Tired of Running

34|| fear and fire

//  we've looked for a way out-
      out of this for so long;
    desperation blurs a line
  between right and wrong \\

    •
We found the way out.
Outbursts erupted before anyone could speak another word. Boys were all yelling over one another, shoving, desperate to get their answers first. Harper covered her ears, her head spinning from all the noise and pushing.
"SHUT UP!" Newt's scream had silenced all the gladers, even making a few jump. He took a deep breath, eyes now fixed on Harper.
"What happened?"

Harper locked eyes with Newt, taking a deep breath. Thomas was finally on his feet, his breathing normal again, "We found where the grievers come from..." Harper cursed herself, her hand automatically going to her forehead.
Chuck was the first to talk this time, "What? You found where the grievers live?
And you want us to go there?"
Thomas shook his head, the courage coming back to him, "Their way in could be our way out chuck." Gally stepped to the front this time, bumping Minho aside, "Or you could get every single one of us killed. Truth is, Thomas doesn't know what he's done, as usual."
Harper exhaled, crossing her arms over her chest. Thomas stepped closer to Gally; he couldn't believe he had been afraid of this kid.
"At least I did something Gally."
Harper backed into Newt, eyes shifting between Thomas and Gally; knowing things were about to blow up quickly.
Gally pushed Thomas, pointing an accusing finger in his face, "Let me tell you something, greenie. You've been here three days.
I've been here three years."
Thomas batted his finger away, "Yeah, you've been here three years and you're still here, Gally!"  Gally threw his hands up in the air nodding, "How about we put you in charge, Thomas?  How about that?"

    Harper looked around the glade, something feeling off.  She drowned out the boys' argument as she studied her surroundings.
It was nightfall; the sun barely visible over the glade walls.  Her eyes shifted slightly, following the west wall.  Something struck her that made the boys argument completely vanish from her mind.  The doors weren't closing. 
No one had noticed, with the shouting and fight that broke out.  She turned to Newt, his eyes still watching Gally and Thomas cautiously. 

    "Newt..."
Her voice was quieter than she was used to, her eyes still fixed on the maze.  Newt turned, seemingly confused about his surroundings. Something was off and Harper pointed it out,
"The doors..." 
Newt whipped around, eyes finding the doors.
His face went ghostly pale; that look alone, sending chills down Harper's spine.  A crackle boomed throughout the glade; so loud, the gladers ducked and grabbed for their ears.
The north, south and east doors were all opening. 

    Chaos and panic took over before anyone could think.  A group of boys were running madly from the woods.  Their faces colored with terror, most of them screaming.
Newt had grabbed ahold of Harper before he even needed conformation. 
"GRIEVER!"  Charles ran madly past the group, his scream tearing at his throat, eyes wild with terror.  All at once, the gladers had split; everyone running frantically in different directions.  Newt grabbed Harper, pulling her toward the homestead.  Harper was running with him without moving her legs.  She followed him, her mind not even registering what was happening.  Minho was right behind her, followed by Thomas and Teresa. 

    Newt pushed Harper through the door, holding it open for the three behind him. 
He slammed the door, not pausing to wait for anyone else.  "Get upstairs!" He turned, looking to the group.  None of them moved, everyone clearly too stunned and scared. 
"GET UP STAIRS!"  Newt wasn't asking, the fear in his eyes and tone of voice sent Teresa and Thomas up the stairs right away.  
Minho and Harper stayed by Newt's side, both looking at each other with wide eyes.
"Harper."  Newt's eyebrows were raised, this time in his authority figure.  "Get up those stairs."  Harper didn't; instead, she pulled open the door calling for the panicking gladers. 
Chuck, Winston, Jeff, Gally and a whole group came charging through the door.  They all had pure terror in their eyes as they stampeded up the stairs.  Harper held Newt's hand, squeezing it tightly.  A few more gladers burst through the door, all running up the stairs. 

The metallic grind and squish of flesh got closer.  Newt barricaded the door, slamming his shoulder against some shelves, the shelves falling in place.  He shoved a bar between the handle, securing it on the wall.  He backed away slowly.  The griever was just outside;
the room went silent.  Newt grabbed Harper's hand, pulling her along beside him.  He motioned to Minho, sending him up the stairs.
Newt followed, Harper's hand tightly in his.
Upstairs, the boys were huddled in a corner, barely daring to breathe. 

Newt sat against the wall; pulling Harper into him, arms around her tightly.  Minho sat between he and Thomas.  No one moved, no one spoke, no one even breathed.  The clicking of the griever had stopped, but no one would move yet.  Newt felt Harper shaking against him, her breathing shallow and stuttered.
She was crying.  He nestled his nose into her hair, kissing her head, "It's alright..."
After many minutes of silence, Minho stood up.
"I think it's gone..."  A few other gladers followed his lead, hunching low, cautiously.

    It was decided it was safe.  The boys shuffled around, starting to talk quietly. 
"Is everyone here?"  Newt spoke, but he didn't move from his spot.  "No..." This was Winston, "There's a group hiding in the box and there's a group in the fields..."  "I think it's safe to—"
Minho was cut off by Gally screaming.  The boy was ripping the wood from the boarded up windows, maddeningly and frantic.
"GALLY!"  Harper ran for the boy.
It seemed like he had completely lost control of himself.  "GALLY STOP!"

Gally shoved her to the ground, his eyes just fixed on the window.  "They won't stop." 
His voice sounded haunted- far away, "They'll come back every night and kill one of us.  One a night.  Until we get out."  The boy's eyes were blank, his face expressionless, as he continued to rip at the boards. As if on cue, a griever arm tore through the window, glass flying everywhere, sending Harper curling into a ball of protection.  Gally screamed, jumping into the griever's arms in one last mad act.  The griever immediately stopped tearing at the building and focused on it's attacker.  Two long metal arms wrapped around Gally, pulling him right into it's slimy flesh.  Harper had screamed, climbing away from the window blindly.

Newt was already on his feet, reaching for Harper and pulling her as far away from the window as she could get.  No one moved at first, but all at once everyone made a dash for the door. The griever holding Gally was slinking it's way back inside the maze, the other groups reappearing from their hiding.
Harper was crying, Chuck had fainted, and several boys were injured from the glass shards.  Thomas knelt by Chuck before his eyes caught the window; he stood up slowly, eyes wide. His pale face stared out the window, an orange glow reflecting off his face,
"The maps..."

Minho looked at him in confusion before he saw the smoke.  The map room was on fire.
Minho threw himself down the stairs, determined to reach the map room before it was too late. Thomas was right behind him, skidding to a clumsy stop.  "No, no no...."  Minho shook his head, heart falling at the sight in front of him.  It was collapsing, black smoke collecting in a thick suffocating atmosphere.  There was nothing left; nothing to be salvaged. 
It was all gone.
"We're never getting out of here..."