Without A Choice // The Maze Runner [Book 1]

TWENTY-TWO

"What happened?" Thomas asked Newt, who had been standing outside the Pit.

"Gally's taken control. He said we had a choice, we either join him or get banished at sundown with you," Newt answered. I hadn't joined them to the gathering, simply because I wasn't letting Thomas out of my sight. Not with Teresa around anyways.

Newt had told me the news after he came back and surprisingly, it didn't affect me as much as it should have. I was pregnant after all, going into the Maze was really dangerous and there was a large chance I could either lose the baby or die myself, meaning I'd take the baby's life with me. 

Thomas replied to Newt's statement by saying, "What? You've got to be kidding me."

"Unfortunately not, mate," Newt sighed.

"What did the others do?" 

"Gally has everyone convinced that you two the reason all of this is happening," Teresa spoke up, motioning to Thomas and me. I folded my arms over my stomach.

"Well, he's been right so far," he muttered. My eyes shot up.

"Thomas-"

"Just hear me out," he said." This place is 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 people started disappearing. Every month, one after the other, like clockwork." 

"They were sending them into the Maze," Newt spoke up.

"Yeah, but not all of us," Thomas said. I looked at him in question.

"What do you mean?" I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer.

"Guys, I'm one of them," he stated. "The people who put you here, I worked with them. I've watched you guys for years." His eyes shifted to me. "And so have you." My stomach turned and I escaped from the Pit, pushing aside everyone who tried to stop me.

I threw up a few feet away from the Pit. Newt rushed after me and patted my back. "You're okay, just breathe." I gagged at the burning taste in my mouth before sitting back, hugging my stomach.

I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and a shiver surged through my body. "I'm fine," I muttered before returning to the Pit, yet I wasn't going back in. I sat outside beside Newt and Minho and listened to their conversation but I didn't take part in the discussion. My head was pounding with a million and one thoughts. I hated that I couldn't remember who I was before the Maze, and after hearing Thomas saying I was one of them, I wasn't so sure I even wanted to know. 

I felt Thomas' hand on my back and I flinched at the sudden contact as he broke me from my thoughts. "Leah, you know we can't do anything about it anymore. What happened, happened. We can only do what's right, now," he spoke.

"He's right, Ley. The people we were before the Maze don't even exist anymore," Newt said. I turned to look at him. "These creators took care of that. What does matter is who we are now and what we do right now. You and Thomas went into the Maze and you found a way out." 

"Yeah, but if I hadn't, Alby would still be alive," Thomas stated, a slight lump evident in his voice.

Newt remained silent for a few seconds before muttering, "Maybe." He averted his eyes and I could see the pain in them. "But I know that if he were here, he'd tell you the exact same thing. Pick your ass up and finish what you started, 'cause if we do nothing, that means Alby died for nothing and I can't have that." 

Thomas sighed before nodding. "Okay, but we gotta get through Gally first." 

***

Thomas faked his unconsciousness as two Gladers dragged him from the Pit. I was taken away from him and my hands were tied behind my back, so were Teresa's. The Gladers dragged us to the entrance to the Maze. They dropped Thomas's body in the sand and he lay as still as possible. 

"Gally, please don't do this," I pleaded with him.

He looked at me with a sad expression and stated, "Such a waste." 

"Gally," someone spoke up. It was Nick, one of the old Runners. "This doesn't feel right, man."

"Yeah, what if Thomas is right?" someone else said. More people stepped up for what was about to happen to us.

"I don't want to cross any more names off that wall, okay? This is our home," Gally said.

"Do you really think banishing us is going to solve anything?" Teresa spoke up. 

"No," he said. "That's why this isn't a banishing. It's an offering." 

"What?" I shouted. The Gladers that had been holding me and Teresa tied us to two poles, our hands above our heads. "Gally, what the hell are you doing?"

"Do you really think I'm going to let you and Thomas go back into the Maze? After all that you've done. This is the only way. I mean, look at our Glade!" Gally exclaimed.

"Why are you all standing there? The guy's nuts!" I shouted at the rest of the Gladers. No one moved as Gally glanced at them warningly.

"Tie him up!" He pointed at Thomas's body on the floor. As the two Gladers grabbed his arms to yank him off the ground, he woke up and kicked the two boys in the face before hitting them unconsciously with the spears they had been holding.

Newt untied me from the pole. "You okay?" 

"Yeah, definitely." I cracked my neck and took my place next to Thomas as he handed a machete. Teresa was also untied and joined our group. Thomas, Minho, and Newt held the other Gladers at spears' ends. 

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" Gally sighed, looking at us with annoyed eyes.

"You don't have to come with us but we are leaving," Thomas said.

I saw in the eyes of the other Gladers that they'd rather come with us than stay another second in the Glade with Gally. "Guys, you know this isn't our home. You can come with us so we can find a proper home," I said. That was all Clint, Nick, Jeff, and a few others needed to hear to join us. I turned to Gally. 

"Gally, it's over. Just come with us," I pleaded. An aching pain ascended in my heart as I realized I was about to lose yet another friend. But something inside me knew Gally had lost that title already.

He showed me a tiny smile, but said, "Good luck against the Grievers."