pre-the maze runner
chapter ten

❛❛ the guy knows the maze like he knows the back of his own head ❜❜

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It wasn't the Door that startled him to wake up but it was his dream. He was too groggy and disoriented to remember what he dreamt about. Poe was already sitting up when he woke up and find Newt staring at him. The limp boy expressed a confused look and at the same time, suspicious.

"What?" Poe uttered at Newt, "Do you have something for me or you're just going to stand there and stare at me all morning?"

Newt's look changed to peevish look from confusion. He scoffed then walked away. Poe set his bare feet on the ground, leaned forward and hands on his face. The sky barely showed dawn, showing only dark blues and red with orange colored where the sun would rise.

It's been two months since Poe began his new life in the Glade. It's been all the same since he arrived except he managed to adjust living in the Glade. His job as a Slicer has gotten boring, to live his days over and over has been repeated; wake up in the early morning, have breakfast with his friends, go to work, have lunch, back to work, work is done, wait for supper, then await for night to come so he can rest.

Bark was under Poe's hammock, the dog whimpered as he yawned and stretched. Bark was awoken by Poe startling. Bark has been following Poe around the Glade since he started working in Slicers, the dog was more fondly toward Poe than other Slicers because Teo said he and other Slicers have been avoiding Bark. Poe plays with Bark, he feeds him and always lets him sleep under the hammock every night. Poe had grown to care for the dog the past two months, like the dog had become something that only matters to him in this world.

Anton was still sleeping and snoring, his one leg and arm dangling down from his hammock. The kid was his friend also, Poe liked Anton, increasingly grew to care for the kid and treated him like a little brother.

When Poe left his hammock, Bark attempted to follow but he told him to stay with Anton and the dog obeyed. The blond boy went to the pond to soak his face and neck to wash off the sweat. After he did so, he sat by the pond, gazed around the Glade before glancing up where the sun would rise.

It was until a moment later, the Keeper of Runners, Minho was approaching Poe. Poe had asked him and Nick about going into the Maze while Ben was still in recovery after spraining his ankle within a few weeks ago. Poe finally asked them yesterday about going into the maze and Minho said he'd think about it. So Poe may finally get an answer, of course, he didn't want to expect too much.

"So?" Poe asked him first.

The Runner sighed, "Look man, I'm still not sure about it. Ben is still a Runner, whenever he's in no condition to run, someone has to take over and that someone has to be either Alby or Nick. Sorry dude, I can't, not now, not today, maybe in another month or so"

Poe was disappointed. "Well, I tried" he shrugged.

"I respect your confidence and your determination, gotta give you that, but I'm sure next time we need a new Runner, we're sure it'll be you" said Minho.

Poe gave a weak nod. Minho left and went to the forest. He's always gone to forest before he goes to the Maze and shortly after he comes back from the Maze. Poe was really bummed out, but he never expected Minho would accept him as a Runner. Poe still sat on the ground and continually stared at the sky.

Before the Door opened, Nick came to Poe at the picnic area and sat one of the tables beside him. Nick had a Runner's pack on him, "Look, if I had to decide that you should go into the Maze with Minho, I would've but it's Minho's decision"

"It's fine" Poe assured, "maybe next time" it wasn't really fine at all. He really wanted to go into the Maze and explore it for once. There was something about the Maze, for some weird reason, he finds it oddly fascinating and curious. Like there was also a part of him that he wanted to do something in the Maze.

"Hopefully next time" Nick agreed.

"So, it's your turn to take over Ben's spot?"

"Yeah, Alby's a little tired out" Nick opened his pack and put a water bottle in it. "Or he's just being lazy" he checked the time, "Door opens in few minutes. Anyway, see you later" he pat on Poe's back.

"Later" Poe said as he watched the leader jogging toward the Door. Poe liked Nick a lot than Alby, Nick was more kinder and it's rare to see the guy to get angry. Alby was more of an opposite guy. There was only a one time where Alby showed kindness towards Poe and that was when the Greenie showed up. The Greenie after Poe about a month ago. Alby was probably the only Glader in the Glade that Poe was afraid of but he respects the guy.

He broke his gaze when Anton came to join the table with Bark following and the dog made his place near Poe. Poe pat the dog's head before Bark laid down on the ground. "So, I take it Minho said no" Anton looked over Poe's shoulder and gazed toward the Door.

"If he said yes, I would've been standing on Nick's place now" Poe grumbled.

"I don't get it, you really want to go out there just to explore?" Anton looked confused.

Poe shrugged, "Just... a little curious to see what's out there"

"A little?" Anton scoffed, "nah man, more like you're desperate"

Then there was Winston and Teo joining the table, set their breakfast down on the table. "We would've missed you in Slicers, mate" said Teo, "To be honest, we're glad Minho said no, otherwise something would probably happen to you out there and without you in the Slicers, the whole shuckin farm would've fallin apart"

Poe scoffed then laughed in response. His laugh broke when the loud boom and metal groaning began. The Door was opening. The Slicers and a Cook glanced over toward the Door and watched the Runner and the Leader jogging into the Maze once the gap opened then they were gone.

Through the morning, Poe spent in the Blood House, he fed the roosters and chickens and collected the eggs from them then took them to the kitchens. He changed the water that the cows and pigs were drinking from with Teo's and Bill's help. The back to back trips to the pond to the Blood house was the worst. To carry pails of water back and forth until the tank was full enough. They finished before lunch break started.

During lunch break, Poe was sitting on the grass under the trees with Bark, Anton, Winston and Teo. Rather than to sit in the picnic area, Poe was just hiding from the Keeper of Cooks, Siggy because he usually doesn't like when Poe feeds his own lunch to Bark. Every time Siggy spots Poe doing that, Siggy gives him the look of dismay. Siggy knows there is food for the dog in the barn but Poe insists of feeding his own food to the dog.

"Clouds" Anton uttered, "dark clouds" the boy was looking up at the sky. The Slicers followed his gaze, there were dark clouds coming, they look to be the raining type of clouds.

Winston sighed in relief, "Thank god, we haven't had any rain for weeks now" It rarely rains in the Glade, perhaps only like once a month or twice. The weather can be odd in the Glade, it confuses Poe.

Poe gave his leftovers to Bark, even Teo and Winston did the same, it was before Alby announced that lunch break was over and it was time to head back to work.

Through the noon, those who were working indoors continually worked while it rained, like Builders, Bricknicks, Cooks and Slicers meanwhile the rest stayed under the covers until the rain passed. But the rain went on and on throughout the noon. Winston had to ask the Bricknicks to come to the Blood house to fix the roof's leaks.

When work was finished for the day and Winston announced they were done for the day. It was still raining outside. The Slicers went to the picnic area, the Builders had multiple tarps over the area for the rain, some Gladers were at the camp where they all slept where they also have roofings. Poe can spot Alby standing in the the entrance of the Homestead and seemingly waiting.

Then Poe wondered if Minho and Nick were back from the run because Runners usually come back from the Maze hours before the Door closes. But Poe saw Nick nowhere in the area, immediately thought he might be the forest or in the Homestead. But when Anton came over from the kitchens, he asked, "So, they're back yet?"

"What?" Poe was sitting on the picnic table and having a drink of water.

"Nick and Minho, seen them coming in yet?"

Poe was confused, he shrugged, "I don't know man, I figured they might be back already and they're around somewhere"

"You're wrong, dude" a voice coming from the Builders' table, there was Jack, Nico, Gally and the other boy sitting on the table. It was Nico who spoke, "They ain't back yet"

Both Anton and Poe exchanged confused looks. Teo and Winston had the same looks and they all looked over the Door. Only two hours before the Door closes. It is unusual of the Runners to be this late. Made sense why most of the Gladers were all gazing at the Door, they were waiting for their Leader to come back.

When the rain finally stopped, Poe played with Bark, throwing a ball for the dog to fetch in the middle of the Glade. The ball wasn't a real ball but merely a homemade. Poe made it with small stone to make the ball have a bit of a weight, with fabric from his hammock, strings, laces and foil he stole from Siggy's kitchen. The ball wasn't bouncy but it rolls and it was enough for the dog to play with.

It was an hour before the Door closes and Minho and Nick were still not back yet. Poe could sense the anxiousness growing within the Glade, all the Gladers growing anxiously for their Leader, Poe was worried too. What possibly could've happen out there that takes Minho and Nick so long? He knew something was happening and yet no one is doing anything about it. He couldn't understand why they wouldn't send someone out there to find them. Sure, they wouldn't risk of sending another person out and they get lost and never find Nick and Minho. No one knows about the Maze beside Minho, Newt and Ben. But Newt has a limp and barely able to run. Ben has a sprained ankle. Alby doesn't know much about the Maze like Minho does and he'd get lost if he goes to find them.

They aren't lost, Poe knows that for sure. Like Teo said, Minho's too smart to get lost and it's impossible for the guy to get lost in the Maze. The guy knows the Maze like he know the back of his own head. Poe can't really accept that they're dead, there could other possible reasons why they're taking this long.

When Bark grabbed the ball ahead, he ran toward back to Poe to give the ball back. "Alright, last one" Poe told Bark. Poe threw the ball hard as he could and the ball flew ahead distantly. The ball landed in front of the Door, far from the Door and Bark ran for the ball to fetch it. Instead of picking it up, the dog turn his head at the Door then began to bark. It barked and barked as his tail wiggled and pacing around in circles as he kept barking.

"Bark!" Poe called, the dog ignored his call. The boy went to check on the dog and get the ball himself. Poe never noticed Newt and Alby standing by the Door, leaning their back against the giant wall near the edge of the gap. The dog was still barking when Poe reached him. "Bark, what are you yapping at about?" The dog still barked at the Door. When Poe looked toward the Door, at the long, dark and empty corridor.

Dogs do have strong sense and can smell a mile away. Dogs can know something before humans do. Poe kept his gaze at the corridor while Bark was still barking before finally his barking turned to whimpers.

Then one dark figure appeared, coming from the left side, this dark figure seemed to be struggling and slowing down. The dark human figure was dragging something. Poe quickly knew, "Hey, hey!" He pointed at the corridor, "Look!" Both Alby and Newt whipped their heads up, they immediately moved to the Door to see and saw Minho and Nick.

Poe moved closer until he was beside Newt and Alby. "Bloody hell, they made it" Newt sighed in relief.

What Newt doesn't realize what Poe was thinking, something went wrong. He recognized Minho the one dragging a body, and that body is Nick. "Something's wrong" he said.

"Somebody!" Minho called out, "Someone get your ass here and help me!"

Poe only took an immediate step forward when Newt stopped him. Only Alby rushed to them. "Not us, we can't go in there" Newt told Poe.

Poe had a rush of annoyance and desperation. Minho needs help and something happened to Nick and yet, they're still worried about the damn rules. They do still have a lot of time until the Door closes so Poe wouldn't have to worry about them being locked out.

Alby reached Minho and helped him dragging Nick to the Glade. The Gladers were all already rushing to the Door as Poe and Newt waited Minho and Alby to drag Nick through the Door. Once they did, Poe grabbed onto Nick's arm as Minho let go as the he fell to his knees from exhaustion. Poe and Alby dragged Nick away from the Door before setting him down on the grass and the Gladers surrounded around Poe, Alby and unconscious Nick. The Gladers demanded what happened to their Leader. Poe would ask the same but he was staring at unconscious Nick.

"Everybody, shut up!" Alby roared. He gave a loud sigh and turned his head to his left. The Gladers moved away, making way and all of them were gazing at Minho. The Runner was panting, his face full of sweat, his panting went slow and took slow breaths. Taking a moment to catch his breaths before he finally spoke.

"He got Stung"

With that, the loud boom erupted, signalling it was time the Door closes for the night.

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