Left Behind//The Maze Runner

T W O

What the hell did I get myself into?

Sand whips around, stinging my cheeks as I trudge up a large dune, the boys and Teresa surrounding me. I lift my hand to cover my eyes, trying to see where I'm climbing. It has to be midnight because I can't see above the dune.

We run as far as we can from the complex, the night making it hard to see where we're going. All I know is that Newt and Minho are at my sides and I'm pushing forward until they stop.

This feels just like when we escaped the Maze. We were running for our lives, begging the Stingers not to hurt any more of us. Now we're running for our lives begging WICKED not to find us again.

The only difference is this time we won't ever have to live in fear again. 

Thomas shouts for us to get low just as the complex becomes nothing but a speck of light in the distance. I crouch down next to Newt at the top of a dune, more sand meshing with my hair as I get on all fours. Dozens of guards file out of the complex, their flashlights lighting up the direction their running.

"Okay, guys move back!" Thomas whisper-shouts, motioning for us to follow him. He starts army-crawling backward, the rest of us following suit.

We rush through the sandstorm, stumbling down mounds of sand. There is more sand in places where it shouldn't be than out in the Scorch. I really didn't think it could get worse but now there's sand in my mouth.

Man, I hate sand...

Teresa starts acting as if she's looking for something, the group following after her, Thomas yelling her name. She starts to slow, patting on a glass windowpane of an old building buried by sand. My eyebrows furrow as she walks over to a hole in the side of it, taking a pause and staring at it intently. All I can do is hope she isn't planning on going in there.

And just when the hope builds, it falls away as she marches down inside, the darkness closing around her.

"Guys get in here!" She yells her voice echoing from inside the old building.

Minho goes in first, followed by the rest of the guys, Newt going before me. I'm the last left standing outside and as much as I don't want to go in, I don't want to stay out here alone either. There has to be somewhere else to go, maybe somewhere safer for all of us. Somewhere not dark and frightening.

And yet there is nothing but more sand dunes...

"Sandy," Newt calls sticking his head out of the hole, turning my attention back to him. "Are you coming or not."

He holds out his hand for me to grab and I take it, huffing out a sigh. "Yeah... If I have to." I grumble, getting pulled into the hole by Newt, his grip strong but gentle.

Newt and I stumble down the hill of sand leading into the building, Newt catching me at the bottom so I don't fall down. I flash him a kind smile before we join the rest of the group. Minho clicks on his flashlight and shines it around, illuminating our surroundings, all of it old and covered in sand, dust, and grime.

"Where the hell are we?" Minho asks, his voice laced with concern and confusion.

My gaze travels around the building, sand covering the majority of the floor, along with large sheets that look like they've been baked by the sun and then torn to shreds. There are tons of large rooms with shutters covering the doors, all of them covered in some kind of weird rust-colored paint.

At least, I really hope that's paint. After what Janson said about things called Cranks and them taking us out, I'm not so sure I want to find out what it is.

"Okay, guys let's go!" Thomas starts to walk away, the rest of us joining him but Teresa.

"No! Thomas stop!" She says causing us to stop in our tracks. My eyes move to her as she says, "Tell me what's going on."