𝐄𝐌𝐌𝐀[female]..[16]..[demi/heterosexual]..[medjack keeper]..[location: maze clearing]..[mentions: tags]..[tags: alastair, alex, romi, khalil]..────────────────────────────────────────Emma found her head automatically turning back in Alastair's direction as he spoke up, her hazel eyes watching him intently. Although it was fairly difficult to make out his figure, given the poor lighting, she could tell he wasn't quite looking at her anymore. That itself made her feel like she was going to be sick to her stomach. She really screwed up, didn't she?
This is exactly why you just smile and suck it up, that inner voice she had learned to despise sneered.
Look what you've done, you stupid, stupid girl. Choking back tears once more, she put on a small smile, hoping that would do her justice for the time being.
"It's all right, Alastair," she reassured him, surprised by the lack of quivers that disregarded her tone.
"Don't apologize."They had officially come to a halt, she noticed, which was nice. She let her arm bump gently against Alastair's, as if to silently ensure him she wasn't mad, then sucked in a deep breath and edged closer to the outer layer of the group. She knew it was dangerous, stepping out completely, so remained within the clump, but away from the main area to get a relieving breath of fresh air. Alex was nearby with extra weapons, and Romi was huddled near Khalil.
"This won't be easy," she found herself saying to them.
"I hope you've all brought supplies with you. I can only imagine the outcome of this." She pressed her lips together pitifully, then shook her head. Her chest felt like it opened and airflow was becoming clearer and more consistent, and her worries were slowly beginning to shift back to the Gladers, like it always did when she was back in her usual mindset. She hoped the battle was quick and painless. There was only so much more grief she and everyone else could handle.
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𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐘𝐍[female]..[18]..[demi/bisexual ]..[runner]..[location: maze exit -> clearing]..[mentions: yvonne, idunn, bree, newt]..[tags: ryuuu, nagini]..────────────────────────────────────────Nodding briefly to the four, Emersyn turned and took off into a comfortable jog. Her senses were on high alert, yet she hadn't picked up on a single sign of a Griever. Not even the one they saw today. It was weird, very suspicious, but she couldn't complain. She wasn't going to, that was for sure; a clean escape was what everyone was hoping for. As she suspected, the exit was indeed exactly where she had envisioned it to be. Though dark, she was still able to catch sight of it. Her heart rate picked up, although at this time, Emersyn failed to recognize it as anxiety or excitement. Further up ahead, she could hear Yvonne murmuring something, mostly to herself, she predicted. She didn't stop and wait for the Runner; Yvonne knew her way around. Spinning on her heel, she took off in more of a sprint towards anything else. She had to admit, she was shocked that Greenie didn't follow them. She'd disobeyed them enough times, so why stop now? But Emersyn was in no mood to scold, so that saved her both the time and the breath.
Sliding back into the group, she made eye contact with absolutely no one. Who was she to tell they were on track, anyway? The others were probably making their way back now, and she was sure Bree would say something, having more power over them now. Lucky duck, she was. Squeezing past a few people, Emersyn drifted closer to Ryuu, who was talking to Nagini.
"What are you two complaining about this time?" She hadn't a clue what they were talking about before she arrived, but it wouldn't surprise her if they had indeed been whining over something. Something to do with the others, most likely.
Noticing then that a few pairs of eyes were glued to the direction her back was towards, as if mesmerized by something, Emersyn shot Ryuu and Nagini a quizzing look, then turned and made her way back to the front, near where she had been before going to check out the exit. Her heart skipped a beat, then it felt like it had broken off of its supporting string and crashed into the pit of her stomach. A Griever. There was one only a few feet in front of them now, snarling. Goo dripped off its sides and drool lingered on the corners of its mouth. This wasn't the other one. This one was nearly twice its size, and its beady eyes were zooming right in on the group, mentally preparing them for its next meal.
"Draw your weapons!" she called out, surprised by how much strength was in her tone. Her trembling hand reached for the knife she used during her runs.
"We're not getting out that easily."━━━━━━━━━━━━━
𝐋𝐄𝐄[male]..[18]..[heterosexual]..[builder]..[location: maze clearing]..[mentions: tag]..[tags: kade]..────────────────────────────────────────Even though he was surrounded by a group of living human beings, Lee could still feel a fresh amount of chilly wind brush over the tops of their heads. It scurried past them like it was in a rush, like it was begging them to keep moving. Apart from a quick shiver that shook his body, Lee paid little mind to it. They'd entered a fairly open section now, it seemed, so it wasn't surprising that the wind had picked up. It was pretty creepy now, actually; the humming of the Grievers seemed to slowly get louder and louder every time they stepped forward. And for that reason, Lee was appreciative to discover the group had come to a temporary halt. He didn't bother checking out what the issue was, he trusted news would get passed along quick enough. Instead, he turned his attention back onto Kade, who had slid up beside him once again.
"Turning back now probably wouldn't be the smartest idea anyway," he mused, tossing a glance over his shoulder.
"We've been walking for so long that even though I have absolutely no idea where this exit is, it's gotta be closer than the Glade." Shrugging, he turned back towards Kade. The guy seemed to voice what Lee was sure everyone was feeling.
"Same," he chimed in.
"No point waiting back in the Glade; at least we've got a chance out here. I trust the Runners anyway. I just hope we can make it through without any troubles. So far so good... Seems like the Maze is quiet tonight. Think the Grievers found the Glade instead? I haven't seen a single one."As if on cue, a shriek sounded from someone. The atmosphere's vibe had switched, and it seemed much tenser. Lee glanced up, a puzzled look on his face. Was there a Griever around? If there was, he had yet to see it.
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𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐎[male]..[18]..[demi/bisexual]..[trackhoe]..[location: maze exit]..[mentions: tags]..[tags: wysteria, bree]..────────────────────────────────────────Draco offered her a half-smile in return, mirroring the half-hearted look Wysteria had on her face, and nodded ever-so-slightly at her words. That made sense, he supposed. Everyone seemed oddly comfortable about this all, which was odd, but at the same time, understandable. They were all shown The Window within the first few days of their new life, but it wasn't the same. The glass was foggy and stained, and it never showed the Grievers' true sizes. Perhaps it was just the anxious excitement of heading to a new place. Draco couldn't help but wonder what everyone had in mind when it came to predicting what was on the other side of the exit. Truth be told, even he didn't know what was there directly. He just knew what was going to become accessible to them.
His eyes swivelled towards her, and even though he felt sick due to his nerves, he found himself still cracking the smallest smile.
"They've picked a group of klutzy people, eh?" Although his tone barely showed off his teasing, his eyes crinkled in the slightest bit. But his face dropped back to a neutral expression as the small group drifted away from the rest of them. He moved robotically; it was almost like the shift of the others was pulling his own limp body along. He didn't turn to Wynn at her quiet question. You... That was a bad thing to say.
"Us," he corrected quickly, keeping his gaze ahead, taking in the unfamiliar sight before them.
"Slip-up. I meant us." By then, his tone had flattened once again; any signs of teasing had been left behind.
There was a smaller corridor up ahead, and Draco knew instantly that was it. The exit was right up ahead. Draco had heard many things about it, but he'd never seen it for himself. Like a moth drawn to a flame, he found himself drifting away from Wynn, dark eyes captivated on the round door up ahead. It was nearly impossible to see, given the lack of light, but even still, he could make out the faded letters that were splashed across it.
WCKD.
"You can't trust them," he found himself murmuring, his stomach flip-flopping. His eyes moved onward, settling on Bree. Despite the fact that he was looking at her, he appeared to be far away, so distant that even his words were faded. A new set of shakes began to course through his body.
"Don't trust them."
