RECKLESS [The Maze Runner || Newt || Book 1]

32 - What's the plan?

The three of them jogged over to the pit, and they reached the hole where Thomas and Teresa were talking. Thomas looked up as the group approached and noticed Newt and Clara walking together, he looked up at her, giving her a knowing smile which she returned, nodding her head down at him.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Chuck shouted at the boy in the pit,

"What's going on?" Thomas asked, looking slightly disoriented.

"Gally's taken control. He said we had a choice, either join him or get banished at sundown with you." Newt muttered,

"And the others agreed to that?"

"Gally has everyone convinced that you're the reason all this has happened." Teresa said, looking across at Thomas.

"Well, he's been right so far."

"What are you talking about?"

"This place. It's not what we thought it was, It's not a prison it's a test. It all started when we were kids. They'd give us these challenges, they were experimenting on us. But then a group of people just disappeared out of the blue."

"When they sent us up into the maze." Clara whispered as she connected the dots

"Exactly, And people kept disappearing, every month." Thomas continued,

"The greenies coming up."

"Yeah. But not all of us were meant to be up here."

"What do you mean?"

"Guys, I'm one of them. The people who put us here, I worked with them. I watched you guys for years. The entire time you've been here, I was on the other side of it." He looked up at Teresa and then at Clara, "And so were you two."

"What?"

"We did this to them."

"That doesn't make any sense, I've been here the whole time." Clara said, looking down at Thomas, confused about what he was saying.

"They were never meant to send you in here at all. But they said you were too dangerous, they said you were reckless, and you couldn't be trusted. So, they sent you up with the first group. But we designed this place, Clara. You, me, and Teresa.

"No, it can't be true." Teresa said, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"It is. I saw it."

"Why would they send us up if we were with them?"

"It doesn't matter."

"He's right." Newt chimed in and everyone turned to look at him, "It doesn't matter. Any of it. Cause the people we were before the maze, they don't even exist anymore. These creators took care of that. But what does matter, is who we are now, and what we do right now. You went into the maze, and you found a way out."

"Yeah, but if I hadn't, Alby would still be alive."

Newt hesitated, looking at Clara who just stared back at Thomas, before continuing

"Maybe. But I know that if he were here, he'd be telling you the exact same thing. Pick your arse up, and finish you started."

"What shucking acting classes did I miss? Where the hell did that come from?" Clara asked, looking up at Newt and smirking at him.

"Oh, slim it."

Everyone looked down at Thomas as he spoke again,

"Okay. But we gotta get through Gally first."

"What's the plan Greenbean?"

┠━━━━━━━━━━┦

"You sure about this Thomas?" Clara whispered as she and Frypan carried the boy towards the maze doors, where Gally was waiting with the remaining Gladers. She had her bow strung across her chest and noticed chuck carrying a bag of arrows out of the corner of her eye.

"It'll work, trust me." He whispered back before dropping his head, pretending to be unconscious.

"You're shucking heavy you know that?"

"Shut up."

They carried him over to where Gally was standing, dropping him to the floor slightly harder than they needed to as another boy brought Teresa in behind them.

"This is such a waste." Gally muttered as he stepped over Thomas's body, staring at him.

"Gally. This doesn't feel right man." Winston said, stepping forward.

"Yeah, what if Thomas is right? Maybe he can lead us home." Jeff piped in,

"We are home, okay? I don't wanna have to cross any more names off that wall."

"You really think banishing us is going to solve anything?" Teresa asked him, and he turned around to face her.

"No. But this isn't a banishing. It's an offering."

"Wait, Gally! What are you doing?"

"You really think I'm going to let Thomas back into the maze after what he's done? Look around you! Look at our glade! This is the only way. And when the grievers get what they came here for, everything goes back to the way it was."

"Are you listening to this?" She said, struggling to get out of the ropes tying her up to the pole, "Why are you all just standing there? He's crazy!"

"Can you shut up?"

"If you stay here, the grievers are going to come back, and they're going to keep coming back until you're all dead!"

"Shut up! Tie him up." Gally said to two other builders, pointing at Thomas "Did you hear me? I said tie him up!"

The two builders went to pick up Thomas but suddenly he stood up, elbowing one in the stomach, and taking his spear, smacking it into the face of the other. Newt pulled his machete out, slamming it into the shoulder of another Glader who reached for Thomas, and he fell to the floor. Teresa grunted, kicking the boy in front of her between his legs and he crumpled over, falling to his knees in pain. Gally moved forward but Clara drew her bow back, aiming an arrow at him and he stopped, raising his hands slightly as she tilted her head at him. 

Frypan used his knife to cut the ropes tying up Teresa as Chuck ran forward with the rest of their supplies. Clara moved backward slowly to join the others who had formed a short line, keeping her bow aimed at Gally.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" The builder asked,

"Like a jack in the box, baby." Clara responded, smirking at him.

"You don't have to come with us, but we are leaving." Thomas said, his spear still pointed at Gally. "Anyone else who wants to come, this is your last chance."

"Don't listen to him, he's just trying to scare you."

"No, I'm not trying to scare you, you're already scared. Alright? I'm scared. But I'd rather risk my life out there than spend the rest of it in here. We don't belong here. Okay, this place? Isn't our home. We were put here, we were trapped here. At least out there, we have a choice."

"We can make it out of here." Clara stated, pleading with the builder. Slowly, some of the boys started moving forward to join them. Winston came first, followed by Jeff and a few other boys and after everyone was standing still, Thomas spoke again,

"Gally, it's over. Just come with us."

Gally scoffed before walking away from the group, turning his head back one last time to speak to them,

"Good luck against the grievers."

Clara lowered her bow, taking her arrow away and tucking it back into the bag, looking back at the glade, the place she called home for three years, taking it all in for the last time before turning around and following the other boys into the maze.