Hello guys, yes it's been over a week. I'm so sorry but i was with the second half of my family and they dont have internet, so i spent that time writing for my books. I've made plans for this book and i have the whole story line set out. I would like to take this time to confirm the sequel and that the storyline for that book is all laid out and planned. Confirming too that the second book will be in the worl of the BOOK . Enjoy the rest the chapter :)
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picture above is Minho being scared for laya
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Darkness was soon the only colour that hung over the Maze. I didn't like the obvious silence, I guess I was just waiting for a griever to come out of nowhere. It had been about an hour since we left Thomas, and yet I still felt awful.
I was feeling sick, although I was up and walking next to Minho, his exact words were 'walk for now because if we need to run you have the energy.' It was nice walking I guess, I was still exhausted, and I have never wanted to sleep in a bed so much in my life.
My feet have never ached this much before, nor has my heart. I missed Newt so much, I guess you could call me attached.
We turned left and walked down the long corridor, the ivy casting eerie shadows on the cracked cement. I eyed the cracks in the floor, what could possibly have done that? I've seen a griever, they walk on spikes, they can't break stone that thick.
I creased my brows as I walked over the cracks, I've thought his before but... the cracks looked fake. Staged. Like they were put there to make this place look old, not like that was impossible. Wicked probably wanted it to be like that.
I sighed heavily before going back to controlling my breathing, I don't know what it was. Like the slightest sound would stir someone awake. Or something. I licked my lips as we turned left. Minho seemed to know exactly where he was going. Thank god for that.
Bark was trudging along out front, looking down each corridor before we went through, like he was making sure there was nothing down there before we went through.
Minutes passed like hours and hours passed like knives in my heart, I've never missed the glade so much.
I seemed almost another hour later when we were just going around in a large circle to head back the way we came. I had spent most of the time burning through my head, trying to find some sort of link in my head that gives me a reason to remember the way out.
I know it was stupid, I knew that there would be no way I would remember. But when a giant slug could jump out at you at any second and you just left two people to die you need something to keep your mind occupied.
We were walking down a long corridor, one that reminded me of a hallway in a haunted house, the walls trembling with haunted whispers, the ivy cowering against the walls like they were just as afraid as I was. The cement floors held the steps of fallen friends and memories that had long ago been buried in the backs of the Gladers minds. The constant thoughts saying
'is it worth it?'
I don't know.
We were halfway through the long corridor when a sound seemed to vibrate against the walls, like when you hit a metal pole against something hard. It vibrated up my legs and made my heart beat in sync with the sound of the clunking.
It was a deep whirring, one that could only be described to belong to the sound of a machine. I bit my lip as I looked in front of us, the sound had come from there, only what sounded like a few corridors away. But it could be anywhere.
Clicking was followed by the sounds of pistons moving. It was getting closer, Bark growled, but he made no other sound. Within seconds Minho was holding my hand and turning back, running the way we had come.
My heart was beating like the heart of a tired racehorse, I was terrified. I didn't want to die. Minho was panting heavily, as we sprinted, but he made sure that he didn't say a word. We were trying to remain quiet, like at any minute it would hear us.
The same though burnt in my head. 'no one's survived the night'. I never asked about the maze, but now I kind of wished I had.
The whirring seemed to grow no matter how far we ran, but then suddenly. It died, the sound was gone. We slowed down to a stop, the only sound was us panting. Looking around for any sign of the griever. Was it stalking us?
"where did it go?"
I whispered and Minho shrugged, he was listening closely to his surroundings. The thing could be anywhere, and we don't even know where we are. I swallowed deeply before looking around.
After waiting for a few moments, the location of the beast came to be known. A scream, one so loud and full of fear it hit my ears like a hot iron to water. We both looked at each other and I could feel my face drain of blood.
"It's Thomas"
Minho looked conflicted, like he didn't know what to do. He bounced from foot to foot, looking down the corridor away from the sound, before he looked at me. I could see what was wrong now, he knew I wanted to help. And to be honest... I don't think I can go with Minho. I can't leave Alby and Thomas, as much as I don't know Thomas and Hate Alby. I just can't leave them.
I could imagine the disappointment Newt would hold knowing that his girlfriend didn't even try and help his friend, that she let him die without even trying to help. I can't do that to Newt, I needed to go back.
"Minho?"
I said, pulling on his hand, he froze. Looking deep into my eyes, like he was searching for the answer. I gave it to him, we can't leave our friends behind, if we're going to die I want to die knowing I did something for my friends.
"We need to go back"
...
We had been running for god knows how long, getting closer to the sounds happening, we were barrelling down a corridor when all of a sudden Minho grabbed me, yanking me behind the wall.
I gapped at him for a second before he pointed around the corner silently. I looked, he was right. They were coming down this corridor. I could see the vines moving as they ran closer, the sound growing every second.
I panted, waiting to see whoever was running, wait doesn't that mean that Thomas left Alby? There is no way that Alby was up and walking around, there was just no chance. A pang of guilt hit my heart.
I watched in shock as in under a few seconds I saw Thomas, he was barrelling down the corridor, two grievers behind him. He looked terrified, I could almost hear his heavy breathing from here, I could imagine how tired he was.
Fear panged in my heart as his exit was cut off. Down the other end of the corridor was another griever, letting out a sound that almost resembled a laugh. It skidded around, like it was running on ice before it went barrelling down the corridor.
I gasped, covering my mouth sharply as I muttered encouragement, he has to duck down one of these corners, he can get to the corner in time. The griever's bodies were pulsing with spikes as they jumped forward, coiling itself up to roll forward, like a giant ball of spiked death.
It was gunning for Thomas like its life depended on it, I couldn't believe these grievers were working together.
'their dummier then dirt'
I heard Newt's voice ringing in my head, but Newt was clearly very wrong, they had corralled him like an animal, like a dog with sheep.
Bark growled next to me and I instinctively grabbed his fur, holding the big dog down, just to make sure that he wouldn't run out there, he was a smart dog, but I don't know what he would do.
Thomas looked like he was dying, but something crossed his features, like he had just realised something, he stopped suddenly, right where the turn off was. He was heaving so heavily, like he would die at any second.
He just stood there, looking at the griever that was barrelling after him, he looked down the corridor beside him, where were and his eyes widened, what was he doing?
"Thomas come on"
He didn't respond to me, Minho had grabbed my shoulder and was pulling me back, like the shock that Thomas was about to kill himself had just made him realise we needed to move. But I couldn't, he can't just give up now, come on!
The grievers got closer, 5 metres, 4 metres, 3 metres, 2 metres. But something happened, fear creased Thomas's features when he threw himself into the corridor, the metal arms reaching out to get Thomas, missing him by the skin of his teeth.
He rolled into the corridor, causing the grievers to collide in a ball of screeching spikes, arms and slime. I was shocked, Thomas was a genius, he had manage to escape and gain us some time.
"No way!"
Minho coughed before he tugged my arm, I had a hold of Thomas's hand as soon as Minho did. Then in a matter of seconds we were running again, getting away from the grievers before they could untangle themselves and come after us again.
I looked down at my watch and gapped at the time, 4am, come on two more hours and the sun starts to come up, they should go away. I sprinted as fast as I could, Thomas gasped next to me trying to get his feet under him.
"What--?"
"shut up and follow me"
Minho growled before Thomas could finish, we all sprinted after Minho, making turn after turn to get away, Minho knowing every step he was taking with reassured knowledge. He knew exactly where he was going, and it made me feel better that we weren't going to get lost.
We came into another corridor, the grievers a little distance away from us. Minho finally started to talk between rushed breaths as we continued to sprint in a direction that Minho was sure about, he was heading to something. but what I didn't know.
Minho spoke between gasps for breath, I don't know how he was doing this, I was dying, every step was a struggled and every breath made my head spin, I was fighting to keep myself from passing out. So far, I was winning.
"I just saw... the dive move you did... back there... gave me an idea... we only have to last... a little while longer"
Minho said before he yanked me forward, so I was running at his side, Thomas behind me. I let go of his hand, letting him run on his own. It took me a few moments to realise where we were, I don't know where my memory came from, I don't know why this corridor was so familiar.
But I put two and two together. We were in the corridor that would lead to the cliff, that dive move that had struck Minho's attention. The amount of force that the grievers would be running at will push them over the edge, I don't know where that goes, but I sure hope they can't get back up.
We ran as fast as we could, I could see Thomas was struggling. I looked at him, his breath coming out in ragged puffs, he looked like he would die any second, but if we stopped, we would die.
"come on Thomas, we're not that far away"
I egged him on, trying to encourage him to not stop. We were so close, if this worked, we we're home free.
I looked at the end of the corridor as we took a sharp left, the grievers now close on our tail, gaining ground at a dangerous rate, they would be on us in a matter of minutes. Oh crap. I looked at the end of the tunnel at the strange sheet of black, the gap in the wall that looked like it was an exit. Even though it was very wrong.
That was no exit, it was witchery. Just a gap in the wall that let out into nothing, just empty sky, like this Maze was built on a cloud. Sometimes I wonder if aliens were real and that's who wicked really was, but then I realised I wasn't a damned fool.
We kept running, my eyes trailing from the star peppered sky before I turned and looked at Thomas, I could see his shock seeing the cliff, I knew what he was thinking. I wish it was that easy, but this wasn't the exit.
"Don't get excited, it's not the exit"
I struggled to say before we slowed down, Minho putting his hand out making sure that we stopped. I was happy too, I walked over to the edge. Looking over and sighing at the emptiness, oh how I wished this was a door to get out of here. I wished.
Thomas was just as curious, walking over and gaping at every direction of sky. I could see him sway slightly, like vertigo had swept through him. trust me, I got it too when I first saw this thing.
It was just a hole in the wall, leading into the sky, like a glitch in a computer game. Another vague memory in my mind.
"I don't get it"
Thomas muttered and I huffed slightly. No one does.
I licked my lips as I turned around and looked down the narrow corridor, the grievers now coming around the corner and now rolling down the alley in a single file, heading towards us like a death march.
"Careful greenie, you wouldn't be the first shank to fall off the cliff. Did you forget something?"
Minho said as he pulled Thomas away from the cliff and pointed down the corridor to the grievers who were closing in on us, only a dozen metres away. Minho looked at me and I nodded, making sure I was ok.
Minho turned Thomas around, making us face the grievers with our backs to the cliff. I knew what we had to do, I just hoped it worked.
"These things may be vicious, but they're dumb as dirt. Stand here, close to me facing-"
"I know, I'm ready"
Thomas said as we all shuffled around, scrunching up shoulder to shoulder as we faced the grievers that were now barrelling down the corridor. I waved my hand, getting bark to get out the way, he stayed in the corridor next to us, like he knew exactly what was going to happen. I was ready.
"we need to be in sync! On my mark!"
Minho yelled to get his voice over the moaning and whirring of the oncoming monsters. I readied myself, instinctively grabbing Thomas's hand. we looked at each other, a blush forming onto Thomas's face as he looked me in the eyes, his brown eyes holding fear. He was only new, I don't blame him.
The griever we're extremely close, only seconds before they barrelled into us, it was a struggle not to jump out the way, because if I did, we could ruin our last chance. So, I kept me feet planted.
"Ready!"
Minho's voice touched my ears and I looked at him, hating that he was dragging this out, I didn't want to be pushed over this cliff, who knows how long it would take to hit the ground.
"Not yet... Not yet..."
I growled lightly and bounced on my feet, I could almost feel the air rushing by my face as the arms of the creature reached out for us. I couldn't wait any longer, we had to move, I squeezed Thomas's hand as I screamed.
"MINHO!"
"Now!"
Thomas dived, forcing me to dive right after. We hit the ground in a mess, I knew what we had done had worked, the sound of screeching said that the griever had in fact gone over.
I watched as the griever toppled over the edge, its scream cut off strangely as it plummeted to its death. The second griever, unable to control itself went over straight after. The last griever, skidded across the ground, and its front half swayed over the edge, it's two back legs hooking on the ground as it tried to scramble its way backwards.
But there was no point, Minho and Thomas were up, and had both ran forward, kicking the griever hard enough to send the creature plummeting over the edge, disappearing into the abys along with its friends.
There was an eerie silence hanging over the maze as the grievers disappeared. I couldn't believe it, I couldn't believe they were gone. But where they really dead, I mean no one knows where that thing really goes.
But for now.
We were alive.