I'll run away with you. | the maze runner [newt]

2.05

CHAPTER FIVE

As I stirred from my restless sleep, the darkness of the room enveloped me like a heavy blanket. The storm outside had quieted to a mere whisper, leaving behind an eerie calmness that seemed to seep into every corner of the building. Slowly, I sat up trying not to wake Thomas beside me.

I glanced around the room, taking in the sleeping forms of everyone else. They lay scattered across the floor, except for one, Gally wasn't there.

Quietly, I rose from the ground and padded towards the doorway to another room. Standing by a small hole in the wall, was Gally.

I hesitated, unsure if I should interrupt his thoughts but something about the way he stood, his posture tense and his gaze fixed on the darkness beyond the wall, drew me closer.

"Gally?" I whispered, my voice barely audible in the stillness of the room.

He tensed up at the sound of my voice, his shoulders stiffening as he turned to face me. For a moment, there was a flicker of surprise in his eyes, as if he hadn't expected me to be there. But then, it was replaced by a guarded expression, a mask of indifference that he wore so well.

"Are you ok?" he asked, his voice surprisingly soft.

I swallowed hard, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "I couldn't sleep," I admitted, my gaze drifting to the floor. "The storm... it brought back memories." I said, surprising myself with my honesty.

Gally nodded, his eyes returning to the hole in the wall. "Yeah, me too."

There was a heaviness in his voice that I couldn't ignore, a hint of vulnerability that caught me off guard. I took a step closer, trying to look through the hole in the wall to see whatever it was he was looking at. For a moment, we just stood there in silence, the weight of unspoken words hanging in the air between us.

As I watched him standing there, staring out into the darkness, I felt a surge of empathy wash over me.

Our eyes met in the dim light of the room. Breaking the silence, I took a deep breath and asked "What were you looking at through there?" I pointed at the hole.

Gally hesitated, his gaze flickering away before returning to meet mine. "I saw someone walking outside a few minutes before you walked in," he admitted quietly. "I suspect there might be another group of survivors residing in the city. At first I thought it was a crank but then I spotted the weapon he was carrying."

My heart skipped a beat at hearing the monstrous word. It sent a shiver down my spine. I furrowed my eyebrows and tried to look through the hole, scared yet curious to see the thing I feared the most.

"Julia, I-" Gally started. Suddenly, a loud crash reverberated through the room. Dust filled the air, choking our lungs and obscuring our vision. As we struggled to regain our vision, I could hear frantic whispers and hurried footsteps outside the door.

Before we could react, the door burst open, revealing a group of armed figures, their faces obscured by masks. They moved swiftly, surrounding us and disarming any resistance.

Gally's suspicions had been accurate. I noticed he stepped in front of me, placing himself between me and the armed strangers. With my eyes I tried to search for my bow and arrows but before I could reach them two hands grabbed ahold of my arms, tightly. I hissed and couldn't manage to escape their strong grip.

"Not so fast, little girl."