Redemption

Chapter 1

Thomas sat with Brenda on that cliff for who knows how long. He knew things could only get better from here on out. He grabbed Brenda's hand,

"You never told me. Did you actually feel anything for me back on the Scorch?".

"Yeah, I mean, when we were hiding under that table. I guess something clicked and I hated WICKED even more for making me watch you suffer, get hurt and even fall for me, knowing I could never do anything.",She responded.

Thomas shrugged. He was surprised by what he'd just heard. He looked back at the now quickly-setting sun. He could hear Minho still directing the others. Thomas was torn inside. He saw Teresa die before his eyes, trying to save him. They had been so close to refuge. Freedom. Thomas swore to himself he'd never let anyone else lose their lives for him. It had happened with Chuck as well. He turned back at Brenda and smiled.

"We should get going or Minho will have another fit."

She laughed, probably the best sound he'd heard since The Maze.

20 YEARS LATER

Current population: 800

A fresh start. That's exactly how Thomas would've described it. Now, father of 2, he was at peace. After WICKED, the few sane people who'd made it to refuge, had built a new civilization. Although technology was not as advanced as before, the brightest of the bunch had rebuilt what they could with the materials at hand. It was a normal, sunny day in the flat-trans dimension, when Thomas awoke next to his wife, Caroline. He turned over to look out the window, which had a view that spanned over the village. Their house sat atop a hill, overlooking the civilization on one side and a flowering meadow on the other. He kissed Caroline on the forehead and slipped out of bed, leaving her behind to continue resting. He creeped downstairs to start breakfast, since today was The Day of Rest. He took out a metal frying pan with a silicone handle and cracked 8 eggs into it, scrambling them with a pinch of salt. Once the eggs were ready, he added them to a bowl and placed it on the small wooden table in their cozy kitchen. He opened the back door to let a breeze in and stepped outside to grab some oranges from the tree in his backyard. He picked a few, squeezed them into a pitcher and went back upstairs to fetch his family.