Sacrifice

Chapter Fourteen

Thomas, Newt, Minho, Teresa, Gally and Frypan all entered the infirmary. Jeff and Clint were already there. Alby was sitting upright in his cot staring into the distance with Claire sitting silently next to him. 

"Has he said anything?" Minho asked. 

"No," Teresa answered. 

"Alby," Newt said softly, sitting down on the other side of his friend. "Alby, are you alright?" 

Alby didn't answer. Newt locked eyes with Claire, he understood what she was saying without having to speak: Alby had been like this since he woke up, no one had been able to get a word out of him. Thomas knelt down in front of Alby. 

"Hey, Alby," he said. "Alby, we might have just found a way out of the Maze. You hear me? We could be getting out of here." 

"We can't," Alby whispered. "We can't leave...they won't let us." 

"What do you mean, Alby?" Claire asked. 

"I remember." 

Everyone felt as if chills had just run through their bodies. For three years they had been waiting for someone to utter those two words. For someone to be able to give them any clues to what the outside world is like. 

"What do you remember?" Thomas asked. 

"You," Alby answered, facing Thomas. "You were always their favorite, Thomas. Why did you do this? Why did you come here?" 

Before Thomas could really process what Alby was saying, or anyone could push Alby for more answers, they were distracted by the commotion going on outside. The two Med-Jacks stayed behind with Alby while the others went to investigate. 

When they got outside they saw boys running frantically around, shouting various incoherent words at each other. A lot of them were also carrying torches since it was now a lot darker outside. 

"Hey, Winston, what's going on?" Thomas asked as the boy approached them. 

"It's the Doors, they aren't closing." 

Everyone rushed across the field. Sure enough the sky was almost pitched black, but the massive Doors that has always kept them safe at night were wide open. 

Suddenly a much more frightening sound echoed throughout the Glade. On the other side of the Glade, another door to the Maze opened, then two more. They were no longer safe in the Glade, they were completely vulnerable to Grievers. 

"Hey, Chuck, I want you to go to Council Hall, start barricading the doors," Thomas instructed the young boy. 

"Winston, you go with him," Newt ordered. 

"Get the others in the forest, tell them to hide," Gally told other boys. 

"Minho, grab every weapon you can find," Thomas said. 

Minho nodded and took off with Frypan and Tim. 

"Claire, you're with me," Newt said. "We're gonna gather everyone we can." 

Claire nodded, but before they left she turned to Jack and told him to stay with Zart. 

"Teresa, we're gonna go get Alby," Thomas said. 

Teresa nodded. 

Suddenly they heard something moving from inside the Maze. It was the same noise Thomas heard when he was trapped. The Grievers were coming. 

"Alright, everybody hide!" he yelled. 

Boys ran in all different directions. One group followed Zart and Jack toward the tall corn fields. Thomas started in that direction, but then stopped when he realized Teresa was standing frozen in place, staring at the open doors.