say anything about your bruise?" I shrugged trying to do a sweep motion on my stomach. "You thought it would go away?" I nodded. "Well, it's not going to, you've been running on a possibly fractured rib. Didn't it hurt?" I nodded with big eyes. "And you didn't think to tell anyone?" I shrugged, again.

I wasn't sure what to say. I didn't tell anyone because I didn't wanna be some kind of a crybaby. It's not easy in a world where people don't trust you, and you're even more useless when you can't contribute.

"Hey," Thomas said, entering the room.

"She won't talk," Newt grunted while Thomas raised an eyebrow. "You know what I meant." He scoffed.

"We already know who did it, so why the long unnecessary process?"

"It's the rules, Tommy and some of us actually follow them." Thomas rolled his eyes.

"Alright you two, that's enough," Minho said as he pushed passed the two, in the doorway. His heavy breathes told us he just got done running.

"Anything new?" Newt asked. He just shook his head. I tried to sit up and ignore the aching pain in my stomach but I shook my head, giving up. "You're gonna have to rest awhile."

We don't have awhile! I screamed in my head. The Grievers would be coming soon, I knew it.

Thomas's eyes were wide with fear. "Did any of you guys hear that?" He asked Minho and Newt.

"Hear what, shank?" Minho asked, kneeling forward in a dusty chair that sat in the corner, rubbing his hands together.

"That voice." He looked around the door area before making eye contact with me.

"What voice?" Newt laughed.

"I think the shank's lost it," Minho added.

"It said we don't have a while." I looked at him with wide eyes.

You heard me!

"There it is again!" I waved to him, getting his attention before shooing away Minho and Newt. "Guy's can you give us a minute?" They both got up and left without a word, only grunts. "That was you?" I nodded. "How- How did you do that?" I shrugged, both our minds were blown.

Thomas

"Thomas get out here!" A Glader yelled from outside. I walked just outside the room and looked down over the railing and onto the lower floor. "It's the door, it's not closing!" Suddenly, a loud shrieking noise filled the Glade. "The other walls are opening!" He yelled before taking off.

They're coming, Tom.