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

65. The hardest goodbye

"Here we go."
Minho pointed to the three builders who were making their way to the hole to fetch Thomas and Teresa.
We watched as they carried Thomas, who was still pretending to be unconscious, and pushed Teresa in front of them. Gally, who had just crossed out the names of the dead, came over to us, who were all already waiting in front of the open gate, in the middle of us two pillars to which they were going to tie the two. By now we had learned that he didn't want to banish them but sacrifice them, thinking that the Grievers would then leave us alone.
Minho and I stood a little apart, while Newt stood only a few metres from the pillars. I looked around unobtrusively and could see Chuck walking slowly towards us, carrying many bags. Actually, he had been supposed to wait so that no one would get suspicious, but I couldn't risk drawing his attention to it.
The two boys who had been carrying Thomas dropped him to the ground in front of the gate so that he landed on his face. I hissed softly as I imagined how much that must have hurt. But he remained motionless and I admired his self-control.
"This is such a waste," Gally muttered as he looked down at him.
Now Minho and I began to step slowly closer and I exchanged a glance with Fry Pan, who nodded barely noticeably and also stepped forward slowly. Apart from him, we had told no one else about our plan. There simply hadn't been time.
"Gally..." Winston began and Gally turned to him. "It doesn't feel right, man."
"Yeah, what if Thomas is right? Maybe he can lead us home." Jeff too had gathered all his courage to speak, it showed.
"We are home. Okay? I don't want to have to cross any more names off that wall." Gally pointed towards the wall with our names.
No one noticed how we were getting closer and closer. Fry Pan was now standing next to Jeff and Minho and I kept going.
"You really think banishing us is going to solve anything?" Teresa asked.
"No. But this isn't a banishing. It's an offering."
Now we were almost standing with Gally.
"What? Wait! Gally, what are you doing?!" Teresa cried in horror as the builder, began to tie her to the left stake.
Gally, who had just turned away and walked towards us, whirled around. "You really think I'm gonna let Thomas back into the maze after what he's done? Look around you! Look at our Glade!"
Newt turned to us and Minho and I nodded at him. He nodded as well. I looked around and realised that Chuck was now very close. We were ready to go.
"This is the only way. And when the Grievers get what they came here for, everything goes back to the way it was."
At the last words he looked at me and I could briefly see the old Gally again, my best friend.
Teresa continued to distract him. "Are you listening to this? Why are you all just standing there? He's crazy!"
"You shut up?" he asked, taking a step towards her.
"If you stay here, the Grievers are going to come back." A few gladers exchanged frightened glances. "They're gonna come back. And they're gonna keep coming back until you're all dead!"
"Shut up!" Gally roared now. "Tie him up!"
With this instruction to the two who had been carrying Thomas, he turned to leave.
When they did not respond, he turned again and shouted, "Do you hear me? I said tie him up!"
The two obeyed and lifted Thomas up as he lunged with his elbows, tore loose and knocked one of them unconscious. That was our cue.
We drew our weapons and Newt lunged and knocked the other out, while Teresa kicked her overseer between the legs and Fry Pan freed her from the restraints the next moment. Gally tried to grab Thomas but Minho held a machete to his back, making him stop.
Chuck came running, I grabbed one of the bags that almost fell off him and also pointed my knife at the group of gladers now facing us as we stood with our backs to the gate - our escape route. Fry Pan also handed Teresa a knife and so there we were, outnumbered but with the advantage of our surprise attack.
Gally raised his arms in resignation as he now looked at Thomas. "You're full of surprises, aren't you?"
"You don't have to come with us, but we are leaving. Anyone else who wants to come, now's your last chance!"
"Don't listen to him, he's just trying to scare you, alright?" Gally tried to calm the gladers.
I could see from the look Tim gave me that he wanted nothing more than to come with us. Alex looked indecisively from Gally to us.
"No, I'm not trying to scare you. You're already scared, alright. I'm scared! But I'd rather risk my life out there than spending the rest of it in here." Winston and Jeff exchanged a meaningful look. "We don't belong here. This place isn't our home. We were put here, okay? We were trapped here. At least out there, we have a choice. We can make it out of here. I know that."
Everyone stood indecisively for a moment, then Winston looked around and came to our side with quick steps. Jeff followed him and said, "I'm sorry," as he walked past Gally. Tim and Alex exchanged a look and ran over to us and more and more gladers followed them until there were only a few behind Gally.
The latter turned and looked at those who wanted to stay with him before nodding in resignation.
"Gally, it's over," Thomas said quietly. "Just come with us."
He looked at us for a long moment until his gaze rested on me. "Good luck against the Grievers." His voice was quiet now too.
I couldn't help myself, lowered my knife, handed it to Newt who was standing next to me and was with him in a few steps. Without a word, I wrapped my arms around him and felt him hug me tightly.
"Please stay with me..." he whispered against my ear, but I shook my head.
"I can't, Gally. I can't stay here," I sniffled.
"Then I guess it's goodbye now..."
He detached himself from me a little and held me far enough away so that he could look into my eyes. I recognised deep sadness in his and I felt dizzy as an image of an equally sad Gally, three years younger, appeared in my mind's eye. A tear ran down my cheek and he wiped it away.
"Take care of yourself, lil' one."
"You too." Again I sniffled.
Now he let go of me and after giving him one last kiss on the cheek, I saw him give Newt a meaningful look and he nodded silently.
Then those I would escape with turned and ran out into the maze. Newt handed me my knife and I tucked it into my waistband before turning around one last time to follow the others.
The last thing I saw was Gally's face full of nothing than pain.