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     EVERY MORNING, HE WATCHED THEM GO. Samson updated his morning routine so that the Runners fit into it somehow. He would get up a little earlier than everyone else, get dressed, and meet the Runners just as they were leaving the Glade. The first day he'd done it, the Runners had all freaked out, practically shooing Samson away from the Maze walls. Samson tried to explain that he was just watching, he was just curious, and eventually, Minho was forced to step in and tell the others to lay off.

     Minho and Samson didn't speak about their plan to each other or anyone else. In fact, they barely spoke to each other at all. But, their plan was underway. Every morning, Minho would come out from the Map Room with the Runners, Samson standing nearby, waiting for a signal. And every morning Minho would simply shake his head as if to tell him, Not today. Samson would watch them leave, feeling defeated. He'd been waiting nearly a week and nothing had changed. He was anxiously awaiting the day that Minho would run out and tell him that the time was right, and he could follow him into the Maze. As nervous as Samson was to go beyond the walls, freedom was so close he could almost taste it.

     That was the one thing that bothered Samson about the whole situation. He couldn't tell anyone what he was feeling. He and Minho had agreed not to let anyone else in on the plan until it was absolutely necessary. But with every day, it seemed harder and harder for Samson to keep it all bottled in. He desperately wanted someone to confide in.

     He knew there was no way he'd be able to tell Newt. Not only would he never allow Samson to go into the Maze, but the two of them had barely even spoken since the night of the last bonfire. Things had gotten so intimate between them that day in the Deadheads, that Samson couldn't even bring himself to meet Newt's gaze when he walked by. More than anything, he was embarrassed. Since that day, just thinking about Newt made his stomach turn.

   But, there was Leo and Clark. In the three months since Samson had become a Glader, there was no one else he bonded with better than those two. He trusted them, and he hoped they'd be supportive and perhaps even excited that they'd found an escape from the Maze.

     One night after dinner, Samson stood and grabbed Leo and Clark's plates from them, stacking them on top of his. "Hey, can you guys hang out here while I finish dishes? I gotta talk to you about something."

     His friends groaned in response, both of them saying his name in unison.

     "I won't be long. Please, guys. It's important," he pleaded.

    Without another word, Samson headed for the Kitchen with the plates he was carrying. He immediately started on the dishes, with some help from Brandon, which sped things up.

     But when Samson went back out into the dining hall, Leo and Clark were gone. Samson frowned, scanning the area around him quickly to double-check that they hadn't moved seats, but the entire hall was empty. He stepped towards the window, sighing. The sun was beginning to go down over the Glade. The Maze doors would close any minute now. From the corner of his eye, Samson spotted Leo sitting on a log by the Maze doors. Clark wasn't too far away from him, chucking rocks at the walls.

     He left the Kitchen and made his way towards his friends, his arms crossed over his chest. As soon as Leo noticed him coming, he stood up quickly and began sputtering out reasons why they'd left the Cookhouse. Samson shook his head, grinning back at Leo.

     "It's okay," he said, stepping towards them. "C'mon, let's take a walk."

     Samson started off in the direction of the Deadheads, figuring it'd be the most private place they could talk. Clark and Leo merely shrugged and followed him into the woods, breaking out into a light jog so they walked beside him.

     "What is it?" Clark asked, chucking one last rock at the Maze wall. It landed right in the entrance, and it was almost as if Clark's throw had triggered something because the walls made their usual screeching noise and then began to close. Clark turned back to his friends with wide eyes, a smile spreading across his face.

     "You guys have to promise you won't tell anyone else. Especially not Alby or Newt. This is top secret. But I had to tell you, you're my friends and you...deserve to know," he said, taking a deep breath.

     "Okay, yeah. We promise." Leo lifted his pinkie and thrust it towards Samson. He and Clark lifted theirs too and the three of them all locked their fingers together on a pinkie promise.

     Samson grinned back at them. For a second, it had almost felt like things were normal. Like he was a schoolboy, walking home with his two best friends like they weren't trapped in a Maze with their memories of their past lives completely erased. He wondered if he'd ever get to feel that kind of normal again. He wasn't going to get his hopes up, but it didn't hurt to wonder. For the moment, Samson could only reassure himself that he would. When they broke out of the Maze with Thomas's plan, everything would be okay. He and all of the Gladers could live normal lives out in the world. Maybe they could even get their memories back. This got him excited.

     He smiled again. "Alright. I have a way out of the Maze," he said smugly. He watched Clark's face light up, but his grin was quickly replaced with a curious stare.

     "What?" Clark and Leo gasped in unison.

     They kept on towards the Deadheads, and Samson began telling them everything he knew about Thomas and his plan, just like he had with Minho. His friends remained quiet the entire time, taking in the story and letting Samson finish.

     When Samson did, Clark jumped in front of him and Leo, eyes wide. "This guy, Thomas. He's coming to rescue us, is what you're saying?" he asked.

     Samson shook his head. "No. He's gonna be waiting for us when we get out, and he's gonna take us somewhere safe and away from the Creators."

     Clark rolled his eyes. "When we get out. Who knows when that'll be, Samson."

     He smiled back at Clark, tilting his head cooly. "That's where I come in. Thomas knows the way out of the Maze. Apparently, before I got here, I was working with him on this escape plan. All I have to do is get stung and then Thomas can plant the escape into my Changing."

     Leo finally spoke up. "Wait, you have to get stung? Are you serious? Sam, I've watched people die from Griever stings."

     Samson frowned at him, and Clark remained speechless, wearing the same confused expression he'd had on since Samson had begun speaking. He didn't know much about the Grievers. And quite frankly, neither did Samson.

     "You just have to trust me. We have a way out of the Maze now."

    Leo lowered his head and shut his eyes. "I-I don't like the Maze. Watched a boy named George die from the Changing in my first two months here. Lost my friend Michael to it. Gally nearly died when he got stung last year. And Newt almost getting stuck out there a few months ago...I-I've never been through the Changing, but you don't what it can do to you."

     "What happened to them?" Clark interrupted, and although Leo looked fed up with Clark for cutting him off, Samson was wondering the same thing. He'd known Newt had hurt himself when he was a Runner but he'd had no idea that he'd almost gotten stuck out in the Maze overnight.

     Leo shook his head. "Point is, that Maze has never done us any good and I intend to stay away from it," he scowled, pressing his back up against one of the trees.

     "What do you mean?"

     He looked up at Samson, his eyes stormy. "I mean, I don't want to go into the Maze."

     "You won't have to, it's me that has to get stung and then we can--"

     "I mean when we leave! When we finally find a way out and it's time to leave, it's gonna have to be through the Maze and I don't want to go out there. I'm afraid. Haven't you heard those god-awful noises that come from the Maze at night? You don't even know what's out there. No one does. And I don't want to find out," Tears brimmed Leo's eyes. "I know I mope around saying how much I hate this place, but it's better than being out in the Maze, where your chances of dying are even higher."

    Samson didn't know what to say. Clark stepped forward so he stood next to Leo.

     Clark cleared his throat. "He's right,"

     "You guys," Samson tried to say, but it came out as more of a strangled sob.

     The tears that had welled up in Leo's eyes had fallen onto his cheeks. "Don't worry, we won't tell anyone about your plan. Pinkie promise, remember?" he laughed half-heartedly. "I just wanted you to know that I'm not coming with you when you leave." he forced a smile onto his face.

     Samson turned to Clark, who only nodded.

     Leo wiped at his eyes, exhaling deeply "Let's go back into the Glade. It's getting dark," he pushed past Samson and Clark.

     Clark kept his head down as he began to follow Leo with his shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry, Samson. But he's right. I'm scared of the Maze, too. I don't wanna go out there." he took a deep breath and left the Deadheads.

     Samson watched them go, sinking down against one of the trees with his head in his hands. That had not gone the way he'd anticipated.

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     There was a girl sitting in Thomas's spot. It was the same girl from his last dream, with those piercing blue eyes. She looked frantic, glancing wearily around the lab behind her as if she was expecting someone.

     "Sam! It's Teresa. Listen, Thomas is gone. He can't--well, that's why I'm here. I know Thomas would've wanted me to tell you what's going on. You still need to get stung. But you need to hurry. Thomas is in trouble. I don't know what the Chancellor is going to do with him. You have to find a way to get stung so I can transmit the escape codes to you through your Changing. I'll finish what Thomas started."

     There was a loud banging from behind her. Teresa spun around, gasping.

     "Open up!" a muffled voice shouted from the other side of the door. Teresa turned back to the screen and leaned forward.

     "It'll be okay, Samson. You just have to trust me. If you follow Thomas's directions, I'll get you the codes and you can solve the Maze. And just like we said, we'll be waiting for you. If not Thomas, then I'll be there. I promise."

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author's note!

this is kind of a filler chapter but oh well

hope you enjoyed!

love always,

chloe