Shadow of the Maze | Maze Runner [1]

THREE

Silence rang throughout the Glade as Alby paused. Electra looked back toward Thomas and watched him anxiously twitch in his spot. She desperately wanted to know how he was feeling at that moment. If he felt responsible for this boy's death or if he was merely anxious from being so close to his attempted murderer. Thomas intrigued her, just as much as the new girl she'd learnt about earlier that day. Where was the girl? Electra noticed she was nowhere to be seen during the Banishment.

Alby resumed his speech, "Keepers, take your place on the Banishment Pole."

Electra shifted her gaze back over to Minho who firmly grabbed the Pole with both hands. She could barely hear Ben's sobbing, but she could see him furiously wiping his eyes and nose. Ben, now staring down the Maze in front of him, became hysterical. She could see the pure panic in his movements as he thrashed in his spot, trying to escape the clutches of the collar.

She heard him cry out but she couldn't make out what he said. However, she did hear Alby's response as he fiercely yelled back at the boy, "Shut up!"

Ben's voice got louder, straining against the leather collar around his neck that he was miserably trying to claw off. "Someone stop them! Help me! Please!"

Again, Alby ignored his pleas. "If we let shanks like you get away with that stuff we never would've survived this long. Keepers, get ready."

Ben said something under his breath before letting out a shrill scream. His scream mixed with the sounds of the Door beginning to close. Electra felt the stone beneath her begin to rumble, and she grabbed onto the edge of the wall to avoid the possibility of falling down.

Alby yelled something at the Keepers before they all began pushing Ben towards the Maze. Ben violently flailed around, his face becoming red with panic, his eyes bloodshot and full of tears. He spat as he yelled at the boys, trying to stop the madness. He became wild, his screams louder than the churning of the closing Doors. He'd managed to turn around as he stepped foot into the Maze and he stared back at the Gladers.

Electra moved from her spot to get a good look at the Banished boy who was now stumbling backwards into the Maze. She saw as the collar loosened around his neck right before the Doors slammed shut and he was trapped inside.

This moment always reminded her of her first night in the Maze. The pure silence and dread that filled her when the movement of the Doors ceased. She wondered what Ben must be feeling, but his sobs and cries of anguish quickly answered her question.

Like the other Banished boys, Electra instantly knew she couldn't help him. This boy had been stung and gone crazy. He tried to kill another Glader and the Gladers themselves had sent him to his death. He was unable to be saved, especially by her.

She looked away from him and began walking away. Her eyes closed and all she could see was the previous Banished boy, Alfred, on the floor, and his broken bone sticking out of his body as he cried and cradled his leg. Not wanting to see that terrible memory, her eyes shot open and she quickened into a run. She wanted nothing to do with Ben's Banishment and felt an intense need to get as far away from him as possible.

She decided to head off to her Cove instead of the makeshift ivy bed. She had to get a couple of hours of sleep tonight before the Grievers tried climbing into the Glade and she wanted the comfort of her own space rather than the open world on top of the walls.

Around a month after she was put in the Maze she'd found what she now called her Cove. It was a cave-like, nest-like structure built right into the Maze, as if specifically designed just for her. It took a lot of maneuvering to get there, and a lot of the Runners weren't skilled enough to even make it there. The Grievers, however, had no problem showing up at her front door and fighting her. Even in the "safety" of the Cove she was never fully safe.

She took numerous twists and turns before reaching a point where the Maze walls dipped a bit. She climbed down and ran on the shorter wall until finding a square shaped hole a bit below her. She swung downwards and into the hole before Running within the wall, and coming out on the other side to an area completely closed off from the rest of the Gladers.

Without thinking she ran to the right, jumping across various dips in her path and climbed up some ivy before making her way down a small corridor until she was met with a large stone wall right in front of her.

The ivy on the wall was scarce so she jumped from vine to vine as she climbed her way up. Completely exhausted once she reached the top, she rolled over and took some time to catch her breath.

When she got up she was met with her Cove. She saw the familiar ivy curtains hanging in front of the shallow cave. Walking up to her home and, pushing the vines aside, she threw her bag onto the large boulder she used as a table before crashing down into her ivy bed.

Her Cove was filled with various artifacts she'd collected during her three years in the Maze. Most of them were cool-shaped rocks, but she also had a collection of Griever parts she'd scavenged during some of her autopsies. All her artifacts were thrown across the room randomly, cluttering up the little cave. She enjoyed the clutter. It made her space feel lived in. Made her feel alive.

She knew she should probably start a fire. She looked at the firepit sitting in the middle of the Cove but she couldn't get herself to stand up. The Maze was generally warm enough, and she had a blanket Minho had stolen for her from the Glade to keep her warm.

Exhausted from her long day, she fell asleep instantly. Again, to be met with the nightmare of the voice playing over and over. This time, she also saw Alfred in her dreams. The combination of the boy screaming for help while the voice ringed in her ears consumed her during her nightmares.

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A/N: happy saturday!! been doing pretty good with weekly uploads eh?? *knock on wood* remember to vote and comment ur thoughts <333