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

69. The end

I knew it sooner than Thomas. I knew that the little boy I had known for only a month was dead and that I preferred him to almost all those I had known for three years. The one who had been too clumsy to get a proper job and so had always been with me everywhere. The one who had caused a medium disaster in the kitchen on his first day and almost made Fry Pan cry. The one I had spent as much time with as possible, the one Minho and I had taught to carve and who had carved this little figure for his parents, who were probably long dead.
He lay in front of me, his hand in mine and my hand in his hair, which was so curly that I wanted to brush through it all the time, even though he didn't like it. He lay there and was dead. Just dead.
Now I couldn't hold back the sobs any more and I didn't even try. I was crying harder than I ever had before as Thomas was still talking to Chuck before he too realised that the boy was no longer alive.
Now he was shaking him and calling his name, but it was no use.
"Hey, Chuck, come on! Come on, wake up! Damn it!"
"Stop it, Thomas! Please stop it!" I sobbed as he shook him, because I couldn't stand it.
But he didn't stop and kept calling Chuck's name.
"We made it. Come on! I'm sorry..."
The images blurred before my eyes. So we sat there, huddled over Chuck's lifeless body.
"Goddamn it!" Thomas cried, and all his grief was in that cry, echoing off the walls, when suddenly the gate behind us burst open and glaring light poured in.
"Damn it! Come on!"
I looked up in confusion, but through the tears I could see nothing. I heard footsteps coming towards us, several people seemed to be running. Then Newt called my name, but I was unable to move.
Thomas kept shouting Chuck's name and kept shaking him, which is why I was also shaken. I was numb, as if all my senses had been taken away and even when I saw the others being taken away by these people, I didn't even try to get up.
Suddenly someone grabbed Thomas, but he fought back, wanting to stay with Chuck. I turned around and looked over at Gally, who was still lying there just as he had been.
Now I perked up again because I thought I saw that he was still breathing shallowly. I tried to crawl towards him, but someone grabbed me under the arms and pulled me along. I tried to pull away, but the grip was too tight and I had no chance.
So I let my body go limp again and was simply pulled along, my eyes still fixed on the two boys who lay motionless. They had been my family and now there was nothing I could do but leave them behind.
The thought that Gally had still been breathing disappeared from my mind as quickly as it had appeared. It just wasn't possible. I had imagined it because I wanted it so badly.
The man - at least I believed it was a man - who was half carrying, half dragging me, was now dragging me out of the building and I felt sand under my heels. Amazed, I looked up at the sky and could see the sun burning down on me. Looking around a little, still trembling, I realised that all around us was nothing but sand. In the distance I could make out ruins.
Men were running back and forth and now I heard what sounded like a helicopter. With a jerk I whirled around and fell lengthways because I had lost my balance, swallowing a load of sand and coughing.
The man grabbed me under the left arm and pulled me roughly to my feet before pushing me authoritatively in the direction from which the sound of the helicopter came.
I realised that my friends had already been put in there and that Thomas was the last one to board. When we reached the helicopter, the man lifted me into it and I found myself between Fry Pan and Minho. He put a hand on my leg reassuringly and I noticed that I was still shaking like a leaf.
Silently we sat there as we began to take off. One of the men pulled his mask off his face.
"You guys all right?" he asked. "Don't worry. You're safe now."
The helicopter jerked and I held onto Minho as I looked out the window.
What I beheld took my breath away. The others were also now leaning forward to catch a glimpse of our former prison.
And there it was, huge and twisted, with a green spot in the middle - the maze. It was round and surrounded by huge walls where the laboratories must have been. If it hadn't been so horrible, it would have looked almost impressive.
No, it did look impressive.
"Relax, kid. Everything's gonna change," the man said to Thomas.
The helicopter turned and we flew away as I couldn't resist the sobs. Away from our prison where we had lost so many friends. Alby, Ben, Zart, Clint, Jeff... Chuck and Gally. And so many others.
But even though it had brought us so much misery, we had also lived there for three years.
We left our home behind. And our path led into the unknown.