Into the Maze (English Version)

12

When they finished eating, it didn't take long for everyone to realize that something was wrong. But it took them a while to understand what it was. Even though it seemed so obvious. Four large passageways gaped open around the glade. The gates hadn't closed tonight.

Within seconds, commotion broke out. Because it was clear to everyone what that meant. The Grievers, they were no longer safe from the Grievers!

Finally it was Thomas who took command. He first turned to Newt and told him to get weapons so that they could at least defend themselves a little. So Newt ran off, along with Minho, J, Winston and Pan. Thomas shouted to the remaining gladers to find a place to hide.

They stored their weapons in a hidden wooden shed near the cards hut. While Minho and J went inside, the other three stood guard outside.

"Minho if we die tonight...", J reached for some wooden spears, but then stopped.

"Stop talking like that!", Minho immediately intervened and continued to collect weapons in the crook of his arm. J grabbed his shoulder and turned him so that he had to look at her.

"But if," she said urgently. She didn't miss the fact that Minho was now swallowing uneasily, but he quickly got himself back together and grinned cheekily at J. "Oh, sure. Of course it could be that we will be run over tonight, so if you have something else want to do..."

The boy leaned forward so that the tips of their noses were almost touching. J briefly felt the urge to actually move her face further forward so that they would touch each other. She could have simply pulled him closer, her hand was still on his shoulder. She felt the muscles of his upper arm underneath his shirt. But then she thought about it and remembered what situation they were in.

"Nonsense! In your dreams, idiot. I just meant... Oh forget it, I don't even know what I meant." J took her hand back from Minho's broad shoulder and collected the remaining weapons.

When they stepped outside again and handed out some of the weapons to Newt, Pan and Winston, terrible screaming echoed across the glade. A mix of Griever screeches and human roars. J felt the urge to hide somewhere until everything was over. She wanted to hide with her hands over her face, as if this was a nightmare that couldn't hurt her when she wasn't looking. But that wasn't true. This was real. And if they didn't fight, they would die one by one. So she squared her shoulders and sprinted back with the boys.

Everything that happened next didn't feel real to J at all. It felt like a movie to her. A very abstract film. Intangible.

The Grievers had invaded the glade and were attacking everything and everyone. It was barely possible to take a step, no matter in which direction. Newt was constantly at J's side. She was worried about him, his limp made it difficult for him to avoid the Grievers.

Finally they found themselves in the huge hut, where they held their meetings. Thomas, Teresa, Chuck and Alby rushed into the cabin after them. But the wooden building offered little protection. It took less than five minutes before a metal grabber arm broke through the roof with a crashing sound. Chuck, who couldn't dodge quickly enough, was grabbed and pulled into the air. Immediately everyone rushed forward and grabbed the screaming boy. Alby repeatedly hit the metal with a machete. With their combined strength, they managed to free Chuck from the clutches of the Griever arm. The metal tore off and fell to the ground with a clatter.

Breathing heavily, J put her hands on her hips, she needed a moment to catch her breath. Then she pulled Chuck towards her. Just in time. Another Griever arm shot through the roof. But before anyone could do anything, Alby jumped forward and let the metal grab him. They immediately rushed back to help him. But their leader didn't seem to be cooperating at all. In fact J had the feeling that he was resisting the helping hands.

Then suddenly he was gone. J stared at the battered ceiling of the meeting hut, into the hole, through which the Grievers had just dragged him. Alby was gone. What the hell had gotten into him? It almost seemed as if...

"Did the idiot just sacrifice himself?", J said what she was thinking. She didn't get an answer. The others were just as stunned as J.

"If so, then it worked," Minho looked as if he was listening intently. And indeed, the noises of the Grievers seemed to become quieter and quieter. When it had become quiet outside, they dared to leave the half-collapsed hut. In fact, there was no longer any Griever to be seen outside.

But this calm didn't last long. Because suddenly Gally came rushing towards them, out of the darkness of the night. Without further ado, without warning, he slammed his fist right into Thomas's face.

"Have you lost your last bit of a brain now?", Minho shouted, the first to react, and grab Gally. J was immediately there and helped drag the angry boy away from Thomas. But she probably should have kept her eyes on the Greenie. Suddenly they heard Teresa screaming behind them. The two runners immediately left Gally to see what was going on. It took a moment for her to understand everything. Thomas had grabbed the end of the Griever's tail <with the poison syringe< that Alby had knocked off and rammed it into his torso. Now he was lying on the ground, unconscious. J looked at him, just as shocked as everyone else. Everyone except Gally, he seemed surprised at first, but his face quickly became hard again.

"That's enough now. This Greenie is not normal, just like the brat," Gally pointed to Thomas and Teresa. Then he turned to the other gladers, who were now rushing to see what was going on. "Throw the Greenie into the Slammer! Come on."

"Leave her alone!", J turned to Gally when she noticed that some of the gladers were doing what the Keeper of the Builders told them to do. Gally himself grabbed Teresa and didn't pay any attention to J.

"Newt! Minho!", J tried to get support. But their priority seemed to lie somewhere else.

"It's not important now," Minho didn't even look at Teresa, and Newt agreed with him.

"Gally, let her be!", J tried again herself and tugged on Gally's iron grip on Teresa's upper arm.

"J, if you don't shut up right away, you'll go straight into the Slammer with them," Gally shouted at her and she immediately backed away. She had never seen the boy so angry, at least not towards her. Nevertheless, she held his gaze. She had respect for him, but not fear.

"Hey, that's enough!" Now Newt intervened and pushed himself between Gally and J. Minho gave a warning snort while he stared at Gally. But he was hardly impressed by that.

"The same applies to you," Gally growled at Newt. J expected Newt not to give in. He was actually in charge, after all, her brother was second leader. But something about Gally was different than usual, not just that he behaved like that. There was something more. There was something dark in his eyes that made J believe he was capable of worse than locking them all in the Slammer.

"Come on, let's see what was destroyed," her brother murmured as he turned away from Gally and tugged on J's sleeve. He seemed exhausted, and because she didn't want to get on his nerves even more, she followed him without any discussion. Before that, she looked at Teresa again, she would help the girl as quickly as possible when things had calmed down a bit. So J tried to give the dark-haired girl a reassuring smile. But the shocked because of what had happened tonight, was still sitting deep in her bones. It was difficult to put on a positive expression.