Thomas rushes down to Winston, where he sees that the liquid silver has melded to the top of Winston’s head and is now making its way down his face. Winston pulls at the goo, trying to get it off, and when he manages to pull a part off, Thomas can see red, blistered skin underneath. Thomas empties his bag and begins trying to pull off the liquid. He can feel heat coming from the molten silver as he pulls, as if his hands “might burst into flames” (88). Thomas finally tells Winston that they have to pull at the same time. Though Winston is screaming and thrashing about, he is finally able to pull at the same time as Thomas, and the metal liquid flies off of Winston’s head, reforms, and then vanishes down the hallway. Though the ball does not try to attack Winston again, the boy is traumatized, with blisters and sores all over his head. The Gladers decide that they must go up and into the heat to avoid the molten silver balls. Minho, New and Thomas finally decide that the three of them will go first to scout out the area.