Into The WICKED Maze | A Maze Runner Story (English Version)

42. Descent into the depths

The sun was just rising when I opened my eyes again and found that I was still lying there as I had fallen asleep. Gally was snoring softly and I rose carefully so as not to wake him.
My left side, where I had been lying, hurt because of the hard floor and I stretched before walking over to the bars and peering out. I couldn't see anyone yet, but I was sure it wouldn't be long before someone came for us, after all Nick wanted us to be there when he carried out his plan.
And I was right. Just a few minutes later, watching the sunrise as I had done so many times with Newt, I heard footsteps before I saw the ones they belonged to.
Newt and Minho were coming our way and I turned to wake Gally. Carefully, I crouched down to take him and touched him on the shoulder.
"Hey, wake up. We're being taken out of here," I whispered and got a grunt in response. I tried again, this time a little louder and stronger. Finally he opened his eyes and sat up, almost hitting his head again if I hadn't held my hand in between.
"Well, slept well?" I asked, smiling at him.
"Excellent. I had first class company." At these words he winked at me and I punched him in the chest.
Just then we heard someone tampering with the bars of our cell and only moments later someone jumped down to us. I turned around, still crouching because the ceiling was so low, and recognised Newt standing there in the dim light looking at us.
Because the sun was shining on him from behind, I couldn't make out his face, but I could imagine the look on his face because I was squatting like this in front of Gally and he was sitting inches from me, his hands propped up on the floor. I stood up and walked towards him to give him a hug.
He wrapped me in his arms and hugged me tightly, and I could picture very clearly the way he looked at Gally as he did so.
Good thing he couldn't see his face.
Now Newt detached himself from me a little, took my face in his hands and kissed me. I closed my eyes and enjoyed his closeness. Yes, I had missed him, even though we had only been apart for about twelve hours.
"Guys, I hate to interrupt your reunion, but we really should get something to eat and then head over to the box before Nick throws all four of us in here for being late."
"What's the matter, Minho? That would be cosy, wouldn't it?" Gally laughed, stood up, slipped past us, winking at me, and climbed out of the cell.
Next I climbed out - Minho helping me because I was quite powerless - and lastly Newt joined us upstairs.
Together we made our way to the kitchen, where it smelled deliciously of scrambled eggs. Newt took my hand and didn't let go of it until we had arrived at Fry Pan to pick up our breakfast.
"What did we do to deserve this feast, Fry?" asked Gally as we sat down at an empty table.
"Nick wanted me to do something special on our last morning here."
This answer didn't please Gally, he screwed up his face and ate almost nothing from his plate before standing up silently and disappearing.
"What's wrong with him?" asked Minho with his mouth full, looking after him in confusion.
I shrugged my shoulders. "He doesn't want to leave here."
"Well, let him stay here then! No one is forcing him to come with us. After all, we'll be free soon." Nick, completely out of character for him, dropped down next to me on the now vacant chair and started eating Gally's scrambled eggs.
I looked at him confused, but instead of making a pointed remark, he asked, "Did you have a good night in the Slammer? Sorry I had to send you in there, but you had to be brought to your senses somehow." He laughed at me and shovelled the eggs into his mouth.
"That doesn't seem to have worked very well, Gally still wants to stay here," Newt muttered so that only I beside him and Minho sitting opposite him could hear.
When Nick had finished the scrambled eggs he got up, took the plate to Fry Pan and headed off towards the box, winking at us.
"Well, that shank's got a full clap, if you ask me." Minho looked after him uncomprehendingly.
"We'll see about that in a minute, right?" asked Newt.
He was right. In a moment it would become clear whether Nick really was crazy, or whether he really would find an exit down there.
The siren announcing the box sounded and we took our plates to the counter before running to the box last, along with Fry Pan.
As every time, two gladers - today it was Winston and one of his slicers - opened the flaps and everyone jumped in for whom there was something inside. The builders - minus Gally - were the last to get their materials out while Alby, Clint and Jeff put a self-constructed structure of ropes on Nick to secure him.
I felt my heart beat faster and faster as the box descended, though the flaps remained open, and Nick sat on the edge. We lined up around the shaft and now Gally emerged too, standing a little way off and crossing his arms in front of his chest.
Some gladers wished Nick good luck, others - like us - were silent, facing it all with more fear than euphoria. I didn't know what was in store for Nick down there, but I just couldn't imagine that getting out of here would be so easy in the end.
Newt put an arm around my waist, Chuck, who had joined us, grabbed my right hand, Minho, who was behind us, put a hand on each of his and my shoulders and Fry Pan, who was also still with us, shook his head incessantly. I looked over at Gally and our eyes met, with him scowling at me. He was still standing a little apart and didn't even turn his gaze from me, not even when Nick started to climb down the shaft.
I, on the other hand, watched tensely as our leader was roped off by Alby and climbed deeper and deeper into the darkness.
This can't be good, something is going to happen.
My thoughts were running through my head, but Nick climbed deeper and deeper and nothing bad happened.
The rope was getting shorter and shorter and I was beginning to wonder if it would even be enough when it happened. A strangled, distant scream was heard from the shaft, then a sound like I had never heard before, like something being sawn apart, and a jerk on the rope.
Everyone froze and looked at Alby, who also stood rigid. It took a while before he regained his composure and cautiously called out, "Nick? Nick, are you all right?"
No answer. Again, "Nick? Man, say something already!"
But again he got no answer and little Chuck, who was now holding not my hand but my entire arm, was the first to utter anything intelligent.
"Shouldn't we pull him up?" he asked quietly, but everyone could hear him because no one else made a sound. For a moment all eyes were on him, which made him blush, but then everyone looked again at Alby, from whom they expected a reaction.
The latter shook his head once, as if he needed to come to his senses, and then nodded. "Yes, Chuck, you're right. Winston, Zart, give me a hand!" The two keepers joined him and together they began to pull the rope back up.
The more they pulled out and the closer Nick had to come, the more scared I became of what was now waiting for us. Gally was still looking at me as if nothing mattered to him but my reaction. I stared back, trying to meet his gaze, but was distracted by a loud intake of air from Newt beside me. I looked first at him, then at the shaft, and the sight I saw there burned itself into my brain in such a way that I would certainly never forget it again.