The Fighter 》 The Maze Runner

Seventeen

I gasped up.  My heart was beating fast.  My kept taking deep breathes.  I looked around to see I was in the Homestead.

"Danielle, you're finally up."  Clint said with excitement.  He looked at Jeff, "Go get tell Newt she's awake."

That flashback/dream came back to my mind and I grabbed Jeff's arm, "No, no.  I'll need to talk to Nick.  Where is he?"

I need to tell someone what I saw, but I couldn't tell Newt about it.  He was in my dream for shucks sake!  I couldn't talk to him about his possible - yet not - suicide attempt.  I didn't want it to be true.  Because if that was true, then everything I saw really was a memory.

"At the Box.  Greenie's here, but he won't come out.  Everyone's been trying to get him out the past twenty minutes."  Clint said.  I nodded my head and got up.  "Woah, woah, woah.  I think you should lay down for a bit."

"Clint, I feel fine."  He was about to retort but stopped when he saw my glare.

He sighed, "Fine.  But, if Nick or Newt complain it's on you."

"Thanks, Clint."

I ran down the stairs and out to the Box.  As I got closer I could hear every comment from the Gladers.

"What a Shank."

"I bet he's going to be a Slopper."

"Look he klunked himself again!"

"That's the fourth one today!"

"They send us a pudgy one this time."

"I give him two weeks until he's Griever bait."

I stopped outside of the circle, "Leave him alone!"

As if I was foreign to these shanks, the Gladers turned and gave me a wide-eyed look.  I ignored their stare and made my way closer to the box.  I ignored their whispers about how I was back from the dead.

They parted ways as if I was going to punch one of them, smart choice.  When I made it to the box I looked down.  The poor Greenie was crying with his head hiding under his arms.

I jumped down and made my way closer with my hands up showing I mean no harm, "Hey, hey, you're safe.  No one is going to hurt you."

The Greenie slowly looked up and my eyes widen.  No...no it couldn't be true.  He's not real.  He's not real.  He's just a figment of my imagination.  But, he's here.  He's really here.

Chuck is here.

"Really?"  Chuck asked.

Getting rid of my shock look - and holding back tears - I nodded, "Yeah.  I'll make sure no one here messes with you.  Now, can you tell me your name? It's ok if you don't remember though.  It usually comes to us before three days."

"Chuck."

I gave a small smile, "Well, Chuck, welcome to the Glade."

"He looks a lot like you, Tiger!"  Minho yelled.

"Greenie could be your brother!"  Roman shouted.

I looked back up and at Chuck, "What do you say Chuck?  Would you like to be my brother?"  Even though he already is.

The first time today Chuck smiled, "Yeah."

I pulled Chuck in for a tight hug.  Tighter than I anticipated.  Here he is with me after all this time.  Yet, he doesn't even know that I'm his sister.

"Ok, Chuck.  Let me give you a tour."  And I looked up at the Gladers.  "And anyone who messes with you is going to wish they're Griever bait when I'm done castrating them."

I smiled and Chuck laughed when the Gladers all took a step back, some holding their jewels.  Nick send a smile my way before dropping the vine. 

I wrapped my arm around Chuck's shoulder as we made our way over.  I went first because I could smell the klunk from him, and I don't need to be at the other end in case he decides to make another.

I hauled him up, "Welcome to the Glade, Greenie."

Chuck gave me a confused look.  I smiled again.  He'll get use to the Glader slang in no time.  Was I like this on my first day?

I was pulled into a tight hug by Newt.  I immediately returned it with a little smile on my face as he buried his head on my neck.

"You're up.  How do you feel?"  He mumbled.

"If you mean if I'm me, then I'm fine."  I said.

"Either you two shuckfaces get a room or Newt needs to stop hogging you."  Minho sassed behind us.

I let go of Newt and hugged Minho, "Nice seeing you again, Min."

"Of course.  I'm a delight to be around."  I chuckled.  "Next time a Griever is coming at me, let me get sting."

I scoffed as I pushed his shoulder in a playful manner, "Hey, saved your ass."

"Now, I need to save yours."  Minho walked around me.  "And what a fine one that is."

I pushed him and we started laughing again.  The cage to the Box started to go down, but no one moved.  I looked around and saw Nick tying a vine around his waist.

"Nick, what are you doing?"  I asked.

He didn't look up, "I'm going down the Box.  See if we could finally leave this place."

My mouth opened a few times, "Wha-what are you talking about?  I thought you said -"

"That it was the Maze.  Maybe it is, maybe it isn't.  But, it's better to make sure than just repeating the same thing over and over."

"Then let me go down."  I offered.

"No.  It was my idea, I'm the one that needs to do it.  You just woke up from a shucking Griever sting."  He nodded at Alby to hold me back.

Nick looked down at the empty hole on the ground before giving us a mocking solute.  He handed one end of the long vine to Jak and Daxter before climbing down. 

》》》》

Nick has been climbing down for a while.  I was bouncing on the ball of my heels while biting my nails.  I hate standing like this.  My nervousness is climbing up at it's highest peak.  The vine kept getting shorter and shorter.  It looked like there wouldn't be enough for Nick to reach the ground.

"What's he doing?"  Chuck asked.

"He's trying to find a way out."  I said.

Lukas went near the hole, "Do you see anything?"

"Nothing."  Nick's voice echoed.  "It's just -"

He didn't finish his sentence because there was a tzzz sound coming inside the hole.  Whatever was down there was moving.

Nick started to scream and the vine snapped.  Then there was a thud. We ran to the hole and started looking around, and we began yelling.

"Nick!"

"Nick, what happened?!"

"What's going on you shank?!"

"Nick!"

"Do you see him?!"

"Would I be yelling if I did?!"

The Greenie alarm rang.  Chuck - not knowing what it was - covered his ears.  The Box started to come up.  It got closer and closer until it stopped.  It opened and there were a lot of gasps.  Some Gladers threw up, some - including me - had our mouths open looking wide-eyed at the scene.

Nick...sawed...in half.

I felt Newt's arm around me as he brought me close so I wouldn't look at the corpse.  I couldn't help but look.  Nick, our friend...our leader is dead.

"What's that?"  Someone asked.

I looked to see a white piece of paper on top of Nick's chest.  Gally - being the curious one - jumped down.  He picked up the paper and started scanning it.

"What does it say?"  Minho asked.

"Don't try this ever again."