The Reason

It All Falls Apart

The next day was a mess. Everyone could hear the racket clear from the glade. It sounded like the whole shucking maze was falling apart. Nikola had made a tentative peace with Teresa, but still kept her distance, the dull ache in her face not allowing for forgiveness just yet. Nikola sat with Alby despite Newt worrying what he might do to her if he woke up, but his worries were unfounded.

Alby did wake up, but he wasn't violent like he had been before. He seemed heartbroken. Everyone showed up to see him then, pushing Nikola into the corner again. Newt sat by Alby and asked if he was alright, but got no response. Thomas knelt in front of him and informed him they may have found a way out of the maze. That made Nikola's heart jump. Alby however, looked on the verge of tears.

"We can't," he whispered. "we can't leave... They won't let us."

A small motion caught Nikola's eye and she looked up to see Gally already staring at her.

"What are you talking about?" Thomas asked.

"I remember," Alby admitted, not looking anyone in the eye.

"What do you remember?" Thomas prompted him.

Alby finally turned, his eyes coming back into focus as he looked Thomas dead in the face. "You."

Everyone was looking at Thomas now.

"You were always their favorite, Thomas," Alby said with a strange smile, that gave Nikola chills. "Always."

There were shouts outside, faint at first but getting louder and more frequent until several people looked around.

"Why did you do this?" Alby went on, not noticing the commotion. "Why did you come here?" a single tear rolled down the cheek of the fearless leader of the glade.

Whether he was trying to get away from Alby or was just too concerned with what was going on outside, Thomas got up and left, the others following him except for Nikola who stayed with Alby as he cradled his head in his hands. She tried to calm and comfort him. Soon the glade was eerily silent, as if everyone had left. And a few moments after that, the loudest noise she'd ever heard ripped through the glade. Then it happened again, and again, three times in total. She told herself she was wrong, but it sounded like the maze door opening.

"Alby?" She asked, her voice a nervous trill. Her mouth went dry and she didn't know what to say after that.

She heard pounding footsteps and Gally burst into the room, red faced and terror stricken.

"The doors are open," he panted. "We have to hide. We have to go!"

She tried to get Alby to get up and come with them, but she couldn't get him to budge. That's when they heard the screams. Gally wasted no time, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her along, leaving Alby behind.

"We can't leave Alby!" She cried as he pulled her through the woods almost faster than she could go. He didn't say anything in reply.

He led her to the box which still hadn't moved since Teresa arrived and lowered her into it as he watched his own back. He ushered more boys into it as well, before dropping in after them and pulling the cage doors shut over them. Nikola pressed herself into a dark corner and tried to catch her breath.

"Stay down, stay down," Gally instructed everyone and they all hunkered down.

"Gally!" Someone screamed from outside. "Let me in! Let me in!"

Gally tried to open the door for him but as soon as he got close, a glinting metallic arm shot through the darkness and snatched him away as quick as a frog catches a fly. That was the first time Nikola saw fear written plainly on Gally. He came closer to her, standing in front of her as they listened to horrors going on above them. She didn't think, she just reached for his hand and felt him squeeze hers tightly.

As quickly as it started it seemed to end. The grievers roars retreated into the maze again. They waited a moment to be sure before throwing the doors open. Gally let go of her hand so he could get out, taking a look around. One of the boys tried to help her get out of the box but Gally stopped him.

"She comes out last," Gally told him as he scanned the glade around them for any sign of danger. The boys all got out and then Gally lifted Nikola out himself. He held on to her tightly as they looked for survivors. That is, until they found Thomas. Gally let her go simply to march over and punch Thomas in the face. Everyone was yelling but she heard Gally loud and clear.

"Look around Thomas, this is on you!"

Their buildings were in ruins, their glade was on fire, their friends were dead, and their home was gone.

"You heard what Alby said!" Gally shouted as the others held him back. He was fighting almost as ferally as Ben had after he'd been stung. "He's one of them! He's one of them! And they sent him here to destroy everything! And now he has! Look around Thomas! This is your fault."

Nikola didn't know what to believe. He heart went out to Gally, after all, it was the place he'd built with his own hands that had been destroyed that night, but she didn't know if Thomas was really to blame for what was going on. It felt like everything had been leading up to something like this for a long time. Surely no one would put a bunch of people in a maze and expect them to just grow old and die there.

She saw Thomas take something from Chuck's hand that glinted in the darkness, and crash it into his own leg. Everyone rushed to him, leaving Gally standing alone in shock.