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

60. The maze fights back

"What the hell was that?" Minho asked, now putting his hand on mine, still clinging to his arm as if to make sure I wasn't lost.
Again a noise sounded and it sounded like something snapping.
"We got to get out of here."
Thomas turned and started running. Minho now grabbed my hand and pulled me with him.
As he ran he shouted, "Give me the key. Give me the key!" and Thomas tossed him the thing that had led us here, which he now quickly put in his pocket.
Now the gates began to close and there was a deafening roar all around us.
"Allright, move, move, move!" Minho shouted and I let go of his hand to run faster.
When we reached the blades, they began to spin so that they blocked the passageways.
"We got to go! Run, Thomas!" Again Minho grabbed my hand and pulled me with him through the blades. "We're gonna get trapped!" he shouted.
"Go! Go!" he continued to cheer us on and again I pulled my hand away to run better.
Thomas fell back a few feet and was separated from us as the blades closed wider and wider. He ran parallel to us, shouting our names, unable to run fast enough through the ever closing wings.
"Come on, let's go, let's go! Come on!" Minho shouted.
"Thomas, you can do it!" I yelled and at that moment he rushed over to us and was with us again. Relieved, but still not out of danger, we kept running as fast as we could and I wondered how long we would keep up this pace. I couldn't help but think of that time three years ago when we had run like madmen out of the maze because we had heard a Griever and I had almost fainted on the floor afterwards. My fitness had improved by leaps and bounds, but still we were on a pace that none of us would be able to sustain for too long.
As we left the field with the blades behind us, I briefly hoped we were safe, but was immediately convinced otherwise. Suddenly the ground opened up and huge slabs of stone rose vertically. Now a metal device as high as the walls of the maze dropped straight down on us.
"Go, go, go, go!" Minho screamed, grabbing me now for the third time, for we had stopped for a few seconds. All around us the ground was now cracking and metal hammers were falling to the floor, making it hard for us to stay on our feet.
"Come on, don't look back!" he shouted to Thomas, who ran a few metres behind us again.
"What now?" I shouted, only now realising that I was still clutching Minho's hand tightly. In front of us one of those hammers had fallen down and was blocking our way. Around us the ground was threatening to break up and I could see no way out.
"There!" Minho pointed to our left and I saw an opening in the wall that was closing. We jumped in and crawled through as it got tighter and tighter. Minho grabbed me before he fell out the other side, pulling me with him. Thomas, who was now right behind me, also just made it and came down hard on the ground next to me.
We lay there for a moment, completely out of breath, staring up at the opening that was closing completely. This time I reached for Minho's hand and squeezed it, looking up into his horrified face.
"That was damn close," I gasped and he nodded.
"Never been that close before."
"Thank you for helping me - as always."
"I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to you around me. We look out for each other, always, right?"
"Right," I whispered, squeezing his hand again before standing up and helping him up.
When Thomas was also back on his feet, I said, "Okay, I think that's enough for today. Or is anyone up for some more adventures?"
"Well, I don't need anything like that again so soon," Minho said and laughed.
So we made our way back through the inner ring and then through the corridors of the maze until we had almost reached the glade. I noticed that the noises still raging in section seven could be heard all the way here. The others had to be worried.
And I was right. As we turned the last corner, the keepers, Newt, Chuck and a few other gladers were already outside the gate waiting for us.
When we reached them, Newt asked, "Now, what the hell is going on out there?"
He took me in and made sure all was well with me, then we immediately made our way across the glade, as Thomas and Minho didn't even stop to catch their breath.
"What the hell you done now, Thomas?" Gally asked and I gave him an annoyed look. What was wrong with him lately?
Thomas ignored him and turned to Newt as we walked.
"We found something! A new passage. We think it could be a way out."
"Really?" Newt asked in amazement, looking from Thomas to me.
I nodded and Minho replied, "It's true. We opened a door, something we'd never seen before. I think it must be where the Grievers go during the day."
"Wait, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Chuck shouted, joining us from further back in the group. "Wait, you're saying you found the Griever's home? And you want us to go in?"
"Their way in could be our way out, Chuck," Thomas explained.
Now Gally interfered again, walking a little way behind us. "Yeah, or there could be a dozen Grievers on the other side. The truth is, Thomas doesn't know what he's done. As usual!"
Now Thomas whirled around to face him.
"Yeah, well, at least I did something, Gally! I mean, what have you done, huh? Aside from hide behind these walls all the time!"
I pushed myself halfway between the two of them and pressed both hands against Gally's chest in an attempt to calm him down before the two of them began to brawl.
"Boys, stop it!" I said, but Gally just ignored me, he was boiling so much inside.
"Let me tell you something, Greenie. You've been here three days, alright - I've been here three years."
"Yeah, you've been here three years, and you're still here, Gally, alright? So what does that tell you? Maybe you should start doing things a little differently!"
"Guys!" someone shouted and I recognised Teresa's voice.
No one paid any attention to her. I was still trying to hold Gally back, but he was pushing me harder and harder against Thomas.
"Maybe you should be in charge, Thomas. What about that? Maybe you should be in charge!"
He seemed to almost choke on his own sarcasm.
"Hey!" Teresa shouted again. "It's Alby!" Suddenly everyone was silent and looked at her. "- He's awake."