The Rogue Variable

A/N

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A dead one. I shook my head to clear some space. I must be dreaming. I must be. A dead griever just doesn't happen. And neither does a girl. Then a boy and girl, one day apart. A strange sense of hope came over me. Maybe Adam survived, maybe he's been living in the maze, somehow lost, and he killed it. But, once again unceremoniously, the logical part of my brain convinced me otherwise.

Adam was a runner, he wouldn't get lost. And two, I heard his screams. And lastly, no one survives a night in the maze. He was just one boy. So if Minho thought this was some prank, I would slap him faster than he can say "sassy".

As if reading my mind, Alby stated incredulously, "ain't a good time for jokes,"

Minho looked straight at him, "look, I wouldn't believe me if I were you, either. But trust me, I did. Big fat nasty one."

"You found a dead Griever," I asked.
"Yes, Joannah," Minho said, his words laced with annoyance. "A couple of miles from here, out near the Cliff."
We looked out at the Maze, then back at Minho. "Well ... why didn't you bring it back with you?" Alby asked, as if it were obvious.

Minho laughed again, a half-grunt, half-giggle. "You been drinkin' Frypan's saucy-sauce? Those things must weigh half a ton, dude. Plus, I wouldn't touch one if you gave me a free trip out of this place."

Alby persisted with the questions. "What did it look like? Were the metal spikes in or out of its body? Did it move at all-was its skin still moist?"

"Slim it, man," Minho said. "You gotta see it for yourself. It's ... weird."
"Weird?" Alby looked confused.

"I bet," I scoffed, at Alby's strange behavior. "Dude, I'm exhausted, starving, and sun-sick. But if you wanna haul it right now, we could probably make it there and back before the walls shut."

"No way," I shook my head, "just in case of surprises. Alby looked at his watch, as if he need more reassurance, "she's right. Better wait till the wake-up tomorrow."
"Smartest thing you've said in a week." Minho said, straightening up. "I should go back out there, but screw it. I'm gonna go eat some of Frypan's nasty casserole."

I helped him begin to hobble to the kitchens. "You deserve it, buddy,"

I walked with him, and made it to the homestead, only to find a frazzled looking Andy. I rolled my eyes at his company, while he walked towards us. His usual smirk wasn't there, but yet replaced with terror. "What's going on?" I asked. "I did nothing I swear it's-" he was cut off by impatient Minho, "what!?"

"Ben, he's not dead," he explained. I swallowed my stomach as I repeated his words in his head. Half of me was so relieved, Ben was my friend, but the other half was scared to the bone. He had shown me that he wasn't the friend I thought he was. "How could this have happened?" I whispered, still awe struck. Andy just shrugged, "when we went to get him, he wasn't dead. The arrow missed his shucked up brain, and clint'n' Jeff fixed him up. But he's all real crazy like, sittin' in the slammer. Gally threw him in there, poor medjacks had to fix him up inside,"

I didn't know how to respond. But thankfully, Minho did. "Get Newt, and Andy, find alby. We need a gathering," surprisingly without argument, he nodded, then went off, assigning the baggers to go get the keepers. "Congratulations, by the way. You're gonna make one of your first major decisions as keeper," he said, "too bad this decision sucks,"