I was sure the crunching of my feet on the leaves and twigs would give away my location. I heard a few more voices trail behind me, more boys were coming to hide in the woods. My feet couldn't stop. I brushed past the trunks of a few trees, leaving scrapes on my arms.

A clicking came from behind me, then a shrill scream from one of then boys. It was the exact same ticking I'd heard that day in the maze. And now, I was there again. Light from torches flicker through the trees, but are soon put out one by one as a new Glader got picked off.

My mind was a scattered mess. Gally's instructions along with millions of other intruding thoughts swarmed my head. This wasn't a nightmare. I wouldn't be woken up. I had to survive. I'd escaped once, I couldn't let them have me again.

When I'd reached my destination, I burst through the door of the Map room. No one else was hiding in here, the walls would snap under the griever's strength anyway. I picked up the bow and fumbled with the arrows I grabbed. I threw the pouch over my shoulder and trembled with an arrow as I tried to secure it into the bow before leaving the building. Adrenaline coursed through my veins while I tried to catch my breath. Just in front of me, one of the boys was racing towards my direction.

He frantically waved his arms in the air, "Help!!!" he cried. I stood there, watching as he came closer. The sound of a griever's legs striking the ground along with it's agonising cries became more eminent. The hideous creature came closer to the boy. He wasn't going to make it. I turned tail and ran in the other direction when I heard the sound of the monster's claws tearing into his flesh. The boy's ear-splitting shouts were silent by a final snap. Chills ran up my spine. No where was safe. A harmony of shouts came from somewhere in the woods. A rattle of gears and joints surrounded me.

Suddenly, I was back in the maze. It was dark, and the curtain of ivy covered my hiding spot under the wall. My leg ached again, as the strong scent of iron blood filled my nose to the back of my throat. My vision pulsed, deciding whether it wanted to show me the maze or my reality in the woods. The ground seemed to spin around me. I needed to keep moving, but I couldn't tell if I was actually in motion or I was just experiencing the memory of running past the walls.

Once again, I was back in the pitch Black Forest. I smelled the faint scent of smoke come from somewhere, but I could see no source of a flame. A whirr came from behind me and I immediately released the unstable arrow in my bow. The arrow flew into the darkness and didn't meet any surface. I grew dizzy again when a bright light shone from above me. Daylight blinded my eyes while the walls rushed past me. I was sprinting again, but I couldn't be. This wasn't happening. I can't be back in the maze. I looked back and set of grievers tumbled down the aisle, hissing and waving their claw-like tails at me. One of them screamed and the whole image faded away.

I blinked a few times, wiping away the rest of that false reality. My name is Marty. I'm in the Deadheads. And I'm going to survive. Nothing was behind me, only a memory...only a memory. I reached back for another bow but the ground from under me gave out. I could barely see anything, but my foot hadn't met the ground. At once, I knew exactly where I was. My body summersaulted and rolled down the hill. I was where I found Ben and Thomas, just at the top of the burrow. My legs seemed to fly in different directions than my arms. My back struck a root and probably a rock too. I lost the bow from my grasp as it slid down with me. When I'd reached the bottom of the hill I stood up abruptly, fumbling here and there for balance. My hands frantically felt around the dirt and leaves for my bow when I'd found it. Surprisingly it hadn't snapped in half during impact.

My hands shook uncontrollably with the curves of the wood in it. I took in a few deep breaths but it seemed to do nothing.

Click

No. It was only a memory Marty. Nothing's there-

Clank

More twigs and branches snapped behind me. I felt a gust of warm, moist air brush past my back. The rattling of machine parts continued before my worse nightmare let out one of it's infamous bellows. I glanced behind me, and the griever's tail was raised high above it's body. The four metal claws expanded, ready to snatch me.

Without hesitation I started to sprint with every bit of energy I had left in my muscles. I heard the sound of it's talons make contact with the ground where I just stood, picking up nothing but dirt and rocks. The creature let out another high pitched cry in anger while I kept running. It's legs pounded to the ground causing little vibrations under my feet. I tried to run up a smaller, less steep hill but it slowed me down significantly. The griever's thumping grew closer, I was running out of time.

For a split second I wondered if this was the same monster that had struck my leg. Maybe it recognised me and came back for more.

A nearby tree stood high, the large branches were low enough for me to try to climb up. I threw the boy around my back and jumped up on to one of the low lying branches without much thought to it. I leaped from tree limb to limb, occasionally losing my grip. The tree became thinner and thinner but I didn't dare look down. Eventually, I came across the final branch that I was sure could hold up my weight. I wrapped my legs around the bough and sturdied myself as best I could.

I looked down on the hideous half living, half robot creature. I'm not sure where my plan continued from here, but I gave it my best. I wished I could tell Gally I tried. I tried as hard as I could to survive for him...for us.

The griever wandered around the thick trunk of the tree as if it contemplated if I were worth it. The scent of blood intensified. I glanced down at my leg, my scar had been bleeding once again. The bottom half of my leg was stained red. No, it can't. I blinked and shook myself then looked at my leg again, the blood and cut were gone, but the scent remained. Daylight and night competed for room in my mind. Reality and illusion fought against each other. The maze, the crevice, the grievers, the boy who'd been murdered in front of me only minutes ago all swarmed around me. The griever at the bottom of the tree slowly started to climb up. It was careful as to which branches it should balance itself.

More of those past and recent memories flashed on and off, like a warning alarm. I couldn't focus on one single image, they all flooded in and out in waves. I grew lightheaded and feared I may fall out of the tree. I could barely see or hear the griever climb closer towards me with the frenzy going on in front of my eyes.

The monster opened it's mouth wide and barred it's teeth at me. It winded up for one last howl before killing me. The box, the Glade, the maze, Newt, Ben, the grievers and Gally all flashed before me as I struggled to raise my bow. The arrow quivered and I hoped my death would be quick. I let go of it and it darted straight for the middle of it's mouth. I heard flesh split as the arrow pierced the back of the creature's mouth. It's horrific howl had stopped as it gagged on the weapon. It fell back a little and tumbled to the ground. It hadn't died, it was very much alive and probably still bloodthirsty. I watched as the thing scrambled to it's feet then decide to run off.

I let out a deep breath of relief, a breath that I didn't think I'd be able to take only seconds ago. My eyes followed the griever while it gagged on my arrow, it gave up on me for now. The monster scampered away from the forest and into the opening of the Glade. I hadn't realised how close I was to the open field. Light from orange flames leaked through the trees and I saw more boys scurry around for shelter.

I wasn't sure if the griever would be back, maybe it decided to bring it's friends along. I tossed the bow around my back and hurried down the tree. My hands shook and barely held on to the branches. My heart was still racing a thousand miles a minute. I slowed my breathing as I climbed further down the tree, trying to refocus myself. The scrapes on my arms stung, but I had no time to worry about them. I needed to find Gally.

I started to jog through the rest of the Deadheads. Only a few trees remained until I'd be out in the open. I tucked myself behind a tree and saw a group of kids sprinted across the field as another griever followed them over to the Homestead. I hoped they weren't walking into a trap, but there was no way the thin walls would stand against one of those monsters.

When the coast seemed clear, I wound myself up. I finally jumped out from behind the tree before I had time to question my impulsive decision. I dropped the bow and arrows on the ground so they wouldn't prevent me from sprinting if I needed to. I scurried across the field with my back ducked down. Roars came from the Homestead and the Deadheads but the field was quiet.

As I raced across the grass, my foot stepped in something moist. I squished my foot deeper into the ground and followed the trail. The liquid was thick and stained the grass. Only a few feet in front of me laid a lifeless body on it's stomach. Multiple gashes had been impaled into him. I got closer and recognized the curly blonde hair of the victim. I jumped back and covered my mouth, blocking the shriek when I'd realized it was Zart. I stumbled back more then kept jogging to nowhere in particular. A cynical thought popped into my head, there's a good chance that could've been Gally.

Flames from the burning structures filled the Glade. I looked back and the Med-hut stood standing with a few breaks in the walls. I took another step then felt a strong hand grip down on my ankle and yank me. I let out a surprised cry. I was pulled down somewhere deep and felt an arm wrap around me then cover my mouth, followed by a cage door slamming overhead. My screams were muffled by the person's hand then shushing came after. When I stopped, he finally let go and I turned to see Gally looking down on me.

I jumped into his embrace and nuzzled my face in his chest, his arms wrapped around me in a wall of protection, "I told you I'd find you." He leaned to my ear. I hadn't even noticed the two other boys hiding, George and Max. One of them held a flaming torch but the cage was still dim. They were smart to hide inside the box since it never went back down.

The moment of peacefulness was disturbed when another boy who's face I didn't recognise looked down at the close cage roof, "Gally! Let me in, let me in!" He hollered frantically. Just as Gally let go of me and pushed the cage open only by an inch, the boy was swept up and carried away. He was the victim of another griever.

The boys jumped back while I shrieked at the incident. Gally reached for me and shushed me, "Marty, Marty you gotta stay quiet." he hushed.

My eyes were losing focus on his features until everything around me was a complete blur. It was like I had my eyes open underwater. My whole body flushed with unwanted warmth and started to shake. Soon my vision of reality was completely overwhelmed by memories of being chased through the maze, the griever climbing up the tree, and the boy's face who I had seen near the map room only seconds before he died, "Gally I can't see,I can't see!" I panicked. I could only repeat those words and feel them rise in my throat as sounds of grievers and screaming boys flooded my ears. I had lost feeling in my legs, but still felt like I was moving and pacing around in circles. A pair of hands clutched my arms and held me tight as the memory of the grievers slimy mouth played before me.

For only a second, I was brought back to reality, then was swept up by the undertow of my trauma. For that short moment, I thought I'd seen a set of metal legs loom over the box's cage door. I recognised the infamous click, then was shortly blinded by my memories.

Everything was still fuzzy, "Shut her up!" a muffled voice yelled in a whisper. The images started to fade away but everything around me was still blurry when Gally's hand locked itself over my mouth. I hadn't realized I'd been screaming until it was abruptly blocked out by his hand. I thrashed in his clutch and my quick heavy breathing was smothered.

I slowly started to hear the things around me. The grievers talons above us clanked against the metal frame. I couldn't yet focus my eyes on anything but a silver blur hung overhead. Another griever's battle cry came from somewhere far in the Glade. I listened as best I could as the sharp claws clashed on the crate when the monster ran off to respond to the cry.

Gally's hand peeled off of my mouth when I was starting to clearly see my surroundings. The fog in my eyes slowly ebbed away but my heart was still racing. The sound of each pump echoed in my ears.

"She could've gotten us killed!" One of the boys shouted from the corner of the box.

I didn't mean to get anyone hurt. I really didn't. Hot tears welled up in my eyes, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry-" I breathed quickly.

Gally reached on arm out and calmly set it on my shoulder, "It's not your fault-"

"If you hadn't shut her up we would all be dead now!" The boy yelled back.

In the dim light, Gally's face stiffened, "Look if you want someone to blame, blame Thomas!" He flared up in the kid's face. My tears rolled down my cheeks at rapid amounts. I hated seeing Gally angry.

His face softened for a moment like he'd just thought of something. He turned away from the boys and glanced around the roof of the box, then slowly lifted it up and jumped out.