𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐲 || 𝐚 𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐜

The Maze

We reach a ledge, and I pull myself up. Thomas is just about to follow when the griever swings one of its legs, it now on the wall climbing after us. "Thomas!" I scream, thinking this is it, he's being knocked into oblivion. I pull out my blade, ready. But Thomas kicks with all his strength, deflecting the blow, no knife needed. With one swift motion, I pull him up next to me. 

"Thanks. Now keep moving!" We race across the tops of the walls, twisting and turning, trying to lose the griever. But the ugly creature always seems to be at our heels, even when we think we've lost him. It's fast, not wanting to give up. "We're going to have to kill it if we plan on surviving the night! The shuckface doesn't give up!" Thomas yells.

He's right. We will eventually run out of energy. The griever though, will pursue us til its end. "What's the plan?" 

Thomas took a bit to respond, him trying to not lose his pace. He looked ahead. Then his face lit up, an idea coming to him. "Trust me, ok?" I nod, us now sprinting as the griever neared. "We have to jump."

Jump? My stomach dropped. I focused on the path ahead. In a few meters, it would cut off. The wall beyond was several strides away. Like several meters. We wouldn't make it. There's no way. But I guess I trusted Thomas. Sure, I'd only known him a couple days, but he was amiable. And not to mention freaking hot. He was one of the first friends I'd made in the Glade. I trust him, right? Well one things for sure, I'd rather spend my last seconds trusting him than gasping for air as one of the griever's legs skewers my body. 

Thomas and I begin nearing the end of the path. "Alright, on three!" We join hands. "One, two, three!" We jump. I brace myself for the impact, but it never comes. I hear the griever, giving one last wail as it falls. I open my eyes, feeling Thomas gripping my hand tighter. I watched as the griever plummeted a hundred feet off the ledge, its figure splatting against the concrete. Then I turn to see Thomas holding on to both of us for dear life, one hand on the ledge and the other in mine. He groans, feeling both of our weight. "I'm going to have to swing you. I can't pull us both up. And there's no ivy for another few yards." I nod, him then starting to swing my body back and forth. I grab onto the ledge as soon as I'm close enough to reach. I pull myself up, then help Thomas to his feet too. 

He draws me into a hug once we both climb down the ivy, off the walls. "We did it."

I smile, enjoying our embrace. It reminded me of when he'd given me the tour. When he'd promised he would protect me. Tonight he'd proven he had meant that. The griever was gone now, and I was safe. I had Thomas to thank for that. "Thanks to you, Tom." 

We make our way back to the first dead griever. It seemed to be half way outside and half way inside the walls, its legs still in view. Thomas and I decide to pull the corpse out, which took awhile because it was just the two of us and we'd nearly just used all our stamina for the day. But, we manage. As the carcass finally gave way, we stumble backward. After steadying ourselves, I walk over seeing some sort of organ detached from the remains. Thomas picks it up. I try not to cringe, then offering my knife. Denying it, he removes an outer layer, revealing a mechanism of some kind. "What the heck..."

"What is that?" I ask, my eyebrows furrowing.

"I'm not sure. But I'm sure Minho and Newt will know what to do with it." Thomas tucks the device under his arm.

We station ourselves for the rest of the night, alternating taking the watch as the other sleeps. I insist on taking the first watch, but it's cut short as I start dozing off. My dreams are filled with the sounds of grievers and the scent of charred wood from a bonfire: an echo of the last hours of my second day in this queer place.

Thomas shakes me awake, the doors clearly opening as the obnoxious noise reaches my ears. I get up sleepily, Thomas leading me through the passages before we reach the doors. As we step into the opening, I see the crowd of boys standing there, waiting for us. A roar of applause and shouts of relief encompass us as we join them. "I thought you were dead," Chuck welcomes me into a hug.