Into the Maze (English Version)

5

"What happened to Alby?" J also asked because Minho didn't answer Thomas. They then heard a more than shocking story about how Alby and Minho had been attacked by a Griever. Apparently the thing had somehow played dead, while Alby then kicked it as a test to see what was going on. Then the Griever woke up again and basically rolled over Alby. As Minho spoke, J had a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"Anyway, it looks like the same thing will happen to us soon," Minho finished and looked at the closed gate, behind which the clearing lay.

"There has to be something we can do," Thomas sounded hopeful. Sure, he hadn't seen much bad yet. With J and Minho it was a little different. Many runners had already died from the Grievers. That's why it wasn't hardly surprising that Minho now lost his temper and roughly grabbed Thomas by the collar. "Are you deaf? There's no hope."

"He got it, let him go," J tugged on Minho's harness to get him away from Thomas. But Thomas just wouldn't be quiet. J sighed as he started talking again.

"Why didn't that thing sting you?" Thomas looked at Minho questioningly. That was a good question, though. J also let her eyes wander over Minho, he looked unharmed.

"Maybe it did," that sounded a bit crazy, especially because Minho was smiling so strangely when he spoke. He was probably just trying to cope with the fear somehow. Because all three of them were definitely afraid of what happened in here at night.

Thomas seemed to feel vindicated, because Minho had answered him and asked more questions.

"You're just making things worse because you have hope. We're dead, you here me? Dead!", Minho snapped at the Greenie. But then his eyes flicked to J and stayed on her. "Oh Klunk. I've never been so scared in my life."

She would have liked to answer him, but she couldn't get a single word out of her throat. To make matters worse, there was now this noise. A screech, then metal on stone.

"The Grievers are awake," Minho commented unnecessarily. J was close to tears by now. All thoughts were gone, her mind was empty. There was only fear and... Thomas! Thomas was talking again. The guy was incredible. She was about to attack him, like Minho had before.

"What?", J didn't understand him, she hadn't listened to him at all.

"Alby, we can't leave him here." J now also looked at the motionless boy on the ground. Minho let out a contemptuous breath. "Okay, I'll be happy to strap him on your back. Let's see how far you can carry him. I bet not even five meters."

But Thomas ignored him. Instead, his gaze wandered to the stone walls that surround them.

"Ivy!", he said finally and immediately dragged Alby to the wall to her left. J had to say she was impressed. Thomas was scared too, she saw how he was shaking, but he was still able to think. And something about it ensured that J was able to pull herself together again.

"What exactly are you thinking about?", she finally managed and followed Thomas. He was already tearing a tendril from the wall and tied it to Alby's limp right arm. "We'll tie him to the arms and chest, then we'll pull him up there. That way we can hide him."

"All right, then let's go," J nodded. But before she helped, she grabbed Minho and dragged him towards her. He let this happen without resistance. Good God, she had never seen him so scared. Unbelievable. She grabbed his chin energetically so that he had to look at her. "Please help!"

And that's what Minho did. The three of them made some kind of pulley out of the ivy, which managed to get Alby off the ground. But the boy was damn heavy, and the three of them had to do a lot of work pulling the unconscious guy up.