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SAMSON HAD COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN HIS WAY AROUND THE MAZE. He found himself running into corners when the Gladers turned, and tripping over his feet from exhaustion. Still, he ran as fast as he could behind his friends. The Maze only brought back horrible memories and the faster they escaped, the better.
For the most part, Samson ran by Leo's side. The two of them stayed silent so that they could focus on keeping up with the group, but every once in a while they'd catch each other's eye. Samson knew what Leo was thinking. Clark should have been with them. All of that adrenaline that Newt had given everyone back in the Glade was long gone, and Samson could tell by the looks on his friends' faces that they were all thinking about the ones they lost.
They finally arrived at the Griever Hole at 1:30 in the morning. Everyone stopped just around the corner, breathing heavily. Samson collapsed against the wall and let out a loud sigh. Several heads turned in his direction and Leo smacked him on the arm.
"What the--"
Leo put a finger to his lips. Samson lifted his head towards Thomas and Minho who stood at the front of the group, peeking their heads around the wall that separated them and the Griever Hole. Thomas' head snapped back around to face the Gladers and they all stared back at him, still trying to catch their breath.
"Is it a Griever?" Chuck whispered, answering everyone's question.
Thomas nodded. A few of the Gladers cursed under their breath and Samson rested his head against the stone wall behind him, groaning. Minho spun around at the sound and motioned for Samson to come towards them. Thomas, Minho, Teresa, Newt, and Chuck all huddled in a circle, isolated from the others. Sam managed to squeeze himself in between Thomas and Minho awkwardly, frowning at the Runners.
"You, Teresa, and Chuck are doing this," Thomas said. "Stay behind us until you have a clear passage down the Hole, and once you're down there, find out how to activate the codes."
Samson nodded too quickly. It didn't seem right to let everyone else fight off the Griever. Samson wanted to fight the Griever. Images of Clark's fleeting last moments filled his head. He needed to avenge him. But it wasn't just for Clark. It was for everyone they had lost. Ever. Like Newt had said back in the Glade, the Creators were going to pay for what they had done to Clark, Nick, Ben, Gally, Alby, and so many others.
After a moment, Samson took back his initial response and shook his head. "No. I'm gonna help up here. Teresa and Chuck know the codes, they'll be okay. I can't...I can't go down there knowing I could be up here helping you fight."
Thomas and Minho looked as if they were going to object, but to Samson's surprise, everyone kept quiet. From the corner of his eye, Samson swore he saw Newt twitch from where he stood. Samson swallowed hard and stepped away from the circle to return to Leo.
