Silence

Chapter 15

During the following week, we ran the maze as usual. Alby was still waiting by the doors, checking us for any sign of giving up.

Minho and I stood in front of the doors with Nick and George. Alby checked us before sending us in, looking after us before we turned the first corner. "Alright" Minho said as we reached the first crossway. Em and I will go this way, you guys take that path. See if anything has changed and write it down". Nick and George nodded before taking off.

We had talked the night before, deciding that we should divide in order to cover more ground. However, we had not told Alby. He would have prevented us from entering the maze, thinking it would be to dangerous.

Minho and I walked through the maze in a quick pace. Our goal for the day was the Cliff, to see if the path had changed. Every other corridor changed during the night, but this way seemed to be the exact same every time. "Right turn, left turn here and" Minho got quiet. "The Cliff still stands" He finished. We looked at each other before heading back.

We decided to make a right turn were we should've turned left. "This way, we'll find Nick and George" Minho said as we continued our path.

We stopped for a short water break and sat down by the walls. "Truthfully, I don't know if we'll ever make out of here" Minho said and closed his eyes. I sighed and looked down onto the ground. I couldn't help but feel myself agree with Minho. As days passed without an exit being found, I felt my hope becoming smaller and smaller.

I rose again and extended my hand towards Minho. "Thanks girly" He said with a tired smile. As he rose to his feet, his arms accidentally brushed against the thick ivy covering the walls. Letters could be seen. "What the shuck?" Minho said as I used my arm to uncover the words. "Property of W.C.K.D." was written on the wall, the same message to be written on our supplies.

"We need to tell the others about this" Minho said. A sudden scream echoed through the maze. We looked at each other before running in the direction towards the sound.

*******

After we took a left turn, we ran into Nick. "It's George" He said. We quickly followed him back and found George on the ground. "George?" "Stung, stung, I've been stung" He mumbled in response. Minho and I looked at each other before turning to Nick. "What happened?" Minho asked.

"I don't know" Nick answered. "He ran a bit in front of me, I just had to tie my shoelace. Then I heard a sort of mechanical sound and George screamed. When I reached him he was just laying on the ground. Mumbling about being stung". Nick looked over at George, he seemed to be in pain.

"We should get him back to the Glade" Minho said as Nick and I took George's arms and lifted him up. George got violent at our touch and wrenched in our grips. "Let's hurry" Minho ran before us to warn Alby, Nick and I walking while dragging George.

"I just needed to tie my shoelace" Nick said with a small voice. "I never meant for him to get like this". We struggled with George, eventually reaching the Glade. Alby and Minho stood talking and looked over at us when the sound of George's grunts reached them. "Minho, get Newt" Alby said, not taking his eyes of George.

"What happened?" Alby demanded as we pushed George into a sitting position. It was easier to keep him in place this way. Nick explained his story again, Alby nodding as Newt reached us. "Oh" was all he said.

"We need to keep him somewhere safe. We don't want to cause panic among the Gladers and we don't want him hurting himself. "The Slammer?" Newt asked. Alby shook his head. "The others will see and hear him". He looked over the Glade, his gaze stopping at the Homestead. "We'll keep him in one of the rooms. Barricading the doors should do it"

Newt and Alby took George from Nick and I's grasp and dragged him over to the Homestead. George's grunts became lower as he moved further away.

"I never meant for this" Nick's eyes seemed to fill up with tears. I walked over to him and took him in my arms. He cried on my shoulder and I gently rubbed him over his back. After a while he let go and dried his nose on his sleeve. "Thanks Em" He smiled before heading over to Zart, who was now working alone in the gardens.

I stood still as Minho approached me. "What do you think happened?" He asked. I could only shrug my shoulders as we waited for Alby and Newt to return.

Gally seemed to have been by the Homestead, because he walked quickly to us. "What happened to him?" He asked and nodded his head in the direction of George. "We don't know" Minho said. "But by the sound of it, something terrible"

*******

Alby had called for a Gathering. Because of George's state however, not everyone got to take part in it. "Gally" Alby called when dinner was done. "Minho, Newt, Em and Nick. Gathering room"

We rose from our benches, shaking our heads at the questions being formed by the others. "I wonder what will happen" Newt said, putting his arm around my waist as we walked towards the Homestead. "Whatever happens is up to us, right?" Nick faked a smile and we sat down on the chairs inside the Gathering room.

"Gathering's in session" Alby said and leaned forward. "We need to figure out what to do with George. I walked by his door a while ago and he sounds even more violent than before". "If he gets even more violent, I say it's a risk to have him stay in the Glade" Gally rose his voice. "But he's my friend, our friend. He won't do anything" Nick defended George. "He's a Glader. As long as everyone is safe, we will do our best to help him. But if he breaks the rules, he has to go" Alby looked at Nick.

The tension in the room was thick. No one wanted to say it, but George might not have that long left to live. If he kept on acting like this, he would hurt himself. The silence was eventually too much for Nick. He rose from his seat and exited the room.

"You know we have no choice right?" Alby's whisper was so quiet. Minho nodded his head. "If George isn't better tomorrow, he needs to go. We can't put everyone here in danger". We nodded at Alby again. "Gathering's closed" Alby rose from his seat and exited the room as well.

"We have a long night" Gally and Minho left the room as well, leaving me and Newt behind. We sat in silence, empty chairs between us.

"I never thought this would happen" Newt said. "I mean, something was bound to happen, it's life after all" He sighed and closed his eyes as he leaned back on the chair. "I just didn't think it would"

I rose from my seat and walked over to Newt. He opened his eyes as I carefully sat across his legs. "Oh Em" He said putting his head on my shoulder. I leaned my head onto his and we sat in silence.

I don't know how long we sat there, but George's screams made us pull apart. "I can't" Newt whispered and placed his forehead on mine. "I.. I can't". Minho entered the room and looked at us. I rose from Newt's lap and mouthed take care of him to Minho. As he walked over to Newt, I exited the room and went towards the place George was.

I reached the door and looked through the small window on the upper half. He sat on the floor, rocking while holding his knees. "Stung, stung, I've been stung" He mumbled.

I sat down on the other side of the wall. George and I hadn't come of to a great start, I had punched him in the nose making him bleed after all. But he was still a Glader. I hadn't gotten close to him, but the others had.

It was especially hard on Nick. They had bonded right away and always did everything together. Most importantly, he blamed himself for George's state as his shoelace had prevented him from being there. I rose from the floor and gave George one last look. He was still rocking on the floor, mumbling to himself.