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

27. The whole maze

"That's it. There's nothing more to explore. You must see that too." Minho banged his fist on the table and the little timbers shook precariously.
I took a step towards him and gently stroked his back. I had just moved the last small stick a little again because we had forgotten a niche in the wall of a passage.
He was right, that was it. There simply wasn't anything else out there. And yet we hadn't spotted anything even remotely close to an exit.
"Hey...," I began, not knowing what to say.
"Now, why don't you admit it? There's no point in fooling each other. You've known it for a while, too. We've been out there together every day for half a year now and I know you."
I swallowed, my hand still on his back. "You're right."
That was all I could get out. What was going to happen now? Surely we couldn't just walk up to Nick and Alby and tell them we hadn't found an exit and wouldn't find one. What would happen then? I didn't want to imagine it.
"What should we do, Minho?" I asked, noticing a few tears running down my cheeks.
Minho noticed this too and took me in his arms.
"I don't know. But we can't tell the others. They would either go crazy or tell us we didn't look hard enough."
I nodded, my face against his shoulder. "What a klunk. I wish we'd become sloppers, huh?"
I could hear him smirk at my joke despite the hopeless situation. "Yes, if we had..."
We broke away from each other again and looked at the model of the maze once more. After an eternity of silence, Minho broke the it.
"Okay, we have to think rationally now. We agree that we can't tell the others about it, not even the leaders. We probably just haven't been looking long enough for that." He scratched the back of his head. "So what if we just keep going out there, try to investigate the outer zones even more and hope that - against all odds - we find an exit after all. And if we're really sure we've searched everything, then we'll take it to Nick and Alby. Maybe it's best to let the others believe that we are still looking for an exit and that we haven't given up hope. Look at the other guys - since we've been here, three have already gone completely jacked with fear."
I nodded again. "That's how we do it."
6 months and 10 days.

"Those sunsets really are the most beautiful thing here, you were right."
I lay with my head on Newt's legs while he sat leaning against a rock at the edge of the forest. We both looked up at the sky and watched the last rays of the sun disappear behind the walls. It wouldn't be long before the gates would close.
"They would only be half as beautiful without you," he whispered, stroking my hair. I looked up at him and realised he was watching not the sunset but me. Without being able to stop it, I felt my cheeks take on a slight pink colour. In all the time I'd been here now, it hadn't changed.
"I should come back this early more often. I miss spending time with you," I retorted.
Instead of saying anything, he leaned down and kissed me.
13 months and 17 days.