| chapter 33: crazy |

DAWN

For a long moment, no one said anything. We all stared with blank faces at Thomas, all caught up in our own thoughts. I couldn't exactly say what I felt. Questions were tumbling over each other in my head. A headache was starting to form. I rubbed my temples, growing slightly frustrated.

'What are you talking about?' Newt asked, looking completely baffled.

'Well, first there's something I have to share. About me and Teresa. There's a reason Gally accused me of so much stuff, and why everyone who's gone through the Changing recognizes me.' We all stayed silence, waiting for him to explain. 'Teresa and I are....different. We were part of the Maze Trials from the very beginning, but against our will, I swear it.'

Minho was the one to speak up now. 'Thomas what are you talking about?'

I saw him struggeling with himself before he answered. 'Teresa and I were used by the Creators. If you had your full memories back, you'd probably want to kill us. But I had to tell you this myself to show you we can be trusted now. So you'll believe me when I tell you the only way we can get out of here.'

I blinked, somehow scared of what his next words were going to be.

Thomas took a deep breath. 'Teresa and I helped design the Maze. We helped create the whole thing.'

I shook my head in disbelief. Ever since I came here I hated the people who had put us here. And now Thomas was with them? I didn't believe it. The Thomas in my memories helped me destroy the people who did this to us, not help them.

'What's that suppose to mean?' Newt broke the silence. 'You're a bloody sixteen year old. How could you have created the Maze?'

'We were...smart,' Thomas replied. 'And I think it might be part of the Variables. But most importantly, Teresa and I have a...gift that made us very valuable as they designed and built this place.' Again he stopped talking.

'Speak!' Newt yelled. 'Spit out!'  He sounded just as tired from this klunk as I did. And from the way Thomas talked like we were all to dumb to understand this anyway.

'We're telepathic! We can talk to each other in our freaking minds!'

Newt blinked in surprise. I felt surprised too, I had guessed it right all along. They could talk in each other minds.

'But listen to me,' Thomas continued. 'They forced us to help. I don't know how or why, but they did. Maybe it was to see if we could gain your trust despite having been part of them. Maybe we were meant all along to be the ones to reveal how to escape. Whatever the reason, with your Maps we figured out the code and we need to use it now.' Thomas looked around and he seemed relieved when he saw none of us looked angry. 

Because, no. I wasn't angry at him. Just really confused about to feel right now. 

'It's true, and I'm sorry. But I can tell you this-I'm in the same boat with you now. Teresa and I were sent here just like anyone else, and we can die just as easily. But the Creators have seen enough, it's time for the final test. I guess I needed the Changing to add the final pieces together. Anyway, I wanted you to know the truth, to know there's a chance we can do this.'

I saw Newt shaking his head, and I wanted to take his hand and comfort him but I remained frozen in my seat, my thoughts one giant mess.

'The Creators-those shanks did this to us, not Tommy and Teresa. The Creators. And they'll be sorry.' Our eyes locked and I gave him a small smile to let him know that I thought the same thing. He smiled back, setting my heart aglow.

'Whatever,' Minho said, breaking the moment. 'who gives a klunk about all that-get on with the escape already.' 

I smirked and shook my head.

'There's a computer station in a place we've never looked before. The code will open a door for us to get out of the Maze. It also shuts down the Grievers so they can't follow us. If we can just survive long enough to get to that point.'

I frowned, and started to play with my hair, nerves were swimming around in my stomach making me feel sick.

'A place we've never looked before?' Alby asked. 'What do you think we've been doing for two years?' 

'Trust me, you've never been to this spot.'

Minho stood up. 'Well, where is it?'

'It's almost suicide,' Thomas said, making me annoyed for putting off the answer. 'The Grievers will come after us-' 

'Just say it already!' I yelled.

Thomas looked at me and sighed. 'Over the Cliff. We have to go through the Griever Hole.'

I didn't even had time to respond or think about that. My mouth was still ajar when Alby jumped up, making his chair fall on the groud. He took two steps forward before stopping, as if he'd been about to charge and attack Thomas. 'Now you're being a shuck idiot. Or a traitor. How can we trust a word you say if you helped created this place, put us here! We can't handle one Griever on our own ground, much less fight a whole horde of them in their little hole. What are you really up to?'

My breath almost stopped. This wasn't happening. We couldn't start fighting each other.

'What am I up to?!' Thomas yelled. 'Nothing! Why would I make this all up?!'

Alby's arms stiffened, fists clenched. 'For all we know you were sent here to kill us all! Why would we trust you?' 

'Alby, do you have a short term memory problem? I risked my life to save you out in the Maze. You'd be dead if it wasn't for me!' Thomas responded. 

I coughed and he shot me an apologetic glance.

'Maybe that was a trick to gain our trust. If you're in league with the shucks who sent us here, you wouldn't have had to worry about the Grievers hurting you-maybe it was all an act!'

'Alby,' Minho and I said at the same time. He didn't turn to look at us.

'That's the dumbest theory I've ever heard,' Minho said.

'He just got himself stung a dozen of times. Why would he do that if it wasn't for this?' I pointed out, feeling myself growing more frustrated with every second passing.

'Maybe that was an act as well,' Alby said.

I scoffed, folding my arms over my chest.

'I did it!' Thomas said. 'on chance that I could get my memories back, help all of us get out of here. Do I need to show you all the cuts and bruises all over my body?'

Alby said nothing, his face still quivering with rage. His eyes watered and veins popped out of his neck. 'We can't go back!' He finally yelled, looking at everyone in the room. 'I've seen what our lives were like-we can't go back!'

'Is that what this is about?' Newt asked. 'Are you kidding?'

Alby turned to him, fiercely, even held up a clenched fist.

I was halfway out of my chair, ready to jump up and hit the guy if he even dared to take another step but then something so unexpected happened that I totally forget about what I was about to do. Alby fell down in his chair, his head in his hands. Crying. I was too shocked to do something. 

He was crying, our fearless leader was crying.

'Alby, talk to us,' Newt pressed, not letting it go. 'What's going on?'

'I did it,' Alby said through a sob. 'I did it.'

'Did what?' Newt asked. He looked just as confused as I felt.

Alby looked up, his eyes wet with tears. 'I burned the Maps. I did it, slammed my head against the table so you'd think it was someone else, I lied, burned them all. I did it!'

I felt my body getting numb. That had been a lie as well? How many more lies would I have to hear? 

'Well, it's a good thing we saved those Maps,' Minho said, completely straight-faced, almost mocking. 'Thanks for the tip you gave us after the Changing. To protect them.'

It was like Alby didn't even hear Minho, he didn't react at all.

Newt, instead of being angry, asked to explain why. I knew why he wasn't mad-because it didn't matter. The maps were safe, we had the code, there was no use in being angry.

'I'm telling you,' Alby sounded like he was begging. 'We can't go back where we came from. I've seen it, remembered awful, awful things. Burned land, a disease-something called the Flare. It was horrible-way worse than we have it here.'

'If we stay here we'll all die!' Minho yelled. 'What's worse than that!'

Alby stared a long time at Minho before answering. 'Yes,' He finally said. 'It's worse. Better to die here than go home.'

Minho snickered sarcastically and leaned back in his chair. 'Man you are one butt-load of sunshine, let me tell you. I'm with Thomas. I'm with him one hundred percent. If we're gonna die, let's freakin' do it fighting.' 

'Inside the Maze or out,' I added, agreeing with Minho. Better to die trying than to do nothing at all.

Alby stood again, his face showing defeat. 'Do what you want,' He sighed. 'It doesn't matter. We'll die no matter what.' And with that, he walked to the door and left he room.

I sighed and heard Newt letting out a deep breath.  'He's never been the same since he's been stung-must have seen one bugger of a memory. What in the world is the Flare?' He looked at me and I shrugged. I couldn't remember anything about a thing called the Flare.

'I don't care,' Minho said. 'Anything's better than dying here. We can deal with the Creators once we're out. But for now we gotta do what they planned. Go through the Griever Hole and escape. If some of us die, then so be it.'

Frypan snorted. 'You shanks are driving me nuts. Can't get out the Maze, and this idea of hanging with the Grievers sounds as stupid as anything I've ever heard in my life. Might as well slit our wrists.'

The Keepers broke out in a loud argument. Everyone talking over everyone else. I closed my eyes and sighed. My headache was growing worse and I just....wanted to be alone for a while and get my head on straight. I had to take a moment to think about everything I just heard.

Finally Newt screamed for everyone to shut up.

Thomas spoke again once it was silence. 'I'm going through the Hole or I'll die trying. Looks like Minho and Dawn will too. And I'm sure Teresa's in. If we can fight off the Grievers long enough for someone to punch in the code and shut them down, then we can go through the door. We'll have passed the tests. Then we can face the Creators themselves.'

Newt's grin had no humor in it. 'And you think we can fight off Grievers? Even if we don't die, we'll probably all get stung. Every last one them might be waiting for us when we get to the Cliff-the beetle blades are out there constantly. The Creators'll know when we make our run for it.'

'I don't think they'll sting us-the Changing was a Variable meant for us while we lived here. But that part will be over. Plus, we might have one thing going for us.'

'Yeah?' Newt asked, rolling his eyes. 'Can't wait to hear it.'

'It doesn't do the Creators any good if we all die, this thing is meant to be hard, not impossible. I think we finally know for sure that the Grievers are programmed to only kill one of us each day. So somebody can sacrifice himself to save the others while we run to the Hole. I think this might be how it's suppose to happen.'

The room went silence. Thoughts were swimming in my head. What was Thomas trying to do?

Suddenly the silence was broken by Winston who started to laugh. 'Excuse me?' He asked. 'So your suggestion is that we throw some poort kid to the wolves so the rest of us can escape? This is your brilliant suggestion?'

'Yes, Winston,' Thomas replied. 'I'm glad you're so good at paying attention. And it seems obvious who the poor kid should me.'

I raised my eyebrows.

'Oh yeah?' Winston asked. 'Who?'

Thomas folded his arms. 'Me.'