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G A M E O F
S U R V I V A L

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𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚
𝙬𝙖𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙨
𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙨 𝙞'𝙢 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚
𝙞 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙩

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

chapter nine
tell me this is just a dream

.·:*¨༺     ★      ༻¨*:·.

THE GROUP TURNED their lights off huddling together as they covered their mouths hoping it helped reduce the noise. Winston struggled to keep quiet as Frypan covered his mouth to stop him from making any more noise. Rosie held Winston's hand trying to comfort him as she didn't know what to do with the scratches all over his stomach and chest. 

      Newt sat next to her with his arm wrapped around her waist. The boy bit his lip trying to hold back the swearing as his leg started to painfully ache. The girl could notice his uneasiness as his grip had gotten tighter on her waist and he had dropped his head down trying to control it. Rosie extended her free hand caressing the boy's cheek as he leaned his head on her shoulder.

      "It hurts." Newt chocked out with tears forming in his eyes even though he wanted to stay strong for the rest of the group.

     "I know. I know." Rosie spoke softly trying to calm him down kissing his head. The girl couldn't reach his leg and nobody dared to make a move. All of them were scared the cranks were going to find them. They held in the pain they were feeling hoping they'd be safe for the night.

       The group could hear the cranks move farther and farther away. Each minute felt like an hour had passed by. Samadhi took the initiative to stand up from the group making sure there were no cranks nearby. The girl connected with herself to make sure her senses weren't betraying her.

      "Coast's clear." Samadhi announced, "try to stay as quiet as you can. Cranks can sometimes hear from far away."

      Everyone nodded along quickly moving spots as Rosie slid closer to Newt's leg. The girl untied the boy's shoe noticing he had tightened it as much as he could. Rosie looked up for a split second remembering when he had told her that sometimes the tighter the shoe, the harder it is for him to know if the pain is from his accident or the cut access of blood circulation to his foot. He liked it that way though.

       "It's swollen." Rosie stated rolling up the pants up to his knee. The boy shaking his head knowing what Rosie was going to do.

       Newt declined the girl who hadn't even asked him yet. "You don't have to do that, Rosie."

      The girl rolled her eyes knowing her boyfriend was in pain and she could relieve him from some of it. "Relax." Rosie's hand started from the ankle trying her best to be as gentle as she could but putting enough pressure to relive him from some of the pain.

      Newt let out a quiet groan dropping his head back on the ground shutting his eyes closed. The massage was already making his leg feel way better. "Oh god. Don't, don't stop."

       The boy didn't think about the consequences of his words until little chuckles were heard a few feet away. Newt opened his eyes to see the Gladers holding back their laughter. Rosie holding a laugh as well.

      "Oh shut it." Newt responds ignoring his friends as he let himself enjoy the massage Rosie was giving him.

      A few minutes after, Rosie kept rubbing his leg until she could feel her hands starting to get tired and Newt was close to drifting off to sleep. The girl grabbed the backpack and placed it under his leg to leave it elevated for the night.

      Rosie made sure no one else needed her help before tending to Winston who had fallen asleep. Rosie carefully lifted his shirt trying to inspect the damage.

      "It'll heal." Samadhi caught Rosie's attention making her turn to her. Rosie noticed Samadhi's shirt was off and she was wearing a black sports bra. Jessie was sitting kneeling behind her focused on the back of her shoulder with a pair of thin scissors and a thread with a needle.

       The two girls were in the midst of their own conversation and Rosie had thought Samadhi was speaking to her. "But what if it doesn't?"

       "Mara already knows what to do." Samadhi replied playing with a strand of her own hair.

       "Okay, but what if—"

       Samadhi cut Jess off as she started to become impatient, "honey, I would really appreciate it if you could just hurry up before I die from your terrible stitching."

       Jess scoffed, "excuse me?"

       "Hon, a crank can stitch straighter than you. I could literally just bleed to death right now from your turtle pace." Sam muttered as she looked around for her other friend.

      "You're so dramatic." Jess replied hitting the girl on the back of her head as she just let out a small chuckle.

       "Ow!"

       Rosie turns back around hoping that Winston's scratches would heal like the girls were talking about. Hopefully, he'd get better. He had to get better.

       "He should be alright if he's immune." Mara spoke walking up to her. "The scratches are deep but they'll heal slowly overtime."

She nodded hoping Mara was right as she asked her, "What if he's not immune? What can happen? Does he turn into a crank? Similar to what happens in the maze?"

Mara rubbed the back of her neck shaking her head. "I know as much as you know, Rosie. I got my memory wiped out too. Jess and Samadhi know more than me."

The two continued their conversation while Minho sat the farthest away watching the two girls from afar. He looked around taking a good look at who was left. How many of them were able to escape the maze. It was dozens who had left with them and only seven were left alive. Minho glanced to the new boy who had helped them escape and the three girls who he had his own suspicions about.

The boy put his hands inside his pockets trying to warm them up and feeling an item he had stashed in when they were running away from the cranks. The boy pulled out the knife that belonged to Rosie. He had wondered why Newt was staring at it so much.

The boy squinted his eyes noticing there was a name carved in the pocket knife. A name he for sure had heard before.

Why would Rosie have someone else's knife? Who was this person named Jeremy? And why was Rosie holding onto that knife like her life depended on it? Minho wondered at times if Rosie was lying to the group. Maybe she was still apart of WICKED and they were helping her stay alive? Then again it wouldn't make sense for them to give her a beating.

Rosie and Frypan worked together to wrap Winston up with bandages both hoping his wounds would improve overnight. Rosie turned her head to glance at the lonely girl laying down close to Thomas. Teresa picked at her nails staring up at the sky deep in her own thoughts.

Aris was fast asleep hugging a bat he had found inside the mall. The three girls had huddled together putting Jess in the middle. And Frypan had already laid down trying to sleep as well.

       Rosie felt she was the only one wide awake. She didn't want to fall asleep if everyone was trying to rest. It made her wonder why no one thought of keeping someone on watch. Her thoughts were interrupted by Newt calling for her.

       "Come on, love." Newt murmurs patting the uncomfortable space next to him. "You need some rest."

"Don't you think someone should keep watch?" Rosie questioned walking over to Newt who had shrugged his shoulders.

Thomas sat up as he had been trying to sleep but couldn't. "I can keep watch. You should get some sleep, Rosie."

The girl nodded aware that she probably needed the most rest out of all of them but she kept putting herself last. She sat down next to Newt who put an arm over his eyes. She made herself somewhat comfortable laying down next to him and tried to fall asleep.

Minutes kept passing by and Rosie was wide awake. She couldn't fall asleep. The safety of her friends bugged her knowing Thomas was soon going to sleep and no one would be watching over them.

"Rosie, stop worrying, go to sleep." The boy next to her mumbled.

The girl turned to the boy with his arm over his eyes. "How do you know I'm worried? You can't see me."

Newt licked his lips, "we've been over this. You really think I need to see you with my eyes to know what's going on with you?" Rosie hummed rubbing her arms for more warmth. Newt took his arm off his eyes and looked over at her, "Come here."

The boy pulled her close to him sharing his warmth with her as she quietly thanked him. His arm lazily draped over her waist and back to keep her warm and hopefully make her feel more at ease.

"What's on your mind?" Newt spoke knowing most of the gladers were fast asleep.

"Ander."

Newt gulped realizing they hadn't talked about the people they left behind. Ander's death started to replay in both of the pairs minds. "He didn't deserve that." Newt murmured trying to get the image of the blade going through Ander's chest away from his mind.

"No one deserved what happened to them." Rosie stated holding onto Newt who felt her grip onto him.

"Well, I know someone who might have deserved it—"

Rosie cut him off, "Gally didn't deserve that either."

The two undoubtedly started an argument over the person they left behind to die. "Rosie, he killed Chuck."

"But he was also stung and not thinking straight." She replied defending her friend, "all he wanted was to keep us safe."

Newt scoffed and took his arm off the girl responding to her, "he pointed a gun at you and you're defending him?"

"He was my friend." Rosie stated sitting up.

"And so was Chuck." Newt spoke his voice raising. His anger started to get higher. "He killed him and he would have killed you too—"

Rosie shook her head raising her voice at him too, "you don't know him like I do!"

"Didn't." Newt corrected her.

"What?"

"Didn't. It's past tense." Newt added rubbing the bottom of his chin, "he's dead, Rosie. You knew him. You watched him die."

       Rosie stood up shaking her head looking for a different spot to lay on, "you're an asshole."

       Newt rolled his eyes sitting up realizing Rosie was looking for a different spot. "Oh, c'mon, Rosie. Get back here."

"Fuck off." Rosie responded rather quick laying down next to Mara who had heard the whole conversation.

The boy sighed rolling his eyes in annoyance as the couple never knew how to resolve a situation without arguing. Never knew how to stop a conversation from escalating to a nasty argument.

"Go to sleep, Rosie. It'll do you some good. Maybe it'll help you realize you're in the wrong." Newt spit back causing a few of the boys to sit up.

The girl shook her head scoffing at his comment but wasn't able to say anything before someone intervened. Thomas had sat up shushing the couple. "Will both of you stop? We have to keep quiet! We don't know who can hear us or what is near us."

Newt muttered a small apology before turning around to close his eyes. He was mad at Rosie for her view on the situation. They used to agree on almost everything and now that they've been out of the glade, they've clashed at almost every decision.

"Everything okay?" Mara asks

Rosie nods, "everything's fine."

☆゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜★

THE SOUND OF birds chirping woke her up. The smell of burning wood came flooding in her nostrils. She could hear the whispering hisses of the fire and its sizzling pops. The distant smell of cooked oatmeal in the large pot. She was warm with a jacket over her and comfortable. A smile curved on her lips as she felt peaceful for a few seconds.

Rosie, at the speed of light, sits up. It was now where she opened her eyes to see where she was. The familiar setting brought Rosie a gut wrenching pain in her stomach. Her eyes widen, gasping as she realizes where she was. "No." She muttered.

She struggled to get out of the hammock she was in. Her hands catch her before almost falling face first to the ground. "This isn't real." Rosie stated standing up from the ground. "It can't be real."

Her feet circled around trying to figure out if she was actually back in the glade. "This can't be happening!" Rosie screamed feeling her face turning pale. "I'm not back here! Wake up! Wake up!"

Tears started to form in her eyes as she couldn't understand what was happening. Rosie sniffles as she frightened walked over to the kitchen area. The fire pit was on. Someone had made a fire. The table had a big pot full of recently made Oatmeal. Someone had cooked.

She wasn't alone.

"Hello!" Rosie yells hoping someone would answer. "Hello! Anyone here!"

Yet, the entire glade was silent.

Rosie grabs a large knife from the kitchen counter as she heads off in search of someone. Her first stop was the blood house. Rosie held her breath as she walked into the what looked like an abandoned barn. Flies had taken over the barn. Dead animals were scattered around the tables. Some half chopped or had been in the process of decapitation. No one had walked in here for what seemed was several days.

The girl gulps shutting the doors closed taking a large breath in trying to get the image out of her head. She turns around to see what was closest to her and walks over to the building in one of the corners. The building had been almost destroyed from the outside. Rosie opened the door walking in the Gathering room. The entire room was a mess. It looked like an earthquake had shaken the entire building.

No one was there either.

Rosie rubs her face in fear that she wasn't going to find anyone. The fear that she would have to start over again. This time by herself. Rosie walks over to the middle of the Glade to see if the box had anything. To Rosie's dismay, she opened the box to see it completely empty.

The Medhut had been destroyed completely. There was no way in. It had collapsed. "Hello! Is anyone here!" Rosie yelled once again as no one was inside the buildings. "Fuck! I can't be alone!"

Rosie headed to the gardens. She walked through the half burnt garden. The majority of the crops were dying. No one was taking care of them. Rosie headed to the last building she knew was still standing. The girl headed inside the forest walking towards the Map Room. She walked inside and realized it was the first time she set foot inside this structure.

Everything looked in place. It seemed as if this place hadn't been touched or abandoned. The entire maze set up Minho had talked to her about was in the center of the room. Rosie looked around the room trying to find anything useful for her. She wasn't going to stay. It didn't matter to her if she was alone in the glade. She wanted out. But she couldn't find anything that could help her get through the maze by herself.

The girl walked out heading to the last place she hadn't gone to. She needed to pay respects to the people she left. "Anyone here?" Rosie calls out once again thinking that maybe they were in the forest hiding.

Rosie walks off to the last section of the Glade and her eyes widen to what she saw. Her hand went up to her mouth in fear as tears ran down her face again. Rosie came across a lifeless body. A body that belonged to an innocent child. The girl fell to her knees as she sobbed.

"Jimmy!" Rosie cried out trying to somehow bring the boy back to life. Her hands tried to do chest compressions on his body. "My sweet kid, oh my god." Rosie cried out

Rosie sniffles trying to recollect herself. Her eyes glance away from the body to get the image out of her head but unfortunately lands on another body. Her eyes widen once again as it was Zart. The girl stands up looking around to realize it wasn't just the two bodies. It was the rest of the gladers that were left here.

       Her eyes land on a body with a hole in its chest. Ander's eyes were opened looking up at the sky. "Ander?" Rosie calls out. "Ander?" She raised her voice walking over to him. The girl soon realizes, he's dead too. He died with his eyes open and no one bothered to close them. Rosie kneeled down her hand shaking from the nerves as she used her fingers to pull his eyelids down and close his eyes.

       "When I wished I could see you again," Rosie spoke taking a deep breath, "I didn't mean like this. I miss you and I feel guilty everyday because maybe if I wasn't falling you could have survived. I hope you're resting."

      Rosie stands up again trying to hold back the tears as she lost count how many times she's cried. Her feet guide her away from the