control ⇢ the maze runner / thomas [1] ✓

Chapter Thirty-Nine

"If they tell my story, I am either going to
die on the battlefield in glory or rise up."
—Hamilton

CONTROL,
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

RUBY WAS TIRED. She would be the first to admit that. She'd been running for an hour. Even though she was used to it, something about the situation was weighing her down. She also picked Dimitri up every once in a while, not wanting him to get left behind.

Lots of the others were tired too. Many were out of breath. Leo was red in the face beside her.

Finally, they made it to the alley that would lead them to the Cliff. Minho slowed down, then stopped. He gestured for everyone to do the same. "What is it?", Ruby whispered, trying to see over the crowd. Leo shook his head, not having an answer for her either.

Ruby didn't need anyone to answer. After she'd asked the question it, she heard it herself. Griever sounds. The enemy had been lying in wait. "There's at least a dozen of them, maybe fifteen. They're just waiting on us", Minho said a bit louder for people to hear. Fear struck Ruby's heart.

"Well, we knew we'd have to fight", Newt said, stepping up.

Thomas was saying something, but Ruby couldn't focus on it. She was too busy panicking. Why were they just sitting there, waiting on them? Suddenly the sounds of a Griever echoed behind them. Several more came from in front of them. They were trapped. On both sides, hordes of Grievers watched them, waiting. There was nowhere to go. Maybe Gally was right.

Maybe there really was no way out.

"We shouldn't have come", Alby panicked.

"What else were we supposed to do, Alby?", Ruby asked over the noise. "Sit in there and wait for them to kill us all? Pick us off one by one? Face it, we were no better off out there then in here. Life is pain. It's not easy. It never has been, and it never will be. But you can't give up just because it's hard. If everyone gave up when things got hard, we'd never get anywhere!" Ruby swallowed thickly. "If one of us has to die then... If any of us have to die, don't let it be for nothing. Don't let any of them who got taken die for nothing. We're alive right now for a reason. I don't know what's out there, but it's gotta be better than this."

"Maybe I should..." Alby began walking, almost in a dreamlike state.

"Alby? Get back here!", Newt shouted. "Alby!" But it was too late. Alby had already run towards the Grievers that blocked the Cliff. Several of them attacked, tearing the boy to shreds. Newt was about to run out there, but Thomas grabbed him. "Let go!"

Ruby didn't know what Newt was feeling. How could she? How did one feel when watching your best friend get ripped apart? Two more joined in the massacre. Alby didn't even scream. It was like the creatures were feeding on him, taking everything.