Good Grief (TMR fic)

Chapter 30

I don't go towards the Griever I heard. Instead I run through the nearest path, and whistle loudly at a corner that I'm pretty sure connects with the Griever's route.

The clicking stops, and then begins again. I'm sure it's coming to check out the sound. Now I know that they can hear, at least.

I try to keep my footfalls soft as I work the area around the Door to the Glade. The Griever that is bumbling after me is the only one I know of, but I have to make sure that Thomas has time. He's too stupid to abandon Alby to save himself.

I admire him, even though I wouldn't admit it.

There's no sign of the Griever that was nearby. I don't think it went towards Thomas, so I don't bother trying to figure out where it lost me. I purposefully work a route that's unlikely to lead me towards it, even if it wandered back in my direction.

It's like I know every turn I've taken, and the more I run the more I understand the layout of the Maze. I sense almost subconsciously where Thomas is, and which paths lead in which directions. I only run into one unexpected dead end.

How do I know so much about the Maze? Why does it feel effortless to remember the pattern?

I'm still puzzling over my own abilities – and the fact that I can jog for so long without getting remotely out of breath – when I see them.

Two Grievers are in the passage up ahead. I skid to a stop, but they've already turned my direction.

Apparently their sight is better than their hearing, and when they're going after someone, they're fast.

I'm not jogging anymore. I'm sprinting.

If I get ahead of them enough... I could turn down an unexpected path... they might overshoot me...

As I lead them further into the Maze, away from Thomas, I glance down a passage I'm passing.

Minho is standing there, clearly catching his breath. Our eyes meet for one flash of a moment, and I can see his surprised expression.

I keep running.

The Grievers are rolling after me, their metal appendages pushing them rapidly across the stone.

I take a quick turn, but they follow, hot on my track.

Then Minho is there. He must have looped around...

"I'll draw them off," he pants. "Go!"

I don't want to leave him with the Grievers, but he has much more experience than I do. I have to trust him.

I keep running, trying to make my route as complicated as possible. Minho must have distracted them successfully, since I soon lose track of the Grievers that were after me.

Stopping to catch my breath, I reassess. If I force myself to run again, I'm more likely to find another Griever, and I'll be tired. I need to go slowly, or stay here.

I don't like the idea of being motionless, though. It seems too likely that a Griever will happen upon me. I decide to just walk through the Maze, listening for any nearby Grievers and seeing if there's anywhere I can hide until morning.

Glancing around a corner, I find something entirely unexpected. It's not a dead end like the last few passages going in that direction.

It just... ends. No wall blocking it, no floor, nothing. I jog down the path, curious about what it even is. The floor cuts off, as do the walls on each side. There's nothing as far as I can see below it, or beyond it.

Stars surround the entire opening, distant and twinkling. There's no up or down, only existence. It's like I'm standing at the edge of space, and I almost want to jump just to feel what falling forever is like.

Is this the edge of the Maze? I need to see what it looks like around the corner of the walls nearby.

I tug on a vine, making sure it will hold me. Then I lean over the edge of the world, and look back towards the Maze.

I can't see anything but stars, but I know there are supposed to be walls right-

I lean too far to the side, and my body hits something.

Stone.

The walls are... invisible? 

~~

A/N: The whole Cliff-illusion was never explained in detail in the books, so I decided to change it around to fit my own purposes. :)