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Thomas wondered about Chuck, whether he knew more than he let on He was a quirky kid, funny, and he seemed innocent, but as to say? Really he was just aselse in the Glade

A fewday finally catch up to hi over his o--a thought popped into his head One that he didn’t expect, and he wasn’t sure from where it came

Suddenly, the Glade, the walls, the Maze--it all seemed … fah his chest, and for the first time since he’d found himself there, he didn’t feel like the Glade was the worst place in the universe He stilled, felt his eyes widen, his breathing stop for a long ed? Ironically, the feeling that things would be okayhow, he knehat he needed to do He didn’t get it The feeling--the epiphany--was a strange one, foreign and faht

"I want to be one of those guys that goes out there," he said aloud, not knowing if Chuck was still awake "Inside the Maze"

"Huh?" was the response froe of annoyance in his voice

"Runners," Tho fro out there, I want in"

"You don’t even knohat you’re talking about," Chuck grumbled, and rolled over "Go to sleep"

Thoh he truly didn’t knohat he was talking about "I want to be a Runner"

Chuck turned back and got up on his elbow "You can forget that little thought right now"

Thomas wondered at Chuck’s reaction, but pressed on "Don’t try to--"

"Thoet it"

"I’ll tell Alby toht I don’t even knohat that one coh "You’re a piece of klunk Go to sleep"

But Tho out there--it feels familiar"

"Go … to … sleep"

Then it hit Thoether He didn’t knohat the ultimate picture would be, but his next words al from someone else "Chuck, I … I think I’ve been here before"

He heard his friend sit up, heard the intake of breath But Thomas rolled over and refused to say another word, worried he’d ed, eradicate the reassuring calm that filled his heart

Sleep came much more easily than he’d expected

CHAPTER 6

Someone shook Thomas awake His eyes snapped open to see a too-close face staring down at hi around the He opened hisit shut Panic flared until he saho it was

"Shh, Greenie Don’t wanna be wakin’ Chuckie, now, do we?"

It was Newt--the guy who see breath

Though Thomas was surprised, any alar curious, wondering what this boy wanted with hi his best to say yes with his eyes, until Newt finally took his hand away, then leaned back on his heels

"Come on, Greenie," the tall boy whispered as he stood He reached down and helped Tho it felt like he could rip Thomas’s arm off "Supposed to show ya so haze of sleep had already vanished from Thomas’s mind "Okay," he said simply, ready to follow He knew he should hold so no reason to trust anyone yet, but the curiosity won out He quickly leaned over and slipped on his shoes "Where are we going?"

"Just follow htly strewn pack of sleeping bodies, Tho several ti a sharp cry of pain in return, then a punch on the calf

"Sorry," he whispered, ignoring a dirty look from Newt

Once they left the lawn area and stepped onto the hard gray stone of the courtyard floor, Newt broke into a run, heading for the western wall Tho why he needed to run, but snapped out of it quickly and followed at the saht was dim, but any obstructions loomed as darker shadows and he was able to ht next to theabove thee that floated in the hts flashing here and there along the wall’s face,off and on

"What are those?" he whispered as loudly as he dared, wondering if his voice sounded as shaky as he felt The twinkling red glow of the lights held an undercurrent of warning

Newt stood just a couple of feet in front of the thick curtain of ivy on the wall "When you bloody need to know, you’ll know, Greenie"

"Well, it’s kind of stupid to sendmakes sense and not answer my questions" Tho all the sarcash, but quickly cut it off "I like you, Greenie Now shut it and lethis hands into the thick ivy, spreading several vines away from the wall to reveal a dust-frosted , a square about two feet wide It was dark at thefor?" Thomas whispered

"Hold your undies, boy One’ll be coh"

A eted on his feet, wondering hot could stand there, perfectly patient and still, staring into nothing but darkness