Feral → newt, tmr

Chapter 4: The Error

“I’m fine,” Thomas replies, but Katherine can see the strain in his eyes, the flickering shadows of fear lurking just beneath the surface.

“Did you two know you’re twins?” Alby’s question hangs in the air, heavy with significance.

Katherine shares a glance with Thomas, and a rush of warmth fills her chest at the thought of their connection, the shared memories that bind them. “Well, we weren’t sure. Last night, I had this strange dream, and Thomas was in it. I called him ‘twin boo.’ Then today, I asked him about it, and he said he saw the same thing. Chuck even said we look alike. And then Ben…” Her voice trails off, the reality of Ben’s attack closing around her like a vise.

Alby nods, understanding washing over his features.

“What’s going to happen to Ben?” Thomas asks, his voice trembling with concern.

“It’s called The Changing,” Alby explains, a pained expression crossing his face. “It’s what happens when someone gets stung. We haven’t been able to get a clear word out of him since it started. The infection is spreading, and he’s dangerous. What did he say to you?”

“He said it was our fault,” Thomas retorts, frustration etching his voice.

“How could this be our fault?” Katherine interjects, disbelief rising within her.

“Get some rest,” Alby says firmly, standing to leave. “Both of you.”

“Alby?” Katherine calls out, her heart aching for Ben’s fate.

“Yeah?” he replies, pausing in the doorway, a shadow of compassion crossing his features.

“What’s going to happen to him?”

“You’ll see.” Alby’s voice is distant, a shroud of mystery cloaking his words as he walks away, leaving Katherine and Thomas shrouded in a heavy silence.

“Did you give Gally a broken nose?” Thomas asks suddenly, a flicker of mischief igniting in his tired eyes, as if trying to cut through the darkness.

She shrugs, a smile breaking through her worry, though it feels fragile. “He deserved it. He’s an ass.”

“It was amazing! You should’ve seen Gally’s face!” Chuck exclaims, laughter bubbling between them like a fragile light in the encroaching darkness.

As night deepens, the Gladers gather around the maze wall, the tension thick in the air like a storm cloud ready to burst. The Keepers stand armed with long poles tipped with sharp spears, ready for whatever horrors the night might bring. Ben is dragged forward, his face a mask of sheer terror, hands bound behind him.

“Just listen to me. Please!” Ben’s desperate cries pierce the heavy atmosphere as Minho drags him toward the maze entrance. “Please, don’t do this!”

Alby’s gaze remains cold and unyielding. “No, please. Don’t do it,” Ben begs, his voice rising, cracking under the weight of fear.

Minho pulls out a knife, cutting Ben’s ropes as they reach the center of the crowd. The tension is unbearable, the air thick with anxiety as everyone holds their breath, fearing what comes next.

Ben sobs loudly, the sound gut-wrenching, a raw plea that tears at Katherine’s heart. “Please, don’t do it!”

Minho tosses a bag filled with food and water deep into the maze, the sound of it hitting the ground swallowed by the tension.

“Poles!” Alby barks, and the Keepers pull down their poles, forming a barrier that corners Ben against the wall. “Move in!”

The massive stone wall beside them slides forward with a heavy, unnatural grace, the grinding of rock against rock resonating like a funeral dirge. Sparks fly as the wall closes in on Ben, a noose tightening around his fate.