Trials Together (Book One): The Maze Runner

Chapter 28

Too soon Harriet, Alby, Newt and Sonya began to gather the Gladers, corralling them all into a loose half-circle in front of the West Door. Thomas and his friends stood near the front, where they could hear and see almost everything.

"If this doesn't work, I'll kill ya before the Grievers get a chance." Minho told Thomas, pushing through the crowd with Miyoko on his heels.

"Thanks," Thomas said. But he couldn't shake the twisting feeling in his gut. What if somehow he was wrong? What if the memories he'd had were false ones? Planted somehow? The thought terrified him, and he pushed it aside. There was no going back.

He looked at Teresa, who shifted from foot to foot, wringing her hands. "You okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine," she answered with a small smile, clearly not fine at all. "Just anxious to get it over with."
"Amen, sister," Minho said. He looked the calmest to Thomas, the most confident, the least scared. Thomas envied him.

"There're seventy two of us." Newt announced from the front. Thomas glanced around the circle, most Gladers had stood with their partner, some holding hands or with their arms wrapped around each other. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Harriet scribble something on a notepad, shove that and a pencil into her pocket. Why was she doing that?

"Make sure you've got your weapons. Other than that, isn't a whole lot to buggin' say—you've all been told the plan. We're gonna fight our way through to the Griever Hole, and Tommy here's gonna punch in his little magic code and then we're gonna get payback on the Creators. Simple as that." Newt continued, glancing at Alby who was staring at the ground, fingering his bowstring.

"Shouldn't someone give a pep talk or something?" Minho asked.
"Go ahead," Newt replied.
Minho nodded and faced the crowd. "Be careful," he said dryly. "Don't die."
Thomas would have laughed if he could, but he was too scared for it to come out.

"Great. We're all bloody inspired," Newt answered, then pointed over his shoulder, toward the Maze. "You all know the plan. After two years of being treated like mice, tonight we're making a stand. Tonight we're taking the fight back to the Creators, no matter what we have to go through to get there. Tonight the Grievers better be scared."

"Should have waited until next week." Sonya quipped, this made most of the girls laugh. Thomas wondered why, girls were weird.

The Gladers cheered, the sound shaking the air, Thomas wished the Creators were watching, knew they were coming for them.

Everyone ran for the Doors, still cheering, weapons raised, into the Maze.

They ran, the air was filled with the sounds of heavy breathing, feet on stone, the clatters of beetle blades, more than Thomas had ever seen anywhere yet.

Nothing attacked them and no one spoke, it took an hour to reach the Cliff, stopping where if they peeked around the corner they could see where the Maze ended, the endless now-dark abyss that would be their salvation.

Miyoko peeked around the edge of the wall, her face was pale when she returned. Thomas had to strain to hear her words to Minho.

"Grievers, at least a dozen, more than I've ever seen, just sitting there."

Minho opened his mouth to reply to her but was but off by the sounds of metal on stone, of Grievers moving.

The group Miyoko had spotted was coming towards them, stopping only a dozen feet away. Another was approaching from the other end of the long corridor, the Gladers were trapped, everyone backing into each other, a tight crowd.

What are they doing? Thomas called out to Teresa. What are they waiting for?
She didn't answer, which worried him. He reached out and squeezed her hand. Aris and Rachel were next to them, touching from shoulder to toe. The Gladers around them stood silent, clutching their meager weapons.

Thomas looked over at Newt. "Got any ideas?"
"No," he replied, his voice just the tiniest bit shaky. "I don't understand what they're bloody waitin' for."
"We shouldn't have come," Alby said. He'd been so quiet, his voice sounded odd, especially with the hollow echo the Maze walls created.

Alby didn't reply, he grabbed Harriet, wrapped his arms around her in a fierce hug.

"What?" The girl started, obviously confused, but she held onto her friend.

"Get out of the way. Stay alive. Keep leading. Lead them out. Never give up." Alby's instructions filled Thomas with dread, they sounded like a farewell.

"And thanks for being my friend. Goodbye." Alby kissed the top of Harriet's head then let go of her, running towards the Grievers.

"ALBY! Get back here!" Newt yelled, but the leader didn't respond. Harriet did nothing, tears silently making their way down her cheeks. Alby had decided to be their sacrifice, because he couldn't bear going back to the world that had been so horrible in his memories.

Alby didn't stop, now sprinting towards the creatures. Sonya and Minho had grabbed Newt, stopping him from following his friend.

Five or six Grievers all went for Alby at once, attacking him in a blur of metal and skin, the boy didn't scream, his body disappearing before their eyes.

Everyone who had seen what had happened was frozen in shock, those who hadn't clamoured to hear what the hold up was.

"We need to go now, maybe they've gone dormant." Rachel began, Harriet nodded but Newt looked outraged.

"How can you be so heartless." He whispered, Harriet turned on him.

"You know as well as the rest of us what he did. Now let's not waste it." She turned back to the Grievers and swallowed, still crying, they seemed to be feeding on Alby's body.

Minho turned and faced the huddled group of Gladers. "Listen up! Number one priority is to protect Thomas and Teresa. Get them to the Cliff and the Hole so—"

The sounds of the Grievers revving to life cut him off. Thomas looked up in horror. The creatures on both sides of their group seemed to have noticed them again. Spikes were popping in and out of blubbery skin; their bodies shuddered and pulsed.

Then, in unison, the monsters moved forward, slowly, instrument-tipped appendages unfolding, pointed at Thomas and the Gladers, ready to kill. Tightening their trap formation like a noose, the Grievers steadily charged toward them.

Alby's sacrifice had failed miserably.