The Silent Runner

21. sand

I opened my eyes to see Newt's still closed, his hand rested on top of mine as it laid in the small space between us.  I intertwined our fingers and held his hand. It was a connection I hadn't felt since the Gladers first met me. It reminded me that I'd fight for them and not just myself. It kept me human.

"You two are just adorable," Minho said sarcastically, I looked up to see him sitting in front of me, with the others in the middle circle, using each other's backs as resting places, just watching. I smiled, letting Newt's hand go and sitting up as well. Thomas was staring at me till I decided to look back. His flickered down to his hands making me wanna yell at him.

Why are you ignoring me? What did I do wrong?

You didn't do anything.

So what is it?

Nothing.

Thomas!

I thought you were dead. I called out to you for days and got nothing back. I thought they killed you. Same with Teresa.

Tom-

Don't call me that.

He paused.

Back in the maze, I didn't think I was ever gonna see you again and when I did you were pointing a gun at me. Even if it wasn't you, every time I look at you, I see that gun staring back at me.

Thomas, if I could've taken that shot for Chuck, I would've.

Don't say that.

Why not? It's true.

What happened? Back at that place with Ratman?

Ratman? You mean Janson?

He only nodded, finally looking me in the eyes.

Ava's still alive. Janson- Ratman, he tortured me, trying to figure out what I told you and what I remembered. I think they wiped some of my memory again because I didn't know my name till Aris said it when he found me.

He stared at me from across the small room and the sleeping Gladers.

And there's something else.

What?

We are siblings, for sure, and I think we have another. Her name is Tanner.

The storm passed in the day and when the sun fell, we all slowly woke up. One after the other.

After hours of jogging through the hot sand, Newt became restless. It had become hard to breath.

"We've been walking for forever!" Newt complained, slower than the rest of us.

"We have to keep going!" Thomas shouted back to him.

"This is crazy," he mumbled to himself. "We'll never make it."

"We have to keep trying," Thomas explained.

"Why! Why?"

"Because I wanna live! Don't you?" Everyone stopped walking now. We all looked at the two, sharing the same shock that he'd yelled like that. "Don't you?" He repeated.