‧₊˚✧ ⁝ 𝑪19 ❪ 忘却 ❫ ‧₊˚✧

the 𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒆 plan ...

CHUCK, NEWT, MINHO and Ria were crouched by the wooden doors of the pit. Thomas was in there the whole night, his body reacting to the griever's stinger. Ria had been worried all night, she couldn't sleep. Dark shadows settled under her eyes and her bones ached in fatigue. Every time she allowed her body to sleep, images of the terror—stricken boy's faces as they were dragged mercilessly to their deaths haunted her mind.

     "What the hell were you thinking?" Chuck's stern question fell upon Thomas who's ebony eyes had fluttered open. Teresa was with him inside the pit, her countenance a delicate picture of tenderness as she looked down at the boy.

Thomas looked up at his friends outside the door in surprise, and the same expression was mirrored on Teresa's face.

"What happened?" Thomas inquired, beads of sweat clung to his skin and his eyes were wide with bewilderment.

Newt answered. "Gally's taken control and said we had a choice. Either join him or get banished at sundown with you."

     Thomas groaned in pain, slowly manoeuvring his body to sit up. "Have the others agreed to that?"

Teresa looked down, a sudden sadness washing over her features. "Gally has everyone convinced that you're the reason all this has happened." Thomas nodded slowly at her words, taking a quick glance at the door to the slammer.

"Well, he's been right so far."

Ria tilted her head in confusion at the boy's words. Was he giving in to Gally?

"What are you talking about?" Minho questioned.

     "This place . . . it's not what we thought it was. It's not a prison; it's a test. It all started when we were kids. They'd give us these challenges. They were experimenting on us." Thomas swallowed thickly before continuing. "And then people started disappearing. Every month, one after the other like clockwork."

     "Sending them up into the maze?" Newt suggested, gaze fixated on Thomas intently.

     "Yeah, but not all of us."

     "What does that mean?" Ria questioned.

     Thomas paused carefully, choosing his words. "Guys, I'm one of them." Ria's lips parted in shock. Her memories — the people who took her away. He couldn't be one of them.  "The people who put you here, I worked with them. I—I watched you guys for years. The entire time you've been here, I . . . I was on the other side of it."

     Silence hung sombrely over the group.

     "And so were you." Thomas glanced up at Teresa who was frozen in shock. She dared to stare back at him.

     "What?"

     "Teresa, we did this to them." Thomas muttered, his voice quiet and laced with guilt. The girl shook her head, her dark hair bouncing around her shoulders. Ria couldn't believe what was happening, she felt a profound sentiment of misery cloud her thoughts.

     "No, that can't be true."

Thomas' voice was grave. "It is, I saw it."

"Why would they send us up if we were with them?" Teresa was now trembling with tears, her words escaping her lips in shattered sentences.

"It doesn't matter." Thomas shook his head.

"He's right." Newt cut in. Ria turned to him, curious about what he had to say about it all. "It doesn't matter. Any of it. 'Cause the people we were before the maze they don't even exist anymore. These creators took care of that. But what does matter is who we are now and what we do right now. You went into the maze and you found a way out."

"Yeah, but if I hadn't Alby would still be alive." Thomas muttered in culpability.

Newt paused, his hand gripping onto one of the wooden beams of the pit door. "Maybe . . . but I know if he were here he would be telling you the exact same thing. Pick your arse up and finish what you started. 'Cause if we do nothing, then that means Alby died for nothing and I can't have that."

Ria felt a profound feeling of respect and adoration for Newt, his words were perfectly crafted and truth lingered within them. He was right. She pushed any negative thoughts from her mind. Thomas nodded.

"Okay," He agreed, realisation glazed over his eyes. "Okay, but we got to get through Gally first."

Ria got to her feet, a newfound determination coursing through her bloodstream and a profound confidence as she spoke.

"Then we'll do it."

━━━━━

      Gally was stood by the maze wall where the Glader's names were carved into the stone. Furiously, he tapped at his knife to shatter the rock into a line through Alby's name indicating his death.

     Ria watched from a distance as Thomas and Teresa were forcefully pulled towards the maze doors by some boys that the girl did not recognise. The sun was high up in the sky and clouds were streaked in white hues across it's pale blue backdrop. Thick smoke danced in the air and a few remaining smaller fires quivered with light amongst the broken wooden structures. Ria's eyes narrowed — she knew what they had to do. 

Gally's head snapped in the direction of Thomas as his limp body was tossed to the dirt before the opening of the maze walls. The boy stomped through the dry earth until he stood above Thomas, an expression constructed of aversion and loathing on his face.

"This is such a waste," Gally muttered ominously. Minho gave Ria a look as they made their way closer to the maze and the girl shook her head. Gally was changed, his actions fuelled by hatred.

"Gally," Winston spoke out. The boy turned to him immediately, his eyes dark. "It doesn't feel right, man."

Gally paused, his gaze fickle as it landed on the Gladers who stood before him. This time, Jeff countered the boy. "Yeah, what if Thomas is right? Maybe he can lead us home."

     Gally advanced forwards, patience wearing thin. "We are home. Okay? I don't want to have to cross any more names off that wall."

     "You really think banishing us is going to solve anything?" Teresa shot, turning to Gally.

     "No," the boy stated simply. "But this ain't a banishing. It's an offering."

     "What? Wait!" Teresa shouted in confusion as her captor thrust her body against a dense wooden pole. He lifted her arms and tied them with a thick knot above her head, the girl winced in pain. "Gally, what are you doing?"

     Gally's controlled facade dropped and he yelled furiously. "You really think I'm gonna let Thomas back into the maze after what he's done? Look around you! Look at our Glade. This is the only way."

     Newt glanced across at Ria and Minho, nodding his head. It was almost time. Chuck appeared beside Ria, wielding a long spear and backpacks. She smiled quickly at the boy. 

     "And when the grievers get what they came here for, everything goes back to the way it was." Gally continued, explaining his theory as if it were simple. Ria almost pitied the boy. Almost.

     Teresa whirled around, craning her neck to address the Gladers. "Are you listening to this? Why are you all just standing there? He's crazy."

     "You shut up." Gally spat.

      Teresa wasn't finished. "If you stay here, the grievers are going to come back. They're gonna come back and they're gonna keep coming back until you're all dead."

     Gally cut her off before she could continue or the other Glader's could process her ardent words.

     "Shut up!" he yelled, them pointed to the boys stood beside Thomas. "Tie him up!" However, the boys didn't respond. They stared down at Thomas blankly. This enraged Gally further.

     "I said tie him up!" Finally, the boy's snapped out of their trances and crouched down to lift Thomas' body from the ground. Ria smiled knowingly. Just as Thomas was about to be hauled back on his feet, he thrust his elbow backwards into one of the boys, causing him to yell out in agony as he stumbled backwards. Thomas then, in a swift action, grabbed a spear and thrust it at the other boy, the sharp sting of the wood knocking him out.

     Ria stepped forwards and before one of the boys could grab Thomas, she picked up a small jagged wooden plank and smashed it across his head. He collapsed in an instant. Soon, the small group of Gladers had overpowered Gally's allies. Ria watched as Teresa kicked furiously at her captor and she watched as Newt pulled out his blade, placing it on the small of a boy's back, stopping him in his tracks.

Frypan cut Teresa loose and Thomas stood ready to fight, a spear in his profound grip. Minho pointed his deadly blade at Gally, circling him, daring him to move. Ria joined Thomas and Teresa in front of the maze doors, a scowl settled upon her lips. Frypan handed her a blade which she took, it's cool metallic handle pressed within her palm.

"You're full of surprises, aren't you?" Gally shrugged, his brows pulled together in anguish.

"You don't have to come with us, but we're leaving." Thomas said as Newt, Minho and Chuck joined them at the mouth of the maze. "Anyone else who wants to come, now's your last chance."

Gally didn't flinch. "Don't listen to him. He's just trying to scare you. All right?"

"No, I'm not trying to scare you. You're already scared. All right, I'm scared . . . but I'd rather risk my life out there than spending the rest of it in here. We don't belong here. Okay? This place isn't our home. We were out here, okay? We were trapped here. At least out there, we have a choice. We can make it out of here, I know that."

A silence followed Thomas' speech. Ria noticed a few Gladers share worried expressions with one another. Gally's gaze flicked to the floor, then back to Thomas. He was about to open his mouth to speak when a handful of boys stepped forwards to join them at the entrance of the maze until only a few remained beside Gally. Ria's heart pounded with relief — it was woking.

"Gally, it's over." Thomas muttered. "Just come with us." Gally nodded slowly, his arms hung limp against his sides. For a split second, Ria thought he was about to give in.

"Good luck against the grievers." he said coldly, ominously.

Newt tugged at Ria's sleeve gently and she took one last look at the Glade, of the helpless boys stood behind Gally. Images of her time there played before her eyes in brilliant colour, but those images were in the past. Distant memories. She inhaled one last breath of the fresh, cool air before turning on her heel.

She sprinted into the maze.

‧₊˚✧ ⁝ 𝒎𝒂𝒚𝒂'𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒆 ❪ 忘却 ❫

oo. ITS HAPPENING!! MY BABIES ARE ABOUT TO ESCAPE GSCKSSJ. here's a double update for u all bc u deserve it and i love each and even one of u w my whole entire heart. lots more to come v soon i just cant wait!! also peep my boys below🥺🥺🥺