You felt slightly nervous as you were marched towards one of the 3 wooden posts Gally had erected for your banishment. You weren't nervous for it to go wrong, you were nervous because Thomas had agreed to go to the Centre and get the girls before you left. You were nervous to see if they were all ok. You were worried if they didn't want to leave and, like Gally, thought new things were dangerous.
Teresa was being marched to your left and Thomas was faking asleep so he was being dragged. Minho and Newt were keeping an eye from the side and Chuck was waiting with supplies behind the group so he couldn't be seen.
You were stopped when you got to Gally and Thomas was dropped on the floor. "This is such a waste," he said looking at us, "It's a shame Y/n, we could have been good friends." You didn't say anything only glared at him.
"Gally," You recognised Winston call out, "It doesn't feel right man."
"Yeah, what if Thomas is right, maybe he can lead us home," one of the Medjacks added hopefully.
"We are home, ok?" Gally told them walking forward and raising his eyebrows as if it was obvious. "I don't wanna have to cross any more names off that wall," he shook his head.
"And you really think banishing us is gonna solve anything?" Teresa asked.
"No," Gally said, you glanced at Minho confused who mirrored your emotion. "This isn't a banishing, it's an offering," he finished.
"What the hell?" You yelled before being slammed against the middle pole forcefully and wrists tied above your head.
"Wait, what?" Teresa asked confused as she was also tied up.
"You really think I'm going to let Thomas back into the Maze after what he's done? Look around you, look at our Glade. This is the only way and when the Grievers get what they came here for, everything goes back to the way it was!"
"You're crazy," You muttered rolling your eyes and leaning casually against the pole.
"Are you listening to this? Why are you all just standing there he's crazy?" She continued to question them. From that comment, she gave you the impression she would say or do anything to save her own skin. Something you were going to remind yourself to keep an eye on.
"Would you shut up?" Gally argued with her.
"If you stay here the Grievers are going to come back. They are gonna come back and there are gonna keep coming back until your all dead."
"Shut up!" Gally yelled at her, "Tie him up," he pointed to Thomas. "Did you hear me I said tie him up!" He repeated when his friends didn't move straight away.
"You need to work on your people skills," You told him raising your eyebrows.
"Shut up," he glared at you stepping closer.
"Or what?" You challenged glaring back at him.
At that exact moment, Thomas hit the two boys holding him. Newt knocked out one of Gally's friends, Teresa kicked her captor and Minho stopped Gally from nearly hitting you, which you were grateful for. Frypan untied you, and Newt gave you your knife back. You stood with Chuck who nodded to you with a nervous look in his eyes. You half smiled to him trying to tell him without words, that everything was going to be alright.
"You're full of surprised, aren't you?" Gally spoke sounding annoyed.
"You don't have to come with us but we are leaving," Thomas told him. "Anyone else who wants to come now is your last chance!" He called the group behind Gally.
"Don't listen to him he's just trying to scare you," Gally told them.
"No, I'm not trying to scare you you're already scared. Alright, I'm scared. But I would rather risk my life out there than spend the rest of it in here. We don't belong here, this place isn't our home. We were put here, we were trapped here. At least out there, we have a choice. We can make it out of here. I know that."
The boys seemed at a loss of what to do some looked too terrified to even move some looked like they thought Thomas was right. Slowly but surely, starting with Winston, boys started filing over to our group. Some muttered apologies to Gally, some walked past him without even looking at him. In the end, you had the bigger group and Gally was left with a handful of loyal friends.
"It's over Gally," Thomas told him, "Just come with us," he tried to persuade. It looked like Gally might actually come, he might give up and leave with you. He'd be an asset to the group because of his size.
After a moment Gally said, "Good luck against the Grievers," and walked away. You looked at Thomas who admitted defeat and started jogging away, followed by everyone else.
"Y/n, how far to your Centre?" Thomas asked you sped up so you were next to him at the front.
"Not far, this way," you said leading the group the fastest way you could think of.
It was strange to think the memories you had in this place would be over soon. You were, finally, so close to being out. That made you wonder what the world was like outside of the Maze. Were there more people? Were there towns and cities of people going about their daily lives.
Quicker than you expected you arrive at one of the open doors to the Centre. Familiarity hit you when you stepped back into the place. The strange thing was you could see anyone, the normally busy Centre was completely silent.
"Where is everyone?" Newt asked.
"I have no idea," You replied honestly. "Angel!" You yelled out your leader's name hoping she would respond. No response was heard. You started to panic. Where were they?
"Angel!" You called again walked further into the Centre. "Hey, Y/n," You turned quickly to face Chuck, "What's that?"
You followed his pointed finger and saw your group's version of the meeting hall half-collapsed and burnt.
"Shit," You muttered, and without warning, you started sprinting over as fast as you could.
"Damn that girls quick," Frypan spoke impressed.
"Minho get her!" Newt called.
You were chanting over and over in your head, praying that they were still alive and just hiding. Scared and a few minor injuries but alive. You didn't stop until you got to the entrance of the hall and froze.
The body of a young girl you recognised was lying there, dead. Tears stung your eyes and you opened the door. "Y/n, no!" You heard Minho behind you but it was too late.
You looked inside and saw all the girls from the Centre, the girls you had considered family dead on the floor. Angel was in the centre of the room surrounded by other girls. She'd been trying to help them. How they died you didn't know but you had a suspicion Grievers were part of it.
Did the Grievers attack this place the same time as the Glade?
You backed out the room feeling sick when outside you came face to face with Minho.
"They...they," You stuttered before breaking down completely to the floor crying like you'd never cried before. You felt Minho's hand on your shoulder. "Nooooo!" You screamed, probably making him deaf but you didn't care right now, you had lost them all. You weren't here when they needed you most. You felt like you had let them down. It was your fault. Why did you ever leave?
"Ssh," he comforted pulling you to his muscly chest, the strong, rhythmic sound of his beating heart was a very calming sound.
"I wasn't here when they needed me," You sobbed to him.
"I-it wasn't your fault." For the first time, his voice broke slightly.
He let you cry for a moment before helping you to your feet and guiding you away from the hall and back towards the group. You felt like you were in limbow as if the feet walking back through the grass weren't yours. You were watching through someone else's memory. After all this time, you'd be the only one that saw what the world was really like.
None of them said anything when you returned, Newt hugged you tightly and then Thomas did the same. "I'm so sorry," he whispered in your ear sounding like he genuinely meant it.
You wiped your eyes although it did nothing to stem the flow of tears. "Can we leave. Please?" You asked shakily. He nodded and began to lead the group away.
When you got to the door you took one last look at the Centre which was almost identical to the Glade, you looked back at the hall one last time, at your home one last time. "I will finish this for you," You promised them, then turned away and jogged back to the group.
You were grateful none of them spoke about it. You didn't want their sympathy, you didn't want any of them to talk to you or ask you how you felt. As you ran your mind went on autopilot and you realised how much you were going to miss those bloody birds waking you up or the girls laughing too loudly when you trying to sleep. It was the little things that you took for granted, the little things that weren't little things to you anymore. They were important things.
All you wanted was to get out of this hell of a place and kill the people who did this to everyone... did this to you.
Ahhhh the feels, WCKD put them through so much pain 😢
Hope you enjoyed,
AFG