If There Is A Light

Chapter 60

"This is such a waste." Gally remarked as they threw Thomas (who was pretending to be still unconscious) onto the ground. Teresa was being held with her arms behind her back.

"Gally..." Winston's voice was kind a quiet, almost like he was scared to talk, "It doesn't feel right, man."

Jeff piped up, "Yeah, what is Thomas is right? Maybe he can lead us home."

"We are home. Okay?" Newt cringed when Gally said those words. The Glade had undeniably been a home to them, but it was meant to be more of a waypoint. They were never supposed to stay there indefinitely. "I don't wanna have to cross anymore names off that wall."

"You really think banishing us is going to solve anything?" Teresa spoke freely, she was about to be thrown into the maze and to the Grievers so it was not like she really had anything to lose at that point.

"No. But this isn't a banishing. It's an offering."

"What? Wait! Gally, what are you doing?" Teresa was pushed against the pole and her arms were tied above her.

"You really think I'm gonna let Thomas back into the maze after what he's done? Look around you! Look at our Glade! This is the only way." Gally was doing his best to sell his delusion to the other Gladers and it was seemingly working. Newt looked towards Minho, they had made their choice earlier but at that point Gally only seemed crazy, not completely insane. Minho gave a nod that was slight enough that only Newt was able to note it. "And when the Grievers get what they came for, everything goes back to the way it was."

"Are you listening to this? Why are you all just standing there? He's crazy!"

"You shut up."

"If you stay here, the Grievers are going to come back. They're going to come back, and they're going to keep coming back, until you're all dead!"

"Shut up! Tie him up! Did you hear me?! I said tie him up!"

When Gally's two new elected goons began to lift Thomas up, he jabbed his elbow into one's stomach and quickly grabbed hold of his spear before knocking the other one in the head with it. Newt pulled out the knife he had strapped to his back and hit one of the Gladers about to go after Thomas in the back with the handle (just enough to knock him down and keep him down for a few moments). Teresa failed against her restraints and kicked everyone who tried to come near her. The blade of Minho's knife rested on Gally's shoulder. Chuck noticing the commotion was taking care of came running with all of their things that had gathered in advance.

Minho circled around keeping his blade trained on Gally and all of them stood in front of the entrance to the maze. Newt could see Frypan out of the corner of his eye handing Teresa a knife.

"You're full of surprises, aren't you?"

"You don't have to come with us, but we are leaving. Anyone else who wants to come, now is your last chance." Thomas ordered, he would have given them more time if they had any, but if they wanted any chance of survival they should have left hours ago.

"Don't listen to him, he's just trying to scare you."

"No, I'm not trying to scare you. You're already scared. All right? I'm scared. But I'd rather risk my life out there than spending the rest of it in here. We don't belong here. Okay? This place isn't our home. We were put here. We were trapped here. At least out there we have a choice. We can make it out of here. I know that." Thomas felt a little better about his speech once Winston and Jeff joined them and after the two a handful of the others stepped towards them as well. "Gally it's over... Just come with us."

"Good luck against the Grievers." Newt felt Minho pat him on the back in a gesture to get them to start moving and they did. A bit reluctantly so since they were leaving so many behind.