The Lost Glader || A TMR Fanfiction

Chapter 22 || Trapped

I hit the floor with a loud thud, pain shooting up my ankle, as tears filled my eyes. I grasped my ankle tightly whimpering as the pain increased. The sound of running footsteps became louder before finally Minho dropped down next to me.

"What were you thinking, slinthead?" He said, but I could hear the slight panic in his voice. "Shut up..." I moaned squeezing my eyes shut wishing I could block out the throbbing.

I heard him sigh in exasperation. "I hate to say this, but we have to go. Right now! We're barely going to have enough time to get into the Glade." Slowly I nodded. I had to get up, we had to go.

After some effort and help from Minho I stood on my good ankle. After a moment, I placed my other foot down and winced, but otherwise kept my foot planted. "Think you can walk?" The runner asked after a moment and I firmly nodded my head. "Yeah I think so, I didn't fall from too high. Plus, I don't think I have much of a choice." I took a glance back at an unconscious Alby.

"What happened to him anyway?" He grunted clenching and unclenching his fists. "Come on, walk and talk. We're running out of time."

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We carried Alby in between us. Minho on side, me on the other side limping pathetically. As we hurried back, he explained to me how they had found the dead Griever, but turns out it wasn't dead at all and ended up stinging Alby before dashing away.

"Can't you go any faster?" Minho said, looking at me over Alby'a drooping head. I groaned shaking my head. "Sorry that I was just crippled looking for you..." He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well no one told you to do that."

"Be grateful for once in your life. We're making faster progress than you carrying Alby by yourself." He scoffed, looking ahead again. "Barely." If it wasn't for the fact that we were racing against the clock, I would have dropped Alby and let Minho carry him himself, but instead I just grunted, continuing to walk.

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My heartbeat froze when I took a look at my watch. "10 minutes until the doors close..." I said looking at Minho, with I'm sure panicked eyes. "Ok we have to pick up the pace!" This was easier said than done. Both of us were completely exhausted, and my ankle was hurting more and more with each step.

Looking around, I knew we were getting close to the doors, but at the pace we were making, I honestly wasn't sure if we would be able to make it in time.

"Ok, we're close." I mumbled between labored breaths. Minho didn't answer, staying focused on the task at hand. Despite the pain, I pushed myself to go faster, even if it was a weak improvement.

"Just around this corner!" Minho called to me, not moving his gaze from the front. As we turned the corner, I immediately heard voices. My head shot up and I spotted almost all of the Gladers at the Doors. 

My eyes locked with Newt's shocked and fear filled ones. "Come on! Hurry up!" The Gladers yelled panic present in their tones.

"Almost there..." I whispered. It was then that the horrible grinding sounds of the maze doors closing began. Of course, it had to be at that moment that Minho tripped, taking us all down with him. I cried out in pain, my ankle throbbing relentlessly. I scrambled to my feet, hooking my arm around Alby like Minho.

Even as we began hurrying again, I could already see that we were much too far away, and the doors were beginning become closer and closer together. Tears filled my eyes and I heard Minho grunting, as if that would make us go faster.

I looked up again, seeing that there was no way we would make it in time. Then I spotted Thomas, watching with wide eyes. Suddenly the emotion in his eyes quickly changed, and just as I began to realize what it meant, he began running through the doors.

The crunching and grinding sounds of stone came to a stop as the walls came to a close, but not before Thomas fell out of the gap and onto the stone floor of the maze. I groaned dropping to my knees as I realized our situation.

Minho sat Alby down before going over to Thomas. "What were you thinking coming in here? That you can save us, huh? That this was a good idea?" He said angrily grabbing him by his shirt.

"Minho stop! He just thought he could help..." I said pushing myself so that my back come into contact with the hard wall. Minho let go of Thomas, who turned and looked down at me. "It wasn't smart what you just did, Thomas." I said before casting my eyes downward. "But you did the same thing, came in after them..." He replied sitting down across from me.

I sighed running a hand through my hair. "Yeah, I did. But I didn't do it when the walls were closing. I thought I could get back in time." I said shaking my head as if I couldn't believe what I had done. "And what you did was stupid too!" Minho, had been pacing, stopped to say angrily.

I rolled my eyes. "Look, I was just trying to help you! I was worried when you two weren't back yet!" "Well, we didn't need your help! You caused more problems than you fixed! After all, you're the one that got injured." I stood up getting right in Minho's face. "I'm sorry, but me getting injured, didn't hinder you from getting here. In fact I helped get us here faster!" I yelled the frustration of our circumstances weighing on me. "Oh yeah!" Minho said throwing his hands up. "And look how well that turned out!" He yelled motioning to the closed Maze doors.

Before I knew what I was doing, I reared my hand back and slapped him across the face. A look of surprise washed over him and before he could speak I forcefully poked him chest. "Look I came back in here because I was worried, about you, slinthead! But oh you were totally fine, because you don't need anyone ever!" I yelled my face getting red with anger.

The horrible sound of a Griever caused all of us to freeze in place. I turned my head to look down on of the corridors. "They're coming..." I whispered. Minho quickly stepped back. "We have to get out of here! Our best chance is to split up!" He said getting ready to run down another corridor. "What? Minho no!"

He stopped turning to look at me. "You have a better idea?" "Yeah sticking together! No one has ever survived a night in the maze, but if we work together we might be able to!" He scoffed in response. "You think we can fight those things?" He asked waving a hand toward the corridor where the terrifying sounds of Grievers approaching emitted from.

"Nobody has ever tried! Everyone has always ran like a coward, like you're about to do!" He squeezed his eyes shut for a brief moment before looking away from me. "I'm taking my best chance at life." He said, and without waiting for a response, he took off running away from us.

My heart sunk a little as I watched his retreating form. I took a deep breath before turning to Thomas. "We have to go. Those Grievers are coming and we're not going to want to be here when they do."