Mysteries of the Maze » Newt {1}

Eighteen

Just a disclaimer, all these characters and ideas belong to James Dashner. I only own Maya!

I sat there until nightfall, when it started getting a little cold. I was about to come down for my sweater when Teresa called from the ground.

"What?" I asked, looking over the side of the watchtower.

"Alby's awake."

Those two words hit me and sent adrenaline shooting through my veins. I quickly climbed down the watchtower and Teresa and I jogged back to the infirmary.

By the time we got there, everyone was already surrounding him. I pushed past the two med-jacks and sat on the other side of Alby while Thomas had the side closer to the end of the bed.

Alby clutched his shirt to his chest and his face showed a mixture of emotions. Hurt, disappointment, but mostly confusion and sadness.

"Alby... Alby what's wrong? Did you remember something?" I asked him.

"It was you. Both of you," Alby looked at me and Thomas and my heart sank into my gut when he looked at me with tears in his eyes. "Why did you come here?"

I was about to tell him I had no idea what he was talking about when Gladers ran in and said that the maze doors weren't closing.

Suddenly, Alby's memories were at the bottom of our priority list as we all filed out of the infirmary and to the maze doors.

Sure enough, torches were lit and the sun was hiding behind the maze, offering very little light. A rumble from our left erupted and we all turned as the doors on the left wall opened. Then the back doors did the same and then the right doors.

Thomas started rambling on to the Gladers and giving them instructions but I couldn't hear him due to the pounding of my heart in my ears.

The sickening sound of a Griever woke me from my daze and it was as if I was back in the maze all over again.

Except three Grievers come out at once and started exiting the maze and by the sound of the screaming boys around us, they are coming out of the other doors as well.

"Okay, everybody hide!" Thomas yelled.

I quickly did as I was told and broke into a sprint beside Winston. He took my hand and pulled me back towards the infirmary as everyone else headed for the wheat fields.

"Go to the field, I'll get Alby!" I told him.

"Are you sure?" He asked, concerned.

"I'll be fine, go!" I argued.

He hesitated before running off to find Thomas. I ran into the infirmary to see Alby stumble as he tried to stand.

"Get away from me." He stumbled back.

I caught him and grabbed his shirt from his arms. "Grievers are here. And I don't mean like two or three. I mean like one for everyone in this shucking Glade so right now you're gonna have to trust me, got it?"

Alby nodded slowly, digesting the news I just fed him. I helped him slip his shirt on and then helped Jeff and Clint get him out into the open to find a better hiding place.

"Grievers are here." He said as he ran up.

"For real?!" Jeff exclaimed.

A boy behind us screamed and we all turned towards him to see him get dragged away by a Griever.

"For real." I replied to Jeff. "Thomas what do we do?"

"I don't know."

Thinking back to all the weapons Gally and I made, I handed Alby off to Thomas and sprinted to the weapons hut. I grabbed the bow and sheath of arrows, quickly wrapping it around my body.

A Griever suddenly landed right in front of me and I gasped, falling to the ground and scurrying backwards as it tauntingly drew closer. Quickly grabbing an arrow, I put it in the bow and say a quick prayer that I don't miss.

But I did.

The Griever's claw came for me again and I quickly rolled out of the way. Crawling under the work table, I got up, grabbed a spear and threw it straight into the Grievers eye. Seeing a candle lit in a jar, I used a final touch and threw it at the beast, sending it into flames. It screamed an ugly scream but I didn't stick around to watch.

Sprinting past it, I saw people bows towards council hall but it was too far for me to go. In all the chaos, my eyes darted back and forth, searching desperately for somewhere to go. My eye caught the box as one of the boys called for Gally and got whisked away by a Griever. Once it was far enough away, I ran as fast as I could, calling Gally's name right before I got there.

Just as I was about to jump inside, a sharp sting sent a jolt of pain through the back of my shoulder and I let out a cry of pain. Falling to the ground, I could feel myself slipping in and out of consciousness. Someone grabbed me and pulled me into their arms as a door slammed shut.

Looking up, I saw Gally, holding me in his arms.

"You so owe me one." He grumbled.

"Definitely." I nodded in agreement. "Unless you tell me first, did it sting me, or is the feeling of poison running through my veins just a random feeling?"

Gally helped me sit up and then he looked at my shoulder. His hardened expression told me everything.

I had just been stung, and there was only one more antidote.

I took in my surroundings as the sound of boys screaming and Grievers' cries echoed throughout the glade. Only about five boys -including Gally- sat in the box. That wasn't a lot.

Soon, the screaming stopped and the Grievers started heading back to where they came from. I was the first out of the box to see what the damage is.

What I saw makes my eyes water and that's when I felt completely defeated.

What was once a beautiful evergreen Glade, was now a broken, fire filled wasteland. It was destroyed. There's nothing left untouched. A few huts stayed standing but with parts of the roof missing or a wall.

It wasn't the Glade we all came to know and love.

Looking towards the council hall, I saw Newt coming out with the other boys and as soon as he saw me, he was running for me.

The sudden feeling of exhaustion and pain hit me and I fell to my knees as the world began to slip away. My chest tightened as Newt caught me just in time, slowly lowering me to the ground.

"Maya... I'm so sorry about earlier." He cried.

I chuckled weakly. "Newt... don't get sentimental me."

Newt chuckled and held me close. The last thing I heard before passing out, was Newt yelling for an antidote.