Meant to be | A maze runner story

Chapter 4 - The Changer

Once again, I wake up at the crack of dawn. I pack my stuff and meet Minho and Ben at the entrance.
- "We won't be long out today, but we still have to go...well...because..." Minho says.
- "Yeah we know." I say.
The doors opens and we rush inside. Even though Minho isn't the most talkative, I know how hard it is for him to keep lying to the others, about us knowing the entire maze. All of the boys think we haven't discovered everything yet, but that's not true. I find it quite hard as well to keep it a secret to be honest. I mean every single one of us wishes to leave this place. The runners, Alby, and I, are the only ones that know that it might not be possible to leave. We finally reach the end of the maze and we all slow down.
- "Y/n." Minho says.
- "Yeah?"
- "He's like you."
I look at him confused.
- "Who?"
Ben and him look at each other.
- "Thomas." He says.
- "How the hell am I like Thomas?"
He raises his eyebrows.
- "You're both curious and have the same determination." Ben says.
I roll my eyes.
- "I know you see it too." Minho raises his eyebrows. "Now come on, let's get back."
We start heading back the glade. Today was quite a short day, and I can tell Minho is excited to get back because he is tired. I think about the conversation I just had and wonder if Thomas hadn't face planted when he ran away, maybe he could of been a runner. We finally enter back into the glade and I look at Ben.
- "Hey Ben you alright?" I ask.
He has this weird look on his face, as if he felt sick or something. For a brief second I wonder if he got stung, but then again, it is the middle of the day.
- "Yeah why?" He answers.
- "Nothing."
He separates from Minho and I.
- "Stop worrying. It's not healthy for you." He tells me.
- "I cant control it you know that."
He lets out a laugh.
- "You always have to be the mom of the group uh?" He teases.
- "I'll catch you later." I tell him.
I run away from him and meet Newt.
- "You guys are back early." He says when he sees me.
- "I think Minho was tired today."
He nods.
- "Where's the greenie?" I ask.
- "He went to get some fertilizer."
- "Does he even know where it is?"
- "No."
We both start laughing, but then suddenly I hear a scream.
- "Newt?" I say worried.
- "What?"
- "Did you hear that?"
I hear another scream but this time I hear Thomas yelling for help. Newt and I look at other.
- "Oh shit." I say.
We see Thomas running out of the forest followed by Ben. Ben shoves him to the ground and Newt grabs his shovel. We run towards them as quickly as possible, and so does the rest of the guys. Ben is on top of Thomas when Newt hits him with his shovel. My heart is beating at an incredible speed, knowing I was right to be worried a few minutes prior. Fry, Gally and a few others grab Ben to keep him still on the ground.
- "What the hell happened?" Gally asks.
- "He. He just attacked me!" Thomas says, still panting.
I look at Newt and he looks at me with the look. We both know what happened. Alby slowly walks towards Ben and Ben eyes open wide.
- "No. No. I didn't mean too." Ben says.
- "Lift his shirt." Alby says.
Fry lifts his shirt and everyone is in shock when we see the mark of the stung on Ben's side of his stomach. I take a deep breath and look on the ground. I look at Alby and wonder how it's even possible that he has been stung in broad daylight, especially because Minho and I were with him when it happened. A part of me is also angry that I didn't go and see Alby a few minutes prior to tell him I was worried about Ben.
- "No. Please." Ben says, scared.
- "He's been stung? In the middle of the day?" Gally asks.
I look at Thomas and he seems very confused by the situation. Alby looks at me and I nod, signaling that he has to do it. I look at the ground.
- "All right. Put him in the pit." Alby says.
The guys lift him up.
- "No! No! NO! PLEASE. PLEASE ALBY." Ben says, crying, knowing what's about to happen to him.
Alby leaves and I follow him. All the guys disperse in complete silence.
- "Hey! Alby." I yell. He stops walking and I run up to him. "You alright?"
He takes a deep breath.
- "No."
We walk in silence and sit on a branch next to the tents.
- "I don't understand." He says. "How could he have been stung during the day?"
- "When we came back from the glade today, I noticed a change in Ben's attitude, and he looked kind of sick. I knew something was up and for a brief second I thought he could of gotten stung, but like you said it's the middle of the day. Minho and I definitely missed that then."
- "I'm going to have to go in with the both of you tomorrow."
- "What? No. No Alby." I look at him worried. "You can't go in there, especially after what happened to Ben."
Thomas walks up to us accompanied of Chuck. They both sit next to us. I still look at Alby worried of what he just told me.
- "What happened to him?" Thomas asks.
- "It's called the Changer." Alby answers. "It's what happens when someone gets stung."
Chuck and I look at each other.
- "Listen." Alby continues. "We aren't able to get a clear word out of Ben. He's not making any sense, and it's only going to get worse. The infection is spreading. He's dangerous. What did he say to you."
Thomas takes a deep breath and looks at me.
- "Um...He...He said he saw me and that this was all of my fault." He takes a pause. "How could this be my fault?"
Alby and I look at each other. I think about what Thomas just said and I am quite confused. I don't know what's happening in Alby's head, but there's definitely something not right here.
- "Alright. Well get some rest." Alby says while getting up.
He starts walking away.
- "What's going to happen to him?" Thomas asks.
Alby turns around and stares at me. He turns back around and walks away.
- "Y/n?" Thomas asks.
- "Yeah?"
- "What's gonna happen."
I look at Chuck and then at Thomas. I get up.
- "Get some rest all right."
I walk away and meet up with Newt, who is sitting next to the forest. I sit next to him. We stay silent for a couple of minutes.
- "How are you feeling?" I ask him.
He doesn't say anything.
- "Newt?"
He walks away. I take a deep breath and watch him leave. Usually when someone gets stung and we find out, Newt and I stay together before the whole ceremony, but this time, I think he needs some time alone. Ben was not only a runner, but a brother to us all. Every time he showed up, everyone was automatically happy. He really was a ray of sunshine.
I reflect on all of the moments I had with him. From when I first saw him come up in the box, to our run in the maze today. I try to hold back my tears as I'm thinking that today was the last time I would ever run with him. I stay sitting for a couple of hours, until Newt comes up to me, with 2 sticks in his hands.
- "It's time." He says looking at the ground.
I take a deep breath and grab one of the sticks. We walk to the entrance of the maze, where most of the boys are waiting with sticks as well. We go next to Alby and suddenly, we hear Ben screaming. My heart tightens. His hands are attached behind his head and Minho is holding him tightly. I make eye contact with Minho, and I try as much as I can to not let a tear out. I look at Alby, but he's looking at the ground. He wipes a tear off his face. Minho puts Ben on his knees and everyone surrounds them. He cuts of the rope.

- "No." Ben says sobbing. His voice is weird, since he's trying to gasp for air. He coughs. "No. Please. Please don't. Please. Please don't do this."
Minho looks at me and Alby. Alby nods and then looks away. Minho looks back at Ben and then throws the sac of water into the maze. The doors start to close and Minho walks to the side. Ben crawls up.
- "Pull!" Alby yells.
We all put our sticks facing the entrance of the maze. Ben tries to walk forward.
- "Move in." Alby orders.
We walk towards Ben, forcing him to walk backwards.
- "No. No, no, no. Please!" Ben yells trying to fight back.
Eventually, he is so far back that he has to run into the maze in order to not get squished. The doors close and I lock eyes with him for the last time. A few tears roll down my face and I look at the ground, completely destroyed. Everyone stays quiet. I lift my head up and look at Newt. Alby looks at Thomas.
- "He belongs to the maze now." Alby says.
He walks away. I put down my stick, and follow him. Newt is by my side. I look at Thomas and he seems extremely upset, but also confused at the same time. I head back to my hammock and even though it is not dinner yet, I decide to head to bed.