Our feet treaded in the puddles of the Glade. People followed behind me, the second in command and the other two runners.

"Now what the hell was going on out there?" Newt questioned curiously.

"What the hall you done now, Thomas?" Gally grumpily asked.

"We found something, a new passage." Thomas explained, "We think it could be a way out."

"Really?" Newt looked at me and Minho for confirmation. I nodded with a smile, we might finally be getting out of here.

"Its true. We opened a door, something we've never seen before. I think it must be where the Griever's go during the day." Minho answered.

Chuck jogged quickly to stand next to me and Thomas, I ruffled his curly hair before he began speaking. "Wait. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait, you're saying you found the Grievers' home? And you want us to go in?"

"Their way in could be our way out Chuck." Thomas said, Minho nodding.

"Yeah, or there could be a dozen Grievers on the other side. The truth is, Thomas doesn't know what he's done, as usual." Gally spoke up.

Thomas bit his lip before turning around to face Gally, "Yeah. Well, at least I did something, Gally. I mean, what have you done? Huh? Aside from hide behind these walls all the time."

I crossed my arms at the sudden scrap which was happening. As Gally argued back, the corner of my eye caught Chris staring at me. Hatred fuelled into my body,. I walked over to him, a smirk on his lips but soon disappearing when my fist hit his face. He fell on the floor, his hand going towards his nose. Thomas, Minho, Gally and Newt were now around us. I was about to hit Chris again but Thomas held onto my arm. My eyes looked into Thomas', calming me down. My arm lowered and dropped by my side. Thomas stood in front of me, blocking my view from the injured boy on the floor. His hands soothed up and down my arms. I flickered my eyes to my marked wrist then over to Chris, which was now standing from the help of Newt. Thomas' looked at what I looked at, my wrist, then Chris, soon catching along. He let go of me and marched his way towards the Greenie and punched him as well to the ground. Getting on top of him, Thomas blew more punches at the boy before Gally and Newt pushed him off. Minho stood next to me and pulled me in for a hug. I wanted to cry again but didn't.

"Will someone please tell me what the bloody hell is going on!" Newt demanded.

Thomas got out of Gally's grip and made his way to me, me and Minho departed from our hug.

"He hurt Taylor." Thomas spoke, upset and angrily, "And I bet ya, he did other things to."

Newt and Gally looked at me, I held out my wrist, the marks still perfectly sat there. I nodded at the last part Thomas said.

"Alright, Gally go put him in the pit." Newt said quietly.

Gally picked Chris off the grass by the arm and dragged him towards the pit, "She broke my fucking nose." Chris complained.

A smile grew on my face before I turned to Thomas, a smile on his face too.

"Guys." A yell caught out attention, we looked around and spotted Jeff by the safe hut, "Alby's awake!" Our heads flung to look at each other before running towards the hut.

Going into the hut, I rushed to Alby's side. His arms were crossed and his body was still and his shoulders were tense. Frypan had heard the news and came to join us with Gally soon after.

"Has he said anything?" Minho asked Jeff.

"No." Jeff replied, leaving Newt to sigh.

"Alby, you okay?" I asked from beside him.

Alby blinked continuously, a water gate forming in his eyes. Newt hovered behind me and asked the same thing but got no response. Thomas crouched down in front of him.

"Hey Alby." Thomas begun, "Alby, we might have just found a way out of the Maze. You hear me? We could be getting out of here." His voice was calming and quiet.

The leader shook his head, "We can't. We can't leave, they won't let us."

"Alb what are you talking about?" I asked.

"I remember." He spoke.

"What do you remember?" Thomas asked.

"You."

All heads turned to the dark-haired boy including mine, confused as to why Alby would remember him.

"You were always their favourite Thomas, always." Alby said, his voice croaky.

Suddenly, yelling and shouting came from outside. My head lifted in alert as I heard screaming. Thomas was shocked my the sudden comment.

"Why did you do this? Why did you come here?" Alby questioned Thomas, a tear sliding down his face before he cradled his head back and fourth in his hands now crying hysterically. I rubbed Alby on his back before getting up and seeing what was happening outside.

"Winston! What's going on?!" I questioned, everyone was running into the distance with pitch forks in their hands. Thomas, Minho, Frypan, Gally and Newt were now with me.

"The doors. They aren't closing." Winston answered before running off.

I looked over at the doors, he was right, they weren't closing. I began running to the Maze entrance, Thomas by my side. We waited in front of it as if something was about to happen.

Something loud rumbled in the Glade, causing us to cover our ears. The other Maze doors were opening.

"Okay, Chuck, I want you to go to the Council Hall and start barricading the doors." Thomas said to the boy.

"Winston go with him." I spoke.

"Got it." Winston replied, fear in his tone.

"Get the others. Tell them to go to the forest, go hide. Now" Gally demanded.

"Minho, grab every weapon you can find. I'll meet you at Council Hall." Thomas said.

Minho looked at me, I nodded at him to say I'll be okay. "Let's go" Minho whispered, Frypan and three others following him.

"Tom we need to get Alby." I said.

"Come one." He said, but stopped in his tracks when some boys started yelling.

"Run!"

"Grievers!"

Grievers were roaring from the Maze, my face twisting in horror. My heart was pounding as I saw it's legs come around the corner then it's whole body displaying.

"All right, everybody hide!" Thomas yelled.

I couldn't get my legs to move, I was frozen in fear. The Griever was getting closer. Thomas began running until he realised I wasn't with him, he ran back and intwined his fingers with mine as he pulled me along with him, getting me out of my trance.

We sprinted to the corn field and crouched down, I looked at Thomas the whole time, our hands holding each other tightly. A finger rested at his lips to tell everyone to be quiet before he looked back at me. A Griever pulled someone out of the corn. My head turned in every direction to find it. Suddenly, Zart was caught by it's tail.

"Zart!" I screamed, I reached out to grab him but the Griever got to him first.

Thomas grabbed my hand again and we ran towards the village. I noticed Gally was getting in the box with a two other people. Many boys were being flung in the air or eaten.

Outside of the village, Alby was being carried by Jeff and Clint.

"What's going on?" The leader asked.

"They're here." I said, my breathing heavy.

"Grievers?" Jeff questioned unbelievable.

A Griever, which was insanely close to us, was murdering another boy. We turned around, another one gaining on us.

"Thomas, Taylor, what do we do?" Jeff asked quietly.

"We gotta go, we gotta go! Run!" I yelled.

We ran a few inches before one of the creatures skidded in front of us, glaring at the Gladers with it's beady eyes. Trapped, I looked around for any sort of weapon. Under the wooden stand next to us was a lonely spear. I picked it up and took a deep breath before charging towards the Griever.

"Taylor!" Thomas, Gally and Alby yelled.

Coming at it quick, I slid onto my knees and poked the sharp end of the spear into the Griever's stomach. It's gut's and slimy blood falling out, some of it on me. I crawled out and jumped on top of it, the head of the spear now crashing down into it's head, killing it.

I jumped off of the now dead Griever, Thomas next to me. He held is hand out for me to grab before we ran to Council Hall. Soon enough, another Griever was chasing us, the people at the back being slaughtered.

Alby had fallen out of Jeff and Newt's grip, making Newt yell for him.

"Get behind me!" Thomas spoke up. We all got behind him, my hand still in his, "Come on!" Thomas yelled and taunted at the Griever. Before it could do anything, spears were thrown into the side of it.

"Over here. Let's go, come on." Frypan shouted, a weapon in his hand along with a pitch torch in the other.

Entering the hut, Thomas quickly locked the doors and stood back with me. His arm hovering over my stomach. The beastly thing banged on the door before crawling somewhere else, making all of us look up. A tail stuck itself into the wooden roof and grabbed a supporting beam. The planks fell down on us, yells and coughs forming. I looked around to find Thomas, he was bent over trying to steady his breaths. I walked to him and helped him stand straight, his breathing grew calmer and warm smile was sent my way before I returned it.

"Is everyone alright?" Newt asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Jeff replied.

"Doing alright, considering that we almost got squished to death." I faked a smile, Minho nudged me in my side telling me nows not the time for sarcasm.

"Help!" A boy in the hut screamed, wood was all over his body. Newt and me reached to grab him but was swiftly dragged out, making us stumble backwards.

It's tail made a large hole in the hut, trying to grab anyone.

"Chuck!" Newt yelled, I moved out of Thomas' grasp to help the boy that was now being held by the Griever's tail. Thomas pulled back one arm while I pulled the other, the rest of the Gladers either dragging us back or holding onto Chuck's arms.

"Chuck don't let go." Thomas yelled.

"No shit!"

Alby yelled in fury, he whacked the stinger off of the Griever then began hitting its tail over and over again until it snapped off. Chuck landed on the floor before I helped him up. The creature pulled back as if it was surrendering.

"Chuck, you okay?" Thomas asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks Alby." Curls spoke.

Alby stood there, panting until something grabbed him by his back and pulled. Yells were coming his way as he held onto a wooden plank that stuck out before his grasp slipped. I held onto his hands and tried pulling him back.

"Alby," I spoke, "Alby, hold on, please." Tears were threatening to spill out my eyes.

"Get them out Taylor." He said before being whipped out of sight.

"Alby!" I screamed, I ran towards the hut doors.

"Taylor, don't go out there!" Thomas yelled, running after me.

"Wait, Taylor, wait!" Minho also yelled, but I was already outside. My head frantically searching for Alby but it was no use. He was gone.

The Glade was destroyed, fire was everywhere, trees were broken and huts were demolished. Arms wrapped around me as Thomas hugged me. Water staining his shirt from my eyes. I let go but connected my hand with his. The Grievers had gone, people were heading towards us in the distance: Gally and the other two boys he hid with. He looked mad, his fists clenched.

When he got here, he pushed me out the way with so much force I fell on the ground. Before Thomas could do anything, Gally had punched him.

"This is all you, Thomas. Huh? Look around!" Gally shouted.

Minho helped me up before defending Thomas, "Back off, Gally. It's not Thomas' fault."

"Gally stop trying to put the blame on him!" I shouted back.

"You heard what Alby said. He's one of them." Gally spoke, trying to get out of Frypan's and Winston's hold, "He's one of them, and they sent him here to destroy everything, and now he has. Look around, Thomas. Look around. This is your fault!"

My gaze stayed at Thomas, his head hung low. He was deep in thought while the others were yelling at each other. Thomas grabbed the stinger from Chuck and held it in his own. I took a step closer, worried for what he might do to himself.

"Maybe he's right." Thomas mumbled.

"Thomas?" I asked, my heart racing.

He turned to look at me, "I need to remember, Taylor."

In that moment, he plunged the stinger into his thigh.

"Thomas!" I yelled, I ran to his side. His head hit the ground but eyes still open. I lay his head on my lap as the other surrounded us, "Chuck get the other syringe!" I yelled, pain in my voice on what Thomas had just done to himself. His body shook before his eyes began fluttering, a single tear drop running down his cheek which I soon brushed away. Then his eyes closed.

The last thing he saw was me.

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ten completed.
2283 words