pre-the maze runner
chapter eleven

❛❛ we always thought he'd be one of the people to make it out of here ❜❜

————————————————

The entire Glade fell in shock the rest of the evening. Being Stung is one of the few things that no one can survive through. A Glader who is Stung eventually die. They go through pain and even go mad.

With Nick being Stung brings a terrible and devastating news in the Glade. Nick who has been in the Glade since the beginning and has played the role as leader from the start. It is truly disbelieving and deniable that the leader is dying. Some Gladers found it difficult to believe that, mostly it was Alby, Newt, Minho, those who were in the Glade at the start.

The Glade was almost silent, some Gladers were talking and the rest remained quietly. Alby and the Keepers were already trying to figure out what happens next but everyone knew. If Nick dies, that means Alby will become the leader, it is still unknown who will be the Second in Command. No one were talking yet about it, it is too soon. Right now, Nick is living in his last days.

Poe found Anton sitting on his hammock, the young boy was lowering his head and it's the first time that Poe had seen the boy this depressed. Anton was always this cheerful boy who always has a smile on his face everyday.

"Hey" Poe sat down on his hammock, kept his glance on the boy while Bark sat between the two Gladers. "You okay?" It was stupid to ask when he already knew that Anton wasn't okay. Nearly everyone were sad about Nick. Poe was depressed as well about the leader.

"I will be" Anton sniffled, rubbed his nose with his hand. "It's Nick, you know... we always thought he'd be one of the people to make it out of here"

Poe thought so too. It's probably why everyone are in denial. Nick had been looking after everyone, he cared everyone even those he wasn't fond with, he had lost a lot of Gladers the past two years and now the Gladers are about to lose him.

"Yeah" Poe nodded weakly. It also made him wonder if he had ever gone into the Maze today, he would've been Stung. If Minho said yes. Was he relieved? He didn't want to feel relieved, there was a part of him that he wish he could've gone into the Maze instead.

The Glade had a sleepless night, not all of the Gladers went to sleep, but some did and it was midnight. It was past midnight when Anton finally fell asleep meanwhile Poe was still awake, trying to sleep. He wasn't sure why he couldn't fall asleep, but it did had to do with Nick. The Glade won't be the same again.

Poe got up and left his hammock quietly without waking up Anton and Bark. He just wanted to use the outhouse before he finally goes to sleep. The night was quiet, crickets were chirping, frogs croaking from the ponds, the faint rumbling sounds from the Maze. The sky was cloudy, stars were showing between the clouds and the half moon constantly peeking and stayed just above the Glade. Winds were howling softly, making the leafs dance and the air was breezy.

After Poe used the outside and left to head back to his hammock, he spotted Minho and Alby walking to the camp before Poe entered the camp and they just left the Med-jacks hut. Before he decided to go to his hammock, he approach the two boys despite having no planned words to say to them. "Hey," he said when he got close to them. He stopped in front of them, "So, it's not good, isn't it?"

Alby and Minho exchanged glances, Poe already knew anyways. Alby just let out a sigh, then walked around Poe and went into the camp. Minho had his hands placed on his hips as he stare at the ground, looking almost as doleful, he sighed sharply before he said it, "Man... I should've—"

Poe lowered his brows and felt his heart slightly dropped. He knew what Minho is trying to say and he already knew that Minho is right.

"I should've let you come instead" Minho muttered and he didn't even looked at Poe. The Keeper walked around Poe and went into the camp as Poe watched him. He kept his eyes on the Keeper until disappearing into the shadows.

Poe's doleful gaze fell on the ground, there was a hint of guilt feeling and also feeling hurt. He noticed something in the corner of his eye, a blurry person figure, he glanced right and saw Newt standing by. The guy expressed some sort of sympathy as he stared at Poe. Newt must've heard what Minho said. Poe was thinking that Newt probably thinks the same as Minho.

Poe broke his gaze from Newt, he turned and went back to his hammock.

It took Poe ages to fall asleep, when he finally did, instead of being a quick dreamless and blackness sleep, he saw the same people he's been dreaming about the past two months. He dreams of seeing and talking with children, various ages of under ten with different races. He dreams of seeing a tall boy with black hair arguing with Poe. He dreams of holding a girl in his arms like he was protecting her and comforting her. Sometimes these dreams turn into a nightmare before he wakes up, monsters appear, these monsters look human but ill, the illness that turned them into monsters, sometimes it's the fire he dreams about. Like the sky burning, flames coming into the earth and see the world on fire. Before Poe perishes, he wakes up.

The dream was normal and odd. He was talking to a boy who had a brunette hair like Nick's, the boy asked Poe, "We're friends, right? You can't betray me, you can't betray us because friends don't ever betray each other" and Poe just nodded in response.

Poe was awoken by the Door opening. Almost every Glader were just waking up and prepare to start their daily routines. Poe wasn't in a mood of working today, he was sure everyone else had the same thought and seeing how every faces he saw were so miserable.

Even Siggy wasn't cooking breakfast, that forces the Gladers to make their own breakfast, they all had cereals, sandwich like peanut butter with sliced bananas and picked from various fruits. While Poe, Teo, Winston, Anton and the rest of Slicers sat and ate breakfast quietly at the picnic area, the screams began to be heard from Med-jacks hut, they were sounded to be piercing and filled with agony. Every heads in the picnic area were turned towards the hut as everyone who were talking fell silent instantly. Alby, Newt and Minho were rushing to the hut to help.

The screams lasted long, breakfast was passed when they finally stopped. The Gladers weren't sure if they should work even though they still went to work after someone died. No one was around at that moment to tell them to get to work, Nick was on the bed going through the agony and Alby was trying help him. The Keepers weren't doing anything at all to give orders to their co-workers. After the screams stopped, Alby, Newt, Minho and Jeff came out of the hut and they came straight to the picnic where most Gladers were.

Poe expected Alby is coming to yell at everyone to get to work, but instead he called out, "Keepers!" Everyone turn their attention to Alby, "Come to the Homestead, we're having a Gathering"

Poe's glance turn at Winston who was petting Bark as the dog laid his head on the Keeper's lap before patting the dog off then got up. All the Keepers followed Alby, Newt, Minho and Jeff to the Homestead. Then finally, Alby shouted at everyone else, "I want everyone to get to work! Now!"

Everyone reluctantly obeyed him. Anton left to the kitchens while Poe went to the barn with Teo and the Slicers and even Bark followed them.

At the barn, while Poe was helping Teo to guide a cow to the outside where the animal can wander around and let the Sloppers clean up. Poe asked his friend, "What do you think they're going to talk about in there?"

Teo deeply sighed, "I don't know. The fact that no one can live through the Changing after being Stung, we all know what happens to Nick, so that means Alby and the Keepers are beginning to prepare what happens next and maybe elect the new Second in Command" Teo and Poe got the cow outside then went back into the barn to get the other one.

"So, who do you think is going to be the Second in Command?" Poe wondered.

"I don't know" Teo began to pat the cow and try to get the animal to walk forward while Poe held the door open. "I expect it's one of the Keepers"

Poe wondered who. But didn't bother to take any guesses since they're about to find out soon. They all knew Nick was dying and it was hopeless to save the leader. He was dying and is suffering from pain. Are they really going to let him go through the pain until death? The pain could last for days before finally succumbing into death. If it were Poe, they would want them to put him out of his misery.

When Poe got himself cut on his hand, he had to get to the Med-jacks hut to ask for some gauze to stop the bleeding. As he arrived the hut, he found Clint sitting by the bed where Nick was laying. Poe never seen him since yesterday, the leader's skin changed, his entire body was all pale, around his chest were covers in black veins where the veins were, every of his veins were all black and visible. They had reached to his neck and seemingly continued to spread. Poe halted by the door as he saw the sight of Nick.

"Hey, Poe—" Clint got up, "what are you doing here?"

Still staring at Nick, but shook his head weakly and blinked, "Uhm... I need some gauze or... bandages. I got a cut" he raised his hand and a cloth was wrapped around his hand.

"Okay—" Clint walked to the drawers, opened the top drawer and pulled out a roll of bandage and a gauze. "Hey uhm, I hope it's not too much to ask but, I didn't have any breakfast this morning, I was hoping to grab something to eat real quick, and do you mind if you could watch Nick for a moment? I'll be quick, I promise. I'd ask Jeff but—"

"I don't mind" Poe said, "Yeah, Jeff is in the Gathering and I'll watch Nick while you go get breakfast"

"You sure?"

"Yeah"

"Thanks, man" Clint tried to smile but couldn't. He left the hut.

Poe put gauze on his hand then wrapped the bandage around it while shifting his glance to Nick every seconds. He went to go sit on the chair where Clint sat before. He exhaled sharply, looked at Nick, his chest raised then lowered slowly. By the sight of him, Poe wished Nick could make it through and survive it. But the thought was impossible. Nick has been looking after Poe since he arrived, watched over him in case anything happens or if he doesn't anything stupid again. There were times where he almost did anything stupid like he attempt to climb on one of the Walls but Nick stopped him by convincing him to climb back down. Especially that day when Poe attempted to go down the Box with a rope tied around his waist while the Slicers held the rope as they set him down the hole but Nick shouted and ordered them to pull Poe back up. It was that only time where Nick was very angry at Poe and never spoke to him for couple of days until Poe apologized to him. Nick sometimes came to him and asked if he needed anything. Poe never thanked him for all of it.

The older boy let out a doleful sigh, "Thank you... for everything" he moved closely and reached for the leader's shoulder. "Thank you" he still felt terrible for not saying that sooner while he was alive.

When he broke his gaze from Nick just for a moment, he was gazing toward the entrance to see if Clint was coming but he wasn't yet. Poe glanced at Nick again, and to his surprise, Nick's blood-shot eyes were open. His eyes stared at Poe, he gulped and said, "Nick?"

Nick's perplex look turned to sudden anger then sprung up as his hands found Poe's neck. The leader roared like an animal as he sprung onto Poe, he fell backwards and Nick was on Poe with hands gripped on the neck. Unable to splutter out any words, he felt the thumbs pressing hard on the throat and barely gasped out. "You!" Nick growled. His look was filled with rage, and he looked inhuman. Poe's entire throat was pressed together and blocking air. His head was beginning to pound, he reached out, reached Nick's face, trying to push him off, flailing his hands at his face, gripped on his arms trying to pull them off and kicked his legs around.

"Nick!" Clint shouted, he rushed forward and slammed himself onto Nick off of Poe. He instantly gasped out and sucked in huge breaths while coughing. He crawled toward the entrance and ignoring what was happening behind him. There were sounds of crashing as Nick was roaring, growling and screaming. "Nick! Stop!" Clint was yelling.

As Poe got on his feet and went for the exit, he attempt to look back but only to see Nick charging at him and slammed onto Poe and both crashed out of the door. Nick was on Poe again, the leader raised his hand, but there was something silver and sharp in his hand. It was a split second when Poe realized it was scalpel, he caught Nick's wrist before the scalpel reached his face. He held him seconds before somebody pushed him off of Poe.

There was Clint, Jack and Nico had the leader on the ground. "Somebody, get Alby and—" he was cut off when Nick was flailing his arm around, the hand that was holding a scalpel and sliced Nico's arm. Clint and Jack were unable to hold Nick down that he punched one of them in the face and shoved the other one away. Nick sprung up again and charged at Poe again. He scrabbled backwards as the ill leader charged at him with a scalpel raised while screaming like a manic. But an object was slammed across his face, knocking him out and fell sideways. It was Anton who had hit him with a wooden staff.

Poe was breathing heavily, stared in bewilderment and fright at Nick who was unconscious and face on the ground. Nick just tried to kill Poe. The leader who cared about the boy the past two months and he just tried to kill him. Poe was unable to understand why, he maybe went mad but how come he wasn't trying to kill anyone else but only came at Poe.

***

So, I've decided to make this story a lowkey love triangle, there will be hints of PoexTeresa into the story, but don't worry, it won't like get in the way between him and Newt though. There's just going to be hints and maybe a few moments.