I think you guys deserve another long chapter? What do you think?

Enjoy!


Eyebrows and I had finished the foundation for the outhouse by the time the sky was changing into a gradient of orange and purple. It was then that the doors began to creak and the three runners came back from their exploration of the maze. Once more cutting it dangerously close to getting shut in. They didn't look thrilled.

Alby met them half way as the rest of us gathered around for Frypan's slightly burnt smelling dinner. It was some brownish concoction we had found in a can. It looked like food anyway. Not seedy enough to be chicken feed but 50/50 shot at being crop fertilizer. We had taken a vote and decided to risk it.

It smelled disgusting.

I started over towards George and the others, if only to get away from the smell. They saw me walking over and grew suddenly tense.

"Did you find anything?" I called while closing the distance.

"Not really." Curly called back, face scrunching up as he sighed. "Unless you count dead ends."

"Bummer." I hummed. George whispered something quickly to Alby, who shrugged as I stepped up to meet them. George glared at me. I glared back.

"But we didn't get lost this time." Minho looked honestly impressed with himself.

Alby hummed approval. "The chalk worked then?"

"Between that and the map, it really did feel less like a maze," Curly agreed "and more of just a very strange set of corridors."

"So can I go with you guys again?" My spirit lept at the idea.

"No." George immediately crushed it down again.

I gave him a murderous look. "Why not?"

"I said already. It's too dangerous." Then he stalked off without another word. My teeth grinded together as I watched the other three follow him.

Curly ran over to the fire, excited for food until he smelled what was cooking. He must have said something funny because a burst of laughter came from the boys around him. Alby and Minho must have noticed too because they were walking over now. George however, was walking towards the woods. Suspicious.

I followed without a second thought. Something was up with him. The whispering, the glares, suddenly refusing to let me go into the maze. I wasn't sure what his plan was. But I intended to find out.

I soon reached the edge of the forest. It was quiet, save for the faintest crunch of branches behind one of the larger trees. Was he hiding back there? Did he see me following him?

I moved forward carefully eyes darting between the tree and the ground as I tried to avoid the louder sticks. Moving slowly, I made my way towards the far side of the tree. The was more rustling, of sticks and leaves, then of clothing.

I counted to three and leapt around the tree. George yelped and pulled his pants up, stumbling back.

My face heated up and I quickly hid behind the tree again. Stupid! What else would he be doing in the woods alone unless he was taking a piss? Idiot, idiot!

The woods we're still for a moment, then I heard George say "Alright, come at me shank. I'm ready for you this time!" Frowning, I glanced around the tree. George stood there, fully clothed, brandishing a large tree limb as a club.

"Look I didn't mean to scare you like that, I-" I took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the tree. "I just want some answers."

"Nice ruse." George spat. "Why hesitate? No one's here but us. Why don't you disembowel me already? Or are you afraid someone'll hear me scream?" His grip on the club tightened.

I stared at him a moment. "Wait what?"

"You know what you did." George hissed. "No one else had a chance to do that to him but you. You were the only one alone with him."

What was this shank... Was he saying that I... "You think I murdered Dreads?" My stomach retched, just remembering the gruesome sight. I took a step back, shocked. "How could I... Why would..?"

"No you don't get to be shocked." George pointed his club at me and closed the distance until we were a small step apart. "This is all your fault isn't it! You put us all in here in the first place to pick us off one by one!"

"Why the hell would you think that?!" I shouted back, incredulous. "I hate it here! And I don't kill people!" I scoffed at him. "I don't know if I'd have the strength to! Much less rip them apart afterwards."

"Well..." George looked me up and down, grasping at straws. "You must be a shapeshifter or something. I bet that's just a disguise. You're probably a giant monster."

"Who would think that?"

"I can tell." George snapped, lowering the club and taking half a step forward until he was right up in my face. His breath reeked. "Whenever your around I get uneasy. When you talk, I hear your words above everyone else. Like your in my mind or something! Whenever I get closer to you... My mind goes blank..." His voice lowered, "And my heart starts racing..." I stared back into his eyes. There was conflict there and an intensity that I had- George pressed his lips against mine. Surprised, I pushed him away and stumbled back. He blinked starting at me, dumbfounded.

"The Hell was that?!" I yelled at him, heat rising through my face.

"I-I..." George began stammering but looked to be at a loss. I didn't wait for him to finish and took off running out of the woods back towards the shelter and the fire where everyone was gathered.

"Longlocks?" I was snapped to the present by Minho who had called to me from the fire. I stopped walking, unsure of where I had been headed.

"You alright?" Curly asked from his seat next to Minho. He put down the small bit of cooked gruel he was trying to eat.

I hesitated for a moment then walked over and sat down next to them. Minho scooted over so I could have a seat on the edge of the log.

I stared into the fire for a moment, then bent over and buried my face in my legs.

"So..." Minho started awkwardly.

I mumbled into my dirt covered pants. "Do you two think I killed Dreads too?"

"What?" Curly seemed geniunely confused. Minho didn't respond. I turned my head to look at him. He was avoiding eye contact.

"Minho?" I demanded an answer.

"George's argument made sense." He started quietly.

"How?" I shouted a little to loudly. "Why would I do something like that? How could I do something like that?" I sat up completely and held my arms out. "Look at me. I can barely dig a hole! Ask Eyebrows, I was pathetic earlier today."

Eyebrows looked up from across the fire, hearing me refer to him.

"You and George thought she killed Dreads?" Curly gaped at Minho. "Why am I just now hearing of this?"

Minho rubbed his hands over his face. "Because we knew you would take her side!"

"Your bloody right I would! It's a ridiculous idea." He half laughed at the thought, making eye contact with me.

I smiled at him. Thankful for the support.

"Well how else do you explain it?" Minho asked. "We haven't seen hide nor hair of anything else in those mazes besides us. Who else could have done it?"

"Look," Curly readjusted to face Minho more. "I've been alone in the maze with her before, and she didn't rip me to pieces. What more proof do you need?"

"Oh yeah, that's good logic. She didn't kill me once, so she must be fine!" It had gotten quiet. We looked to see everyone staring at us, frozen.

"She killed Dreads?" Someone asked.

Fear coursed down my spine as everyone stared at me. The betrayal in their eyes, fear, hatred.

"N-no..." My voice wasn't there to defend myself.

"Of course not." Eyebrows cut in from the other side of the fire. "Dreads died from something in the maze. That's why we don't go out there. We stay here where it's safe." He looked around the fire, making eye contact with people one by one.

"What about her?" Frypan nodded over at me.

Eyebrows stared at Frypan and scoffed. "That twig couldn't murder anyone."

"Look who's talking." I smirked at the lanky boy.

He smirked back. "I'm easily twice your size string bean. Give it a rest."

There were some quiet chuckles around the fire. Not because they thought we were funny, but the simple release of tension was obvious. I nodded to Eyebrows gratefully. He nodded back.

I turned in early after that, retreating to my hammock and hiding under the folds. In the solitude, my mind replayed the sensations. George's lips, the confusion, the heat. It felt good, but at the same time nauseous and unsettled. Maybe I'd avoid the maze tomorrow.

Something poked my shoulder through the fabric. I froze.

"You alright?" A soft accented voice ask from beside me. It was Curly. I pulled the hammock away from one eye to peer at him.

In the gloom, only his silhouette could be seen. The light from the hanging lantern flickered off his lighter hair.

"George kissed me." I blurted out. I couldn't make out his reaction in the dim but he was quiet for a long moment.

Finally he sat down next to me, and said "What happened?" From this new position I could make out half of his face. He looked concerned, but not unkind.

I turned in my hammock to face him, the distant voices of the others carrying on by a dying fire.

"I confronted him, in the woods about why he was acting weird. And then... I don't know... He started rambling... And getting angry for some reason. Probably cause I scared him. That was kinda my fault. And then he got all up in my face about it, and then... Bam!"

"He kissed you?"

"He kissed me."

Curly nodded, looking thoughtful. "Well Alby's gone looking for him now." He looked me in the eye again. "How do you feel about it?"

I frowned. "I... Don't know." I rolled over on my back again, hoping to hide the blush that was rising to my face. "I didn't... Hate it. But I didn't really like it either?" I sighed loudly and covered my face with my hands. "It's just weird. I don't know what it means. And... It feels like this isn't what we should be worrying about right now. You know?" I turned back to Curly. "Eyebrows can say what he likes about how we're safe as long as we don't go in the maze, but something did kill Dreads. Something else is out there, and if we're trying to escape, we'll probably have to find out what."

Curly studied my face closely then nodded. "You're right. We do have more important things to worry about. That being said, if Alby and George still think it'd be best for you to stay in the Glade."

"No way are they keeping me in here!" I sprung up, nearly falling out of my hammock in the process. Curly rose to his knees to catch me, but I stabled myself in time.

"Look... Maybe they have a point..."

"No. That maze is our way out! I gotta be out there looking for an exit! Don't you understand that? I thought you were on my side!"

"I am on your side." He hesitated, "...and there aren't 'sides' anyway. We're all working together on this. And I thought, since things might be weird between you and George-"

"Everyone listen up!" Alby's voice rang out from the fire. Curly and I scrambled to the edge of the lean-to to see what was going on.

"No one's allowed to touch Longlocks except Me. Got it?" George shouted standing by the fire next to Alby. He looked resolute.

Noises of confusion sounded from the rest of the boys. "Why would we want to touch her?" Minho asked loudly. "And why can't we? George?"

The older boy didn't respond.

Curly tapped my hand which was digging grooves into the pole of the lean-to. I looked at him, eyes blazing. "He did not just do that."


Its fanfiction right? Gotta add that spicy drama. Yeet. Thanks for reading!