𝐁𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 - 𝘔𝘈𝘡𝘌 𝘙𝘜𝘕𝘕𝘌𝘙

27 ~ 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩

Lottie

Alby was forcing everybody to escape with us; even the ones who didn't want to. He said that no one was being left behind. With that, the Gladers were rushing around, preparing mentally and physically for the petrifying challenge ahead.

I went back to my hammock. It looked the same as I'd left it three nights ago, with the blankets hanging half off and clothes stuffed hastily into the crate below. I knelt down and began to rummage through the crate. I folded a shirt and a pair of pants and shoved them into a small backpack that I had brought with me. Who knew if I would need an extra change of clothes?

I dug further in my crate, and felt something dry and papery at the bottom. I pulled it out carefully, and saw that it was a flower that Alex had given me my first week here, and all the boys had teased him about it. That seemed like a million years ago. They were simpler times. 

I left the dried flower in the crate. There was no use for it now, so I might as well just leave it and not waste space in my pack. Still, it made me sad to leave it. I wanted an item to take with me to remind me of the Glade, so I decided that the easiest thing to carry was a piece of cloth. I pulled out a big maroon sweater; one that I wore all the time. I recognized it as Newt's, but I supposed it was mine now since I'd never given it back. I ripped a strip from the sleeve and tied it around my wrist as a reminder of where I'd come from.

Next, I packed a water and a small package of food, and a few blades. It was best to carry as little as possible. Then, I joined the other Gladers at the Door, most likely for the last time. They all held their own spears and machetes. Their hands were clenching the weapons tightly, their knuckles white. Some of them looked so nervous, that they were about to be sick.

When I approached, Julian handed me my own spear, which was shorter than the others' due to my height. I slung my backpack over my shoulders and struck the end of my spear to the ground, showing I was ready. 

"Okay!" Alby's voice rang out. "We're going to follow the Runners to the Cliff. There will be Grievers there, so be prepared." That was it. No sugarcoating – as much as I hated to admit it, some of us would be running to our death. "We need someone to jump off the Cliff first so they can put in the code, and that person needs to be protected at all costs."

"That person's going to be Lottie," Newt added. I snapped my gaze to him fiercely.

"What? No, it isn't. I'm fighting, just like you." I retaliated.

"Why?" Newt asked, giving me a pleading look. I ignored it. "We wouldn't be this far if it weren't for you-"

"And I'm not stopping now," I said firmly. He sighed. 

"Let's not have a designated person to type in the code," Alby suggested. "I think anyone who was in the Map Room when we figured it out should be able to put it in."

I shrugged. "Fine," I agreed. Alby turned to the rest of the Gladers. 

"Are we ready?" He called. A nervous but determined cheer arose from them. Alby lifted his spear to the sky and bellowed, "Then let's go!" 

I took one last look at the Glade before I ran into the Maze. It looked strangely empty, and it made me sad that I would be leaving my home this way. 

I remembered the first time I had thought of the Glade as a home. I was in the forest alone, wandering aimlessly, trying to get my thoughts in check. I had noticed that it was getting darker, and thought to myself, Time to start heading home.

Home. The word echoed through my mind. Was the Glade really my home? No, of course not. Not my natural home, anyway. The Glade was just temporary. But when I'd arrived at the edge of the forest, I took a moment to watch the Glade.