Good Grief (TMR fic)

Chapter 29

Minho is bent over, hands on his knees as he pants. Alby is crumpled on the floor of the Maze.

"Good job, Greenies," Minho spits. "Now we're all dead."

I clench my jaw and don't answer. He's absolutely right. At least I got to leave the Glade before dying. The Maze doesn't feel as constricting, surprisingly, because there's always a chance there will be an exit.

Is that what Newt meant by hope?

Not that I have any. We're dying tonight. I really am stupid.

The walls are impossibly tall, stars shining from the narrow gaps of sky above us. Vines trail down covering almost every inch of stone from the top to the Maze floor.

A strange, groaning sound comes from deeper in the Maze, and Minho straightens up, shaking his head.

"They're coming."

"What happened to Alby?" Thomas asks, and Minho looks at him like he's stupid.

"He got stung, shuck-face. The Griever wasn't dead, and he got stung. Now there's a bunch of them out there. Our only hope is to split up. Run fast, Greenies, and you might last a while."

Minho gives us one last look, shaking his head a bit. Then he takes off into the Maze.

I glance at Thomas. He's not going to run. He doesn't understand. There's no way we can survive.

I'm sorry that he's going to die. I give Thomas a bittersweet smile before hugging him tightly.

"Good luck," I say.

Thomas pulls back sharply. "You're leaving us? Like Minho?"

"I-"

"You can't, Ash. Don't leave. I know we can survive this, but we have to be together."

I stand, locked in place. Shouldn't we split up and run? Why would we stay?

"I... don't know, Thomas..."

"Why did you come in the Maze, Ash?" he snaps. "You're not a coward. Help me. We have to protect Alby."

"We- we can't save him," I say, "right?" I turn towards him completely, waiting for his response. I'm not going to run. Not yet, at least.

"How do you know that? We have to get out of here by doing the impossible, right? Well, that starts tonight. You and I, and Alby, and hopefully Minho, are going to survive. We're going to make it, and then we'll do the impossible again and find our way out of this Maze."

He's right. I may be smart, but I'm not afraid. If he's right... if he's right, then we have to try.

"What's your plan?" I say, glancing around. He's looking around as well, biting his lip with concentration.

"We're going up."

"We can't climb over the wall," I say, slowly. I can't even see the top, much less climb that high. "So..."

"We can tie Alby into the vines, keep him out of reach of the Grievers. If they don't notice him..."

I nod. "That's a really good idea. How are we getting him up there?"

Thomas shakes his head. "We'll figure that out. I need to make sure the vines can support our weight."

He grabs one of the vines that reaches down to the Maze floor and tugs it away from the wall. After thirty feet or so have detached from the wall, he pulls on it with his entire weight.

It holds. I start tugging on vines as well; freeing them partway up and making sure they can support weight.

After a few minutes, Thomas nods at our work.

"Let's see how high we can lift him."

We manage to get Alby to about the height of our shoulders, but we're working so hard that it's a challenge to get him tied to the vines while supporting him.

Somehow Thomas manages to get Alby's torso wrapped enough that he can help me tie his legs up. We end up with each of his arms and legs knotted into the vines.

I hear a groaning sound from the nearby area.

"Thomas..."

"Yeah?"

"Do you think you can do it from here by yourself?"

"Why?" he asks, frowning.

I wish I didn't have to tell him, knowing he won't approve, but I don't have a choice. "Because Grievers are coming, and I need to make sure you have time."

"They might not be that close-" he starts, but I slap my hand over his mouth.

Click. Click. Click.

The noises echo from a nearby passage. I raise an eyebrow at Thomas as I lower my hand.

"Hurry," I whisper. "I'll do what I can to buy you time."

He nods at me, and we exchange a smile.

Then I turn, and sprint into the twisting paths surrounding us.