"How long until that pissed off expression leaves your face?" Cora comments, and truly I hadn't realized I was making a face until she pointed it out. I guess all the pent up anger was taking a toll on me after all.
"Better now?" I question as I fake a sickeningly sweet smile that only made my sister roll her eyes.
"Are you ever going to forgive him?" I knew who she was talking about but didn't want to answer the question considering I wasn't sure of the answer.
"Who?" I dumbly ask, hoping she would just let the whole topic go but like me she was too stubborn to do so.
"You know who." She was giving me that glare I remember our mom giving us when she knew we were lying and awaited the truth to spill from our mouthes.
"I don't know, Cora. What he hid from me was pretty damn important and technically makes him part the reason we're all here." She just nodded, understanding the severity of what he had done.
"Have you tried to hear him out though? Maybe theres more to it then you think there is. You should just let him explain his side of the story and then see if he's even worth forgiving."
"You're pretty wise for a 13 year old, you know that?" She just responded with a smug look on her face, flaunting she finally got to give her older sister advice instead of the other way around for once. I decided to talk to him when we were some place more safe and private, but now I would stay next to Cora insuring that both of us got out alive. Newt was a little ways ahead of us but every few minutes I would see him turning around and glancing at us making sure we were still there.
"We're almost there, everyone." I hear Thomas faintly yell from the front of the group, I couldn't see up there but already knew Lizzy was up there taking advantage of my absence. I tried to imagine how Thomas would react but couldn't. He could hate her attention due to the kiss we shared but he could also play into her flirting since I was mad at him for the time being. There was no denying my jealousy but it subsided when I reminded myself of his occupation before the maze. He might have a good explanation but until I heard it my feelings for him would be at the very back on my mind.
It was only a few minutes later until we were in front of the door that led into the griever hole, I could feel in my bones something was about to go very wrong and unfortunately I was right. Within an instant grievers were coming from every which way. I attempted glancing to see what was taking so long for the door to open but I saw a glimpse of a code type lock and knew were we screwed.
"Go to the front, it's safer up there." I instruct Cora but she didn't budge from my side.
"No, what about you?"
"I'll be fine, just go." Chances told me I was lying, because I only had a measly spear to defend myself. She hugs me so fast I don't even get the chance to return it before she rushes into the crowd. Everyone was in a full blown panic, people left and right were dying one way or another by the grievers hands. Of course with my luck I made direct eye contact with one just after it finished impaling someone I had seen maybe once before now. I wanted to run but there was no where to go, I was seriously going to die this close to the exit. As it began charging at me I could barely hear cheers erupt from the front and the screech of a door opening, they did it. Yet even with the hope of escaping rushing through my veins I couldn't move, that is until I felt the hand of someone tugging me by the neck of my shirt.
"Y/n, run, now!" It was Thomas, and I did exactly what he said. Why was he always the one to come to my rescue? Had he come all the way from the front just for me, risking his own safety or even life? We practically dived through the door as if was closing due to being the last ones. The first thing I did was ingulf Thomas in a thankful embrace, forgetting everyone and everything that had happened and letting it be just us for a moment or two. In that moment he was forgiven, it didn't matter what past him did just who he was now, in the present. I still wanted to hear his take on the story but it wasn't as important now. When I finally broke away from him the next thing I did was find my sister who was standing unharmed next to Newt. I ruffled her hair before giving Newt a hug, of course out of everyone Cora had found Newt to watch over her.
Very little of us made it this far but even that was worth celebrating, we all screamed and some even cried tears of joy. When my adrenaline level had lowered I took in our surroundings, we look to be in a hallway that connect to the maze. Pipes and electrical ran from the walls and into the ceiling, our footsteps echoed with each step. On either side it appeared to be endless, maybe we had celebrated too early.
"Which way do we go?" Newt asks, there was absolutely no indication any way led to something.
"Well right is right so I'm going right." Anyone that had heard me looked visibly confused. My sister immediately got what I was saying and let out a little giggle. We started that way on our own.
"Are you guys coming or what?" My sister yells and not even a full second later theres a jumble of quick paces behind us signaling everyone was following us. It took awhile and I was beginning to question my decision in direction but we eventually stumbled upon our first real, normal door. When I turned the knob I expected it to be locked but it shockingly wasn't resulting in my guard to be put up, doors just aren't unlocked unless you're expecting someone or its a trap. Either way a subconsciously pull my sister behind me. Straight away I notice the metallic taste and smell in the air, I had dealt with my fair share of blood and this is precisely what the air reminded me of.
It didn't take long at all for us to discover the source of the awful stench that was even stronger and more rotten now. Bodies of dead scientists littered the floor, their once total white lab coats were now a deep crimson red. My sister tightly gripped my hand and I tried my best to shield her eyes by tucking her head into my abdomen. I lightly dipped my pointer and middle finger into the closest pool of blood, it was still warm. This couldn't have taken place more than a couple hours ago, the person who did this could still be here. Only a couple feet from me laid a gun, I swiftly jog over to it and being as discrete as possible. If anyone knew I had a gun theres no telling how they would react. I slip it into the waist band of my pants making sure to put the safety on before doing so. When I was little I used to be obsessed with crime shows, so I know the very basics of how to shoot or carry a gun.
The clicking of something turning on caught our attentions and we all looked towards the big tv where a women's face popped up.
"Hello. My name is Doctor Ava Paige. I'm Director of Operations of the World Catastrophe Killzone Department. If you're watching this, that means you've successfully completed the Maze Trials. I wish I could be there in person to congratulate you... but circumstances seem to have prevented it. I'm sure by now, you must all be very confused, angry, frightened. I can only assure you that everything that's happened to you, everything we've done to you, it was all done for a reason. You won't remember, but the sun has scorched our world. Billions of lives lost to fire, famine, suffering on a global scale. The fallout was unimaginable. What came after was worse. We called it the Flare, a deadly virus that attacks the brain. It is violent, unpredictable... incurable - or so we thought. In time, a new generation emerged that could survive the virus. Suddenly, there was a reason to hope for a cure, but finding it would not be easy. The young would have to be tested, even sacrificed, inside harsh environments, where their brain activity could be studied, all in an effort to understand what makes them different - what makes you different. You may not realize it, but you're very important. Unfortunately, your trials have only just begun. As you'll no doubt soon discover, not everyone agrees with our methods. Progress is slow, people are scared. It may be too late for us... for me... but not for you. The outside world awaits. Remember: Wicked is good."
A pair of doors right of us opened as the doctor pulled the trigger to the gun she had placed against her head, were we really free now?
"Is it over?" Cora questions and no matter how bad I wanted to scream yes and live a normal life I knew better then to dream such unrealistic things.
"She said we were important." Newt points out as we all stare down the dark hall that had a sliver of outdoor light coming through a crack in the other set of doors farthest away from us.
"Doesn't matter what she said lets just get out of here." I say, not wanting to be here another second. Everyone seemed to agree and just as we were about to take our first step towards freedom a voice came from behind our group that was now down to 17 people.
"No one can leave." It looked like Gally but it didn't seem like him. Yes he was a total moron but he appeared to be ill and not in the right state of mind. I brush my hand over the gun I had claimed as he pointed a similar one at us. I fully step in front of everyone seeing that I was most likely the one he least hated here.
"Gally, are you okay?" I sincerely ask, trying to make him think twice about shooting us if he saw I cared.
"He's been stung." Thomas informs me, Gally pointing the gun in his direction, now breathing heavier than before.
"We're free, Gally, the exit is right there." I point, in which he doesn't even bother to look. Prominent blue veins were forming on the side of his neck, if he was now he was definitely going to start becoming irrational in a few minutes. I needed to get that gun out of his hand.
"Theres no escaping this place." His finger was now moved to the trigger, I didn't want to shoot him but was going to if needed.
"Put down the gun." Everyone murmurs as they see him growing more violent. The murmurs quickly turned to yelling and before I could instruct my body to move it did it on its own. Blood began soaking his shirt in his stomach area and it wasn't until then that I realized I had done that, my gun was still pointed at the spot where he was. When I turned around to face everyone to insure they were okay sharp intake soft breathe were audible. At first I thought it was because they saw the gun in my hand but briskly registered that wasn't true when I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder. The last thing I saw before loosing consciousness was the last set of doors opening and blurry armored people entering. I didn't feel myself hit the ground, only felt 2 pairs of arms catching my limp body and ensuring I didn't fall.