6. Stuck

As Thomas rapidly awoke from his slumber, he looked around to find Gladers in peaceful sleep, until he looked over to the entrance to see Newt, Athena, Minho and Alby stood saying their goodbye to one another, but too far away to listen. The doors creaked open the sound of concrete on concrete, and Alby and Minho ran off into the maze leavin Athena and Newt behind. Stood at the entrance still, Newt wrapped his arm around Athena's waist and pulled her in for a hug, and kissed the top of head whispering reassuring things to her. After a few minutes stood like that they started walking towards the kitchen since Gladers will be waking up soon, Athena had her arm wrapped around Newts as they walked together smiling having a conversation about anything. Athena had black cotton shorts on and a navy hoodie she stole from Minho and a white t-shirt underneath, and her sword and axe on her belt as always and her hair in a normal height ponytail with a few strands falling down.

The day went by and eventually Gladers went to work, Athena accompanied Newt, Thomas,Chuck and Zart since it was her day off today and once again Thomas was back at asking 101 questions. "Ye, but why would Alby go into the maze?" he questioned the runner and two tarck-hoes "I mean, he's not-- he's not a runner." As he looked at the two cutting down a tree stump and the two sat on the log next to him.

"Things are different now," Newt said looking at the Greenie. "Alby went to retrace Ben's steps before sundown," now returning to his job. "But are you gonna help?"he questioned looking at Athena and Thomas. "We can use some of your weird axe wielding skills" he said towards the girl with amusement laced in his voice.

"Sorry no can do, it's my resting day today." She said with a matter of fact smile.

"So was yesterday"

""Yes but I was the one to stop Ben therefore I did not rest." She sassily replied back.

"Ok, so he's going to go back to where Ben was stung?" Thomas interrupted, causing Athena to roll her eyes and Chuck snicker at the girl.

"Alby knows what he's doing, all right? He knows better than any of us," Newt explained.

"What does that mean?"

"All right, it's like what you've heard yeh. Every month the box sends up a new arrival. Someone had to be first, right?" explaining further so the greenie could understand. "Someone had to spend a whole month alone, in the Glade."

"And that was Alby," Athena said pointing out the obvious for the clueless Greenie. To which Newt directed his machete at her and nodded in agreement.

"I mean, it can't have been easy. But when those boys started coming up one after another plus the lovely lady sitting next to you, he saw the truth." Newt explained hacking his machete at the dead tree, "And he learnt the most important thing is that we all have each other, because we are all in this together." With that silence came the group as Athena spun a small knife that she kept from the day she arrived as the knew Greenie between her fingers,Thomas got up to help Newt and Zart with the stump. As the three carried on their job Athena noticed the pick up of cool wind going through the humid air and grey clouds coming closer.

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play - Lightning by Little Mix - now

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Hiding away in the huts from the downpour, Athena paced, getting more and more nervous for her friends still in the maze. "They should be back by now." Thomas announced also realising something could have gone wrong. "What happens if they don't make it?" He asked, looking between Newt and a still pacing Athena.

"They're gonna make it." Newt said to calm for comfort.

"And what happens if they don't?" Walking towards Newt.

"They're gonna make it." he repeated staring at the anxious girl beside him, as the greenie walked off.

"Let me go look for them." She asked looking up at the second in command.

"You can't" looking into her pleading eyes, "trust me i want to too, but Albys orders."

"Yes, but that is for people who aren't runners, and I remember the directions because Ben told me before we left the day."

"The answers no Thea, we can't lose anyone else." Gally interrupted overhearing the conversation.

"I wasn't asking you." She snapped back at the builder.

Newt grabbed her hand and pulled her the other side of him away from Gally, "I can't Thea, we both know it's too risky." he said looking into her amber eyes surrounded by freckles. She simply replied with a nod of her head. Newt wrapped his arm around her neck and pulled her closer and she wrapped her arms around his waist from the side leaning her head on him, anxiously waiting for her friends to come back home.

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As the downpour stopped, the Gladers crowded round the entrance hoping for the return of friends, Athena stood next to Thomas and Frypan at the front along with Newt, Chuck and Gally. The familiar sound of cogs winding up Athena's anxiety rose rapidly.

"Come on, guys. Can't we send someone after them?" Thomas questioned, eyes still focused on the maze.

"That's against the rules." Gally stated, glancing at Athena, "Either they make it back or they don't."

Athena's jaw clenched not wanting the inevitable to happen, she wanted a way to save her friends but for once she couldn't think of a solution that wouldn't put anyone in danger. "We can't risk losing anyone else." Newt said with his voice lower and filled his sadness.

As wind blew in their faces, the doors before them started to close, "There" Thomas pointed. Following the direction the group saw a very tired Minho carrying a passed out Alby on his back, going at a too slow of pace to make it.

"Wait no, somethings wrong." Newt said as the pair came more into view.

Walking as if he was drunk, swaying from side to side. The group cheered him on trying to get their friend and leader to safety from a far. Athena stood there silently taking in every inch of the situation, Thomas noticed her silence and joined her in thinking, as the cheers turned into blurs and the doors becoming smaller Thomas and Athena made their decision and both ran towards the doors fighting off the grabbing hands and sliding between the closing doors and both making it to the otherside of the closing doors.

As the doors closed behind them Athena stood up and walked towards her conscious friend and slapped him round the back of the head; " What the hell were you thinking, you should have left him."

Minho stood up in front of the girl becoming significantly taller than her "I did what i had to do, I couldn't leave him. And how can you have a go at me when you just stupidly ran in here with the greenie and caused yourself to be trapped here to die too."

"I couldn't leave you to die, we are going to make it through this and get back because i know for a fact Newt needs you as much as I do." She replied while poking him in his chest.

"Yeh, well he needs you as much if not definitely more then me."

"Then that's all the more reason to get out then isn't it." She said, raising her voice causing the end of conversation and crouching down to inspect Alby.

Minho turned to stare at the Greenie, "Good job, you just killed yourself."

"I what?" Thomas questioned becoming more and more frightened.

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In the Glade that night POV

The crowd stared in shock. What else could they do. The newest Greenie ran in only to be followed by Athena. Newt's face said everything anyone needed to know, he had just lost his best friend and a girl he was unknowingly in love with. A girl that meant everything to him, a girl he owed everything too. He was once again alone. As the teenagers slowly one by one departed Chuck walked back over from coming from his hammock and was carrying as many pillows and blankets as he could. He dropped them on the floor in front of the small group made up of: Newt, Frypan, Winston and Zart. As night once again claimed the sky the boys leaned on the wall with their pillows and blankets with light chatter amongst them, all were worried about their friends stuck in the maze, all hoping they would make it, but a part of them knew they weren't, they all just hoped.

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