▃▃▃▃ ༊*·˚ ⋆▃▃▃▃
THE MAZE RUNNER
──── ❝ home ❞

PROLOGUE
.ೃ࿐, someone to remember
*ೃ༄ ﹌﹌﹌ღ ‗ ❍ . . . . . 🌚🥀
•◦• ACT ONE
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✧.*

   THE UNCONSCIOUS GIRL could feel her own throat tightening on itself as she began to stir. her thin eyebrows were pinched together, her lips forcing a grimace as the aching sensation in her limbs became prominent. prying her eyes open, she released a strangled gasp, eyes falling wide as her fingers threaded through the steel that kept her from plummeting to her death.

she was surrounded by a cold darkness and stale smoggy air. metal ground against metal.

the hairs on the nape of her neck threatened rise, and her bottom lip parted from her top in shock, "holy shit!" the girl stammered.

she looked to be in a cage, closed in like a rabid beast. boxes filed with supplies surrounded her. she cried out as a lurching jolt threw her aside, the side of her head clashing with the wall. her forehead was beaded with a thin layer of sweat, dancing down the side of her cheek, despite the air being cold.

the brown-haired girl began to violently heave, bringing her hand up to rest on her chest. she turned on her side, eyes clamping shut as water began to fall from her lips, seemingly tainted with crimson. it was like she was drowning, only no one had been there to hold her under the surface.

with another rough jolt, she was tossed yet again as the room jerked upward like an old lift in a mine shaft. her ears painfully rang as a loud hum sounded, red lights dimly illuminating the elevator. how did i get here?

the sound of chains hissing loudly made her wince, as though she were trapped in an old steel factory, it came off as a hollow whine.

brushing her greasy locks away from her frame, she cried out once more, the sensation of fear feeling like thousands of needles pricking at her spine as she gasped for air.

"help!"

my name is Aife, she thought to herself. what was happening? how did she get here? nothing was wrong with her, she glanced around her surroundings and tried to calculate. basic knowledge of the world came to her, details of how it functioned. and yet, she didn't know a single fact about herself. where she came from, how she got here. what she looked like.

the room continued to sway, and she felt as thought the minutes stretched into hours. but, no. that wasn't possible. it had been at least twenty minutes that she had been trapped.

it was odd, as she felt as though the sensation of fear was washed away and replaced with that of curiosity. Aife did her best to make out her surroundings, but before she knew it, the rising room skidded to a halt. the sudden movement jolted her from her kneeling position and tossed her across the floor. she moaned in pain, gritting her teeth as her muscles screamed at her.

scrambling to her feet, she could feel the swinging of the room lessen until it stilled.

she released an uneven breath, eyes wide.

a minute passed. still, she was only surrounded by darkness. she hesitantly ran her calloused palms along the walls, feeling nothing but the cool metal. she released a cry of frustration, finger nails digging into her palms as she shuffled away.

her teeth began to chatter, the fearful sensation returning.

"hello! someone help me!" the words tore through her throat. she involuntarily released a dry sob, suddenly aware of the tears that managed to slide down her cheek.

suddeny, a loud clash came from above, and she braced herself, ducking away and into the dark corner as a line of light appeared through the ceiling. heavy grating sound of metal revealed a sliding door, and the light began to jab at her green eyes. she glanced away.

she couldn't hear anything.

her abdomen clenched as she slowly strode to the center of the room, craning her neck to stare above.

no one was there.

Aife frowned and allowed her eyes to adjust to the suns rays, fixating her gaze on the crates that had been in the room with her. she didn't hesitate before putting her weight on them, using them as a ladder to climb her way out of the room. she hurled herself over the sharp edge of the box. her palms felt through the prickly turf, nails digging into the soil beneath her.

the world seemed to spin, a mist of color and light and Aife suddenly felt nauseous. her stomach clenched, twisting and pulling. she slowly pushed herself to her feet, knees wobbling as she eyed the large field.

alone. she was all alone.

still dazed by the light, she staggered. Aife felt a large lump forming in the back of her sore throat. she wanted to cry. or scream. or throw up. hell, she didn't know. all she knew was that she was alone with no one to help her.

glancing down at her own figure, she released a strangled gasp as she noticed her close were tainted with crimson. it was blood, but it hadn't been hers.

she stood in a courtyard, several times the size of a football field. she was trapped by tall gray, stone walls that were covered in dark, thick ivy. there was no doubt that the walls were hundreds of feet high, each of the four walls split in the center by an opening as tall as the walls themself. from what Aife could see, the openings lead to a never ending passage.

Aife was at a loss for words, feeling as though her emotions were battling for dominance within her own mind. she wanted to run and hide, but there was nothing— no one, to hide from. no one but herself.

she was trapped. nowhere to go. no one to talk to. this was it. Aife glanced over her shoulder to catch another glimpse at the crates of supplies she had been given, a small frown staining her chapped lips before she turned to face the large field once again. this was supposed to be home.

"holy shit."