Into The WICKED Maze | A Maze Runner Story (English Version)

6. The decision

We fooled around and Gally told us about his two months at the glade until it was time for dinner. I was fascinated by how little I had thought about what I was doing here before. But that was a good thing, right? I felt comfortable.
When we reached the kitchen, we each got a plate and then sat down at the same table as at lunch. There was home-made bread and some sausage with it, which also tasted good. Fry Pan really knew what he was doing.
I caught myself looking over at Newt again and was startled when he looked at me too. But who was I kidding? After all, the other boys kept watching me, too. I was the only girl and I had only arrived this morning.
With red cheeks I concentrated on my food as best I could, but Gally didn't seem to miss anything. He poked me in the side with his elbow and whispered: "Watch out, he's still looking at you," so only Minho and I could hear him. I flinched at the touch and he looked at me apologetically, but then laughed again. Minho joined in and the two of them sat to my left and right and laughed at me.
I shook my head. "You're stupid, you know that?"
"Well, you'll have to put up with us, you don't have many options." Gally just laughed even louder.
"You know something? I'm gonna volunteer to be a runner. At least I'll be rid of you for a few hours a day."
I was completely serious, at least about the runner, but Gally still kept laughing.
Yes, I would do it if the others really wanted me to. Together with Minho it would probably even be a pretty cool job. Besides, I was so curious what was hiding behind these walls that I couldn't help but look for myself. Even though I ran the risk of meeting a Griever. I had no idea what these things looked like, but I didn't really like them. Anyway, Alby had already said it, it seems I could actually run pretty fast, so I should try it.
I decided to tell Nick the same.
And so I did. When we had sat down in the meeting room a bit aside and Nick had first told us what it would mean to be a runner, he asked us what we thought. I told him that I wanted to do it and also why. He kept nodding slightly and then turned to Minho.
"Well, I think Anna is right. If we can help by going out there, it's best if we do it together, because I have to admit that we were really fast this morning. I didn't know I could run like that, but I didn't even know my name this morning... So what I really wanted to say is: Yes, I want to try."
Nick nodded again and then looked around. "All right, we'll vote as usual. Who is in favour of the two of them going to the maze tomorrow and try their luck?"
Alby's hand went up first, Winston hesitated, but then also answered while Fry Pan kept his hand down. Even Clint did not raise his hand and Newt had his arms crossed in front of his chest. A resounding no.
Nick looked around for a moment and then also answered. "I guess we'll have to take that chance. Okay, three to three - Gally, it's up to you now."
I looked at Gally expectantly and could see that he was against it. But when our eyes met, I raised my eyebrows in warning and he raised his hand moaning. "All right, but don't get yourself killed in there, okay?"
I shone at him and said, "I'll do my best."
"Then it's decided. You two are going into the maze for the first time tomorrow morning." Nick nodded at us again and was about to say something else, when suddenly someone left the room quickly and the door slammed shut abruptly.
Confused, I looked around because I hadn't noticed who had left and realised it must have been Newt, since he was the only one missing. What was wrong with him?
"I would like to add a third rule here, even though Newt left us early. None of us will leave the glade and enter the maze from now on. No one - except you two." With that he nodded to Minho and me. "You are now officially runners. All the keepers are telling their people this new rule. - Okay, I think that concludes the meeting, see you at the feast."
After Nick dismissed us, the keepers left the room mumbling and Minho went out with Gally, which I saw as my chance to ask Alby about Newt.
I walked towards him and when he realised I wanted to see him he stopped and waited for me.
"What's up?" he asked.
"I wanted to ask you something. Why is Newt so against us going into the maze?"
He did not answer immediately and seemed to be considering whether to tell me the truth. He probably decided to do so, because he nodded slightly and then began to speak.
"After Newt had been with us for about 1 ½ weeks, we decided that we would send him into the maze because George was unfortunately no longer with us. In the beginning everything was fine, but then he changed. I don't know what it was, but it did something to him. He was really fast and we thought we had found the perfect runner, but after a few days he was so done with everything here that he climbed up one of the walls and jumped down. When he didn't come back on time, Nick sent Stan and Justin in to look for him and they found him. His leg was broken, but Clint said it would heal well because it was a clean break and that he was incredibly lucky. At first we thought it was an accident, but he told me that he wanted to kill himself. He said that being alone out there triggered feelings in him that he could no longer cope with. I'm sure he won't hurt himself anymore, but we won't send him into the maze anymore. He wouldn't do that either, believe me.
He told me that he did not know how to describe this feeling, but also that it had not gone away since. As if there was something inside him that he wanted to remember, but could not. According to Newt, he has no idea what it means."
"And you don't believe him?" I asked.
Somehow I had the feeling that Alby was trying to tell me something.
He shrugged his shoulders. "Gally used to talk like that when he remembered you. I think that Newt doesn't want to remember anything, but someone. But of course I'm not sure. I could be wrong, too."