monachopsis - maze runner

chapter 15

Chapter 15
Trial by Fire

Every footfall echoed in the Maze. The ivy crept along the stone walls like a snake following the children through the labyrinth. Florence had fallen to the back of the group with Newt, whose limp was providing an obstacle. But at least he, unlike the majority of the group, was familiar with the Maze. That was how he'd gotten the limp in the first place.

Florence and Alby had only ventured into the inner corridors of the Maze during their first few months. There was one particular incident in which Florence, in the midst of extreme panic, had rushed into the Maze dangerously close to nightfall because she felt she couldn't take it anymore. She quickly got lost, and her anxiety consumed her to the point where she could barely move. Minho was sent in to find her, and she and Alby never stepped foot in the Maze again.

As they ran, the narrow passages opened into larger sections labeled in large, faded numbers. Florence was mostly able to understand their location from the model in the Map Room.

"Keep it up, guys!" Thomas shouted from the front. "We're almost there!" Florence ignored the stitch in her side and pushed forward, forcing air into her lungs. She felt like she was about to collapse from exhaustion, and the prospect of facing a Griever in this condition made her want to hurl.

The corridors narrowed again as they weaved through massive vertical planks of metal; if Florence remembered correctly, the Runners called them Blades. Thomas led them across the open stretch of dirt leading to the next passageway, gesturing for them to gather along the wall. He peeked down the corridor and took a deep breath, squeezing his spear.

"Is there a Griever?" Chuck asked fearfully. Thomas nodded, and Chuck sighed a quiet "Shit." Florence patted his shoulder, then dug through one of his backpack pockets for a bit of cloth she'd stashed earlier. She passed it to Teresa, who smiled in thanks and used it to tie up her tangled hair.

"You take this, Chuck," Minho passed him the metal cylinder they'd taken from the first dead Griever. It was the key to unlock the door, and quite literally the only hope they had of getting out. "Stay behind us."

"It's okay, just stick with me," Teresa said. She and Chuck were in charge of opening the door while the rest of them used themselves as Griever bait. Florence was less than thrilled by the thought of getting into a fight with monsters, but they had just taken away a handful of her closest friends. If she had to spill their guts to make it out of the Maze, so be it.

"Once we're through, it'll activate and the door will open," Thomas explained. "We stay close, we stick together, we get through this. We get out now, or we die trying." Florence bounced on her heels, clutching the machete tight in her hands. "Alright, let's go!" A battle cry rose from their throats, and they charged around the corner.

The ground beneath their feet merged into a narrow bridge with a daunting drop-off on either side. Directly in front of them was the Griever, snarling by the door. It reared its bulbous body and galloped forwards. The thing was met with a mass of spears and knives, forcing it aside.

It snapped at them, stabbing with its sharp appendages. They continued to force it back, pushing it to the ledge. A huge claw extended from its rear, sweeping over their heads. Florence stumbled into Newt, who steadied her from behind as she swung her machete in the air. The metal of the blade clashed with the claw, and she got a good few hits in before its back legs lost footing.

Growling in rage, the Griever whipped its claw away from her and plucked Peter from their group. The rest of them screamed as he was pulled away, scrambling to find a hold on the smooth ground as he slipped over the edge. With renewed fury, the Gladers hacked at its legs and body. Florence could feel her throat going raw from the shouting. She forced her weapon forward, and as one unit the Gladers were able to push the Griever over the edge.

"There's more coming!" Chuck shrieked before they could even take a breath. He and Teresa sprinted from behind them, breaking through the group which quickly formed a wall to protect them. Florence planted her feet, clutching the handle of her blade with both hands. Adrenaline coursed through her as a new bunch of Grievers charged forward, gnashing their teeth.

As a Med-Jack, her job had been to save lives. She'd taken a personal vow to never harm a living thing, and for three years she'd never had to. But the Grievers were a sick abomination of a species, created specifically to torture her and her friends. They deserved to die.

Florence and Minho lunged for the first Griever, alternating between swinging their weapons and guarding each other. Slime and black blood dripped from the parts of their bodies where the Gladers got hits in, coating their weapons and clothes.

Behind her, Florence heard a loud click followed by a mechanic whirring noise and a cry of "It works!" from Chuck. The group slowly shuffled back into the tunnel, still shoving their weapons forward to keep the Grievers at bay. Florence crouched and swung with all her strength at one of their limbs, letting out a triumphant 'ha!' when it buckled.

Her small achievement was overshadowed as a claw descended beside her and latched onto one of the boys, flinging him over the ledge. Jeff tugged Florence behind the wall before she could be next, and she thanked him by slashing at the claw when it returned.

"Thomas!" Teresa shouted from behind, her panic causing Florence to put more force into her attacks. "There's a code, eight numbers!"

"Code? You didn't say anything about a code!" Florence screamed.

"I didn't know there was one!" Minho shouted back.

"Minho, what's the sequence?" Thomas stabbed at a Griever's snapping jaws.

"What?"

"Oh, shit," Florence murmured, swinging at a descending claw and knocking Minho's arm to get his attention. "There are eight sections in the Maze, what's the order they open in?" she yelled over the noise, straining as she swept her arm from side to side.

"Seven! One! Five! Two! Six! Four!"

"Heads up!" Newt shouted, hooking his arm through Florence's and swinging her behind him. A Griever dropped from a chute above their heads, crashing on top of Minho. He braced his spear against its neck, pushing back against its salivating mouth.

Florence ran through every curse she knew in her head, then ignored every warning sign and lunged forward. Someone's arm swiped at her back to stop her, but she was already swinging. Jeff appeared at her side, aiming for the head while Florence hacked at its legs. The Griever hissed and scuttled back. Florence kept her blade arm up and helped Minho scramble back by tugging on his Runner's harness.

The Griever's jaws locked around Jeff's torso as he struggled to dislodge his spear. Florence screamed and moved forward, but Minho had already gotten off the ground and was pulling her back by the waist. Two more Grievers moved between the group and the one holding Jeff, cutting off Florence's view of him.

Minho continued shouting the sequence as the Gladers shuffled further into the passage. The remaining Grievers snapped at them, squeezing into the tunnel. There was a distinct thunk, and the stone planks above them started to move. In rapid succession, they dropped from the ceiling, crushing two of the Grievers. The third charged, but Thomas threw his spear and lodged it in its head. It skittered back, releasing one last roar before the ceiling descended and squashed it.

The last door swirled shut and they were left in darkness.