"Dammit!" I screamed as I scrambled over to Alby. Minho was still leaning heavily on the wall he scrambled back to. When he saw me scramble over to Alby he hesitantly came over as well, his face white as a ghost.

"We need to get him back!" Minho muttered, running a hand through his hair.

"Wait!"

I tried to swing my backpack off, I had decided I would start bringing my full back pack again, after yesterday's events I felt better with a backpack full of supplies, like I used to carry. But it got tangled in my bow. I growled and it took a second to untangle myself. In that minute Alby got worse. His veins were swelling rapidly and his skin was turning a sickly green.

"He's turning faster then anyone I've seen!" Minho yelped.

"Yeah! Remember? The stupid shuck thing was meant to kill me!" I snapped, still trying to untangle myself.

I finally got free. Alby shot up. His eyes flew open, they were already black and rimmed red.

"You!" He screached, and lunged forwards. Wrapping his hands around my neck.

"You!"

He screamed again as his hands tightened around my neck. My air way was blocked. He attacked so fast I didn't have a reaction fast enough. We slammed into the stone ground, he was heavy and pressed into me, his hands tightening. My panic spiked. I was gasping, I tried to grab something to smack his head with but my hands came up empty. My vision blurred as my brain was deprived of oxygen. I wiggled and squirmed, tried fighting back but it was febal at best. The poison giving Alby extra strength. My vision was starting to black out around the sides.

Suddenly he was ripped off. And I had air in my lungs. I rolled onto my side and coughed, gasping for air. I heard wild yelling and then it was quiet. I was still trying to catch my breath, my vision was still blurry. Hands grabbed me and I flinched and started to fight.

"Hey hey, Jess! It's just me! It's me, your okay!"

I gasped trying to sob, but I couldn't. My voice didn't work very well right now. I flung myself into Minho's arms. He held me tight. His heart slammer into his chest, and I could feel him shaking slightly. That was one of the first times I wasn't ready and someone got the upper hand in a fight that quickly. Whatever they put into that poisoning really made Alby turn fast.

My eyes sprang open.

"Minho!" My voice was raspy and horse. "In my bag...I have grief serum!"

"What? How...? Why?"

"Don't ask how, you know how. Why? Because of this exact reason! All runners should carry one!" I rolled my still slightly blurry eyes.

He let go of me and grabbed my backpack. Rummaging through it he grabbed the Grief serum syringe, still sealed in the steral packaging. He ripped it off and slammed it into Alby's chest, pressed the release button and we both sighed.

"Okay. One, your correct, every runner should have one. Two...what the shuck was in the poison? And three...how the shuck do we get him back to the Glade?" He finally looked at me.

I pulled my water out and took a few sips. My throat was on fire. And my neck was sore.

"Poison. That was ment to kill me or something. Did you knock him out?"

"I did what I had to." Minho snapped and folded his large powerful arms.

"I'm not complaining. Slim it." I rolled my eyes.

"And I guess we hull his ass back." I groaned, "Don't know if you'll be able to carry him like you did me...so...come on." I got to my feet, swung my backpack on and then my bow.

Minho and I stood looking down at him.

"This is gonna suck." He groaned.

"That's what she said." I deadpanned, still looking down at Alby's unconscious self.

Minho snickered beside me. A small smirk lifted the corner of my lips. He pulled me into a side hug, and kissed my temple. I turned into him and pressed my face into his chest.

"Thank you." I whispered.

"He's gonna have a wicked headache...but you saved my ass so many times it was high time I could save yours." He lifted my chin gently, made me look all the way up, and I heard him suck in a sharp breath.

"That bad?" I asked, my voice was still husky for being choked.

"Well... definitely gonna be a handprint bruise." He let my chin go and I lowered my head.

"Aww too bad it wasn't your hand print." I smirked.

"Okay...kinky." he smirked, but it dropped into a slight frown, "But I would never hurt you like that. You know that right?"

I just hummed and pulled his head down into a quick kiss. We pulled away and looked down at Alby again.

With a groan, we bent down and heaved him up. We each took an arm and draped it over our shoulders.

"Dude needs to stop eating second helpings of Fry's stew!" Minho huffed.

"Yep! This is gonna be the shucken worst."

We turned and headed back towards the Glade.

•×•

Sweating and panting we turned yet another corner. We were both stumbling. Alby slid once again to the ground.

My knees buckled and all of us crashed to the stone ground. I layed in the cool stone for a second. Trying to catch my breath. I was sucking air. I had a stitch in my side that made trying to breath quite painful. Sweat slid down my temples. My muscles screamed at me. But I rolled onto my stomach with a groan and heaved myself back up.

"Come on....we gotta keep going!" I managed to get out between gasps.

Minho was already struggling to his feet. He looked exactly how I felt. Except I saw a rising panic in his eyes. He glanced at his watch again.

"Only an hour before the door closes!"

"I know."

He had been counting down the hours for a while. We were still a long way away. We got to our feet. Huffing and puffing we grabbed Alby's arms and heaved his dead weight up. We staggered sideways under the weight. But we all stayed on our feet.

I knew I could last a night. I had done it before. But Minho was terrified of the maze at night and wasn't much help with Grievers...and what would I do with Alby? Not like I could carry him and run from Grievers. And where would you hide a body out in the maze? We had to make it back.

We staggered forwards, stumbling and trying not to collapse back to the ground.

"I think...after this....we get...a few days...off!" I managed to huff out between the wild ragged breathing.

"Yeah!"

We continued in silence, having to pause every once in a while to readjust Alby.

"Half an hour."

We kept stumbling forwards. Around yet another turn.

"Fifteen minutes."

"Minho! Shut. Up. You're making. It. Worse." I growled.

The fear in his eyes made my stomach twist. We were going to make it... I had never been an optimistic person, never. But right now it seemed like I had to take on that encouraging role. And I hated it. I hated having to be the person to pretend to be positive and encouraging when I knew...I knew we weren't going to make it. Not at the rate we were going and we were only slowing down. Alby's dead weight was getting worse by the minute.

"Should...have...left him...awake." I huffed, "he could...have just....chased us...all the way ... back!"

"Too late."

I rolled my eyes. Or tried to. I stumbled when I tried. With another groan I hit the stone wall. I leaned for a second to catch my breath. I thought of myself as strong. I had to be. But even muscles had limits. And I had pushed mine far beyond their limits. Minho was taking more of Alby's weight and I felt terrible. But being smaller than him I could only do so much. Pushing off the wall again we kept trudging.

We only had one minute left. I could feel the wild wind that signified the doors were about to close.

"No! No no no!" Minho had stopped whipping his head around, eyes wild in panic.

"Minho!" I yelled, "keep it together. Almost there."

Even trying to yell that made my lungs scream and my back hurt more. His jaw clenched tight and his wild eyes were darting all over the hall.

The wind pulled at my clothes and made my hair fly all over the place. The force of the wind pushed us forward.

"Last turn!"

We rounded the corner as the ground started vibrating. We both stumbled, Alby slipped from my grasp as my legs shook. He slid from Minho's grasp and hit the ground. I dropped to my knees. Every muscle protested my body screamed and begged to lay down. But I got back up. I could hear the Gladers screaming for us.

"Minho! Get your ass up."

His hopeless panicked eyes found my angry determined ones.

"Get up and finish what we started."

I held a hand out and helped pull him up. We grabbed Alby and just started dragging him.

I could see the Gladers. All of them looked shocked, scared and hopeless. Newt stood in the middle at the front, mouthing something looking stricken, he was pale with tear marks down his face. Winston was being held back by Frypan and Jeff, but fighting like a wild animal to get free. Gally looked like his legs had given out and he crouched on the ground looking like he was going to throw up. Chuck was screaming at us to move.

The doors were closing. I could hear Minho muttering beside me. I saw The Greenie twisting back and forth between Newt and us. The doors were only as few feet now.

We weren't going to make it.

But for whatever reason, we kept going. Minho stumbled and went down. Alby and I followed. We hit the ground. I couldn't breath, my lungs were burning and screaming for oxygen. My throat still felt raw from Alby trying to choke me.

The Gladers were hysterical now. I pushed up onto my hands and knees and sat back, lifting my head. I met Newt's eyes and saw a tear slide down. I flicked my eyes to Winston. He also looked distressed. But where as Newt stood still and frozen, Winston was fighting and screaming.

Trying to find Chuck in the crowd again I caught sight of Greenie. Every muscle was coiled. His head swiveling back and forth between Newt and the three of us struggling to get back. His knees bent. I knew he was going to run

"Thomas! No!" I screamed, but my throat was too raw and sore, it came out horse and raspy.

"No! Thomas!" Newt screamed, lunging for him.

Thomas the Greenie pushed his way through the door, flatting himself against the wall. He squeezed threw the last little bit, and as he tumbled to the ground the huge stone walls slammed shut.

 •×•

I collapsed back to the ground. All my muscles were screaming at me. I lay breathing hard. I needed a minute to regain some energy to get up and make a plan. Now I had the Greenie to deal with. 

"Good job Greenie, you just killed yourself." Minho grunted from the ground beside me.

I forced my exhausted eyes open and turned my head and saw Minho had pushed up onto his knees. He was glaring at the Greenie, who was leaning against the wall, like he regretted his decision immediately.  When he heard Minho's comment he turning, his eyes wide in the setting on coming darkness.

"What?" Thomas asked.

Minho pushed off the ground and struggled to stand once again. Minho looked terrible, even in the pale light still available; sweaty, dirty, scratched-up. I probably didn't look any better, exhausted, sweaty, dirty, bruised and scrapped. I pushed myself up onto my elbows with a groan. Alby looked worse, his clothes ripped, his arms covered with cuts and bruises, he had a big bloody lump on his temple from when Minho knocked him out. I sighed in frustration. With everything screaming at me to lay back down, I pulled myself over to him, taking my bow off and then shrugging off my backpack.

"Greenie," Minho said, "if you think that was brave comin' out here, listen up. You're the shuckiest shuck-faced shuck there ever was. You're as good as dead, just like us."

Thomas's head whipped up. I looked up and frowned at Minho. 

"Dude, slim it it'll be fine." I croaked, pulling out my water. It was just about empty.

"FINE?" Minho yelled, turning to me.

 I saw the fear and panic in his dark eyes. I groaned, dropping my head back closing my eyes for a second, trying to compose myself. Taking a slow breath and letting it out. 

"Yeah, Minho. It'll be fine." 

"I couldn't just sit there and leave you guys out here." Thomas protested and sank down onto his knees beside me.

"And what good are you with us?" I asked him, looking at him, "How is a Greening gonna help?"

Minho rolled his eyes and scoffed. He gestured to me and Alby. "Whatever, dude. Break the Number One Rule, kill yourself, whatever." 

"You're welcome. I was just trying to help." Thomas snapped, "No one else bothered to help." 

"That's 'cause were as good as dead!" Minho yelled. 

"Minho! Slim it!" I scolded, "you're not helping! You know I've done it before." 

Minho forced a bitter laugh. I didn't want to admit just how bad things actually were. Minho and I could hardly stand, let alone run. It was night, Grievers would be out in droves soon and Thomas wasn't a runner. But I had done it. I had survived a night in the maze. Twice. This was just...going to be harder. 

"Yeah? You survived?" Thomas asked me, his eyes big as saucers. 

I nodded. Minho scoffed again. I ignored him for now. I chewed my cheek thinking how I was going to keep Minho from spiraling, keep Alby safe and now the over eager Greenie. I growled in frustration. 

"What happened to him?" Thomas asked, nudging my arm, breaking me out of my thoughts, he indicated to Alby.

"Don't want to talk about it." Minho snapped, folding his arms and looking away.

"He was stung-"

"-what does it shucken look like?"

"Zip it Sparky." I snapped back, glaring at him. We stared off for a few moments and then he looked away with a scoff. 

"He was stung. He tried to choke me out. Minho knocked him out."

Thomas frowned at me, then looked up to Minho's grim look of despair to my exhausted sweat covered face, his eyes flicked down to my red and bruised neck. I saw him grimace. He then glanced around the darkening maze. The unknown fog was starting to creep down the halls around us, and a low quiet grinding had started. The maze was starting to shift. 

"We're really going to die?" Thomas asked frustrated, his eyebrows were pulled together, "you're telling me there is no chance?"

"I have survived. If yo-"

"None." Minho said flatly, cutting me off.

"No one ever has been outside the walls at night?" Thomas asked desperately.

Minho just laughed bitterly again and shook his head. I tried to talk, but they guys just cut me off again.

"Fine! How many have died?" Thomas cried

 "You've seen the graveyard...and those are the bodies we've found."

"I have!" I said frustrated, that they weren't listening.

"Well... we'll be the first. At least we can try!" Thomas cried, and then promptly lowered his head into

"Would you two shut up!" I cried as loud as my raw throat would let me. "If you two shut up and listen to me we can survive!" 

Minho scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"I like your enthusiasm Greenie." I gave him a twisted smile, "Step one, put your mind to it. Minho, you see, positive attitude." 

"You? Positive? You get stung again?" He snapped. 

I flipped him off, too tired to argue with him right now. 

"Ya?" Thomas looked up and around to me.

"Ya." I groaned as I struggled to my feet. Thomas held a hand out and helped heft me to my feet. I gave him a grim nod. I wasn't a fan of the guy, but at lest he was trying. He hadn't given up. Yet.

"Come on! Help grab Alby, we can hid him or something." Thomas suggested, hope in his voice.

I wasn't sure where you could hide a body in a maze completely made of solid stone, but...I appreciated his determined drive, his stubbornness not to roll over and die. I'd rather go down fighting and trying than sitting here waiting to be eaten. Minho apparently felt different. He pushed off the wall and abruptly jumped at us, he shoved me out of the way and grabbed Thomas by the shirt. I had tripped back over Alby and crashed back to the ground.

"You don't understand, shuck-face! You don't know anything, and you're just making it worse by trying to have hope! We're dead, you hear me? Dead!" 

Thomas looked shocked, then his face morphed into anger and then slid into pity.

"Minho! What the actual fuck is your problem?" I screamed, as I got back to my feet. 

I leapt towards the guys and gave Minho a harsh shove. I couldn't believe he was giving up so easily. Minho looked down at his fists, holding Thomas's shirt, holding him pinned to the wall.  Shame washed over his face and he let go like he was burnt. Minho ran both hands through his hair and slid down the wall, his head in his hands.

"Ah man ah man! Shuck! Guys I've never been this scared before! Not like this!" He whispered.

I stormed over to him and crouched down in front of him, using his knees to prop myself up on. I glared at him with such a look of anger he flinched. My body had started to shake with anger. 

"All right, I've had enough. Look here shuckface!" I hissed, "I have survived in my first maze, and that one was worse than this. So shut up and listen to what I tell you we'll get out of this alive. We're stubborn and don't take orders from no one. So get off your ass, and don't give up. That's for the others to do, but not us!"

Minho opened his mouth to speak, but closed it quickly when there was a noise. Minho's head snapped up; he looked down one of the darkened stone corridors. I felt my heart rate pick up, my eyes wide, looking down the foggy dark hall.

The noise came from deep within the Maze, a low, haunting sound. A constant whirring that had a metallic ring every few seconds, like sharp knives rubbing against each other. And then a sharp thud metal stabbing stone. It grew louder by the second. A hollow moan filled the air, and then a loud animalistic scream. All of it, together, was horrifying. I knew our time was running out, we had to get moving. Minho shot up, I fell forward with his sudden movement.  He stood up, straight and stiff, his face barely visible in the shadows. But when he spoke, I knew his eyes wide with terror, I could hear the panic and fear.

"We have to split up! It's our only chance. Just keep moving guys. Don't stop running!"

"NO!" I snapped, grabbing his arm, I could see his head whipping back and forth, the panic was over ridding his thinking. "We stay together. We have Alby and the Greenie."

"No, Jess, split up." He pulled his arm free from my grip.

"NO! You listen to me! I've done this! Listen to me Minho!" I screamed. 

"Sorry Jess. I love you...I do...I love you...but we gotta split up...it's our best chance at surviving!" He was backing up, I tried to lung forward to grab him again, but he shook me off. 

"Minho!" I was pleading now. "Please don't! We stick together! Runners don't split up! We are partners!" 

"Come on man!" Thomas tried.

Minho kept backing up and then he spun around and ran. He disappeared in seconds, swallowed by the Maze and darkness. 

"Minho!" I screamed, as I sunk to the ground.