𝐃𝐈𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓-𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙨

VI-GRIEVERS!

Everyone gathered at the wall, staring into the opening. The air tingled with anticipation and fear. This wasn't right. Thomas said the grievers roamed the Maze at night, without the door closed what was gonna stop then from coming from into the Glade?

A boom sounded from all of the Glade, birds flying from the other walls. Doors that I hadn't realized were there opened. This one wasn't the only one? Why was it the only one that opened until now?

"Chuck go to the council hall, start barricading the door. Winston go with him. Aesara you too."

"Wait-" Chuck pulled my arm, dragging me with him. A loud screech made us stop and look back at the doors. There was something at the end of the hallway.

And then more screaming, but from the boys. "Grievers."

"Alright everybody hide." Thomas yelled.

This time I dragged Chuck, asking him where the council hall was. He pointed to a round hut at the closest corner of the Glade. I opened the door and pushed both boys in. Chuck looked over my shoulder and his eyes widened. "Aesara!" I turned and saw a huge metal creature running towards us. "Griever."

"Watch out for the others." I ordered and charged at the monster. It screeched and ran after me. I ducked under the body, narrowly missing the tail. I made my way to the large forest, dodging boys and grievers as I went. When I got to the tree line, I felt something sharp pierce into my left thigh. "Ah!"

I fell to my knee, holding onto my leg. White hot pain filled my entire body, starting from the sting wound. I turned my head, watching as the griever slowly stalked towards me. This was it, this was how I was gonna die. With only the memories of two days. Was it really that long? But then something struck me.

"No." This wasn't how I was gonna go out. Not by the hands (or rather claws) of the griever. Not while I was stuck in this place, out here by God knows who. I got up, hissing when a bolt of pain raced down my leg. The nearest tree was just three feet away and the lowest branch I could reach was five feet. I grabbed it, steeling my good leg and began to climb. There were many times when I felt the tail of the griever against my back, tearing my shirt. But it didn't follow me up the tree, so I got the highest I could and slumped against the tree, my vision going blurry. "I'll just wait it out."

• • •

"Please don't leave!" I screamed, watching as the people from our village left. I held Teresa in my arms, her unconscious body too heavy for me to carry. "Please don't die."

"Aesara!" An old man yelled at me, snapping me to attention. I looked up. "Don't you think this in more important to learn than how many sheep you can count."

I blushed. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you so important?" I asked, a girl almost identical to myself stood in front of me. "Why do they like you more?"

"The way I see it," Teresa responds. "For you to live, you want the people in charge to like you."

"Thomas can barely tell the difference between you too," Minho laughed. "Why would you expect him to know any different with his feelings too. Besides if I were him, I'd take both."

"That's disgusting Minho. If he did, it'd be like I'm dating my sister also."

"We should send them both up. See how the boy's would react." An old lady said. She stood in front of a group of people in white lab coats seated at a table. "And besides. It'd be fun to watch this whole triangle of feelings."

The light was bright when my eyes opened. I squinted, getting used to the light. I sat up, groaning when I moved my leg. I looked down and saw it was bandaged, only some blood showed through. I looked around, noticing that I was in the slammers, and that the hard pact floor wasn't really that comfortable. I don't know how Thomas did it.

"Aesara was there too." Someone said. It sounded like Thomas. I stood up, realizing that he was in the one next to me, Teresa next to him in the cell. Newt, Minho, and Chuck sat outside of it.

"What are you guys talking about?"

"Oh sleeping beauty's awake." Minho stated. "How was your nap."

"Just wonderful. Gonna answer my question and help me out?"

"Tommy stung himself and got some memories back." Newt answered as he swung the bared door open and pulled me out. "What were you doing in a tree? I'm surprised you didn't fall out."

"A grieved got me. I was steering it away from Chuck and Winston."

"That mean you also got your memories back?" Chuck asked.

I nodded. "Hurt like a bit-" Newt covered my mouth, yelping when I licked his palm.

"You're disgusting."

"Why would we send them up if we were with them?" Teresa said, interrupting us.

Teresa! I had totally forgotten about her. I guess I would have to tell her the news later. "What do you mean?"

"WICKED." She explained. "Thomas said we worked for them." I frowned. I remembered that, some memories of before. Me in the classroom, the lady, me talking to Teresa and Minho. The memory of me running from someone in a stony surrounding. Was that the Maze before anyone was sent up?

"It doesn't matter." Thomas answered Teresa's question.

"He's right." Newt agreed. "It doesn't matter. None of it. Because the people we were before the maze, they don't exist anymore. These creators took care of that. What matters is who we are now, and what we do now. You went into the maze and you found a way out." He said to Thomas.

"Yea and if I hadn't, Alby would still be alive." Alby's dead?

Newt hesitated. "Maybe. But I know that if he were here he would be tell you the exact same thing. Pick your ass up and finish what we started, because if we do nothing than that means Alby died for nothing and I can't have that."

I looked at Thomas, wondering what his next move would be. He waited a second and then looked at us. "We have to get through Gally first."