The Maze Girl

The Wall

Shakily, I stood up and walked towards the stone steps that had seamlessly appeared in the wall before me. My legs felt like dead weights. Once reaching the wall, I began to climb up the stairs towards Newt. As I reached the top step, he reached out his hand to help me up. Gratefully, I took it and he pulled me up and into an embrace. He hugged me to him tightly, and I took this moment to clear my mind, forgetting everything else. I loved him so much, but it was because of my love for him that I had to give him the chance to live.

Suddenly, the wall began to groan and quake. We pulled away from one another and frantically looked around ready to fight. A door appeared off in the distance. With a loud creek, it swung open violently, beckoning me to enter. This was it. It was time for me to return. 

"Listen-" I tried to begin, but he interrupted me. 

"I remember Marie. They took me and gave me my memories back, only to put me back in the maze. I remember WICKED and everything we did for them. But most importantly," He said with emotion burning in his eyes, "I remember I love you." 

My heart broke at his words, realizing we would never have our happy ending. 

"I love you too." I said quietly, grabbing his hand.

"But- you know I have to go back to them," I began cautiously. I watched as confusion turned to realization and then anger once he realized what I meant. "Something is broken, and they need me to fix it. That door is for me. They gave you your memories back and returned you to me for a price. This is just a trade. My life for yours."  

"No..." He said backing away from me, letting go of my hand. "You can't bloody do this! They are evil and will surely kill you once you've done what they need." 

"I know, but it is the only way to right all of this. This maze is my fault, my creation. The least I can do is give you all another chance at life. The Ending will be triggered soon, I know it. It just wasn't meant to be by me." My heart ached as I said those words. "Goodbye Isaac," I said turning to move towards the open door. 

Each step felt like an eternity, and it took everything in me not to turn around and look back at him.  

"I can't do this without you!" He yelled, his voice breaking as he said those desperate words to me. They stopped me dead in my tracks.

The rain was pouring down and thunder cracked in the distance. The sky was covered in black clouds that made it difficult to tell if it was day or night.

I turned around slowly. "Don't do this!" I begged, tears and rain streaming down my face. "I'm trying to give you a chance at life.  A life outside the Glade. They know you're expendable. Don't make me choose, not like this."

Newt stood at the ledge of the wall staring at me utterly emotionless. Everything around me was a blur, all I was focused on was him.

"Please, Isaac!" I said frantically, "They'll kill you."

"It doesn't matter," He said sighed, "I've always been a dead man walking."

"This is the only way," I choked, "I have no choice!"

He shook his head. "There's always a choice."

"You know who I am Isaac.." I said sobbing, "This is the only option I've ever had."

"You know this isn't right!" He said staring me straight in the eyes. "Stay here with me and fight. Don't submit to them."

"I can't let others suffer for my choices!" I yelled at him.

"You already have!" He retorted wiping the water out of his eyes.

All I wanted to do in that moment was run towards him and be with him. I looked behind me at the darkened entrance, debating if I was making the right choice. For a split second I imagined being with him and returning to the others to prepare for a fight. Then I remembered everything that was at stake. I couldn't let anyone else die on my behalf. It will always be a losing battle. 

I thought back to what Gally had told me once. He told me not to be selfish. "Gladers have to make decisions for the good of the Glade." I might not have been a Glader for long but this is what I needed to do.

Looking one last time at the fragile boy in front of me, I called out to him with as much strength as I could muster, "Look after Tommy for me."

With one last look, I turned around and ran into the darkness.

Unbeknownst to me he had made his choice just as I'd made mine, and I would never forgive myself for that.