The First Clue: Chapter 29

FINALLY! I am so sorry I haven't been updating so I will try to make this one super long. Thanks! The clip for this chapter is either on the side or up on top.

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NEWT'S POV:

My heart sinks to the bottom of my stomach. There, it shatters. Not breaks, but shatters. Into little shards of emotions I can't even explain. My hand instinctively is brought to my face as tears moisten my eyes. I clutch my mouth and a tear rolls down my cheek.

Not him... Please...

I bolt to the front of the cell, hands gripping the bamboo bars tightly, my knuckles growing white.

"HEY!!! LET ME OUT!!!" My voice is raw and scratchy, I scream with all my might.

Minho appears in front of the slammer, frantically untying the latch. I can hear Thomas yelling in the cell beside mine. Soon, I'm scrambling out and passing Minho, dashing past a frightened looking Kayla, and limping as fast as possible to the Maze doors.

Standing there is Ben, surrounded by boys, and leaning forward on his knees, panting. The Maze doors are closed and many Gladers talk at once, trying to get answers out of him. 

Ben grunts and stands up fully.

"SHUT UP!"

Everyone goes silent. He coughs, spits onto the ground, then rubs his eyes with his dirty hands.

"Alby came into the maze with me... to investigate a dead griever.. those things are good at lookin' limp." 

I can feel the sting of more tears soon to come in my eyes.

"What happened..." Zart asks.

"It slit his throat with a blade, stung him, then ran off... I didn't have time to bring him back."

Sadness is replaced with anger.

"You left him there???"

"I didn't have a choice!"

Winston pipes in.

"Newt, man... that means you're in charge."

Everyone grows silent again and something clicks inside my brain.

I'm in charge... I can't... I have to.

Ben tosses something into my hands, breaking my train of thought and I clumsily grab it.

"I sliced a hole in the shuck-face's stomach and that fell out."

Its a mechanical cylinder, covered in slime, ripped cords on one end and a small screen on the other.

It displays the number 7 in red.

7?

Minho jogs up to me and takes it from my hands. I wipe them on my pants.

"Hey... Ben? What section was open again today?"

"7. Why?"

Minho nods and turns, grabbing Thomas and Kayla, pulling them towards the Map Room.

I have the urge to follow... but I return to my work, trying to put my mind off the fact one of my best friends is dead.

*TIME SKIP, NEXT DAY*

KAYLA'S POV:

I'm going running with Thomas and Minho today. We concluded that whatever that device is, it might be able to help us out of this place.

I finish up my eggs and bacon, gulping down the last of my water that was collected for me, and stand up. I fasten the leather strap across my chest with my pack attached, and tie my sneakers. I'm wearing my black runner's shorts and a gray tank top with... surprisingly... Newt's hoodie over. Things have been pretty rough since yesterday, but it looked so comfortable and smelled so good.

"Ready?"

Minho's voice sounds behind me and I turn to see Thomas waiting next to him, his black eye looking slightly better.

I nod. "Yeah."

"Good."

Minho turns and starts jogging to the Maze doors with Thomas and I close behind.

I can see the device tucked inside Minho's pack and a prick of curiosity sparks in my mind.

What is that even?

As we enter the Maze, we turn into full sprint. I let out heavy gasps of air as we speed through the sections.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5. We continue to pass all of them, corridor after corridor, until finally we reach seven.

Minho comes to a halt and Thomas and I follow.

"Do you hear that?" Thomas asks.

Click, click whiiirr. Beep.

"The device."

I run forward, grabbing it from Minho's pack and staring at the dry-slime covered screen.

The 7 is green and it starts to beep as I walk forward.

"It's showing us the way. Come on"

I take the lead and dash through section 7, the device making annoying beeping sounds as we turn  wrong ways, directing us to the next.

 I stop abruptly as we reach a large opening. I step forward and look inside. 

"Whoa."

 A huge area, probably twice the size of the Glade, is filled with tall, rusty metal structures that are about half a foot thick.

"This is called The Blades." Minho states.

All of them are faced horizontally, preventing them from closing and making corridors.

The device starts beeping again and we sprint through The Blades. I can't help but feel that at any moment, they'll turn and lock me inside.

We reach the end of The Blades and step into a much smaller corridor. The device beeps once, extremely loud, then goes silent.

A moment passes and then suddenly, a round opening forms on the dead end ahead of us. A red dot appears and a line quickly scans the three of us.

"What the hell..." I hear Thomas mutter.

The opening immediately closes and the sound of stone against stone grinds in the air, followed by an alarm.

"Oh.. shhhit." Minho murmurs.

He turns and runs full speed out of the corridor, back into The Blades. Thomas and I exchange a glance, then follow.

As if the Maze had read my thoughts, the rust-covered structures begin to turn, sealing up new corridors.

"COME ON! WE'RE GONNA GET TRAPPED!" I hear Minho scream.

I see him slip between two blades, Thomas and I quickly repeat him. I run faster and faster, fear taking over with every step. After about 5 rows, they speed of the turning quickens. 

Thomas and Minho make it through one, but they are turning faster than I can handle.

Thomas calls out.

"YOU CAN DO IT! COME ON!"

I run as fast as I physically can and see an opening. A sudden boost of confidence overtakes me and I dash to the side, just making it through, the rust slicing a small part of Newt's hoodie.

I slam into Minho, who helps me to my feet and we continue running.

Skidding to a halt to turn, we run into the large opening on section 7, leaving The Blades behind.

Dust and rocks begin to shoot up in parallel lines, then the ground starts to uproot itself.

"THE MAZE IS CHANGING!" Minho shouts.

I barely hear him over all the noise, but I continue to keep up as we dodge falling walls and lifting grounds.

Eventually, we make it to the end of section 7, though the opening is closing horizontally.

"Shuck." Thomas says.

Minho leaps into it, rolling across the shutting stones.

Thomas follows, crawling through and I leap through, landing roughly on the ground of section 6.

We lay there for a while, hearing the Maze finish changing and trying to catch our breath.

"Come on... It's almost time for the doors to close." I say.

Minho and Thomas nod and we slowly jog back, limbs aching and fear pounding in our hearts. 

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A/N:

Well, what do you think? The first real clue? Yep! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, it took me awhile to right. <3