Perilous Love | Maze Runner

Gathering

Olivia (ironically) made the beautiful fan art above ❤️ Send me your fan art through Instagram (Shuckoffgreenie) or email (Acreativeblur@gmail.com) :)

  The gathering room silences as Newt and I step inside. All of the Keepers are here, along with a couple other Gladers she guesses are important.

  "What's this all about?" Newt asks, looking at Gally.

  "Most of us feel that the lack of punishment for Olivia is unfair." Gally says, shooting glares at me.

  "Oh so what she went through out there wasn't a punishment?" Newt states, going and standing in front of the room. I remain in the corner, awkwardly looking on.

  "Lets see Newt. She went into the Maze when she wasn't permitted, and when the doors were closing. Both of those things are clear violations of our rules here. And Olivia seems to be the only one who these rules don't apply to."

  "Why because I'm a girl?" I say.

  "No. Because you're Newt's little pet now." Gally says. I look at the ground.

  I can see Newt's face heat up. "She did nothing wrong, Gally."

  "Oh yeah? What if she wasn't your stupid little girlfriend? Would you be treating her the same way? If she was just another one of us?" Gally's voice raises.

  "Fine. One night in the Slammer with no dinner," Newt says.

  A couple Gladers start their complaints.

  "Oh come on Newt! Thats it? That's her punishment?" Gally protests.

  "Minho!" Newt shouts. The room silences, and the boy stands up. "You were there. What do you think?"

  Minho takes a moment before speaking. "When we were out in the Maze, it was Olivia's idea to save Alby. When I turned tail and ran, this dumb shank decided to stay behind and help him."

  I can't decide whether to be proud or offended by what he just said.

  "Look," Minho continues. "I don't know if she's brave. Or just plain stupid. But whatever it is, we need more of it. I say we make her a Runner." He sits back down.

  I am in shock. A Runner. He wants me to be a Runner. Happiness floods through my blood.

  A normal person would object to such an idea after spending a night in the Maze. But not me. I am already excited to get out there. Its a weird feeling, knowing the difficulties of finding a way out and the dangers the Maze brings.

  "What!?" Gally exclaims. The whole room erupts in chaos.

  "A Runner?"

  "Girls can't be Runners!"

  "Maybe she'll be our ticket out of here! We should've done this sooner!"

  Many different thoughts buzz about the room.

  "Newt! A Runner? Why would we let her back into the Maze?" Gally gripes.

  "You know why Gally? Because we can't just have non runners in the Maze." Newt turns to me. "So Olivia, starting tomorrow, you're a Runner. Get us out of this place."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  I'm sitting next to Alby in the Medjack room. His body has stopped shaking and his screams have quieted, but his skin is still covered with the bulging veins, the Griever sting on his chest covered in dried purple gunk.

  I've been watching him for a while. I can only wonder what he remembers, if it will benefit us at all. We need answers and stat. If I can't find a way out of this place then we are doomed. Supplies is almost gone, we've got about three more days until we're out of food.

  I strain my brain to recover any information, any memories about what might help us. But it's all a dark fog, clouding my mind, driving me insane.

  I grumble. Pick up something. It's the Grief Serum bottle. I roll it around in my hands, fidgeting with anxiety. One word is written across it.

  Wicked.

  Yep. That's what this whole thing is. It's wicked. A horrible nightmare that's utterly impossible to wake up from. I don't know how the others live like this, how anyone can even smile, how anyone can be happy here. Yet, everyone is filled with something that contradicts everything they must be feeling.

  They're all filled with hope.

  Hope is a strange thing. It keeps you going even when you know everything has gone wrong. Even when the whole world has collapsed. Even when everything is broken and fractured and demolished.

  How can these people live like this? How can I live like this? And the answer's easy. I can't.

  Not for long, anyway. Something is itching at me. It's telling me to escape this place. To run. To run fast and far and never look back.

  I think about Aris. Who's Aris? Aris is dead. Newt said so himself. I am talking to a ghost.

  It's all so...frustrating. All the thoughts rushing through my head but none of them can be put together. None of them can help me whatsoever.

  I set the bottle back down and put my head in my hands.

  "Please. Alby please remember something. Help us get out of here." I say to him.

  He returns with a groan.

  My stomach rumbles and I stand up, stretching out my still sore muscles before heading out the door. A good night's rest is what I need most right now.

  I am walking down the Homestead, picking at my dirty fingernails when I run into someone.

"Oh sorry-" I say, looking up to see Gally. "Scuse' me." I say and attempt to get past him.

  "Where do you think you're going, Greenie?" He asks, stopping me.

"Duh, to get something to eat. Move."

  "I don't think so." He grabs my wrist and drags me with him. And that's when I remember my punishment.

  I mentally groan as he walks me outside. "Say your good nights. Then it's off to the Slammer for you." He says, shoving me forward in Newt's direction.

  He greets me. "Hey love. I'm sorry."

  "No need to apologize. It's only fair. See you in the morning." I say, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. All I want to do right now is sleep.

  Gally takes me to the Slammer. The Slammer is a ditch dug into the ground. What keeps people inside are the bamboo gates that open and close.

  As we approach the dugout, I decide to ask Gally a question that's been gnawing at my brain ever since I got here.

  "Hey what's your problem with me man." I say.

  He sighs. "Everything started to change the minute you showed up. The Grievers, the Box, the sky. There's something fishy about you, and I'm gonna figure it out. I saw you-"

  "Yeah yeah you saw me in the Changing I get it." I mumble.

  He holds open the door to the Slammer. "Just get inside shank," I follow orders and climb into the hole and he locks me in. "Sweet dreams, Greenie." Gally whispers and walks off, leaving me for the night.