Stolen [The Maze Runner Fanfiction]

IX. The Map Room

      As we approach the metal door of the concrete building, my stomach dissolves into butterflies. What's in there? What if the other runners hate me? What if Newt finds out? Minho turns the wheel-like handle, and it squeals as he pulls the door open. I don't have much time to wonder about anything, as he drops inside without hesitation.

"You next Skylar," Kate says, pushing me forwards.

I take a deep breath and enter the room. It's plain for the most part, with a few tables and chairs as the only furniture. The corners are stacked floor to ceiling with boxes, though I'm not sure what they contain. As I examine the room, I realize it has a very strong metallic smell, like the smell of old jewelry. The smell is odd, but strangely comforting.

Once through the doors, I'm met with looks of confusion and shock from the other runners, who slowly look to Minho, waiting for an explanation. My face turns bright red in embarrassment; I should have just stayed in the homestead.

"This is Sky, and she's helping me and Kate today." He says it shortly, glaring at all of them as if daring them to say something. Thankfully no one does, they all just shrug and return to whatever they were doing before. He called me sky? I like it, and it's a nickname I wouldn't mind sticking, unlike greenie, which I hate.

Again I'm hit with the odd feeling that I should be scared of Minho, everyone else sure seems to be, but I'm just not. Kate comes in behind me and Minho motions for us to follow him. We do, and soon all three of us are seated around a small table in the corner. Scattered across the table are pencils and sheets of blank paper, which I assume are used for making maps.

Kate turns to a box behind her, and opens it, revealing a disheveled stack of papers covered in lines, boxes and numbers. She sets the stack of papers on the table and picks two up. Minho grabs one and hands it to me. I see that paper contains a group of nine boxes all with inter-connecting lines, the box in the center being the only one not covered in lines.

"That represents the glade." Minho says pointing from over my shoulder to the box in the middle of the square. "These all represent sections of the maze, the openings stay in the same place even when the walls move, and yes they move, making the path to them different." He explains pointing to the boxes on the page. "Different sections are open on different days, for example one day sections 1,3,5, and 7 might be open and the next 2,4,6, and 8. We've mapped the movements ever since we realized the maze was shifting." He points to the top of the page, "this tells you which section it's a map of and who mapped it." 

"So do you do this a lot?" I ask, stalling as I tried to absorb and remember the overload of information.

"Do what?" He asks, confused.

"Study the maps all day."

"Oh, no, usually we run and map, but once a month we take a break from running to study them," He says, walking back to his chair and grabbing two sheets for himself.

"so what are we looking for?"

"We don't really know," He says frowning. "Just anything out of the ordinary, take two and see what's different."

"Oh, ok." I nod and grab another sheet from the pile.

Three hours later, fingers full of paper cuts and eyes sore from concentrating, Minho finally calls for a lunch break. Apparently no one has found anything interesting, judging by the disappointment written on their faces. The maps intrigue me though, the way they repeat in a pattern month after month, somehow shifting every night. I decide that "runner" is now number one on my job list.

I follow Minho, Kate, and the rest of the runners to frypan's kitchen to get lunch, but we don't eat in the kitchen. Instead, we grab our sandwiches and head back to the map room. Everyone sits in a circle on the floor, with me sitting opposite the door between Minho and Kate. At first it's dead quiet as everyone hungrily devours their lunches, but soon the conversation picks up. Unfortunately, most of it is centered around me.