Fervency

CHAPTER: S E V E N T E E N

"Ladies first" Gally opened the slammer once they arrived. Elodie jumped in and then took a seat on the muddy floor.

"What's your problem with me?" She watched Thomas ask the builder from through the bars.

"Ever since you got in here, things have been going wrong." With that, he turned to leave. 

"Don't worry about that guy" Elodie consoled Thomas, once Gally left. Thomas sat beside her. Several wooden bars separated the two of them.

"He's hot and cold." She explained, "stick with me, Chuck, Newt, and Minho and you're golden." She offered him her hand through the bars.

"I couldn't stay away from you shanks if I tried." He shook her hand. The two of them laughed in unison until a loud snap was heard.

"Who's there?" Thomas called.

"It's just me" Chucks face came between the bars. He brought the two of them some leftover food so that they didn't have to run on empty stomachs. Elodie finished her food quickly as Thomas continued to talk to Chuck. She decided to try falling asleep so she could be energized enough for the next day.

Before she knew it, they were finished talking. Now, nothing but the constant sound of crickets chirping filled the air.

"Hey" Thomas whispered from the other side, "you awake?"

"What else would I be? Asleep?" she gibed, "Gimme a break. I can literally feel myself developing scoliosis." Thomas laughed in response, watching as she struggled to find a comfortable position.

"So, you really think you can get us out of here, huh?" She looked over to him and he sent her a nod.

"Then I wanna help"

"Ok. By the way-Thanks" he replied. "For not making me feel crazy. I'm glad I'm not the only one bent on getting out of this place."

"I don't like being trapped..." Elodie released a heavy sigh. Her eyes lowered to the dirty ground beneath her and she began drawing spirals in it with a twig.

"I keep getting these memories every time I hear something loud." She broke the silence. Thomas leaned forward as she had piqued his interest. "I try to ignore it, but It's hard. They're only auditory..."

"What is it sound like?"

"Gunshots... people dying. I don't know what it is...but I get this really intense sadness that comes along with it." Thomas measured her closely for a long time and then suddenly she turned away.

"It sounds really dumb I know..." she laughed dryly.

"Not at all. I just feel bad for you, I mean... that's the last kind of memory I would want to have in a place like this."

"Yeah..Its not comforting." she laughed again, "That's why I need to know what's on the other side. Every time I think about it, I get really angry." She pressed the stick harder into the dirt, effectively snapping it.

"Me too..." he agreed.

"I just hope we can pull this off..." She looked out to the starry night sky.

"Hey...we will, ok?" he comforted, "I know we will, because I'll make sure of it."

"Friends?" he offered her a hand and she shook it. "Friends."

" I'm glad you came, Tommy."

***

"Rise and shine!" a sing-song voice woke both Thomas and Elodie.

"Damnit Minho I just got to sleep" Elodie groaned, while he unlocked both parts of the slammer.

"So. You wanna run too?" Minho asked, though it came out like a statement.

"Elodie." his gaze hardened as he peered down to her, "you have to promise that you'll listen to me. I don't want you getting hurt."

"Wow. I've never seen you so serious in my life." she remarked. He shot her a blank stare, causing her to raise both arms in surrender. "You think I wanna die? C'mon Minho, I'm sensible."

"No, you're full of klunk." he declared, while pulling her out. "Lucky for you, today should be easy. C'mon."

The three of them headed for the maze with a few others in attempt to recover the Griever Thomas had squashed flat.

"This way" Minho motioned, while Thomas and her followed. They took several turns before eventually they had found it. The dead Griever.

"Man..." Thomas wrinkled his nose at the sight of it. It was oozing goo.

"Do you hear that?" Elodie cocked her head in attempt to distinguish the sound.

"Guys, there's something in there" Thomas announced.

"You mean besides a Griever-pancake?" Frypan joked.

"Help me get this out" Minho asked Frypan and Winston who had come along with them as well. The two of them tried their best to budge the maze open, while Thomas and Minho ragged the Griever out.

"I think it's...inside of it." Elodie picked up a piece.

"Ladies first" Minho joked, earning a look of disgust from her.

"Lucky for you, I'm a gentleman." he went straight for it and shoved his hand in.

"Ew..." Thomas chuckled. It made wet squishing noises as he dug his hand into it.

"I think I found something!" Minho shouted, pulling out what looked like a metal device. It was shaped like a cylinder and had a digital number on display.

"Wait, what's that?" Thomas pointed to the brand that was written beside the number.

"W..I...C..K..E...D? Wicked?"

"Make sense." Elodie scoffed.

"That must be who put us here. It has to be." Thomas murmured.

The group of them made their way back to the Glade around Noon. The sun was shining bright in the sky and a din of voices from the other Gladers surrounded them.

"Good job guys." Minho complimented, before dismissing the rest.

"Meet me by the deadheads tomorrow." he whispered specifically to both Thomas and Elodie. Suddenly, the sound of a blaring alarm was heard. The three of them exchanged glances.

"The box. C'mon!" Minho motions for them to follow.