The Maze Cutter by James Dashner

Author:James Dashner [Dashner, James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Akashic Media Enterprises

She tricked Dominic into doing most of the work, saying she needed to use the bathroom just as the hot and heavy business of frying the eggs and deer meat over the fire got going. A nearby copse of trees—a rare sight in the sparse, scrubby, hardpan desert they’d been traversing—seemed the perfect spot. When she was finished, she leaned against a tree to collect herself, figuring Dominic was able enough to wrap up breakfast.

Thoughts of the past month swarmed into her mind.

The relentless walking through heat in the day and cold in the night; the adaptation to life in the wild; hunting for food with traps and knives; the daily search for clues of Isaac and Sadina; the lifting and dashing of hopes; the sheer emptiness of the world, as if every other human had been zapped from existence. She didn’t know what she’d do without the others and their friendship, their knack for survival, their senses of humor and willingness to share a cry. Something told her she couldn’t judge the greater parts of earth based on the few hundred miles they’d crossed—who knew what was out there. Seven continents. Countless islands. Decades since the Flare. Who knew.

But she missed home. She missed home so badly.

Back at camp, most of the others had already roused themselves once the smells of frying food permeated the air. Surprisingly, Dominic hadn’t burnt anything or spilled grease on the fire. She kinda liked that big goof. Even as she had the thought, he spotted her and waved, dropping half the food in the dirt. As he scrambled to salvage it, she laughed because she had no doubt it would still be eaten.

“Find any clues?”

Jackie started. Ms. Cowan had sneaked up on her. Sadina’s mom asked the same question about forty times a day.

“No, sorry. Nothing.”

The woman let out a weary morning sigh. “Oh, well, that’s okay. I think we’re really on their trail for now. Pretty soon we’re gonna hit a river that Alvarez scouted last night. It’s really wide so I can’t fathom they tried to cross it. I bet we follow that thing north for a good long while. Come on, let’s get some of that food before all the dirt-free stuff is gone.”

Soon they were eating with the others in a big circle—the deer meat was charred after all, and Jackie tried to ignore the grains of dirt that kept grinding against her teeth—and she had more time to think. All of her life she’d heard about Cranks, the Flare, the devastated apocalypse of the sun. And yet for weeks now, once they’d gotten out of the city and its surroundings, they’d seen almost nothing but nature, beautiful nature. The planet seemed to be winning the battle. However, the eventual run-in with other humans was inevitable, and she’d be a fool not to know it.

“You know what my dad used to say?”

Miyoko had spoken, her empty canteen hanging from the hand she’d propped on her knee.

“What’s that?” Jackie asked. She took her last bite of venison and was glad to be done.

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