The Transfer | Gally TMR

Chapter Eight

I didn't tell him anything about what he had said, I blew it off like it was nothing- And I think I was going to go insane because of it. I wanted more than anything to be honest with him, but now that Shai was here as well, I knew perfectly well that they could destroy her in front of my own two eyes if I were to cross the line. They could destroy Gally too. And Chuck, and Newt, and everyone. That night, I decided to take a walk off towards the Deadheads. The work I had done in the Bloodhouse was still nauseating, it was probably safe to say that I wasn't going to be selected as one of those any time soon. I was sitting down beside the creek, when I heard a twig snap behind me. I turned around, only to see Shai standing behind me.

"Sup, stranger?" She smiled wryly as I patted a spot beside me. She plopped down in the grass, sighing as she rested her chin inside her propped up hand.

"This place is psycho, you know that right? I mean, it's not all bad, I admire the way they run into the Maze everyday, searching for an exit. It just seems so strange, the fact that they don't have their memories. Why didn't they get to keep theirs as well?" I smiled, shrugging as though I didn't know. Shai rolled her eyes, shoving me lightly.

"Come on, you always remembered more than the rest of us back in the Maze, or well, our Maze. So spill, I know Ava told you." I glanced up at her suddenly. She knew about Ava as well? I sighed, nodding.

"Ok, ok. All she told me, plus what I remember...look, if I tell you, you can't tell a soul, ok?" She nodded, so I continued.

"They're two different tests, the Mazes. The boys and the girls are tested differently. The boys are tested physically, i.e. the fighting, labor centered jobs, primitive lifestyles, no memories. They're tested on their physical strength, so knowledge about the past isn't necessary. However, the girls were tested on mental strength. Engineering antidotes for viruses, toxins to keep us alive, developing the Bliss, all of it. They need us to remember, so that we can know what we're working towards. It's completely different simulations, completely different test results. But the thing is, we always thought we had our memories, all of them. What if we were wrong? What if they only really gave us what we needed, and took the rest away. The parts where we were human, you know? Where we had friends...relationship..." I trailed off, my mind drifting to Gally. What if we were lovers? What if those memories had been permanently erased form our minds? Then again, that may just bee wishful thinking. Especially considering the fact that, to be lovers, both people would have to have feelings for one another, and that seemed pretty unlikely. Shai sighed, resting her head in her hands.

"This is all so shucking messed up. Like, there's so much going on, and we're the only ones who can see it! It's fucking crazy! I don't want to be the only two who know what's going on!" Suddenly, I was reminded of what I had said, immediately prior to Shai being delivered in the box. Why do I have to be the only one...? Oh no. Had I brought this upon Shai by wishing that I wasn't the only one who knew about all of these secrets? No, it couldn't be...could it? I don't think I could live with myself knowing that I brought this upon her.

"Shai, I-" But before I could finish, Shai shoved her hand in her pants pocket, her eyes widening as her small fingers clasped around something. I heard the crumpling of paper, as she yanked the scrap out of her pocket, unfolding it carefully, making sure not to rip it. She looked jut as confused as I.

"D-did you get one of these when you came as well?" She asked, just a hint of caution in her voice. I shook my head, and she swallowed as she opened the last fold of the paper, revealing the text.

She's The Last One

Ever

I swallowed hard, glancing back up towards Shai, only to meet her already confused eyes. The thing about Shai was, she was never really scared. Sure, she might get momentarily frightened, or jump at a loud noise like the rest of us, but true, long-lasting fear? That was something that had never managed to capture Shai's interest. It just didn't get to her. So many times, back in Maze B, people would become paralyzed with fear, usually the Greenies. The worst noise in the world, to anyone from Maze B, was not even an argument. It was a unanimous belief what the worst noise known to us had to be. At night, after all the electricity was shut off by the Chancellor's, and we were left in our housing quarters to sleep, completely alone in the dark, the Cranks would wander the streets, dragging their fingernails against the walls of the buildings. They had a thing with glass, the Cranks, keep us in fear I suppose. But for some odd reason, they enjoyed scratching their gnawed at, broken down and bloodied fingernails against the glass, erupting into a plethora of high-pitched, shrill menacing laughter as the calcified flesh carved into the unbreakable glass that I so often lost my faith in. I can't even remember how many nights I never had the privileged of sleeping through, due to the Cranks. I huddled in the corner of my housing quarter, shivering in my plain, lemon yellow nightgown as I waited for the sun to rise. It was, without a doubt, the most horrifying experience of one's life. But Shai wasn't like that. She didn't lie awake at night, trembling in fear at the disturbing sounds coming from outside the house. She slept sound and comfortable, every day that she had ever been in the Maze. She claimed that she was just a heavy sleeper, but I knew better than to believe her. She wasn't afraid, it was as simple as that.

"What do you think it means?" I asked after what seemed like an eternity of un-called for silence. Shai sighed, shrugging as she stuffed it back inside her pocket.

"I-I have no idea...Why would I be the last one? I mean, why would they stop sending Greenies up? That doesn't make sense..." Her voice was more filled with logical probability and genuine confusion rather than irrational concern. I shook my head, furrowing my eyebrows as I did so.

"We need to show this to Alby and the others." Shai nodded, standing as we made our way back out towards the rest of the Gladers.

"Hey Alby! Could you come 'ere a second?" I shouted over towards him, as I watched him chatting with Newt discretely. He glanced up towards me, looking only slightly aggravated. He nodded, ending his conversation with Newt before jogging over towards Shai and I.

"Alright, what's so important that you had to interrupt a very important conversation?" I sighed, gesturing towards Shai, as she yanked the scrap of paper out of her pants pocket. Alby looked confused at first, until she opened it for him and handed it over. He read it over several times before speaking.

"Is this some kind of prank? Because here in the Glade we don't-"

"Alby, it was in her pocket when she came up." I said flatly, not in the mood for his repetitive arguing. He sighed, folding his arms over his sculpted chest as his eyebrows furrowed. It seemed almost instinct at this point. He sighed, nodding slowly as he looked between the two of us.

"Alright, well...Obviously we'll need to have another council meeting. Thanks for bringing this to my attention, Shanks. You made the right decision." He nodded promptly, before shoving the piece of paper into his pocket, jogging away as we watched him make his way back towards Newt, who had been watching us with grand intensity, almost as though he had been trying to read our lips. I wouldn't blame him, I would've been curious as well.

"Lil'..." I glanced over to meet Shai's gaze. She had her arms crossed, almost in caution, possibly weariness.

"Yeah, Shai?"

"What happens when they run out of supplies?" It was a damn good question, and I had no answer. I doubt anyone did.

"Well, I guess then we'll be forced to escape."

The next morning, I was already up and fully dressed and fed by the time the sun came up. This time, however, it was for good reason. Today, I had been asked to to train as a Runner.

"You ready, shuck-face?" Minho teased playfully as I smirked, nodding.

"Ladies first, Sassy pants." I smirked, just as the maze doors opened, revealing the mass of oasis that had been so hard pressed into my mind as a danger that was never worth facing. I swallowed hard, as Minho and Thomas took off into the Maze, not turning back to see if I was behind them. I sighed, nodding to myself as I stepped over the edge of the Maze. It was calling out to me. I had started a light jog, and quickly caught up to them as we made turn after turn. They looked like they were on a mission.

"Where are we headed?" I asked out of curiosity. Thomas was the first to reply.

"Yesterday, we found something. A hole of some sort, apparently these shanks had never seen it before, so we're going to investigate." A way out? Could this be the ticket to freedom? And if so, what did that mean for me? Was I going straight back to WICKED's headquarters? It's not like I had a whole lot of options, after all, the Flare had taken over the majority of the planet, there wasn't much left in the way of civilization. If any at all.

"Awesome." Was all I replied. I didn't have anything else to say, because my mind was too flooded with possibilities for the future to bother with the present.