Okay, so I have been planning it out, and this sequel is going to be much shorter than the first book. I didn't plan this, however, this has just happened because I found that much less happened in the Scorch Trials book, than with the Maze Runner.

Hopefully, though, the Death Cure sequel will be longer, because we all know a lot happens in that novel.

It's also taking a little while to get this out, because I'm also working on a little something that I mentioned in the last book ;)

And yes, I did just use the winkie face; it is, however, appropriate in this situation.

Question of the chapter: What do you think will happen in the Death Cure sequel? (And yes, there is going to be a sequel.)

Book Question: Did you guys prefer the third person or first person, trying to decide which style will work best for the final book!

Thanks for your patience!
xoxo

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The next day, Group A and B merged, bringing together almost every victim from the Maze trials. They had been traveling, when they saw Group B stop. They discussed, and Minho announced that they would go east to meet with them.

When they met up, a girl named Harriet introduced herself, giving them reason why they shouldn't be pissed off at them for taking Thomas. According to her, Teresa and Aris were turning Thomas over to WICKED. Lori didn't want to believe what she was saying about her friend and brother, but considering Teresa's mental state the last time they saw her, and the fact that Harriet knew her brother better than her, gave her reason to doubt her faith in them.

They all traveled the remainder of the trip to WICKED's safe haven. Unfortunately, they were left disappointed. Again.

Lori lost hope, as she stands staring at what WICKED gifted them. A pathetic excuse for a flag sprouting from the ground, it's black ribbon sporting orange words.

'THE SAFE HAVEN'

Lori can feel tears brimming in her eyes, her heart aching at the sorrow she feels, from seeing the pitiful space that was supposed to be their safe haven.

She wipes her hand across her face, stepping away from the flag. The groups remain encircling the flag, shock and sadness still evident on her face. Clara walks over to Lori, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

The strawberry blonde shakes her head, pushing strands of hair that had fallen loose from her ponytail behind her ears. "I just, I thought that once we found the Safe Haven, it would all be over. That we could find a home, and just be free. Stupid, right?"

The corner of the other girl's mouth crooks up slightly, a sad attempt at an encouraging smile, "Not at all. I think on some level, that's what all of us were thinking would happen. I know I wasn't in the Maze as long as you were, and I definitely haven't been through as much as you have, but I wanted the exact same. I just hope that we can still find it."

Lori doesn't say anything, just stands there, continuing to try and think of what's going to happen next.

"Lori?"

The use of her name grabs her attention, dragging her eyes towards Clara.

"You - um - You're not still angry about Newt and I, are you? I mean, I'm not saying that it's still happening, I mean the past thing. The before the Maze, and small thing in the Maze."

Her mind wonders across the events which Clara refers to. Newt talking about them before the Maze, remembering seeing them kissing in the Maze, her anger and sadness at seeing them together, remembering how she felt about Newt, confused about how she feels about Newt, her kiss with Thomas.

The kiss with Thomas, it is an outlier amongst all objectives. This makes Lori think past what at the time seemed like an in the moment kiss.
Did she do this to get back at Newt? Was she still mad about him and Clara?

Lori shakes her head, both to get rid of the thoughts, and to answer Clara.
"No, of course not. You were in a new place, and the only memory you had was of you and Newt, and that obviously isn't your fault. I mean, of course I'm a little ticked off, but not at you. At WICKED. This is, after all, all their fault."

The dark haired girl nods in understanding, not wanting to say anything out of fear of making the situation any more awkward.

They returned to the conjoined groups, just as a few newcomers arrive.

Teresa, Aris, and Thomas.

Minho turns to yell at the three, "It's about time you slowpokes caught up with us!"

Thomas finally reaches the group, leaning over in attempts to catch his breath. He straightens his body, facing them all with a shocked look, "I thought you'd be fightin' tooth and nail with these girls after what they did to us. To me, anyway."

Minho turns away to look at Groups A and B, before returning his glance to Tommy. "Well, first of all, they have nastier weapons, not to mention bows and arrows. Plus, some chick named Harriet explained everything. We're the ones who should be surprised - that you're still with them."
He looks past Thomas to shoot a glare at Teresa and Aris, showing his dislike towards them both.

"They're on our side. Trust me."
Thomas looks conflicted with his own statement, unsure whether to believe himself or not.

Minho laughs mockingly, making his beliefs clear. "Figure you'd say something like that. Let me guess, it's a long story?"

"Yeah, very long story," Thomas replies. He waits a moment, before beginning again, changing the subject. "Why'd you all stop here? What's everybody looking at?"

Side-stepping, Minho waves an arm, gesturing for Thomas to walk forward. "Have a peeky-peek yourself." He turns to everyone, "You guys make a path!"

Mumbles broke out among the victims of WICKED, and then they all parted, creating a rift leading to the flag which Group A and B had found recently. Thomas makes his way, moving quickly down the makeshift path.

Thomas looks as if he has been physically winded, eyes as wide as saucers.
He quickly pulls himself together, looking down to the watch which is strapped to his wrist. "W have over an hour left. Our Safe Haven is a stick in the ground?"

Lori shrugs, "It's not as bad when you think about it."

Minho nods in agreement, "More than half of us made it here. Looks like even more of the girlie group."

The boy who had been missing looks at them both, anger scorched across his already red face. "The Flare turn you both crazy already? Yeah, we got here. Safe and sound. To a stick."

Minho shakes his head, scoffing. "Dude, they wouldn't send us here for no reason. We made it in the time they gave us. Now we just wait until the clock ticks down and something'll happen."

"That's what worries me."

"Hate to say it," Teresa chips in, "but I agree with Thomas."

"Bullshit," Lori mutter beneath her breath.

"After everything they've done to us, it'd be way too easy to have a little sign here, and then come an get us in a nice helicopter as a reward. Something bad's gonna happen.

"Whatever you say, traitor," Minho spits, his hatred for the girl plain on his face. Lori smiles, unable to hide how happy she was that at least one of them was brave enough to say how they felt towards Teresa right now.

Teresa looks shocked at Minho's forwardness, but Thomas just looks at her, and tells her that she shouldn't be surprise.

She shrugs, "I'm sick of apologizing. I did what I had to do."

"Whatever. I need to find Newt. I want - " He stops, something else catching his attention. "Brenda."

The mention of Newt makes Lori look around, aware that he was no longer near her. She tap Clara on the shoulder, and the two of them find Newt and Minho, who are sitting on the ground beside Fry.
"Hey guys, mind if we join you.

Minho looks to go a little red in the cheeks as Clara sits beside him. "Not at all. Hopefully something will happen soon, I'm gettin' real sick of the Scorch."

They sat talking for a while as the wind picks up and the sky darkens. Lori can't help but feel that the weather is only the beginning, and that something awful is bound to follow. A flash of lightening sounds, making Lori jump. Her hand reaches for Newt's squeezing each time the lightening flashes. He doesn't say anything, just sits silently, holding her hand.

Eventually, Thomas joined their little group. Newt looks up, a small smile cracking his saddened demeanor. "Hey, Tommy."

"Glad to see you guys made it here," the boy said after sitting down in their circle.

Frypan snorts, reminding Lori of some kind of wild animal. "Same back at ya. Looks like you had more fun, though. Hangin' with your love goddess. Guess you two kissed and made up."

"Not exactly, it wasn't fun."

"Well, what happened out there?" Lori questions him. "How can you trust either of them after what they did to you?"

He doesn't answer at first, seemingly taking a moment to plan out what he was going to say, how to word it, or something like that.
He started by informing them about what WICKED had had planned for him, the camp, his talk with Group B, and the gas chamber which Teresa and Aris had tricked him into.
A weight seemed to lift off of his shoulders. sitting up straighter as the weight of his troubles is shared among his friends.

"And you forgave that witch?" Minho asks after everyone had been silent too long. "I won't. Whatever those shuck WICKED people wanna do, fine by me. Whatever you wanna do, fine by me. But I don't trust her. And I'm sorry Lori, but I don't trust Aris. And I don't like either one of them."

Lori nods, "It's okay. At the moment, I think I feel the same way."

The side of Minho's mouth tilts into a sort of half smile, half smirk, displaying his approval. They had been friends for a long time, and family or not, that meant more to her than anything. The faith and trust which the Gladers share is something that Lori admired, and feels special that she is included in such a relationship.

Newt's face twists ever so slightly, his mind thinking deeply before sharing his opinion. "They went through all that - all that planning and acting - just to make you fee betrayed? Doesn't make any bloody sense."

The blonde turns to Lori, and she hurts looking at him. Not for the reason that it seems, but for something entirely different. The deflated look on his face.

It had been there for a while, and she thought that it would eventually be cleared. but unfortunately, Lori was beginning to feat that it was something that would not be leaving her line of sight any time soon.

"Tell me about it," Thomas mutters. "And no, I haven't forgiven her. But for now I think we're in the same boat. What about you guys? How'd you make it here?"

"Found a gap through the mountains," Minho answers. "Had to fight through some Cranks camping in a cave, but other than that, no problems. Food and water almost out, though. And my feet hurt. I'm pretty sure another big bolt of shuck lightening's about to come own and make me look like a piece of Frypan's bacon."

Lori laughs, "Highly doubtful. But at least if it did, we have a bit more food to last us."
Minho's eyes narrow playfully as he tries to mask a smile.

Thomas looks at them, then to the mountains and back again. "Maybe we should bag this while safe haven thing and try to find shelter."

"No way," Newt disagrees. "We didn't come this far to go back now. Let's just hope the buggin' storm holds off a little longer."
His eyes roll upwards, evaluating the sky's condition, a grim look crossing his face.

They all sat silently, looking at the sky, when Minho is suddenly jumping up, shouting. "What's that!"

They all jump up, as if a fire had been lit beneath the. The emotion spread across Minho's face was unmissable. Terror.
At that moment, that is what scared Lori the most, because to see Minho scared, let alone terrified, that was rare.

Turning to see what Minho is pointing to, Lori doesn't dare to let go of Newt's hand. Not too far away, the desert ground appeared to be opening.

A square shape, at least fifteen feet wide, turning on a diagonal as the dirt moved and made way for what lay beneath it, to rise above and take its place. The noise was awful, the screeching of metal on metal, fighting against the noise of mother nature.

Finally, the square had flipped entirely, to reveal what had once been beneath the earth. A strange black material, with an even stranger object resting upon it.

A white, oblong object, with rounded off edges. Lori wasn't sure what they are, but one look at the Gladers' faces, and she immediately knows that they do.
"Newt? Newt, what are those thing?"

His face is paper white, which is frightening considering that he had been red from the sun. The boy looks down to the girl he has feelings for, afraid to tell her. He knows exactly what they are.

"They're what we saw when we left the Maze, in the chamber outside the Griever hole." He gulps, taking a deep breath.
"They're where the bloody Grievers come from."

Before Lori was even able to react, the awful sound reemerges. Her heart sinks as she drags her eyes away from Newt, to search for the source of the sound.

The noise is coming from all around them. Sections of the ground, surrounding their group, were beginning to shift just like the first. It was as if the first one was the opening act, and here are the rest.

Multiple sections of the ground are screeching as they rotate, circling Groups A and B, the Griever 'eggs' almost glowing in the twilight. The noise doesn't stop, until there are too many to count.

Lori and Newt look at each other, both fearing what is going to happen next.