CHAPTER NINE: FOUR DOORS

     After a quick break to catch their breaths, the three Runners got to their feet and began rushing through the different paths of the Maze—twisting and turning and keeping their thoughts on what had just happened.

     It didn't take long for them to make it back to the Glade, which surprised Layla because of how exhausted she was. Perhaps she was just lost in her thoughts again, but it didn't even matter because either way, she had made it back. That's all she cared about.

     The three Runners carelessly stepped in a puddle as they made their way over to Gladers who were crowded around the Maze doors. "What the hell's going on out there?" Newt raised a brow at the trio, quickly following them as they pushed through the small crowd.

     "The hell you done now, Thomas?" Gally seethed, walking in step next to Layla, much to her annoyance. Layla glared at Gally. There were times where the boy had been kind to her—very, very few times, but it had happened. She had seen his respect for Thomas after they'd fought in the circle during the night of the bonfire, too. She knew Gally could be kind if he cared enough to do so, but he typically wasn't, and that frustrated Layla more than she cared to admit.

     "We found something," Thomas turned to face Newt, completely ignoring Gally's comment. "A new passage. We think it could be a way out."

     Newt looked shocked at the news, his brows shooting up in surprise. "Really?"

     "It's true." Minho confirmed, just as out of breath as Thomas and Layla were. "We opened a door, something Layla and I have never seen before. I think it must be where the Grievers go during the day."

     "Wait!" Chuck ran forwards, trying to catch up after he heard what Minho said. "Whoa, whoa, whoa... wait, you're saying you found the Grievers' home? And you want us to go in?"

     Thomas nodded, "their way in could be our way out, Chuck." He explained, as patient with the boy as usual.

"Yeah," Gally said sarcastically, completely disagreeing with the idea. "Or there could be a dozen Grievers on the other side. The truth is, Thomas doesn't know what he's done, as usual."

     Layla was about to make a comment about how she and Minho had been there too, and Thomas hadn't done a damn thing wrong, but with one look to Thomas, she knew he could defend himself.

Thomas scrunched up his face in anger, whipping around to face the boy. "Yeah, well, at least I did something, Gally. I mean, what have you done? Huh? Aside from hide behind these walls all the time?"

Gally squinted his eyes, "let me tell you something, Greenie." He held up three fingers, "you've been here three days, all right. I've been here three years!"

"Yeah, you've been here three years and you're still here, Gally!" Layla bit back a smile at the comment, fair enough. "All right, so what does that tell you? May— maybe you should start doing things a little differently."

"Guys." Teresa suddenly called out, standing off to the side, but the boys kept arguing.

"Maybe you should be in charge, Thomas, what about that?"

"Hey!" Layla turned to face Teresa as she raised her voice, "It's Alby! He's awake." Layla's eyes widened in surprise, and she immediately rushed off to Alby.

"Has he said anything?" Minho asked softly as he brushed past Teresa, walking closer to Alby, who sat on his bed in silence. Alby kept his gaze forward, and his shoulders slouched. Tears were clear on his face.

     "No." Teresa sighed. Layla frowned as she looked at the state that Alby was in, but she was relieved to see that the black veins had faded—and that he no longer felt like death.

     "Alby..." Newt mumbled, sitting down next to the boy, who didn't even bother to look over at him. "Alby, are you all right?" He was met with silence.

     Thomas decided to make his way over to Alby, crouching down on the ground next to him. "Hey, Alby." He paused. "Alby, we might have just found a way out of the Maze." Tears pricked at Alby's eyes once again, threatening to fall. His bottom lip began to quiver slightly. "Do you hear me? We could be getting out of here."

     Alby shook his head softly, sniffling as he did so. "We can't." He whispered. Layla frowned, tilting her head. She was trying to figure him out, or guess at what he had seen. Guess at what he had remembered. "We can't leave." He continued to look at the ground in sadness. "They won't let us."

     Thomas frowned in confusion, "what are you talking about?"

     "I remember." Alby muttered.

     Thomas pursed his lips before sucking in a deep breath, "what do you remember?"

     Alby finally turned to face the boy, "you." Thomas' jaw dropped, he didn't dare to say a word. "You were always their favourite, Thomas. Always." Then, Alby finally seemed to notice Layla, and a look close to fear was suddenly painted on his face. "You were never like the others." He muttered even softer, as if he didn't want Layla to hear him. "You just wanted to go home. Why are you here?" He began to mutter more words under his breath, so quiet that Layla couldn't hear them at all.

     Why am I here? Layla thought. The question hit her harder than she expected it to.

     Before she could dwell on it, the group of Gladers took notice of people shouting outside, but Alby continued speaking despite the noise. He turned to Thomas again, "why did you do this? Why did you come here?" A tear rolled down his cheek.

     Thomas stood up as Alby put his head in his hands, glancing around when he began to take in the sounds of the Gladers outside. Thomas ran for the door, and Layla was quick to follow him, glancing at Alby once more before she left.

     Suddenly, Winston rushed by, stopping when Thomas called out, "hey, Winston, what's going on?" Thomas glanced around as the Gladers began to run around the Glade in a panicked fashion.

     Winston held a torch firmly in his hand. "It's the doors." He breathed out, "they aren't closing." He quickly ran off, leaving the others behind as they hastily took in the news.

     Layla's heart rate picked up slightly, but she tried not to let her nerves get the best of her. She watched as the Gladers ran towards the Maze doors with torches in hand—they stayed wide open.

     Layla quickly ran after them, the sounds of the other's footsteps were right behind her.

     When she reached the doors, she could hear the sounds of clicking from inside the Maze, which made her hands begin to shake. She clenched her fists as a way to stop the shaking, so she could focus on the dark entrance to the Maze up ahead.

     Layla and the Gladers stood in silence as they waited for something to happen—anything—even if she wanted nothing more than to run away. She let her instincts take control, analyzing every detail she could so she knew how to act.

     A loud booming sound echoed across the Glade, causing her to jump and cover her ears as she searched for the source. Her jaw dropped open at the sight of another set of doors opening from across them.

     Layla, despite the chaos, recalled a dream from a few days earlier—a dream of each set of doors opening in the Glade.

     Four. There should be four, she recalled.

     Suddenly, another set opened up on the right, then the left. Now, all four openings for the Maze were open wide, perfect entrances for the Grievers.

     There was nowhere to go, so Layla knew that she had no choice but to fight.

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lizzie speaks...

lol cliffhanger oops