The Silent Runner

13. glass

He dropped to his knees, crazy in his eyes, his chest rising and falling in such a drastic manner. His clothes were torn and filthy. His eyes darted from boy to boy and then to me. His nostrils flared but still, no one said a word. Everyone was hoping he wasn't really there but they all knew the truth.

"They'll kill you!" Gally screamed, his spit flying from his mouth. "The Grievers will kill you all- one every night till you're all dead!" Still, no one spoke. Gally began to stand, his right leg trailing blood as he walked forward. No one moved. Finally, Gally stopped just inches from Thomas, whose breathing was just as heavy. He shoved his finger in Thomas's face. "And it's all your fault!" In an instant, he swung his fist into Thomas's face, who fell to the floor before scampering to his feet.

Newt snapped out of his gaze and pushed Gally back. He fell into a table, breaking a lamp that crashed to the ground. Everyone expected him to go ballistic but he only stood tall, staring at the crowd with a disturbing gaze.

"It can't be solved," he spoke, his voice now quiet. "The shuck Maze'll kill all you shanks. The Grievers'll kill you. . . one every night till it's over. . . It's better this way." His eyes fell the floor, still wide. "They'll only kill you one a night. . . their stupid variables. . ." Everyone listened in awe, not moving an inch.

Newt stepped forward. "Gally, shut your bloody hole- there's a Griever right out the window. Just sit on your butt and be quiet. Maybe it'll go away." A sick laugh escaped Gally's lips before he looked up at him. I stayed low to be sure he wouldn't spot me. Everything about Gally terrified me- even more than the damn Grievers.

"You don't get it, Newt. You're too stupid. You've always been too stupid! There's no way out! We belong to the maze!" Screaming his last words, he threw himself toward the window and began tearing at the wooden board like a wild dog trying to escape a kennel.

"No!" Newt yelled, running forward while Thomas followed. Wood planks flew from the wall. Gally took one and whacked Newt in the head, sending him to the ground. Minho and another boy pulled him to a bed that sat in the corner, a blood trail following them.

"Gally!" Thomas yelled, pulling him away from the wall and pinning him onto it. "What're you doing!"

"You shut your shuck-face, Thomas. You shut up! I know who you are, but I don't care no more. I can only do what's right!" Thomas stood baffled at his words, as did I and everyone behind us. Gally pushed him away and ripped back the final board. The second it hit the floor the glass window shattered. Thomas covered his face and fell backward. I shielded Chuck's face with my arms, pulling him into my chest.

Seconds after all the glass stopped flying, everyone looked to see the pulsing, slimy body of a Griever halfway through the hole. Metallic arms with pincers snapping and clawing anywhere it could. Everyone fled to the hallway except an unconscious Newt, a shocked Thomas, and a crippled me. My crutches had been kicked across the room and I'd pushed Chuck along with the crowd.

Thomas looked from Newt to the Griever who was now reaching for the seemingly lifeless body.

Thomas! The glass!

I yelled in my head, now pointing to a big glass shard. He covered his ears as if what I said was loud and then looked from me to the glass before picking it up. It was too late though, as Gally began screaming at it and it pulled its arm back away from Newt, now staring Gally in the face.

Thomas shot a worried glance at me because I was lying on my stomach, careful to keep my foot off the ground. I swatted my hand at him, signaling I was fine.

"No one ever understood!" Gally screamed at the Griever who was still trying to squeeze it's way into the homestead, ripping more of the wall away. "No one ever understood what I saw- what the Changing did to me!" Gally turned to look at Thomas. "Don't go back to the real world, Thomas. You don't want to remember!" With that he plowed into the Griever, trying to attack it.

He didn't do much. His fists were flying but it didn't affect the Griever. It's bulbous body barely moved before it's monstrous arms clasped onto Gally everywhere they could. Thomas stared, eyes horrified but there was nothing he could do. Gally's body sank like quicksand into the Griever. There was a mind freezing scream before the monster pushed itself out of the homestead and jumped back onto the ground. Thomas jumped up and ran to look out at it. I pulled myself up, getting a look at the Griever carrying Gally's motionless body towards the maze door.

The rest of them followed, rolling along the Glade, their yellow lights casting an eerie glow- it being the only light source other than the invisible moon.

Thomas looked like he was going to puke, backing away from the window till something else began to move- something smaller. Despite the surrounding darkness, we both knew who it was and Thomas yelled for him to stop but he wouldn't.

It was Minho, running full speed into the maze. Thomas looked to me, worry in his eyes. Pale on his skin.

"We have to go after him! He followed them in. Why- why would he do that?" Thomas yelled, now shouting at an aching Newt who followed him to the Maze door, as well as the rest of us.

"I saw," Newt said, pulling a cloth off of his head revealing patchy blood. They stood yelling back and forth till Minho appeared, running around the corner.

"There!" Chuck yelled. I'd nearly forgotten about him. Thomas whipped his whole body around.

"What were you doing, idiot!" Thomas shouted, no mercy in his voice, his breath finally slowing. I held myself up on my crutches, the wood already burning the pits of my arms. Minho crouched over, his breath heavy as he placed his hands on his knees.

"I just. . . wanted to. . . make sure." No one said a word, waiting him to be a bit less vague. Minho stood up, now placing his hands on his hips, still trying to catch a breath. "I wanted to see if they went toward the cliff."

"And?" Newt asked, dabbing his rag into his head again.

"Bingo."