Thomas couldn't see anything. His body felt as if it was being jabbed with needles and he writhed and cried from pain. His body felt heavy and all of the sudden his vision exploded with light.
He flinched backward, and his vision focused. He felt his pulse quicken as he remembered. Visions flickered past his eyes, interspersed with jolts of pain. He remembered his parents, he remembered the light bulb in his old house, he remembered her.
Thalia.
"I love you," She giggled, pressing her lips to his nose. Thomas' hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her to him as she tried to get away.
"I'll always love you...I'm going to miss you." He said, rubbing circles on the soft skin of her lower back, where her shirt had ridden up. He let out a breathy chuckle as she shivered at his movements.
She looked up at him, her blue eyes sparkling with hesitance. Thalia bit her lip slowly, before leaning up. Thomas leaned down to meet her and their lips met softly.
Pain lanced through him, and he let out a scream of agony before his vision unfocused and focused.
"We'll call you Thomas," A voice said gruffly.
"After Thomas Edison, because of that light bulb." Another person said. Thomas was looking up at two large men in suits. One of them pointed at the small lightbulb screwed into a light ficture in a ceiling. It flickered as the man gestured to it, almost as if Thomas should be afraid of the man.
The memories assusalted him without a reprive and Thomas felt his body aching and twitching from the many sting wounds all over his chest and back.
Then there was nothing.
- -
Thomas had been out for twenty-seven hours. Yes, I was counting. Yet another night had gone and passed and a third boy was taken only a few hours ago.
After Thomas slipped into the Changing, Gally took over. I know he didn't have bad intentions but I was growing increasingly suspisious. He had guards placed around Thomas' bed and had quickly taken charge, becoming more brash and harsher than I'd ever seen.
It was around three o'clock in the morning and the sky had remained a chilling grey. Though it should've been darker, it wasn't. It seemed as if the Maze had simply shut down and was quickly falling apart.
Not fifteen minutes earlier someone had set fire to the Map Room. We weren't sure who, but I was afraid and nervous. All records of the Maps were stored in the Map Room. Without those precious pieces of paper, we would have no hope of ever getting out.
I was nervous because Thomas was going through the Changing. I could hear his pierced cries and I winced each time I heard him scream. But that wasn't it, he was going to remember me. He was going to remember us, more importantly. I couldn't help but be afraid.
What if he decided he was angry because I didn't tell him? What if he decided he didn't love me anymore? What if he regretted loving me at some point?
Needless to say, I was trying to ignore the fact that when he woke up he would see me as a completly different person, and I was simply trying ot focus on the task at hand - putting out the raging inferno that was the Map Room.
Winston, Minho, and I were finally managing to control the fire when I heard several noises of protest from the Homestead behind us. I ignored it, straining to put out the last few embers.
Minho turned to see what was the matter and his eyes widened. "Thomas, you're out of the changing?!" He asked increduously.
I turned, surprised and was shocked and afraid to see Thomas racing out of the Homestead. His eyes were locked on mine and I was only able to take one step back before he reached me. His features were set in a determined grimace and with the light of the flames dancing off of them my heart practically leapt out of my chest.
His arms pulled me to him, one slipped behind my back and the other cupped my face. I barely had time to gasp before his lips were on mine, moving slowly and passionately. I felt my hands snake up into his hair and he pulled me flush against his body.
I could feel my body heating up and my stomach felt warm.
Thomas was kissing me. I couldn't help but smile into the kiss. His lips were extraordinarily soft and they moved so perfectly with mine. I felt overjoyed and nervous all at the same time.
He remembered. I thought. He remembered me.
His lips felt exactly like they had so many other times I'd kissed him. Each memory I had had felt exactly like this did, warm and wonderful, and intense. Even my dreams had managed to encapture how amazing kissing Thomas felt.
Thomas pulled away slowly, pressing his forehead to mine. I took in a deep breath, feeling overwhelmed before looking up at him. His eyes were swirling with unidentifiable emotions and I suddenly grinned.
"I was that boyfriend you remembered, wasn't I." He whispered quietly, never breaking eye contact.
I bit my lip softly. "Yes," I mumbled before pulling his face to mine for another kiss. Thomas' hands pressed against my lower back, keeping me tight against him.
"You aren't mad?" I whispered, unsure.
Thomas shook his head and grinned. "I could never be mad at you, and I'm sure you had your reasons."
A wolf whistle broke us apart, and I turned, surprised to see Minho standing with his hand on his hip. Even if he looked disapproving, I couldn't help but notice the small smile hidden behind his smirk. Newt stood a few hundred feet behind him and though I could barely make out his face through the heat-wave laced air, I saw his smile.
Couldn't keep us away from each other, could you. I thought smugly.
I saw Gally making his way towards us from us with a stormy expression on his face and I stepped in front of Thomas, my face hardening. Thomas didn't do anything wrong.
"Minho," Thomas called, and Minho jogged over.
He clapped me on the shoulder and smirked. "Damn, shank. Didn't know you could get like that Thalia." He laughed, and my face flushed.
"I remembered how to get out of here. The Maze is a code, literally. We need those pieces of paper." Thomas said quickly.
My face fell as I heard what he said. "Thomas, look. The Map Room is gone-"
"-but those maps arent." Minho cut me off. "We hid them. They're in the Homestead in my room. Come on!"
We turned to leave but were stopped by a fuming Gallly and several other builders.
"No. You're not going anywhere." He said, stepping foreward. Gally crossed his arms over his chest in a symbol of defiance and I felt my face begin to perspire. The flames from the Map Room had re-ignited the demolished building and the heat was smothering.
"You put us in here, Thomas."
"-I know, and I can get us out." Thomas protested, before two of the builders moved to restrain him.
"The Maze is our home," Gally said firmly and I began to panic. "We are staying. All of us."
The two builders rushed foreward and I swiftly kicked one of them in the chest as the other began tried to pin down Thomas. The boy retaliated, delivering a deft blow to the side of my head, and I felt my body go limp, and I crumpled to the floor. My vision was swirling and my hearing was fading in and out.
I faintly heard Gally say "Put him in the slammer, and her too. We don't want them to try anything." His voice was cold and unwelcoming, nothing like the boy I comforted when he saw his family die around him from the Changing. He wasn't the boy I had known for the past two years of my life.
I barely remembered being taken to the Slammer, but I remembered the cold hard floor. I remember being laid down on it, and shifting around, uncomfortable, until someone pulled me onto to their lap.
When my brain finally decided to right itself, my eyelids flickered open lazily. I could barely make out Thomas' face in the darkness, but he was there. His fingers brushed softly over my cheekbones and I turned, pressing a kiss to his palm.
He shivered, as it tickled the sensetive skin there and I smiled.
It was strange how comfortable I was around him. I couldn't remember ever being soft and sweet, vulnerable like I was now, but with Thomas it felt like second-nature.
"I can't believe I didn't recognize you when I came into this shuck place." Thomas mumbled and I let out a soft laugh.
"You still sound like a dumb shank using Glader slang," I said hoarsely, before coughing dryly and swallowing.
I saw him bite his lip, unsure, and I couldn't help but lift myself up to a sitting position. I was still shorter than him by a few inches, but I took his face in my hands, bringing it down to my own. I paused before kissing him, wanting to savor it.
He took me by surprise and kissed me. His lips were perfectly soft and they moved gently against my own, a stark contrast from the passionate, firey kiss from eariler.
Thomas' hand made its way to my hip and pulled me gently on top of him. It reminded me of my first and favorite memory of him. Just darkness, and Thomas.
His body radiated warmth and I pressed myself closer to him, my hand resting on his chest as he held me to him, his lips making my heart thump frantically. My hand could faintly feel his heart beat in an irregular beat beneath his chest, and we broke apart.
I leaned foreward, pressing my ear to his chest.
For an unknown reason, my eyes filled with tears.
"Oh, God. I missed you so much, Thomas." I gasped. "I knew about you after my first month here and ever since I kept on getting more and more memories of us. God, I miss you. I can't even believe you're here."
A tear made its way out of my eye and I wiped it away, letting out a short laugh.
I could see Thomas smile in the darkness and the way his eyes crinkled up with the action.
"I can remember being with the creators, while you were down here. I remember watching you, and how afraid I was when the griever stung you. I remember everything about you, and now I can't even believe that I forgot it." He admitted, hugging me.
Everything that happened in the past few hours rushed to me and I immediately stood up, bringing my hand up to my head when I felt a slight pain from the sudden movement.
"Oh my God. The maps. We need to get out of here." I said suddenly, getting frantic. I ran to the Slammer door, shaking it violently.
It didn't give and I clenched my jaw angrily. Gally had no right to lock us in here.
- -
Thomas and I waited for hours. No one came to get us and as the hours trickled by we were silent. Outside I could hear Gally ordering people around and the sky, or rather the ceiling of the Glade, remained the same placid grey color as before.
I was sure it was well into the late morning when Minho and Newt approached the Slammer. Thomas and I quickly got to our feet, hesitantly waiting as they crouched outside the door.
"What is going on?!" I said angrily.
"Gally's taken over. He's gone shuck crazy, I swear. He wont' let any runners leave. We need to get out of here." Minho whispered, looking around as if they was being followed.
"It won't work." I muttered darkly, "There's no way to get out."
"That's why we're here." Newt spoke up. "We're breaking you out. Minho snuck out first thing this morning and he went to the Cliff. He found the Griever hole, Thalia. We've been working for hours and Teresa discovered a code. We gathered some other Gladers, and we're making a run for it. Gally will be too afraid to chase us into the Maze anyway."
My mind spun. We had found a way out? I could go home. I could see my parents and live a normal life. I could remember everything.
And with that, Minho unsheathed the machete in his Runner's pack and smashed the lock of the Slammer, freeing us. The door swung open with a creak and I looked up into the eyes of my best friends, giving them a terse smirk.
"Let's get out of this shuck place."
- - - -
Hello Readers!
I must say, I am proud and saddened to say there is only one more chapter of Saudade!
I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Thanks for all of your support,
ViragoFerox