Her || The Maze Runner

Five

A hand was placed on Mara's side, her eyes darting open. Fear spread through her, if this was one of those... "shanks", then she was about to turn into a bloody monster on him. She sat up and grabbed the hand, twisting it around his arm.

"It's just me." Newt winced in pain and Mara immediately released his arm. As he spoke a gust of his morning breath filled the air. Guilt spread through Mara as she leaped up, Newt examining his arm for damage. What did he want?

"I am so so so so sorry Newt. I didn't know."

"It's okay." He reassured her. "Bloody hell, you're tough for a shuckin' girl."

"Your fault. What were you doing anyway? And what time is it?" Mara asked, surely it wasn't the morning. It felt early, too early to be getting out of bed anyway.

"Earlier than the wake up. Need to show you somethin'. This way, greenie." Newt headed for the door and Mara followed. As they passed the bed closest to the door she realised that it contained a sleeping body. It was Alby. When did he get here? She thought, she didn't remember him entering the room at all. She suddenly became quiet, she didn't want to wake him. Newt caught on, aware of Mara's careful actions. "Don't worry 'bout him. The bloody shank could sleep through anything."

The tall boy lead Mara down the stairs and out of the building, she was curious of what he was about to show her. They clambered over any bodies in the way, reaching an area empty of boys. Then she remembered that her tour of the place would be taking place in a few hours, or maybe Newt was giving it to her at that moment. Mara desperately wanted to ask questions, but she was afraid that if she did he might not show her what he was about to show her.

Newt broke into a run across the hard floor, heading towards the wall on the west. Mara followed, maybe he was going to take her inside it once the walls created the opening. Excitement rushed through her at that thought, she really wanted to go back into that maze. She looked up into the sky as she ran, the light was dim and the sun was nowhere in sight.

The boy stopped next to the humongous wall. Mara stopped next to him, watching for his next move, but something in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Small flashing red lights lit parts of the wall, they were moving, flickering on and off.

"What are those?" Mara asked, pointing to the red spots on the wall.

"You'll find out when you need to bloody know greenie." He replied, slightly annoyed with all of Mara's questions.

"Why is that the freakin' system? Why can't you just tell me now you freakin'... shank?" She replied and Newt lightly laughed. She didn't mean for it to be a joke, she was just being sarcastic, throwing his own words back at him.

"We're gonna get along, you and me greenie." He smiled. "Now, let me show you what I'm gonna show you, and keep a down low on the bloody questions."

He stepped up to the wall and pressed his hands into the thick ivy. He pushed it aside to reveal a dusty window about two feet wide. Mara stepped up to the window and peered in. There was nothing there other than the endless corridors she had found myself in not long ago. The girl turned away and faced Newt.

"What am I loo-"

"Just wait." He interrupted.

Mara turned back to the window, pressing her forehead against it to get a better view of whatever it was she was supposed to look at. Minutes passed. Still nothing. But then, she saw it. A glimmering eerie light shone in the maze, appearing from the end of one of the pathways. The metallic sound ran through the air, know she knew what had been making that noise. But it wasn't pretty. What the...? she thought. A lump grew in Mara's throat as she watched the thing move. Panic flared inside her, her first instinct was to get away, to run as far as possible from the thing, but she couldn't. She was frozen in place. A shiver ran down her spine as she stared at the monster standing- no, rolling- on the other side of the wall.

It was half animal half machine, covered in a blur of spikes and shimmering flesh. Saws, blades, sheers, rods and other menacing items protruded from its body, they were deadly. This was a nightmare. Times ten. Somehow, it knew it was being watched, it knew what hid behind the walls. And it wanted them. It wanted their flesh and bones. Mara felt her breathing slow, was this another panic attack? How could she have been so lucky to have missed this thing when she was there not long ago? She couldn't remember her last life, but she knew this was the most awful thing she had ever seen.

She started to fight for air, pulling herself away from the window and to the floor. Newt immediately fell to the floor, trying his best to calm the freaked-out girl. She looked up into his eyes, her body was paralyzed with fear as she clasped onto his body, screaming for breath.

"Hey, its okay. Just breath." He told her. His voice calmed her, she felt safe with the blond haired boy holding her. After what seemed like hours, but was only minutes, her breath quickened, returning to normal.

"Wh-what was t-t-that?" She felt sick to her stomach, but she wanted to look at it again although she didn't know why.

"We call 'em grievers." He told her. "Just be glad they only come out at night. These walls'll protect us. It ain't pretty, but it's reality."

How could the runners go out there? Those... things might only come out at night, but how could they go out there with the chance they'd come out during the day? At that point, any plans Mara had of becoming a runner had been ripped from her mind. But she was still curious. And she hated it. It was like she had to go out there, she had to explore, look for a way out.

Mara sat up, leaving Newt's grasp. He stood and absently walked over to the dusty window. "That's what happened to Nick. Got stung by one of them buggers. Now you've seen that you know this ain't a joke. You're in the Glade, greenie. We'll expect ya to survive and help us do what we've been sent to do."

"What have you been sent to do?" Mara asked, her voice cracking, but her breathing regained.

"Find a way out." He said. "Solve this buggin' maze and find our way back home."