Everything felt different.
Everything was different.
They escaped the Maze, but at what cost? Over half of them that entered didn't make it. Chuck had been shot and killed. Minho put a spear through Gally's chest.
Gally was dead.
Emma exhaled shakily. There were no tears, and none had fallen since she left the facility. It didn't feel real, any of it.
It was all happening so quickly.
Everything was changing.
The helicopter ride was long and bumpy. Some of them slept while others stared out the window. Emma was one of the few who couldn't sleep. She couldn't sleep because every time she closed her eyes, she saw him. She saw Gally with the spear in his chest. Newt had turned her away, but it wasn't fast enough.
She saw enough.
She heard him struggling to breathe and his body hitting the floor. Emma had turned back to look at him one last time and saw him lying motionless on the floor.
It was all too much.
Everything was changing.
When they arrived wherever they were, it was late into the night. "Come on," the man yelled at them as the door was flung open. The sound was barely heard over the helicopter's propellers. "Hurry!" She pushed out of her seat, following Frypan down a slope toward a massive building with bright lights. The wind was blinding, and sand slammed against her skin. She raised her hand, trying to figure out what was going on.
There was screaming in the distance, but Emma was focused on following the others inside the building.
"Get the kids inside!" Emma felt like she was lost in a crowd, unable to recognize the faces of her friends due to the wind and lights.
"Come on!" There were gunshots.
The group ran inside the building, which was colder than the night air. Thomas was the last to enter, his body shaking slightly. The heavy metal doors behind them closed with a bang, the sound echoing through the building.
The area they were in was massive. There were people everywhere, many older than them. It was odd. Emma had only ever remembered knowing people around her age. Now, there were men and women of all different ages. Some wore lab coats, others wore thick suits, and a few wore dark uniforms and held large weapons.
"Come on." A man ushered them toward a corridor with a low ceiling. None of them argued with the man and did what they were told. Mainly because they had no idea what was going on. This was all new to them.
Everything was changing.
They arrived at another door. Quickly, the man leading them pushed it open. "Hurry. Come on." All of them were rushed into the room. "Hurry. Hurry. Hurry." Once inside, the door slammed closed behind them.
"Hey!" Thomas pounded on the door. The lights in the room began to turn on, but none of them were sure what to do.
"What do we do now?"
Thomas looked at the group, hands falling to his sides. "I don't know."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Emma should sleep. She knows she should, but she can't. She won't close her eyes because she knows what her dreams will consist of. Gally.
Gally was dead.
He followed them into the Maze. Got stung. Killed Chuck. And then Minho killed him.
Emma's eyes flickered to the former Keeper of the Runners. It was odd to think of him that way. He was no longer a Runner. They had escaped the Maze. Still, that's how Emma knew him best. He was the Keeper of the Runners but also her friend.
Were they still friends? She couldn't help but wonder. Minho killed Gally, and everyone knew how close Emma and Gally were. What if the others blamed her?
Emma knew Gally had entered the Maze to stop them. Or at least stop her. That resulted in him getting stung and then killing Chuck.
What if they blamed her? Hated her? What happened then? Emma didn't have anyone else.
It didn't help that they were in an entirely unfamiliar situation.
Minho, as if sensing her gaze, lifted his head. His eyes met hers from across the table. He was leaning against the table in the center of the room. Meeting her eyes, he sat up straighter.
Emma blinked, face unmoving. She couldn't read Minho easily. Not like some of the others. Frypan had always been an open book, as was Jack. She knew Newt like the back of her hand, but not Minho. They were friends, but because he was a Runner and spent most of his time outside the Glade, they didn't spend as much time together.
But now things were different. Minho put a spear through Gally's chest, and Emma had watched. Gally killed Chuck, and then Minho killed him, and all she can think about was how it must be her fault.
Why hadn't she tried harder to get Gally to join them? Maybe he wouldn't have been stung. They could have saved him and Chuck.
Why didn't she stay in the Glade? If she had stayed with Gally, perhaps he wouldn't have followed them into the Maze. Then he and Chuck would still be alive.
Thomas shifted on the sack of flour he was using as a makeshift bed. Both Minho and Emma looked at him, breaking off whatever was happening between them. Teresa's eyes fluttered at the sound, but she quickly closed them again.
They had been in the room for hours. Emma wasn't sure what to think at this point. These people, whoever they were, weren't what she was expecting. Truthfully, Emma wasn't expecting a lot, but she knew she wasn't expecting this.
Suddenly, the door opened up. The sound was loud enough to wake everyone who was sleeping. Instantly, the group stood up to see who had entered. Standing in the doorway was a man in a light grey turtle neck. Half his face was hidden in the shadows. Emma didn't recognize the man. He wasn't the same one that brought them to the room.
"How are you kids doing?" None of them answered. All they did was stare at the unknown man. "Sorry about the wait. We had a swarm."
Emma had no idea what he was talking about. "Who are you?"
"I'm the reason you're still alive. It's also my intention to keep you that way." He turned around. "Follow me." They hesitated, not sure what to do. However, Thomas made the first move. He followed the man. After that, they all moved. Emma pursed her lips, rubbing her hands together nervously. She tried to focus on her surroundings, but that was hard.
Everything was changing.
The world around her was moving too fast. Emma was struggling to keep up.
"You can call me Mr. Janson. I run this place." They followed behind him as he spoke. "This place is a refuge from the monstrosities of the world outside." Emma inspected the area they were in. People were welding or working on ledges and stacking boxes on platforms. "You should think of it as a way station." They turned a corner, walking down a short, cold hallway. "Like a home between homes. Watch your heads." There was a low-hanging piece of metal. Emma's steps faltered momentarily.
"You're taking us home?" That was all they wanted.
Janson looked back at them, an unreadable expression on his face. "Sort of. Chances are, wherever you came from is gone." Emma felt her shoulders drop slightly, but she wasn't overly disappointed. Whatever home she had before had been erased from her memory. There was nothing to miss. "But we do have a place for you." They kept moving. "There's a shelter past the Scorch. It's a place where WICKED will never find you again. How does that sound?" Thomas looked around the group, gauging their reactions.
"Why are you helping us?" Minho asked the man.
"Let's just say the world is in a rather difficult situation. We're all hanging on by a very thin thread. The fact that you kids can survive the virus makes you the best chance at humanity's ongoing survival." They approached a large door. "Unfortunately, it makes you a huge target as well. I'm sure by now you've noticed." Janson swiped a keycard, and the doors opened. "Beyond this door is the beginning of your new lives." They stepped through, and the door closed behind them.
The area was different. It was quieter.
Emma felt a shoulder brush against hers. It was Teresa. The girl smiled kindly at her, placing a gentle hand on her arm. It was a grounding touch. Emma knew it was to comfort her. She appreciated how thoughtful her friend was. "First things firsts. Let's do something about that smell."
Emma glanced down at her clothes. They were dirty and covered in sweat. The group had run through the Maze and fought Grievers.
They followed the man down a few more hallways. The entire time, Emma still felt like she was dreaming. Only yesterday, she had been in the Maze, fighting for her life to escape, only to lose a part of herself.
Chuck was dead.
Gally was dead.
Everything was changing.
"Okay." Janson stopped at a door. "Shower, relax, unwind. When you're done, there's a room down there." He pointed down the corridor. "On the left. You can't miss it, I promise you. They'll run some tests, see how you're doing and if you need anything." It seemed easy enough. Janson pushed open the door, and a few of them walked inside. As Teresa went to enter, he put his hand up. "Ladies, I can take you to your bathroom. Follow me."
"What?" Thomas stopped the man nervously. He didn't like the idea of the group being separated, even if it was just to shower.
"Relax," Janson said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "They'll be across the hall, and they'll be joining you after."
Emma glanced at Newt, who was already in the room. He nodded faintly at her, letting her know it was okay. "Okay," she said before Thomas could argue. "We'll see you guys soon."
Janson pushed open the door across the hall. Emma silently stepped inside. Being separated wasn't the worst thing that happened to her. She would be fine showering in a different bathroom than her friends. Teresa would still be with her.
There was a row of showers. Each was individual and separated by a tile wall. "No need to rush. We have resources here. Clean clothes are on the shelf." He closed the door with a bang. Emma flinched, shaking her head.
Slowly, she stepped into a shower stall. Teresa went to the one beside her. Emma carefully slipped out of her clothes. When she was done, she dropped them on the ground in a pile.
Reaching forward, she turned on the water. Instantly, she was met with warm water. It felt nice against her skin, unlike in the Glade, where the water was never warm.
It was an amazing feeling. The water didn't simply fall from a pipe. There was water pressure. She never felt anything like it. At least, not that she remembered.
Wherever she was from didn't exist anymore. Janson said there wouldn't be much left. Emma thought she would be more upset by the news, but she wasn't.
As the water rained down, she found herself struggling. Placing a hand on the wall, Emma closed her eyes. She closed her eyes and remembered what had happened.
Her last conversation with Gally in the Glade, just the two of them. They argued. She walked away.
Emma walked away.
What if she hadn't? What if she had stayed and talked to him? Would things be different, or would the outcome have been the same? She would never know, not for sure. All Emma could do was speculate.
Everything was changing.
There was a shelf with different bottles. Emma picked one up, inspecting it. All of the bottles had different scents. The scent was written on the front.
It was almost ridiculous. Different scented hair wash seemed insignificant. Who cares about the scent of someone's hair when people are dying? When kids are trapped in Mazes? It's such a silly thing to care about.
Emma squeezed the bottle in her hands and combed her fingers through her hair. The bottle said oranges, and she was overwhelmed by different emotions the moment the smell entered her nose.
The smell of the gardens and the apple tree. The memories of Gally and how he reacted to seeing her climbing the tree. Emma smiled faintly, a lump forming in the back of her throat as she recalled the way her stomach twisted when she jumped down, when he stopped her from falling. How handsome he looked up close. Flushed cheeks dusted with freckles.
Emma washed the soap from her hair. She rested her back against the tile wall, tilting her head up. All she had left of Gally, of Chuck, of the Glade were memories.
She hoped it was worth it. That this place was worth it.
Emma knew one thing for sure: Everything had changed.