To The Shucking End

Chapter 4

"You guys be careful, alright?" Newt said as he stood with Gally, Minho and Alby at the Maze entrance, waiting for it to open at the crack of dawn.

"Always are," Minho replied as he clasped Newt's hand and shook it firmly.

"I thought Tan was seeing us off too?" Alby asked Gally who just grinned as the girl in question jogged over to them.

"Sorry, I'm late. I had Frypan get up to make you guys some of his stew," she revealed as she handed Minho a thermos.

Newt laughed as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"We must be in a different kind of hell if Fry's stew could potentially be your last shucking meal," he remarked and they all chuckled.

"It won't be," Alby promised. "We'll be back. We have to at least try and find him. If he survived a night in the Maze, then maybe there's a slight chance that he can survive the Changing."

They all nodded in understanding before Tanya stepped closer to Alby.

"Be safe," she said as she hugged her oldest friend.

"We'll see you before sundown," he replied as he kissed her cheek before moving to shake Newt and Gally's hand as Tanya hugged Minho.

"You two take care of them, ya hear?" Alby said as he shook Gally's hand.

"You know we will," Gally answered, Newt nodding his head in agreement.

"To the shucking end," Newt said.

To the shucking end was a small phrase, a little motto of the first five, a promise that they will always be there for each other to the shucking end, be it the end of the Maze, the life that came after the Maze or the life that came living forever in the Glade. They'd stay with each other.

And they lasted this long, but they still got nervous anytime someone had to say it because they usually said it when it could possibly be the last time they said it.

"To the shucking end," the remaining four repeated.

And with that as their last goodbyes, the sun hit the top of the Maze as the doors began to creak open, the heavy metal gears spinning as they pulled the stone slabs apart.

"Relax Tan," Gally said as he rubbed her back as they watched Alby and Minho run off into the Maze. "It's Alby and Minho. They'll be fine."

She just shook her head as she stared at the now empty corridor that led into the Maze.

"I think you were right the other night," she replied as she looked up at him, eyes wide and grim with fear. "I think everything's about to change."

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As the day passed and the rain came down, it only made all the Gladers more anxious as they awaited Alby and Minho's return.

And minute by minute Tanya was growing more and more worried as the sun began to dip down towards the Maze walls as the rain cleared.

The ground was still drying as all the Gladers gathered in front of the Maze entrance, Tanya nervously tapping her foot on the ground as she bit her nails, Newt standing next to her and Gally on her other side as he crouched down.

"Newt?" Tanya questioned as the Maze began to creek and groan.

"They'll make it," he persisted, still holding onto hope. They still had time left.

"They'll make it, Tan. Relax," Gally tried to soothe her as he placed a hand on her boot, stopping it from tapping up and down.

"Can't we send someone after them?" Thomas asked after a time and Tanya could feel Gally's hand on her foot tense along with his whole body.

"It's against the rules. Either they make it, or they don't," Gally reiterated.

"We can't risk losing anyone else," Newt added.

"Not to mention that no one knows where the shuck Minho and Alby went except for Minho and Alby," Tanya piped up.

And then the Maze seemed to roar as the gust of wind blew down the passage and the stone doors began to close.

"Oh, no," Chuck muttered from behind Thomas.

"Wait, there!" Thomas exclaimed as he saw a figure appear around the corner.

"Something's wrong," Newt realised as the image of Minho carrying Alby on his back became clearer.

"RUN MINHO!" Tanya screamed, everyone else joining in as they called out encouragement.

"Minho! You have to leave him!" Gally called out eventually and as much as it hurt her to even think about leaving Alby behind, if he was stung, they'd have to Banish him anyway.

"Come on Minho!" Tanya shouted before Newt said something that stopped her heart completely.

"They're not going to make it."

And she realised that he was right as the doors got closer and closer together, Minho still nowhere close and even if he was, he'd never be able to get him and Alby through the tight gap before it shut.

Tanya could barely even hear herself scream anymore much less process what happened next.

What happened when Newt moved too slowly to prevent Thomas from pushing himself through the thin gap that almost crushed him before Thomas ran into the Maze himself - before he ran to die with Alby and Minho.

"No!" Tanya cried when the doors finally shut, and she placed a single hand on the stone wall. Her eyes welled with tears when she turned around, looking at Gally and Newt, filling herself with as much determination as possible. "They belong to the Maze now."

"They could make it! They could survive," Chuck insisted as all eyes turned on him.

"No one survives a night in the Maze," Zart said before they all looked back to Tanya who was wiping her eyes.

"Not even Minho and Alby," she said before inhaling a deep breath. "Show's over. Everyone get ready to turn in for the night."

People didn't move as she pushed past them, the girl not caring if they didn't listen to her as she made her way to the Homestead.

"You heard Tanya," Gally's voice bellowed. "Why are you all still standing here?"

And they scattered as Newt nodded at Gally who went after Tanya.

Not only was Newt worried about her but he also needed to be by himself to mourn the loss of his two oldest friends. 

Friends who wouldn't be able to keep their promise. 

Or so they thought.