[2] Remember Me ➝ The Maze Runner ✓

*Overrun*

*Overrun*

It took around ten minutes for us to be splintered into two groups. Kyle and Axel were to lead one of them, whilst I split off with Azela and Soldier. Thomas had made sure to stick by my side, and Teresa was still locked in conversation with Azela. After some odd eyebrow wiggling exchanges with Axel, he managed to split up Newt and Alyssa, and keep her in his team.

I appreciate it, I said with a smirk.

He merely cocked an eyebrow and glared at me. But then again, I wouldn't be so happy if that shank had wound up in my group.

"Is everybody ready?" Kyle yelled, clutching a vicious-looking blade, curved like a hook and glinting wickedly in the dim hall lights.

There was a series of hums and determined grunts, and then Kyle led his group back out to the lab.

I sighed and weaved through the chatting gladers, finding myself beside Azela and Teresa. Thomas was talking with Soldier, and Newt was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey," I said as they lapsed into silence. Perhaps now would be a good time to ask about earlier; when Teresa had said she recognised me. Honestly, even though I had my memory back, her face didn't look the least bit familiar.

"Rowan!" Azela greeted, her pearly white teeth gleaming as she grinned at me. "Everything okay?"

I nodded quickly. "Actually I wanted to talk to Teresa," I admitted, feeling a pang of guilt as Azela's face dropped slightly. She shrugged and departed with a brief smile.

"What's up?" Teresa asked, her eyes narrow. "Is this about what I said earlier?" She questioned, biting her lower lip.

I nodded uncertainly. "Yeah. It's just that I don't remember you-"

"I know. You were always asleep when I visited you."

I choked back my surprise. "You watched me sleep?" I asked incredulously, feeling my stomach churn uneasily.

"After the operations, when you were still under anaesthetic, I used to visit you. I haven't remembered until now; you're the one they experimented on!"

I shot her a warning glare, and she simmered down a touch. A few gladers cocked an eyebrow and frowned at us, but nobody approached.

"How many know about the experiments?" She hissed quietly, almost reluctantly.

"The ones I came here with, you and Thomas," I responded in a pained voice. I was reluctant to let too many people in on my experience, but Teresa already suspected more to the experiments. "D'you know what they did to me?"

She averted her eyes, shaking her head. "I remember the scars, though. On your scalp..." her voice lapsed into silence.

I nodded slowly. This was an uncomfortable subject, obviously more so for her than for me.

"Alrighty guys, lets go," Soldier interrupted, drawing us away from our memories.

I shrugged, patting Teresa's shoulder in awkward reassurance, and we drawled side-by-side after the trudging gladers.

Thomas joined us as we shouldered our path through the tight doorway, questioning our silent reproach with a raised eyebrow.

"She knows," I stated simply, and he bit his lower lip. I couldn't help but note how attractive he looked; thoughtful and absentminded.

I gulped, the lump in my throat bobbing.

"I'm going to talk to Azela," Teresa announced, slipping into the stream of boys.

"So are we all going into the girl's maze?" Thomas asked after a moment, turning his head to stare directly at me.

I shrugged. "Maybe... I don't know... probably not..." I said awkwardly. "I mean, it might be a little hard to manoeuvre over a hundred people through the maze, and then through the hole... exit-thing." I tried to sound strategic, but my voice kept pausing at random moments and continuing suddenly, as if someone was fiddling with a start and stop button that controlled my speech.

Thomas looked at me oddly. "Are you okay?"

My cheeks burned, but I didn't care. "Not really," I said with a tight smile.

Thomas stared at me, his eyes flecked gold in the light. His mouth twitched into a bemused smile. "Whatever you say, shank."

We emerged into the lab, where bubbling chemicals and odd metallic equipment were set up like an alchemist's lair. Orange lights spilled throughout the room like pools of syrup, illuminating various documents and sketches. The scene looked slightly eerie.

"What is this place?" I heard someone gasp behind me.

"I don't know," responded a voice, rich with sarcasm. "Maybe a torture chamber... or the hideout of a secret scientist!"

Someone clicked their tongue, and Newt suddenly appeared by my side. I yelped with a start, bumping shoulders with Thomas. He glanced at me uneasily, whilst Newt merely smiled. I felt suddenly uncomfortable, sandwiched between the two boys, and felt a ripple of tension radiate from Thomas.

"Hey," Newt greeted, limping along beside me.

"Hey," Thomas responded in a tight, almost acidic, voice.

I ignored him. "Hello," I said airily. "Everything okay?"

He nodded, staring blankly into the space ahead of us. "Do you know where we're going?"

"The other Maze," Thomas replied matter-of-factly. His lips were set in a thin line as I frowned at him. He payed me no attention.

"I got that, but... how do they know where to go? Plus, isn't there anyone around? Y'know, like WICKED?"

I shook my head. "Most of them have been evacuated from the building by Right Arm. They're a pretty organised group. They've studied maps of this place in detail; they know what they're doing... I think," I added with a lopsided smile. It felt easier to talk to him, now he didn't have a whiny brat breathing down his neck.

He chuckled softly, raking a hand through his dirty blonde hair. My gaze lingered on his face; he looked older than I remembered. Haunting dark circles rimmed his eyes, shallow and dull in their sockets. His cheeks, although flushed with colour, looked sunken and taut. He looked like he'd had a pretty rough time, but maybe most of it were down to the grey shadows dancing along his face.

I inwardly sighed, my heart panging.

My attention was suddenly snapped to the front as Soldier paused with a loud grunt, a few metres ahead. Everyone else arrived to a panicked halt.

"What's going on?" Newt called, his accent more distinct than usual. He craned his neck to see over the bobbing heads obscuring our view.

We were in another gleaming corridor, fringed by various doors and curtained windows. My shoes scuffed against the flawless tiles as I shifted to my right, peering over someone's shoulder. I felt Newt's breath tickle my neck as he glanced at me in question, but I ignored him for the moment. Soldier was leaning against an open door, peering into the dimness beyond. His jaw trembled as if talking to someone, but no single voice could be heard amongst the alarmed and vexed chatter.

Then the door suddenly clanged shut, and Soldier turned gravely to face the rest of us.

His voice was flat and emotionless as he spoke. "The courtyard has been overrun by cranks. We can't get to the outer buildings... and we can't get to the other Maze."

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happy new year, my lovelies!! sorry for the long wait; my internet has been acting all weird this week, and so i wasn't able to spend much time on wattpad to update. anyway, here i am, at last!

i hope you all have a fabulous 2015, precious pancakes! i can't believe it's been a year since i first joined wattpad! you guys have been so supportive throughout 2014, and i really, really appreciate it. so thanks :)