[т.м.я.] ωнєи ωє ℓινє∂ | тнσмαѕ

[ ¢hapter 9 ]

She held her breath but her heart was beating so loud in her chest that she could swear they would hear it down there.

The ivy behind her pressed painfully into the wound on her back and her muscles burned. Even though she clinched to the vine, she felt her body sliding down. The rough ivy ripped her hand open but she hold even tighter onto it.

The two beasts were still shoving each other around the small pathway. Sometimes, an arm would unfold and darted out randomly, almost hitting her. She would flinch and slid further down the vine, while it would cut her hand open.

She saw a drop of blood slide out of the flesh of her hand, sliding down her wrist further down to her elbow. It dropped down her elbow in many drops, onto the dark leave where it kept sliding down until it reached the tip. Her body froze when it dropped down from the leave onto the cold floor.

Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip.

The sound echoed through the walls and the Grievers went mute. A few minutes, one could hear the liquid hitting the floor. She closed her eyes when she heard the metallic noises turn back on. She heard a loud bang and the leave around her shook violently.

Another bang let her body shake.

One of them was coming up the wall. Its spikes and crawls slammed into the stone while it climbed up. Her eyes shot open when one arm slammed down next to her head. The beast was directly in front of her. Strange and scary sounds came from its body.

She saw one arm popping out behind its back, holding a large needle at the top. She knew it wanted to ram the needle inside her body. The arm swung back and just as it shot forward, Grace let go of the vine at fell down from the wall. She heard the needle over her slamming into the wall with a clashing noise.

She fell down the wall but the ivy somehow wrapped around the parts of her body. She felt her hand twisting, as well as here arm, leg and ankle until she finally hit the ground with a groan.

Her head shot up to see the Griever above her. It had pulled its spikes out of the wall and was now falling down as well. She reacted fast and squirmed away so it wouldn't crush her under its weight. 

It collided with the other Griever's body and trapped it beneath its own body. While the two Grievers tried to get back on their feet, Grace pushed her body up on the wall. Almost every part of her body hurt from the fall, but she ignored it. Once again she was on the run.

She didn't stop running.

She took one turn after another. Sometimes she even passed another Griever but she just kept pushing forward and never looked back. She let them come near her, whereby their claws and spiked would scratch her, and then she let herself fall on the  so the beasts would run over her. The she sprinted into another corridor.

She must have been running the whole night because the sky above her became slowly brighter. Maybe 3 or 4 hours and the doors would be open again. She would run through the gates and the Gladers would be waiting for her.

Thomas would wrap his strong arms around her and she would feel safe again.

Thomas.

She hadn't known him for long but something about him made her weak. His deep brown eyes, his dimples or his beautiful brown hair, she didn't know it.

Was he worried about her? Would he be looking for her when the doors open? 

She snapped out of her thoughts when she reached another death end. She slowed down and lend forward on her knees.

This corridor was different. The pathway ended in darkness. She looked behind her to make sure that no Griever was watching her and then she carefully walked to the end of the corridor. What she saw confused her even more.

The maze...ended?

Nothing but pure blackness filled the empty room. She could even see the sun rising at the horizon. It looked absolutely stunning. The fading stars where replaced by the beautiful colours of the dawn and the sun pushed the darkness away. She didn't understand how this was even possible but honestly, she didn't care in that moment.

She was alive.

She suddenly flinched, when a moan penetrated her ears again. At the end of the pathway stood another beast. It let out a loud scream and rushed forward. She had nowhere to go. The Griever would kick her over the cliff and she would.....disappear forever.

That's it!

She turned around and faced the monster again. It came closer. And closer. Closer. It was about to shoot his arms forward when Grace jumped to the side.

The Griever rushed past her over the edge and fell until it disappeared.

It was gone.

Swallowed by the darkness. She killed the last Griever by the time the sky was bright blue. She sat at the cliff and watched the sun rising. Her body felt numb and weak but strong at the same time.

She couldn't believe that she had survived a night in the maze by her own. She looked down at herself. Her clothes were ripped and dirty with several traces of blood. Her skin was covered in dust, oil and many scratches. Every part of her body hurts so badly, she just wanted to close her eyes and cry.

ꕀ

Thomas poked his fork around his plate. He felt lonely and empty. As if someone had taken all the happiness out of his life. Grace was probably death right now. Ripped in hundred pieces or bleeding to death.

He threw the fork away. He didn't want to think about that. He wanted to hope that she is still out there, but no one ever survived a night in the maze. A groan left his mouth and he closed his eyes.

„Come on man, you have to eat
something." Minho slapped his shoulder and began to pack some stuff into his backpack.

„Doesn't it bother you that we will might find Grace's death body?" He asked a little angry.

Thomas couldn't understand how the other boy could be so calm. Minho just glared at him.

„Listen Shank, I have seen many friends dying out there," He said with a slow voice and pointed his finger to the stone wall. „But that's the way it works. If I mourned about every single one of them I would be sitting in my room and never come out again. I miss this shucking girl, but we couldn't have helped her and we have to accept that."

His voice sounded hurt but his face showed no emotion. Minho knew how hard these words sound but he would get used to it. He squeezed Thomas's shoulder and Thomas nodded.