Sacrifice

Chapter Nine

 Present Day 

Chuck was the first one to wake up that morning. He wasted no time and headed strait for the Doors, which were still closed. Chuck knew that the odds of Thomas, Minho and Alby coming back were next to impossible. Even Newt didn't have any hope, and since he was the most senior Glader now, surely he knew what he was talking about. 

But Chuck still held onto the belief that they could make it. Alby was the original Glader, he'd survived this long, surely he and Minho, who knew the Maze better than anyone, could figure out a way to survive the night. Then there was Thomas. Chuck couldn't explain it, but there was something special about the Greenie. 

Claire spotted Chuck by the Doors as she and Newt emerged out of the tent and felt her heart break. 

"Shuck," Newt muttered under his breath. 

They both went over to the Doors as they opened. 

"Hey guys, come see," Chuck said. 

Newt and Claire looked down the corridor. Just as they expected, it was empty. 

"I'm sorry, Chuck, but they're not coming back," Newt said gently. He turned around and saw that a small group had gathered around them. Newt motioned for all of them to get to work. The only person who stayed behind was Chuck. Newt considered ordering the young boy to move along, but then again, maybe this would be the best way for Chuck to learn the truth on his own. He'd only been in the Glade for a month. Sure he'd been told that no one ever survives a night in the Maze, but actually seeing that would let the message sink in better. 

Newt met Claire's eyes and the two of them turned to walk away, and to figure out what the hell they were going to do now. 

"No way." they heard Chuck say. 

Everyone turned around, and they were absolutely shocked to see Minho and Thomas carrying Alby into the Glade. 

"Yeah!" Chuck cheered, and soon the other Gladers were all applauding after getting over the initial shock. 

"No shucking way," Newt said, grinning. He turned to Claire, who looked completely flabbergasted, but she was also smiling. Then they ran over to their friends. 

Newt helped Clint lower Alby while Jeff checked the boy for injuries. Claire ran to Minho and gave him a hug. Everyone was buzzing with excitement. 

"Did you see a Griever?" Chuck asked Thomas. 

"Yeah I saw one." 

Then Minho chimed in. "He didn't just see it...he killed it." 

*************** 

One Year Ago 

After James was banished Claire did her best to return to normal life (or at least as normal as it got in the Glade). She was officially made a Fielder, a job she actually kind of liked, and she got to work with her friends all day. 

At night she crashed with Minho, Alby and Newt in their tent. Even though James was gone, she still felt really on edge at night. Everytime she closed her eyes, all she could see was James' face. Surprisingly, she almost never saw the menacing look he had when he captured her, she always saw him during his banishment. 

As Claire had watched James get pushed into the Maze by his former friends, she didn't see any hint of the arrogant, cruel attacker she had come to fear. Instead she saw a vulnerable boy who was scared. Who looked at her and begged to to do something, to stop this from happening. But she didn't. The last thing she saw of James was him on the other side of the closing Doors, pleading for his life.