Ben had materialized out of the shadows. He looked awful. His veins were still swollen and black, he still had the greenish pale skin, he was sweaty and breathing hard. But what shook me the most was his eyes. They were blood shot, and his normal gentle watery blue eyes were so dark they looked black.

I involuntarily took a step back, and bumped into Thomas. His hands grabbed my shoulders protectively pulling me close.

"It's Ben, right?" He asked, trying to be polite.

We both sensed danger, I glanced quickly up at him, he was already looking at me. I could see fear and unease on his face.

"Ben, you should still be in the MedHut."

"No! You're bad Charlie! Bad bad bad!" He screamed. Spit flying from his mouth.

"Ben?" Thomas called

"SHUT UP!"

Ben screamed, his wild black blood shot eyes snapped to Thomas. He snarled and took another step closer, into the clearing. Thomas backed up a step taking me with him. I could feel my heart speeding up, and the fear crashing into me in waves. Ben was unstable, I didn't know what to do. And what did Ben mean by I'm bad?

"You're bad! Thomas! You and your sister are bad! Bad bad bad!"

"What? What do you mean I'm bad? I have a sister?" Thomas asked, the surprise making him let go of my shoulders and stepping forwards.

"Charlie is bad! Thomas did this! You did this! You're both bad!"

"Ben what the shuck are you talking about?"

Ben didn't answer, just panting wildly, spit flying from his mouth, the knife in his hand flashed in the trickling sun.

"Tommy." I whispered, reaching a shaking hand out and grabbing his arm. "He has a knife and he's unstable. He's dangerous right now. He's not done the Changing."

Ben didn't seem to hear me. He was passing the knife back and forth between his hands repeating the same things over and over.

"Charlie is bad. Thomas did this! She wants to take us home. Thomas and his sister did this! I saw Thomas!"

"Ben? Come on, bud let's get you back to the MedJacks, okay?" I tried reasoning in a gentle voice.

"NO! YOU'RE BAD CHARLIE! I SAW YOU!"

"You're still jacked from the Changing, Ben, come on let's go back to the MedJacks!" I pleaded.

"SHUT UP! YOU'RE BAD!"

With a savage snarled he leapt towards me. I tried to back up, but my foot got caught on a branch and I went crashing to the ground. Which probably saved my life. Ben landed on top of me, but the knife stabbed into the ground beside my head.

Ben and I ended up rolling down the small hill the graveyard was situated on. Ben was snarling and snapping his teeth like a wild animal. All I could was keep his head away from me, by pushing on his neck.

"Ben! Stop!" I screamed.

He just snarled at me.

"YOU'RE BAD CHARLIE! I SAW YOU!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" I pleaded.

Ben was stronger than me, the Griever poisoning giving him extra strength. He was pushing closer. He got his hands around my neck and squeezed. Immidiatly my air was cut off. I couldn't breath. Ben's hands gripped tighter. He was snarling in my face.

"You're bad Charlie! Your bad bad bad!"

I clawed at his hands. I wiggled and struggled trying to get free. My lungs were burning and my head was fuzzy. My clawing was now more like swatting.

Ben was slammed off of me. Thomas had scrambled down the hill and slammed his shoulder into Ben, ripping him off me. Ben's fingernails left claw marks down my neck.

"NOO! YOU'RE BAD!"

Ben now screamed at Thomas. They were wrestling in the dirt now. I rolled over gasping for air and coughing. I managed to get to my hands and knees. Trying desperately to get air back into my lungs. I saw Ben slam his fist into Thomas's cheek.

I scrambled to my feet, still panting, as I got up I grabbed a rock. I didn't want to hurt Ben. He was sweet and gentle. And he was still going through the changing, this wasn't him. But if he didn't stop he would kill one or both of us.

With the rock in my hand I ran towards the boys, and slammed the rock into the back of Ben's head. He rolled off Thomas. He scrambled to his feet, grabbed my hand and pulled me away, running away from Ben towards the Glad.

Ben got to his feetike nothing happened. And was hot on our heels. Screaming like a wild animal.

"Help!" Thomas screamed as we got closer to the Glade, I could see the Glade and the Gladers.

Ben screamed and pounced like an animal, grabbing Thomas shoulders pulling him down, causitme to fall as well. The three of us tumbled over each other. I managed to kick Ben away enough to crawl away, Thomas was on his feet pulling me up.

"Help!" He screamed again, "Alby! Newt! Someone!"

He dragged me with him, I was having a hard time catching my breath. Ben was on his feet in a flash, and chasing us again. We broke the tree line and were now in the wide open Glade. Thomas was calling for help, still pushing me in front of him.

"You're bad! Charlie! Thomas is bad!" Screamed Ben and lunged again at us. Desperate to hurt us. I felt Ben wrap his hands around the back of my neck again and we fell. Ben scrambling on top of me and squeezing my neck again, his snarling face inches from mine.

Thomas slammed into him again, ripping him off me. Ben went for Thomas but Newt was there swinging a shovel into Ben's face.

That was enough to stun Ben enough for guys to jump on him holding him down.

Thomas crawled over to me pulling me away from Ben. I was still gasping and caughing.

"What the bloody hell happened?" Newt cried.

"Charlie!?" Gally came shoving his way to the front of the crowd, dropping down to his knees, shoving Thomas out of the way. He grabbed my face turning it looking at the scratches and red hand print on my neck.

Ben was still screaming from the ground. Alby pushed to the front, holding a bow.

"Ben! You're just buggin' from the changing!" Alby roared, holding the bow ready.

"Their bad! Bad bad bad! Charlie is bad! Thomas is bad! I saw them Alby! I saw them! Thomas and his sister are bad! Charlie did this! Charlie is bad bad bad. Thomas is bad!"

"That doesn't make any scene!" Thomas cried.

"I don't know what you mean Ben! Your still in the middle of the changing! Go back to the MedHut! Please!" I begged. My voice was a horse whisper.

"No! No! No! We have to kill them! We have to! Their bad!" He screamed and started thrashing wildly on the ground, trying to knock the boys off.

Alby pulled back on the bow.

"I'm warning you Ben!" Alby yelled. There was a wild crazed look in Alby's eyes, but it also looked scared and sad.

"No!" I screamed, ripping myself from Gally I threw myself in front of Alby and the bow.

"No! You can't! You can't shoot him!"

"Charlie! He just tried to kill you!" Gally cried.

"And Thomas by the looks of it." Alby added.

"He's in the middle of the changing!" I pleaded.

"Ain't matter, Snips. Rule one. Don't harm another Glader. I've let things slid. And now someone just tried to kill two of our own. Unacceptable!" Alby roared.

"Please Alby!"

"Take him to the slammer for now! Keepers! A gathering as soon as Minho is back!" Alby bellowed.

Without another word he spun on his heel and stormed off. The guys holding Ben hauled him off, still screaming. I sunk to my knees, my head in my hands.

"You need to see Jeff." Gally didn't leave room for arguments, I could hear the anger.

"You too Tommy. Let's go." Newt said gently.

Gally pulled me up and lead away, Newt doing the same to Thomas.

"What did he mean he saw us?" Thomas asked.

"Means he shucken saw you in his memories you shank!" Gally growled, glaring at him.

"Be nice. He saved my life Gally." I snapped.

Gally glared at me now.

"What were you doing in the Deadheads anyway."

I sighed in frustration.

"Really? That's what we're going to focus on?" I snapped at him.

Gally growled and clenched his jaw.

"She was showing me the graveyard."

"I didn't ask you Greenie." Gally rounded on Thomas.

"Enough. That's enough." Newt cut in, stepping between Gally and Thomas.

_________________________

Thomas and I sat in front of the half circle of Keepers. We had finished giving our account of what happened. I pleaded that he was still in the middle of the changing and didn't mean it. But the bruising on my neck and my horse voice and scratches, Thomas bruised cheek were hard to ignore.

Alby ran a hand down his face. He turned to the Keepers.

"We vote. Do we banish him?"

I had a horrible feeling about this. Banishment...from the Glade? That ment out into the maze! No! They couldn't!

"No! Alby! No!" I cried.

"Snips! Please don't make this harder!" He said, slumping.

My hands clapped over my mouth and tears filled my eyes. They couldn't! They couldn't do this! I felt a warm comforting hand on my shoulder. Thomas was looking just as lost and sad, but he didn't know Ben like I did. Ben was a friend...a beat friend. He was more then a running partner. He was a brother!

I saw the hands of Keepers rise into the air, in favour of Banishment. Minho folded his arms and looked at the ground. He glanced at me, his eyes searching my face. I lowered my hands, bitting my lip to keep from crying. Minho flinched when his eyes landed on my neck. With tears in his own eyes, and his jaw clenching hard, he raised a hand.

"No! Minho! Please don't do this!"

His hand flopped down and he looked away, I saw a tear slid down his face. He just centinced his best friend, his running partner of almost two years to a gruesome death.

It was Gally next. My eyes pleaded with him. I shook my head.

"Please Gally! Please don't! Don't do this!"

His eyes were hard. I could see the fear, and the sorrow, but mostly I saw the anger. Anger took over as his eyes also took in my neck, the perfectly outlined bruised handprint. His eyes hardened and raised a hand.

I slid off my chair doubling over and cried. It hurt so much. These guys were going to sentience a fellow Glader to certain death.

"It's been decided. Sundown Ben is banished to the Maze." Alby said dully.

The Keepers got up and left silently. I didn't bother getting up, I stayed hunched over, my head on my knees, hands over my head. I felt a hand on my back.

"Don't touch me!" I snarled.

Sitting up and shrugging Gally off. I didn't bother hiding my tears. I was angry. I was hurt.

"We had to!"

I scrambled to my feet.

"Oh yeah? And if I had got out of my bonds and did that during the changing? Would you banish me?" I asked, shoving Gally in the chest.

"I.. No."

"Then what's the shucken difference?"

"Because I wouldn't have let that happen! I was with you the whole time! And if you weren't alone in the woods he wouldn't have done this!" He yelled.

"Don't you dare blame this on me Gally!" I screamed back, shoving him in the chest.

He grabbed my wrists holding them to his chest.

"Please Charlie...please!"

"Get off!" I yelled and yanked my hands away, turning my back to him.

I could sense him behind me then then without a word I heard his heavy footsteps leave and the council room door bang shut. I sank to my knees again, wrapping my arms around myself. I felt someone else sit down beside me. He was silent, but I felt the gentle reasurance. He slowly placed an arm around my shoulders and pulled me to his side. I put my head on his shoulder and cried. Already mourning the loss of another brother.

I cried into the shoulder of Thomas. Again.

_________________________

As the sun was going down and the Gladers all gathered around the south door. The keepers stood in front, forming a half circle.

I refused to be up there. I stood at the back beside Chuck and Thomas.

Thomas looked down at us "You guys know what's going on? I mean other than Ben being sent out there?"

"Certain death." I whispered.

Chuck shrugged his shoulders, "Just what other Gladers have said. I haven't been here too long, they are sent into the maze right when the doors close. No one survives a night, Grievers will get him. He won't come back."

I bit my lip hard to keep from crying.

"Bring 'im out!" Yelled Alby.

I felt a knife stab into my heart.

Minho came from the Slammer, holding Ben, who had his hands tied together behind his head. He was flanked by two huge Baggers. Ben had stopped screaming, and walked quite calmly. Minho's face was set into a hard impassive mask. He walked straight and heavy. His eyes straight forwards, except the one secotrhwy flicked over and locked onto mine. I saw the pain.

Minho made it to the front and dropped him at Alby's feet. Ben just stayed on his knees, as if he had given up.

"Ben of the Runners! You broke rule 3. For attempted murder of Thomas the Greenie and Charlie of the Runners. Your fate has been decided: Banishment. Keepers have spoken and their decision ain't changing. You won't be coming back. Ever." He looked up from the boy on the ground, his face stone cold. His eyes not meeting anyone as they drifted over the tops of the gladers heads.

"Newt."

Alby held out his hand, Newt gave him a wood pole with leather at the end. Alby bent down and put it around his neck. It was a collar. Alby was putting a collar around Ben's neck.

I could feel the stomach bile rise, it burnt my throat. While Alby fit the collar, Newt attached all the metal poles together, and then the wood and metal attached. Minho walked to the doors and threw Ben's Running backpack into the maze.

"Keepers. Poles." Alby shouted

The wind blew through the hall. The doors would be closing right away. The Keepers stepped forward and took their places.

I felt a wave of dizziness hit, I reached out and grabbed onto Thomas, holding his arm tight. He slowly and gently placed his arm around my back.

"You okay? I think you shouldn't watch this."

"No. He is a best friend. A brother. He saved me...I'll be here for him."

I knew my face was ghostly white, and I felt like passing out, but I wouldn't leave. I was grateful that Thomas didn't't question it. He kept his arm around my back just in case I dropped. The ground started shaking, and I could hear the stone on stone grinding and rusty gears.

"Keepers! Now!"

All the boys started to push Ben at the end of the long pole, outside the safety of the walls. It was only then, when Ben was halfway through he started to fight. He managed to twist around to face the Gladers. With spit flying from his mouth he was screaming and pleading; stating he was better, that he was fine, he didn't mean to. None of the keepers said anything, just kept pushing.

I slapped a hand over my mouth trying to stifl the sobs. My stomach physically hurt. I was watching friends murder a friend who was sick. I felt Thomas's arm squeeze tighter.

When Ben was outside the walls, in the corridor of the maze, the doors almost shut, Alby detached the wood part, and with one last scream for help Ben's eyes locked on mine. The Wall Doors slammed shut.

And I sunk to my knees and threw up.

_____________________________________________

**My Feels are hurting 💔**