newt's pov.

I arrived at the west doors early of the morning we expected the boys to return. they had said to be back by mid-day and I hoped they'd keep to their word.

throughout the day many graders passed and stood beside me for a moment, but for no longer than a couple of minutes. other than chuck, he had been sat, crosslegged, even before I arrived. 

the time passed slowly but there was no sign of the boys return. my anxiousness grew as the sun began to set, cascading a shadow onto the floor of the west side. "where are they?" I murmured nervously to myself, eyes never tearing away from the maze opening.

I had thought they had ran into a problem with the girl they had spotted, and hopefully not snagged by a griever. my hopes began to fade until an unfamiliar voice could be heard yelling in the distance.

"put me down?" the voice screamed. I watched carefully as two figures appeared from the end of the corridor of stone walls. thomas approached me with incredible pace while minho had not. 

"newt, we got her." thomas's tone was happy, excitement could be heard in his voice. 

but for minho, not so much. the girl had been thrown over his shoulder to which she struggled against his strong grip. "put me down! now!" her legs kicked at minho's torso but it left him unfazed. 

"slammer. now." he ordered, too which the three of us headed to the pit, chuck following slowly behind. 

thomas yanked the door open and minho threw her inside, without any concern of hurting her.

"jesus, could be a little gentle with our guest don't you think?" i smack the back of minho's head with a bit of force, not enough for it to hurt him.

"no way, that shuckface is gonna leave me covered in bruises after that." minho growls, glaring towards the girl.

"that's what you get for manhandling me like that." she spat at his feet and slumped back into one of the corners of the cell. "just let me go."

"no can do love." i keep a softened tone, almost welcoming. "we gonna discuss a few things first. to begin, who are you?"

"I could ask you the same." she snapped.

Minho shoved his hand through the bamboo bars of the cell and grabbed the girls collar, yanking her towards him. her face soon collided with the plant seperating the pair and minho began. "listen here, you better tell us who you are or else we'll leave you to rot in this cell and then feed you to the grievers."

"im y/n." she coughed, her airways struggling against minho's grip. 

"y/n?" I repeat, "it almost sounds familiar."

"keeper of the maze." left us all in shock, jaws on the floor. "who are you?"

"you are what?"

"keeper of the maze, I was living peacefully until someone decided to ambush me." she shot a glare towards minho specifically, ignoring thomas entirely.

"someone? to start there were two of us!" 

"yeah, yeah, whatever." she shrugged, "it's been a while since I've been back here."

"what?" I asked, 'been back here' I repeated in my mind.

"ah, alby didn't tell you about me?"

my heart sunk at the sound of his name. I needed him right now, he'd know what to do.

"what do you mean?" 

"alby wasn't the glade that spent an entire month alone I the glade, I was. but where is the shank?"

"alby is dead."