The New Horizon ~ A Maze Runner Story

- 52 -

Two weeks had passed, each day quickly receding into the next. Thomas stayed all day at AFA, beside the scientists and doctors who explained the continuous status of the vaccines. Every day was an exciting surprise, hearing the announcements that yet another group of patients had been cured. Day after day, volunteering patients received their injections. Within one hour, their infectious count depleted entirely--the Flare had been eliminated. It was no longer a question of maybe, or later--it was now; people were being cured that day, every day. It was one of the most joyous things to witness. It gave Thomas a burst of pure elation. It was unbelievable.

Thomas had just witnessed the fifth volunteer group receive their injections. There were still five more groups to go that day. Doctor Owens had been serious when she said AFA would follow the government's testing recommendation. And so far--as Thomas had seriously hoped for--each vaccine proved to be entirely error-free. The Flare virus was fought off by the antibodies produced from the vaccine. It was almost effortless--one of the most glorious things Thomas had ever watched, underneath the microscopes Doctor Owens and the scientists had given him access to. It was like biology's civil war--every cell fighting with unbridled purpose until the Flare virus was massacred.

Thomas walked outside of AFA's main building, feeling a sense of true assurance. The world wasn't perfect, and it never would be, but there was still amazement in the air at the wonder of how in years to come, the vast majority of people would be rid of such a gruesome disease. That Thomas's purpose in life was to be more than an abused subject of WICKED's, who'd lost friends and family, and had his memory erased--instead, he was the product to reshape and heal humanity.
Thomas walked past the now semi-patched grass, still healing from the flames only weeks ago. He thought of Aaron, now a stable human being, living a stable, human life somewhere in the City. And all of others; all the mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers and friends. They were living the life they should have lived from the very start.

Cool breeze brushed Thomas's skin, rippling his shirt and tousling his hair. Beyond him, high in the sky, a beautiful day glimmered. Massive clouds billowed. The sky was a splotchy art piece of white and cyan. But nothing quite compared to the person standing several meters away from him: May. She was there, led into AFA by a female guard, through the underground tunnels of the City, to meet Thomas. Her light yellow dress billowed in the breeze. Her smile was like the sun: bright and warm. She gestured at the basket in her hand. Together, they took off.

***

If it hadn't been for the press that now considered Thomas a celebrity, he and May would have gone out to a small park in the city somewhere and had their picnic, but AFA's property was expansive enough for them, and most importantly, it was hidden from any paparazzi.
They sat there, eating the delectable snacks May packed, talking in between chews about the cure and the future world without the Flare.
May bit into a carrot with an audible snap. "How was testing today?"
"Great, just great. There was this little girl, probably five. She was so heavily infected that she had to be separated from the other patients," Thomas explained, finishing the pile of pretzels he'd collected. "But once she was vaccinated, I could instantly see her eyes brighten. She became completely normal. It was amazing."

May was smiling. There was no ounce of incredulity; she believed everything wholeheartedly, having been one of those infected patients not long ago. "That's so good, Thomas . . . Just wonderful."
Thomas finished his pretzels, staring down at the paper napkin where they had once been. A couple granules of salt were left over. He shook his head, his brain contemplating too much to verbally communicate. All he could say was, "I just can't believe it."
May reached out and grabbed his arm loosely. Instantly, he was energized. His body still hadn't grown accustomed to her touch; it was magical. "It's okay, that's understandable."
He shrugged, "I just never thought I could do this. All my life I felt like I'd just been another test subject in an experiment," he laughed then, coming to terms with what he'd just said. "Well, I literally was."

Thomas thought of all the others who'd been that test subject with him: Winston, Alby, Teresa, Chuck, Newt. For some reason only the deceased ones sprung into his memory first. His heart ached; if only they could have died knowing there was hope left in this world. But unfortunately, all of them had died the most hopeless deaths.
May sensed his thoughts. She was always so good at that. It drove him crazy with curiosity. "Your friends would be so proud of you. I know that."
Thomas knew it, too. He felt it just as strongly as he felt the afternoon sun on his back. Struggling to speak, he leaned forward and opened his arms to May.

She wrapped her arms tightly around him, brushing her lips against his neck. Thomas almost trembled at the feeling. It was hard not to; every time it conjured those passionate memories.
"I'm so thankful for you," May whispered into his neck. That simple sentence was all Thomas needed.
"I'm thankful, too. So thankful."
May reached up to kiss his neck. She brushed a hand across his cheek, staring intently into his eyes. Thomas drew her face into his, kissing her. Those wonderful feelings would never fade, they would never grow tiring. Because of May, his thoughts would never go without hope.