The Maze Within {Book 1}

Chapter 34

=Newt=

I was awoken the next morning to the sounds of whimpering and crying.

I fluttered my eyes open and looked down to see Elizabeth crying in her sleep.

"Lizzy," I gently shook her.

She didn't respond.

"Lizzy, you need to wake up," I told her.

A few seconds later Elizabeth jolted awake, screaming as she did.

"Stop!" She grabbed onto the nearest thing to her, which in this case happened to be my hand.

She panted before looking up at me. Her usual chocolate brown eyes had lost their colour and now looked more of a pale colour.

"Are you okay?" I asked, brushing her hair away from her face.

She nodded before sitting up. "What's going to happen today?"

"I need to call a gathering as you and Thomas did break the rules," I answered.

She nodded. "Be honest with me. How much trouble am I in?"

"I personally don't think you did that much wrong. The way I see it you were just helping someone who was in trouble, but the others may see things differently," I explained.

"They're going to banish me aren't they?" She looked at me, her voice breaking.

"No Lizzy, they're not. I won't let them banish anyone without a good enough reason," I told her.

Elizabeth yelped as a knock suddenly came from the door.

"It's alright Lizzy, It's probably just Minho," I told her before getting up and making my way over to the door.

I pulled open the door to reveal Minho standing in the hallway. He seemed to have an uneasy look on his face.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Gally's called the Gathering and has demanded that Liz be there," He explained.

I widened my eyes. "Gally's called the Gathering?"

He nodded, answering my question.

"We'll be there in a second," I replied before closing the door.

Just by the look on Minho's face I could tell what kind of Gathering this was going to be.

*~*~*~*

"Things are changing," Gally stated as I looked over at Elizabeth who was sitting next to Thomas.

She looked as though she was about to start crying at any moment. "First Ben gets stung in broad daylight, and then Alby."

"And now Elizabeth and our Greenie here had taken it upon themselves to go into the Maze," He pointed to the pair of them.

"Which is a clear violation of our rules here," He finished.

I took a step forward and faced him. I knew what he was trying to do and there was no way he was going to do it.

"Yeah, but they saved Alby's life," Frypan commented from behind.

"Did they?" Gally asked.

He then turned to everyone else in the room. "For 3 years, we've coexisted with these things,"

"And now, you've killed one of them," He pointed to Thomas.

"Who know what that could mean for us."

"What do you suggest we do?" I asked, deciding now was a good time to speak up.

"They have to be punished," The place then erupted into noise.

I looked over at Elizabeth and saw her lock eyes with me. Just by looking at my I could tell tell she was going to break at any second.

"Minho," I spoke, getting everyone's attention.

"You were there with them. What do you think?" I asked.

"I think... in all the time we've been here. No one's ever killed a Griever before," He stated.

"When I turned tail and ran. These dumb Shanks stayed behind to help Alby," He pointed to Thomas and Elizabeth.

"Look, I don't know if they're brave or stupid. But whatever it is we need more of it," He then turned to me.

"I say we make them both Runners."

I felt my eyes widen in happiness, but fear at the same time.

I was happy for Thomas since he's wanted to become a Runner since the day he arrived here, but there was no way I was letting Elizabeth back out there.

Not again.

Word Count: 669

Edited: 23/4/2017