The Healer

Chapter 53: The Cliff

The girls stared in complete disbelief. Thomas had seen the cliff once before, in the dark with Grievers chasing him, so he also stood staring in disbelief at the end of the world, not understanding how it could all be possible. It was like somebody had built the Maze and then set it afloat in the sky to hover there in the middle of nothing for the rest of eternity.

"I don't get it," Evelyn whispered, not knowing if Minho could even hear. She took a step forward.

"Careful," Minho replied, throwing an arm out to stop her and having to do the same to Thomas. "You wouldn't be the first shank to fall off the Cliff." 

"Timmy?" Evelyn asked absentmindedly.

"Timmy." Minho nodded.

Evelyn frowned still looking all over. Teresa had inched up beside them, her jaw slack in shock.

"Well..." She muttered.

"That settles it," Minho said.

The girls and Thomas stood next to him on the edge of the Cliff, staring at the gray nothingness beyond. There was no sign of anything, to the left, right, down,up, or ahead, for as far as he could see. Nothing but a wall of blankness.

"Settles what?" Thomas asked.

"I've seen it three times now. Something's up."

They all waited for Minho's explanation.

"That dead Griever I found after it stung Alby...it ran this way, and we never saw it comeback or go deeper into the Maze. Then those suckers we tricked into jumping past us."

"Tricked?" Thomas said. "Maybe not such a trick." He said thoughtfully.

Minho looked over at him, contemplative.

"Hmm. Anyway, then this." Minho pointed out at the abyss. "Not much doubt anymore-"

Teresa cut him off, still staring out into the end of the world.

"-Somehow the Grievers can leave the Maze this way. Looks like magic, but so does the sun disappearing."

"If they can leave this way," Evelyn added, continuing Teresa's line of reasoning, "so could we."

A thrill of excitement shot through Evelyn.

Minho laughed. "There's your death wish again. Wanna hang out with the Grievers, have a sandwich, maybe?"

Thomas deflated.

Teresa turned to Minho and raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, "Got any better ideas?"

"One thing at a time, Greenie. Let's get some rocks and test this place out. There has to be some kind of hidden exit."

Thomas helped Minho as they scrambled around the corners and crannies of the Maze, picking up as many loose stones as possible. The girls sat down, dangling their legs over. Evelyn took her notebook and pencil out. When the guys finally had a sizable pile, they hauled it over right next to the edge and took a seat, beside the girls. Thomas looked down.

"I see nothing but a gray and black and weird stars..."

Minho picked up a rock from their pile.

"Yeah. Okay, let's take turns tossing them, zigzagging back and forth out there. If there's some kind of magical exit, hopefully it'll work with rocks, too...make them disappear."

They each took turns tossing a rock. It all sorred and then fell and fell and fell.

"It's just like the Box!"

"What?" Minho asked.

"Oh you weren't there! When we tried going down the box hole. Alby dropped a flaming touch and it fell forever! Same with the rocks... It's oddly similar."