Ivy and Newt jumped at the sudden noise, startled. The noise was so loud that they knew it could not have been caused by anything in the Glade. Another crash was heard a moment later. The two stood up quickly, realizing that the noises were originating from the Maze. Without a word, the two ran for the Maze doors, leaving Ivy's half eaten plate of food sitting in the kitchen.
Ivy skidded to a stop when she reached the Maze, her eyes wide as she stared into it. Sounds of crashing were still echoing, some louder than others. Newt came up beside Ivy, glancing from her to the Maze.
"What was that?" he asked.
"I don't know. Nothing has ever moved out there during the day."
"Do you think they found something?"
"I'm not sure..."
Deep down, Ivy knew that they must have found something since the Maze had begun to move. But the only thoughts going through her head were ones worrying about Minho and Thomas. She didn't know if they were all right or not. They could be dead and she would never know until it was too late.
Without a thought, her feet started to move. But before she could even step foot in the Maze, she felt someone grab her arm and another person wrap an arm around her waist. She turned to see that it was Newt and Gally holding her back. Before she could tell them to let her go, Newt shook his head.
"We don't know what's going on out there," he told her. "If they're alive, they're probably on their way back now. But you won't know that if you go out there yourself. They might have to take a different route to get back. I know you want to know but you need to wait. You told Minho to be back half and hour before closing. If they're not back by then, you can go in to find them, but only if you stay close enough so you make it back before closing."
Ivy nodded weakly. The two boys released their grips on her but stayed at the Maze doors. Over the next few hours, more boys joined them and Ivy became more anxious. Newt had to hold her hand to keep her from shaking and from running into the Maze.
As time drew closer for the doors to close, Ivy became increasingly more worried. She looked down at her watch for what felt like the millionth time. The boys were cutting it close. Just as she was about to announce she would go look for them, Newt's grip tightened on her hand.
"Hang on a minute," he said.
Ivy looked up to stare into the Maze. Not a moment later, two figures jogged around the corner.
"Oh my god," Ivy breathed. Newt let go of her hand, allowing her to bolt forward. Thomas and Minho slowed to a stop, giving Minho enough time to prepare himself so he didn't fall over when Ivy crashed into him. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him close and burying her face into his neck. "Don't you ever do that again, you jackhead. You scared me."
"I'm sorry, Ivy. Believe me, it won't happen again."
Ivy looked up, noticing something different in his promise.
"What do you mean?"
"It means, we might not be here for much longer."
Before she could ask any more questions, he took her hand and the three jogged to the Glade.
"What the h*ll's going on out there?" Newt asked when they stepped foot into the Glade.
"What the h*ll have you done now, Thomas?" Gally questioned.
"We found something," Thomas said, looking at Newt as they walked away from the Maze. "A new passage. We think it could be a way out."
"Really?" said Newt, shocked.
"It's true," Minho replied, squeezing Ivy's hand. "We opened a door, something I'd never seen before. I think it must be where the Grievers go during the day."
"Wait, whoawhoawhoa," Chuck said, hurrying to Thomas's side. "You're saying you found the Grievers' home? And you want us to go in?"
"Their way in could be our way out, Chuck," Thomas said to the boy.
"Yeah, or there could be a dozen Grievers on the other side," they heard Gally say from behind them. "The truth is, Thomas doesn't know what has done, as usual!"
Thomas spun around quickly to face the Builder.
"Yeah, well at least I did something, Gally. I mean what have you done? Aside from hide behind these walls all the time?"
Everyone stopped to look at the two boys.
"Let me tell you something, Greenie. You've been here three days, all right. I've been here three years!"
"Yeah, you've been here three years and you're still here, Gally! And guess what, there are people here who have been stuck here longer than you, people who have spent every day looking for a way out and have found nothing! What does that tell you? Maybe you should start doing things a little differently."
"Maybe you should be in charge, Thomas. What about that?"
"Hey, it's Alby!" Everyone turned to look at Teresa, who had come up during the argument. "He's awake."
~
"Has he said anything?" Ivy asked, following Teresa into the Med Hut. Newt, Thomas, Minho, Frypan, and Gally were close behind them.
"No."
Newt stepped around the two so he could sit next to Alby. Ivy climbed over the bed so she could sit on Alby's opposite side. She could see tear stained on his cheeks, making her heart ache for him.
"Alby," he said gently. "Alby, are you all right?"
The boy did not respond. Ivy lightly touched Alby's arm and began to rub soothing circles into his skin. She glanced up when Thomas came forward, kneeling down to look at the Glader leader.
"Hey, Alby," he said in a quiet voice. "Alby, we might have just found a way out of the Maze. You hear me? We could be getting out of here."
"We can't," Alby said, his voice soft and weak as he shook his head. "We can't leave. They won't let us."
"What are you talking about?"
"I remember."
The others exchanged looks, almost wanting to hear more.
"What do you remember?" Thomas asked.
Alby looked at Thomas.
"You." The Gladers glanced at Thomas, stunned. "You were always their favorite, Thomas. Always." Suddenly, they could hear the Gladers outside shouting, alarm in their voices. A tear rolled down Alby's face. "Why did you do this? Why did you come here?"
Alby shook his head before putting it in his hands. The others quickly got up and went outside to see what was happening.
Outside, boys were running around with torches, frantic. Ivy looked around, trying to figure out what was going on when something caught her eye. She stared, her breath caught in her throat.
"Winston, what's going on?" Thomas asked as the boy passed by.
"It's the doors," he replied. "They aren't closing."
Ivy took a deep breath to calm herself before running toward the doors. Thomas took off after her, along with their friends. When they got to the Maze doors, they all stared inside; no one dared to speak, fearing what could happen if they broke the silence.
Suddenly, a loud boom echoed through the Glade, followed by groaning. The group spun around to find a second set of doors opening.
"Did you know that that was there?" Thomas whispered, looking at Ivy.
She shook her head, her eyes wide. Another groan was suddenly heard; the Gladers looked to their right to find a third door opening. And not a moment later, a door to their left opened as well.
"Chuck, go to the Council Hall and start barricading the doors," Thomas ordered, looking at the boy.
"Winston, you go with him," Newt added.
"Got it."
"Get the others," Gally said. "Tell them to go to the forest. Go hide, now!"
"Minho, I want you to grab every weapon you can find," Thomas said to his friend. "I'll meet you at the Council Hall."
Minho nodded. He looked at Ivy, placing his hands on her shoulders.
"Stay safe, okay?" he said.
"Only if you are," she replied, swallowing hard. "I can't lose you."
"I can't lose you either."
The two hugged each other briefly before Minho sprinted off with Frypan and Newt. Thomas turned to talk to Teresa briefly. Before they could go off, the sound of shouting filled the Glade. Everyone turned to see a group of boys running away from the forest. Suddenly, a familiar shriek filled the air. Ivy spun around to look into the Maze. Her eyes widen when she saw the outline of a Griever stepping into view.
"All right, everybody hide!"
Ivy didn't have to be told twice. She sprinted off, unsure of where she was going. The only thought in her mind was getting away from the Grievers. For some stupid reason, she found herself heading for her hut. But before she could reach it, a Griever crashed through the wood, destroying it. Ivy froze in fear, staring at the creature. The Griever shrieked again and slowly came toward her. Ivy wanted to force her body to move but found she couldn't.
Suddenly, someone shouted her name. The cry caused the Griever to launch itself toward her, but before it could tackle her, someone else did. Ivy and her savior fell to the ground, watching the Griever crash into something else. The boy quickly pulled her to her feet and away from the monster. Ivy followed the boy, not questioning who it was. As long as they got away to somewhere safe, she didn't care. The boy shouted at a few others to follow him. They slowed to a stop when they reached the Box. The boy pulled open the top, ordering them inside. One of the boys dropped down first before helping Ivy down into the Box.
Ivy huddled herself into a corner. She watched as Gally jumped into the Box after Scott and Dmitri. He quickly pulled the top shut to protect them.
"Stay down," he said, keeping his voice down.
"Gally!" The group looked up to find Jackson on top of the Box. "Let me in, let me in!"
Gally moved quickly to open to the top when a Griever suddenly took a screaming Jackson away. The boys exchanged frightened looks. Ivy put her hands in her hair, trying to keep her breathing under control. She could feel her entire being shake. Her ears rang with the echoes of screams of boys she knew, boys she had grown up with for the last three years. Ivy could feel her legs growing weaker as everything started to become hazy. She felt like she was going to pass out.
"Gally," someone said, but their voice sounding underwater to Ivy's ears. "Something's wrong with Ivy."
Ivy shook her head, pulling at her now messy hair. She could still hear the Grievers above them, attacking and killing people. Worry and fear filled her more and more. Where were her friends? Were they still alive? Did they find somewhere safe to hide? Who all was dead? Could this all have been avoided somehow?
"Ivy." She felt someone grab her arms and shake her a little. "Ivy, come on! Snap out of it! You're safe!"
Ivy opened her eyes and lifted her head enough to see that it was Gally that was in front of her. His expression softened a little when he saw the tears rolling down her face and the fear in her eyes. He gently pulled her hands from her hair and helped her to the ground.
"Just calm down, Ivy," he said, gently rubbing her arm to comfort her. "We're safe. The Grievers can't get to us while we're in here. We're going to be okay. I promise."