Trapped: A Maze Runner Fanfic // Gally

Chapter X: Into the Maze

        You’re on a metal examining table. The space just behind your eyes throbs, sending tidal waves of pain through your pulsing skull. You try to get up, to run away, but something in your system keeps you from moving. Your mouth is covered; a breathing mask is strapped around your head. Nearby, you can hear the muffled voices of several adults, though you can only make out words and phrases.

“…need to get her into the Maze as soon as possible,” says a woman.

“What if she dies?” The second voice belongs to a man.

“…what the boy is for. He’ll keep her safe until…” Another male.

“She’s waking up! I thought you said you gave her 3.0% isoflurane!” The woman sounds angry. You can tell she’s the one in charge.

“I did. She shouldn’t be awake for another hour—“

“I’ll handle it.”

Your breath hitches as the soft sound of footsteps thumps your way. Though you can’t turn your head, you sense someone standing next to you. It’s the woman; she’s holding something long and sharp. Through your blurred vision you can make out a needle.

“Close your eyes and go to sleep. It’s time to forget.”

You wake with a jolt, panting as though you’ve been running for hours. This time, however, you don’t scream.

‘Just a dream,’ you assure yourself. ‘Just another dream.’

            You peek outside to see the sun hasn’t risen yet. Remembering your deal with Minho, you change quickly, eager to get into the Maze. Flickers of light have just begun to leak through the trees of the Deadheads when Minho meets you beside the med-jack.

“Alright, you ready, greenie? If you fall behind, I’m not coming back for you.”

“I got it.” You admit you’re a bit timid at the idea of staying in that labyrinth overnight.

            To avoid the other runners’ attention, Minho takes you to a different door than the regular starting spot. Turning to ask him how many hours you have, you see that he is already gone. You sprint after, determined to keep up. The inside of the Maze is even more intimidating than the exterior. Massive vines cover the thick stone walls, stretching hundreds of feet up. The solid ground is hard on your ankles, but you continue on, following Minho through every twist and turn. You can practically see the anger on Gally’s face as he questions every Glader on your whereabouts. The thought brings a smile on your face, despite your painful side stitch. Back to reality, you realize you’re not in the Maze anymore.

You’re back on the cold metal table, this time sitting up. The same woman from your previous dreams stands in front of you, holding a pen and paper. She’s smiling at you through her spectacles. When she speaks, 100 voices come through her mouth at once.

“Close your eyes and go to sleep.”

Her words echo in the space around you, bouncing off of every object in the room. You look around frantically, covering your ringing ears.

“Wake up!” You look back up to see you’re in the maze, Minho standing over you.

“Wha—where—?” You can barely get out the words, not sure if you’re still dreaming.

“You just fell down and started wriggling around… a-and then you did this.” His eyes wander down to your exposed arms. You follow his gaze to see 3 words carved into your skin, apparently by your own fingernails.