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THIRTEEN ▂ ✫⌒*･ﾟ✲
𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕

     CHUCK WAS LOOKING for Newt. The youthful boy had searched everywhere for his friend. However, the blonde boy wasn't in Homestaed or the kitchens either and Chuck began to lose hope of finding him.

Chuck ran a hand through his chestnut, tousled curls in exasperation, a quiet whimper escaping his lips as he did so.

"Newt, Newt, Newt," the young boy murmured, eyes scanning the Glade.

He tried to push the horrifying image of the monstrous Ben out of his troubled mind, the intense madness that seemed to pulsate through his convulsing body and the thick mass of black liquid that seemed to filtrate through his veins like ink poisoning his cadaverous body.

Chuck shook his head vigorously, clenching his fists and gave up on looking for Newt. He began to walk towards the gardens slowly, letting the breeze gently fan his face.

He shut his eyes and exhaled shakily, picturing Ben once again in his mind.

"Chuck?"

The boy snapped his eyes open to see Ria. She had appeared in front of him, a look of pure distress painted on her face.

Chuck flinched in surprise, but features then softened at the sight of the worried girl.

Ria had just come out of Homestaed and was about to venture into the deadheads when she had caught sight of the boy.

The truth was that Ria felt sick. The girl had been lying on her bed, her head pounding fiercely with a million disturbing thoughts.

However, she brushed those aside hurriedly and turned her attention to Chuck, not wanting him to sense she too was heavily shaken by the events that had previously taken place.

"Are you alright?" The blonde asked softly, squatting down on the soft tufts of grass.

At first Chuck didn't meet her eyes, but he lifted his chin to stare into her refulgent, green eyes. They were like scintillating pools of emotion, and this time the boy could tell they were filled with perturbation.

"I — I, don't know," he stammered, shame rushing through his body as he felt his cheeks flush a shade of deep crimson. "I never thought being stung would look that bad,"

"It's okay, Chuck. I still don't understand what happened to Ben," Ria sighed deeply, shaking her head, her blonde hair dancing around her shoulders.

Chuck swallowed thickly, his eyes wide displaying a mixture of consternation and despondency.

"He's going to die, Ria."

"But he's innocent." The girl in front of him protested.

"He's stung, he's a monster. He's going to get banished. B—but he's still Ben, and he's dying for nothing."

Ria's lips quivered as tears threatened to spill. Chuck suddenly looked at her dead in the eyes, all emotions washed out of his countenance like a shadow eradicating any light that shone in it's twilight pathway.

"I might die for nothing too,"

It was those words that stung the girl the most and she blinked in revelation, her breath hitching in her throat.

"No—"

However, before she could talk she suddenly felt a pair of arms around her. Chuck rested his head on her shoulder and Ria hugged the young boy back, a feeling of tenderness and warmth surging through her body, dominating her negative thoughts for a few moments.

"I won't let you die Chuck, okay." Ria whispered, standing up. "We'll win against this world, whatever the hell it throws at us."

The boy nodded and forced a smile upon his face.

"You're right. Let's just get this banishment and klunk out of the way, then we'll figure things out."

Ria could tell just how hard Chuck was trying to be brave. He was a young boy and had already witnessed the horrors of life, death and pain especially. She wanted nothing more than to shield him from these nightmares.

"You're a good kid, you know that?" The blonde nodded at him in admiration.

In response, the boy sent her a little grin before bidding farewell and heading off in the direction of Homestead.

The sun was still high up in the mid—afternoon sky, and the heat was merciless. Ria began to amble towards the Gardens for shade and peace before the banishing, hopefully to attempt to clear her throbbing head. The girl's limbs were starting to glisten slightly with sweat as the rays of heat shone against her tanned skin.

She had thought about what Chuck had said, and a sudden feeling of anguish seethed through her veins.

This world was too cruel.

When Ria was finally sat down peacefully in the Gardens, it wasn't long until her serene peacefulness was interrupted.

"Hey,"

Ria didn't even have to open her eyes to recognise the accent. However, she was not glad to be in the boy's company right now.

She wanted to be alone.

"Newt, I don't want to talk right now." Her voice was icy cold, emotionless.

Her eyes flickered open and she stole a glance at the blonde boy. His countenance was a picture of confusion, and his arms were crossed against his chest protectively.

"Listen, I was just checkin' to see if you're alright." he responded, voice wavering ever so slightly. "What's wrong with you?"

"Don't you realise what you're doing, Newt?" Ria spat, emerald eyes ablaze. She had lost it, the calm and composed Ria was now replaced by an infuriated one, ready to tear everything to shreds.

She then jumped to her feet, inches away from Newt. However, the boy didn't flinch or step backwards.

He opened his mouth to say something, but Ria was not finished.

"You're about to banish an innocent boy. He didn't do a single thing, Newt. It wasn't his fault, can't you see that?"

"Ria, he's stung. There's not a shuck thing I, or anyone else can do."

"Isn't there a cure for this? Isn't there anything? He's going to die, Newt."

Newt sighed in exasperation. "Ria, listen, I know it's hard but it's the same for all of us. It's too late for Ben. You know I would bloody save him if I could."

"I don't care about what you have to say. I'm sick of this, I'm sick of this shit. I want it all to end." Ria spat.

"Don't say that, please. Ria, just listen to me."

Newt's profound gaze was trained on Ria, he hoped more than anything she would understand.

However, her next question sent a cold chill down his spine.

"What if it was me?" she challenged.

This threw the boy off guard and Newt didn't say a word, but his ebony eyes shone with arrant astonishment. He swallowed thickly and ran a hand through his dirty blonde hair.

"Well?" Ria encouraged, hungry for an answer. Her heart was thumping uncontrollably, as if a wild animal was caged inside of her. "What if I was dying, Newt?"

Silence.

"Ria, y—you know I can't answer that,"

He was trembling, internally begging for Ria's anguish to subside. Newt hoped this answer would satisfy the girl somehow, put her at ease.

But he was gasoline and she was a matchstick.

Ria stepped back harshly, away from Newt, away from the boy she cared about the most.

"I knew you didn't have it in you, and now you're about to punish an innocent boy,"

"Ri—"

"Don't." The girl shot, and turned away.

Newt watched in despair as she left, and an aching emptiness consumed his body.

━━━━━

Every single glader was gathered in a thick mass by the opening of the Maze doors.

The sky had turned a murky shade of blue—grey and the sun seemed to be hiding amongst the clouds as if it too was petrified of the events that were about to unfold.

The Keepers were stood at the very front of the crowd with large, wooden beams held tightly within their profound grips. They seemed to be used to forcefully shove the victim into the malignant jaws of the monster that was the Maze.

Ria caught sight of Newt. His countenance was ashen, a dark shadow of intent dominated his features. His knuckles were white from gripping his pole so intently and his lips were pulled into a forbidding frown, one Ria had never seen before.

She had to look away.

The girl's heart was pounding viciously, her hands clammy and breathing ragged. Chuck and Thomas were stood stiffly by her sides, with Vince slightly in front of her holding a smaller wooden beam in has hands.

Thomas stole a quick glance at Ria and swallowed, his bright hazel eyes filled with fear and anticipation.

A heavy silence lay thickly in the air, strangling and suffocating any other sounds.

A few minutes passed, and then it all began.

Minho was guiding Ben towards the Maze. The boy's arms were pinned at the back of his head like a savage animal, his body scarred and blood stained. Low, ominous growls escaped his blackened lips as Minho surged forwards, pushing Ben with a prodigious force.

Ria's stomach flipped and she blinked hard, attempting to steady her heart. Ben looked just as bad — or even worse as he had a few hours ago.

As the monstrous boy passed, she could almost sense his trepidation. He struggled to free himself from Minho's grip, but the Keeper of the runners was far too strong.

Minho's face was twisted in disgust and horror as he thrusted Ben to his knees, right in front of the gargantuan, haunting doors.

Ria felt Thomas' body against hers as he watched in shock.

In a swift movement, Minho pulled out a small knife and cut the bulky rope that had restrained Ben's hands. The boy fell to the ground, clawing at the raw earth beneath him.

Every breath he inhaled rattled his throat as he struggled to catch his breath. The boy coughed and spat crimson blood, along with a repulsive black liquid that lingered on his lips.

Ria wanted to throw up as Ben's chest heaved uncontrollably with heavy, echoing sobs. He pounded the ground, sallow body trembling.

"No, no. Please, please don't," he choked out, face crumpled.

He lifted his head to plead at Minho. "Please don't do it!"

Ben's words crawled against Ria's skin and an icy cold chill snaked down her spine.

Minho ignored Ben's beseeches and with gritted teeth, the boy flung a small pouch into the Maze. It landed with a deadly thud.

Then, a swift silence filled the tense atmosphere followed by the familiar, eerie sound of metal grinding against metal produced by the sinister walls of the Labyrinth.

It was time.

A ghastly gust of wind accompanied with a haunting bellow shook the Maze floor and entered the Glade.

Instantaneously, Alby barked an order which was unclear to Ria, but understandable to the other Gladers.

In unison, they lowered their sticks towards Ben, as if they were harsh metal bars imprisoning an innocent, helpless animal.

Chuck gripped Ria's hand tightly, and the girl squeezed the boy's back in return. She knew exactly how he must be feeling. However, the young boy turned away from the banishment scene and began to retreat elsewhere.

Neither Ria or Thomas followed, they were trapped in a trance, almost too afraid to move.

Ben scrambled clumsily to his feet, as if a sudden instinct to escape had invaded his senses. Alby yelled another order, and the gladers began to close in on Ben further, pushing him towards the Maze.

Ria wanted to scream, tell everyone they were making a huge mistake and that Ben was innocent. But fear clamped her lips shut tightly and she did not fight it.

An awful sound reverberated in the atmosphere as the doors to the maze started to crawl shut. Ben's shouts and cries were drowned out by the audible noises as he found himself at the mouth of the Maze.

"Please, listen to me! No!" Ben's voice suddenly tore through the moans of the Maze, desperation shone dominantly in his twilight eyes.

The gladers continued to force the inhuman looking boy into the Maze with their weapons until the walls were almost shut closed and they finally withdrew.

Time was up.

Sounds of bitter screeches and cries bounced off the stone walls until they were silenced with one last deathly thud.

The doors had sealed Ben's fate, and every glader knew that it was one of death.

Ria felt a tear descend delicately down her cheek as she stood silently, watching the Maze doors. Nobody moved a muscle, nobody made a single noise.

The image of Ben replayed in her mind like a stuck tape and Ria knew it would lay hauntingly in her mind forever more. Her body shook uncontrollably as more tears slipped down her face.

She wanted to scream, cry, run — anything to escape her mind and thoughts.

Alby stepped forwards from the crowd of sullen and paled faces, his expression was cold but unreadable.

The leader's words cut through the stillness like a knife.

"He belongs to the maze now."

NOTE

hello everyone, so i have
been gone for like 10928
years and for that i am so
so sorry. you guys deserve
this update sm and i really
hope you enjoyed it as much
as i did writing it. btw ,, the
tension between newt and
ria is physically killing me
wbu??? anyways, this book
is almost at 20k and i'm so
so grateful for all of you who
continue to love && support
me, it means the world. ily