Lost and found- TW/TMR

Chapter 6

Chuck and the others had gathered around the entrance to the Maze the minutes the sun had risen. They watched as the concrete doors slid open, revealing nothing but empty space. Chuck knew it had been foolish for him to hope that Thomas, Minho, and Alby would make it.

Chuck sighed sadly, he'd thought he'd finally found a good friend, Thomas had been so nice to him, he didn't treat him like a kid like everyone else.

"They're not coming back." He heard Winston say forlornly. The rest of the boys let out a sigh as their fears were confirmed: their leaders weren't coming back, a few more lives lost to the Maze.

Chuck stared into the Maze for another moment before turning his back and walking back toward the Glade with the others.

He stiffened when he heard Zart mutter "No way." Chuck turned on his heels back to the Maze, seeing a haggard Thomas and Minho carrying an unconscious Alby between them. He was filled was relief and happiness when he saw his friends alive.

He and the others ran back to the entrance to the Maze to meet the trio. Thomas and Minho made it to the entrance before they both collapsed in exhaustion, plopping Alby down in front of them. Clint and Jeff hurried over and gathered up Alby before carrying him away to the medic tent.

Thomas and Minho were both on their knees, breathing heavily and obviously relieved to be back in the Glade. "Did you see a Griever?" Chuck asked, curiosity getting the best of him.

Minho smiled tiredly, "We didn't just see one, Thomas killed it."

The rest of the Gladers turned cautiously to Thomas who chose to look down sheepishly at his filthy hands. No one had ever seen a Griever before and now this Greenie had managed to kill one, no one had seen that one coming.

---

The vivid images flashed through his mind again. Flashes of color and sound that he couldn't quite understand.

The voices saying "WICKED is good." The girl telling him everything was going to change. Someone was screaming in defiance from a tube of water, bubbles streaming from their mouth. The flashes of computer screens and a woman breathing down his neck, telling him "well done".

Thomas didn't understand their significance any more than he had the first time he had had this dream. He still didn't understand. Were these the people that put him here? What had they done to him? What had he done with them?

Thomas groaned as he woke, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stretched. "What the hell was that?" he thought to himself. It was a dream right? He had thought the same thing with the first dream, but they both seemed way too real to be just a dream. They had to mean something. There were too many unanswered questions for him to even think straight. He knew he couldn't dwell on it forever , so for now he shrugged it off, that was a problem to be solved another day.

There was still daylight, so he assumed he hadn't slept for a whole day. He and Minho had been allowed to take leave after a night spent out in the Maze. Gally had insisted they hold a council when they both woke. He was infuriated with Thomas for breaking the rules, which Thomas could understand, but Thomas couldn't just leave Minho and Alby out there to die. The others wouldn't have done anything, so he did.

Thomas sighed, swung into a seated position on the hammock, pulled on his boots and a shirt before walking over to the hut where the council was taking place.

---

Thomas rolled his eyes as Gally spouted his nonsense, "For years, we have coexisted with these things. And now you've killed one of them," Gally turned to Thomas, eyes filled with frustration, "What do you think is gonna happen now? They're just gonna leave us alone? I don't think so."