Then She Came

Maya 5

Tears pricked at my eyes as I stared at the ceiling of the infirmary. Someone was going to die tonight. And it was all my fault. 

Maybe he deserved it. Maybe he didn't.

I refused to close my eyes. I deserved to hear his screams. I deserved to feel his pain. 

I took a deep breath, trying to push myself into a sitting position, wincing the entire time. 

I sat there for a few minutes, staring out the window and into the forest beyond it. There was no moonlight to illuminate the outside, all I had was a candle sitting on my bedside. But I knew the forest was there, looming, threatening. 

A scream broke through the silence, causing me to flinch. It felt like Alex was right next to me, screaming in my ear, begging for relief. 

His screams were then backed by the grievers and I felt a tear slip down my cheek as I quietly sobbed into the night. 

And then it all went silent and it was like Alex had been ripped away from my side. He was no longer screaming. 

A let out a sob before quickly muffling my tears with the thin blanket. 

I wanted to be the one to cross his name off the wall, or set up the bonfire. Maybe he didn't deserve a bonfire, but he deserved something. No one deserved to die like that. 

I bit down sharply on my lip as I tried to swing myself out of bed. I felt the pain come back in my thigh and every movement caused my torso to burn. 

But I needed to cross off his name. I'm not sure who it would bring comfort to. Not me. Not Alex. But maybe it would bring us both closure. 

Uneasily, I put weight on my legs and slowly, carefully, stood up fully. I cried out at the pain and fell onto the cot in front of me. 

"Come on," I grunted, crying out as I pushed myself back into a standing position. 

I barely remember the walk to the wall where I had carved my name just weeks ago, I know that I fell a lot. I know that at some point, Minho and Newt joined me and helped me get there. I know that Minho steadied me as I crossed off Alex's name. I know that they both cried with me. 

After Minho had gone back to bed, Newt joined me in the infirmary and climbed up next to me, hugging me to his chest. 

"His death is my fault, isn't it?" I asked him, my voice barely a whisper.

"No." He replied quickly, not even giving it a thought. "Of course not. Don't blame yourself for his actions. He nearly killed you." 

"But he didn't and now he is dead. I don't see how that is fair." 

"He broke our rules," Newt replied in a shaky voice. "Alby made it very clear to all of us what would happen if we broke them." 

Hours later, I finally fell asleep to the sound of Newt's breath. To the rise and fall of his chest. 

"We have to send him in." A man says. He wears a long white lab coat and holds a clipboard with a pen attached. Fear moves through my body as jerk my head back around the corner, out of view of the two scientists standing there. Newt was sitting unconscious on an examination table. He had tried to sneak off to see me again. The guards caught him and knocked him unconscious as I tried to pull them off of him. The punishment would be terrible and by sending him in, I knew exactly what they had in mind.

"No," I say loud enough to stop the conversation going on around the corner. I walk out of my hiding spot and into the view of the two scientists. Ava Paige gives me a smile. As she watches me, I watch her. 

"It's for the best. He broke the rules."  She replied.

 "No, please don't take him away from me like you're taking everyone else." I started to cry, finally realizing what it really meant.

"Don't worry, Maya." Ava Paige said coming to rest a hand on my shoulder. "You will see him soon enough." No. They were going to send Newt into the maze. And then send me in to be the only girl months later. He would forget he even knew me. Then I would forget I knew him.

Ava Paige motioned for the other scientist to start the procedure. "No." I moaned. She wrapped her arms around me, trying to comfort me. "No!" I screamed, fighting against her. "Don't make him forget me! Don't send him in there! Please!" 

Guards dressed in all black took my arms, pulling me away from Ava Paige as I kicked and cried. "You can't do this!"  I screamed it until my throat was raw. And even then, I continued to cry out for him. I didn't want him to forget. I didn't want to forget. He was going to forget me and I was going to forget him. 

"I think you will find that I can." Ava Paige replied and then a door was shut in my face.

My eyes opened sharply to feel someone's arms around me. Fear coursed through my body as I remembered the guards and there black uniforms and strong arms. 

"Newt!" I cried out to feel the arms tighten. Oh god, it was real. It had happened. Someone was operating the other side of this Maze, and it was a woman named Ava Paige. She sent us here.

"Shh." Came a voice from above me. "It's me, it's me. You're alright." Newt's voice was soothing as he pulled me to his chest, bringing up a hand to wipe my tears. "It's going to be ok."