How I survived in an all boys glade

Chapter Seventy-nine

- We get out now or we die trying -

"Is it a Griever?" Chuck asks, his voice tense as we stop, pressed against the wall.

"Yeah," Thomas replies, glancing back at us from where he's peeking around the corner. I bend down, wincing as I rub my already throbbing ankle.

"You okay?" Theo asks quietly, his voice low so only I can hear.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," I reply, standing back up, my hand resting on his shoulder for support as I shift more weight onto my right foot. I look back at Thomas.

"You take this, Chuck. Stay behind us," Minho orders, handing Chuck the mechanical device they'd found in a Griever.

"It's okay. Just stick with me and Y/n," Teresa tells him, tying her hair back before looking at me for reassurance. I give her a small nod, then move forward to stand between Minho and Newt.

"Once we're through, it'll activate, and the door will open," Thomas explains, his voice steady. He looks around at all of us. "We stay close, we stick together—we get through this. We get out now, or we die trying."

Newt grabs my hand, squeezing it gently, his eyes meeting mine with a shared understanding.

"Ready?" Thomas asks, his voice full of determination. Minho pulls out his knife, giving it a quick flick. I nod in response.

"All right. Let's go!" Thomas shouts, and we take off, Newt's grip on my hand slipping as we charge around the corner, heading for the door.

The Griever spots us instantly, its massive body charging toward us. I sprint up beside Chuck and Teresa as the guys rush the Griever head-on.

"Come on, Chuck!" I yell, urging him to move faster, Teresa ahead of him.

"Look out!" someone shouts. The Griever lashes out, grabbing one of the guys and throwing him over the edge. I gasp, covering my mouth as we stop abruptly to avoid running into the others. 

We watch as they push back at the Griever once more.

The Griever swings its leg at Teresa, but she's quick—dodging the strike and landing a blow to its limb. The Griever's leg flails and crashes into Chuck, making him drop the mechanical device.

"The key!" Chuck yells, seeing it slip toward the edge.

"Chuck!" Teresa and I shout in unison as we rush toward him.

"Watch the edge!" I yell, desperation in my voice as we chase after him. Chuck stretches for the key, but as he reaches for it, he loses his balance, hanging precariously over the edge.

"NO!" I scream, reaching out as Teresa and I scramble to pull him back.

"We got you, Chuck!" Teresa yells, grabbing him, but he's heavy. The Grievers are closing in.

"Pull me up! Pull me up!" Chuck cries out, panic rising in his voice.

"Oh, really? I thought you wanted us to push you down to them," I snap sarcastically, trying to catch my breath as we finally haul him back to solid ground.

"Let's go, now!" I yell, grabbing his arm as we sprint for the door again, the Grievers hot on our heels.

"Thomas! Thomas!" Chuck screams, hoping to get his attention.

"Come on! Run!" I yell to them, looking back with terror in my eyes as the Grievers close in.

"A little help here!" I shout at the others, but they're still standing there, frozen, as the Grievers rush toward us.

"We've got more coming!" Thomas calls out to the group.

"Yeah, no kidding, Sherlock!" I yell back, trying to keep my voice steady as we race past the others. We're getting closer to the door.

"It works!" Chuck yells, excitement in his voice as the door starts to rise.

"Teresa, go!" Thomas calls out. We're nearly there.

We burst through the doors, the guys pushing desperately to hold back the Grievers.

"There's gotta be a way out!" Teresa shouts, but we hit a dead end.

"Come on!" I scream, as we quickly turn back toward the guys. I spot Tyrell charging at the Grievers, his body a blur as he leaps into the fray.

"Ty!" I scream, instinctively running toward him. But Theo grabs me by the arm, pulling me back.

"No! Let me go!" I fight against him, but it's too late. A Griever grabs Tyrell, flinging him across the room, over the edge. His scream echoes as he disappears.

"NO!" I scream, my heart stopping. Theo releases me, and I rush to the edge, but it's too late. I turn away, fists clenched in rage.

"SHIT!" I yell, slamming my fist into the wall in frustration. The impact makes a strange screen flicker to life, counting down from eight.

"Thomas!" Teresa calls, and he looks back just as she spots the numbers. "There's a code!"

"Eight numbers!" she exclaims.

Thomas looks around, his mind racing. "Hey, Minho!" he yells, trying to get his attention as he knocks another Griever down.

"What?" Minho calls back, confusion in his voice.

"The sections of the Maze, what's the sequence?" Thomas demands.

"Seven! One!" Minho calls out, and Teresa quickly types in the numbers.

"Five! Two! Six! Four!" Minho continues, as I glance back at the guys. A Griever leaps down from above, crashing into the group.

"HEADS UP!" Newt yells, and the Griever falls on top of Minho.

"MINHO!" I scream, my heart racing as the creature pins him.

"Get off me!" Minho yells, struggling beneath it. Jeff lunges forward, spearing the Griever in the head, and Minho quickly scrambles out from underneath it.

"You okay?" I ask, rushing over to help him up.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Minho says, pushing me back toward safety. We can't stop now.

I look back just in time to see a Griever about to grab Jeff.

"Jeff, get away from there!" I yell, but it's too late. The Griever clamps down on Jeff, dragging him away as he screams in agony.

"What's the sequence? Come on!" Chuck yells, looking to Minho.

"Six! Four! Eight! Three!" Minho shouts. Teresa types in the final numbers.

"YES!" I scream as the screen turns green, and the word "COMPLETE" flashes on it.

"The door opened!" Theo shouts, looking back at the green light.

The doors above us start to close, but a Griever makes a final lunge. Thomas throws his spear, hitting it in the head. The doors slam shut, just as Minho pulls me behind him, his arm across my stomach to shield me. Theo and Newt are on either side of him, and we're left standing in complete darkness.