The Maze Runner Rewrite

Part 11

Occasionally, Thomas yelled encouraging words like 'we're almost there' and 'keep it up', but I focused on watching my surroundings. Not only was I looking for any possible attacks, but I was looking at the Maze. If everything went as planned, I would never see this place again. I had to appreciate the skill and craftsmanship of the people who created and put the Maze together. Despite how much I hated it, it was talent.

We got through section 7 and stopped, hiding behind a wall. Thomas looked back, but I didn't need to see it to know there was a Griever guarding the door at the other end of the platform. I tried not to think about how high up we would be.

"Is that a Griever?" Chuck panted. Due to his size and short legs, he was having the most trouble out of everyone with running, but he was doing quite well.

"Yeah," Thomas said. Chuck cursed and Minho walked up, already knowing what was up as well.

To Chuck, Minho said, "You take this, Chuck. Stay behind us." He gave Chuck the device we'd need to get into the doors of section 7, and Chuck looked at it with fear.

Teresa tied her hair into a ponytail. "It's okay. Just stick with me."

"Once we're through, it'll activate, and the door will open," Thomas explained quietly.

"Stay close and stick together. We can get through this," I said.

Thomas nodded and said with even more intensity, "We get out now or we die trying. Ready?" Everyone gripped onto their weapons as an answer, and both me and Minho pulled our machetes from the holder on our backs. "Let's go!"

I ran around the corner, running toward the Griever with my blade outstretched. It would fight back, but maybe we would get the upper hand by bringing the fight to it first. It screeched and ran towards us. Every stick pointed upwards, protecting us with the threat of impalement. Every direction it tried to get us at, we were already there, poking at it with sticks and blades.

"Push it!" I screamed. It was already close to the edge, maybe it would go over. Angered, the thing swiped its tail over our heads, forcing us to duck if we wanted to keep them. It grabbed someone and threw him. He slid right over the edge, screaming for help. The fear I'd had before about falling over was intensified by actually seeing it happen. I couldn't hear the splat of his body.

Teresa chopped off one of its legs when it stabbed into the ground in front of her. While trying to avoid getting hit by her blade or the leg, the device flung from Chuck's hand. It was quickly rolling towards the edge, and I saw Chuck run to catch it. When Thomas screamed another demand, I refocused on pushing the Griever over the edge. We pushed and prodded and it went over, scratching at the walls and screeching as it fell. I realized how close to the edge I was and backed up into Newt by accident.

From the left, Chuck yelled for help, both he and Teresa running back to us with two Grievers on their asses. We jumped out to try and do the same thing to the other two as Chuck and Teresa passed us to open the door. Thomas yelled for Teresa to go, knowing she wouldn't run away without him. I looked back at her, momentarily distracted by the look on her face longing for him.

Something hard and metal wrapped around my foot and I looked down to see a tail holding me. "Oh, no," I breathed. The tail whipped, releasing me into the air and flying towards the edge. I scratched at the rock, trying to find some friction to slow me down. My legs flew over the side and I gripping onto the edge with my fingers, a terrified scream ripping constantly from my throat.

"Oh, god, please! Please help me!" I didn't realize I was crying until I looked down and saw nothing but water below me. But the water was moving. I blinked, the stubborn tears dropping downwards, and I saw another Griever working its way up the wall towards me. I released another scream, my feet trying to find some traction on the slick wall so I could pull myself up, but my fingers were slipping and the Griever was getting closer. I thought I could hear Minho's scared call of my name, but my senses couldn't be trusted at the moment.