❝You are all still here because of an uncanny will to survive.❞
Solving the Maze was meant to be the end. No more tests. No more puzzles. They thought that by escaping the Maze that they'd been stuck in for two years, they could go back to their old...
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31 → "TIMES UP"
AS BOTH GROUPS, including Brenda and Jorge, charged towards the lightbulb creatures, Adeline felt a brief pang of worry overcome her, but that subsided as she pulled out her knife and charged at the creature that had stopped walking, bracing its itself into fighting stance, hands outstretched, blades pointing directly at her. All the creatures had done the exact thing-standing in fighting stances as both groups charged. The orange lights were flickering and receding, and Adeline's first intention was to aim for its stomach — if it even had a stomach. As she slashed out her knife, it hit the creature, and it stumbled backwards. Adeline continued to slash the monster numerous times, until it jerked out it's leg and she tumbled to the ground. Adeline hit the ground with an oomph, and before Adeline could do anything, the monster started clawing at her with the blade from its stubby fingers, trying to slash her across the face. Adeline still had her knife, thankfully, and when it didn't notice, she stabbed the creature in its chest. Roaring in rage, the monster stumbled backwards, allowing Adeline to gain to her feet.
As she got to her feet, Adeline snuck a small glance to her friends and Group B. Thomas was racing away from his monster, Minho stabbing and jabbing at his, Matt barely standing as he fought the creature. And then she found Newt, scrambling across the ground, the creature he fought lumbering after him, obviously injured. Teresa was jumping and dodging and poking her opponent with the butt of her spear. When Adeline heard a moan escape from the creature she'd been fighting, she peered back behind her to find the monster stumbling towards her. Without thinking it through, when the creature was close enough to her, Adeline slashed out her knife in high hopes it will make contact with the creature. Her knife made contact with one of the orange lights. When the knife made contact with the bulb, it smashed in a fit of sparks and the light died instantly. The monster faltered.
The bulbs. All we need to do was destroy the bulbs. They're the creature's power or life or even strength. Is it really that easy?
Adeline noticed that a few others had also gotten the idea, but most hadn't, fighting with desperation to hack at their limbs. A couple of people already lay on the ground, barely alive. One boy. One girl. Adeline turned back towards her opponent, then when it went to attack, she charged and swiped at the nearest bulb. Just like the last, it smashed and exploded in another fit of sparks. Adeline continued with this method; swiping at bulbs, watching them explode one after another. Each bulb dying drained the creature's strength, and it began to slump, though it didn't stop trying to fight back. Bulb by bulb, the creature's strength faltered. Adeline continued.
Lightning started to fall in jagged streaks, just like the last storm. Lightening flashed behind the Glader's, then the sound of thunder. Then there was a rumbling of the ground, and then smoke. There was a massive black hole in the ground, charred and smoking. More lightning continued to rain down on them from the black clouds above. The lightning exploded all around them; clouds of dirt flew into the air from every direction. More lightning rained down, one striking near Adeline this time, knocking her off of her feet. Adeline fell onto her stomach, almost smashing her nose on the arid ground. She rolled onto her back with a groan, then found the creature she'd been fighting laying on the ground, half of its body gone. The same had happened to Thomas'. Adeline shakily propped herself up, her body aching from the fall.
Teresa stood over her monster, slamming the butt of her spear down and smashing the last bulb. Minho was on the ground, but slowly getting to his feet. Newt stood there, breathing in and out, heaving deep breaths. Frypan doubled over and threw up. Some were lying on the ground. Brenda and Jorge were still fighting the monsters. Thunder boomed all around them. Adeline stumbled as she regained to her feet, clutching her knife tightly in her right hand. To her right, Newt still had yet to beat the creature he'd been fighting. Newt was still slashing at the creature, still yet to figure about the bulbs. Adeline started racing towards Newt, and right as she neared, she slashed out her knife, hitting one of the bulbs on the creature's arm.
"Newt!" She called. "The Bulbs. Aim for the bulbs, not the limbs."
Newt looked unsure, until Adeline started smashing multiple bulbs and the strength of the creature started to decline. Copying, Newt started aiming for the light bulbs. Adeline noticed the light bulb in the middle of the creature's chest, and she aimed for it once the last of the lightbulbs on its arms and legs had died. Jerking her arm, she swiped at the lightbulb. The knife shattered the lightbulb and it died just like the others. The creature left out an ear piercing wail and stumbled backwards, smashing on to the ground. Newt gaped at the creature for a split second, up until Adeline tugged at the sleeve of his shirt and grasped his hand, pulling him forward.
Rain was bucketing down, lightning flashing all around them. Thunder boomed in the distance. From ahead, Adeline found Thomas and Teresa climbing inside a pod, something she hadn't thought to do. From her left she heard Minho calling their names, pointing towards a pod closest to him. Adeline held onto Newt's hand as she pulled him towards Minho's direction. Lightning continued to fall from the sky in jagged streaks, rain still pouring down. Grit got in her eyes, dust and grit pelting at her skin. The moment Adeline and Newt reached the pod, Minho was just climbing inside. Once inside, Minho leant out his hand for her to take, and she hoisted herself into the pod, then helped Newt the same way Minho did for her. The pod wasn't as big inside as it seemed to be; it was tight fit with all three of them. Minho struggled to pull the lid of the pod down to seal them inside, but once it was closed, the three of them huddled down. The rain was hollow against the lid of the pod, and in the distance the sound of thunder and the lightning echoed.
"How long do we have left?" Newt asked. Minho peered down at his watch.
"Two minutes." Minho replied. The three of them stayed huddled up in the pod for the next two minutes, and at least 50 seconds before the time was up, Minho was just about to push open the lid when a bolt of lightning hit into their pod, and a small hole in the ceiling of the pod formed, shaking the pod. Adeline shrieked in fright, but then covered her mouth to stop herself. 30 seconds before the time was up, Minho pushed open the lid with a grunt. Struggling to get it open, Newt and Adeline helped. The moment the lid flipped open, the three of them dashed out, finding Teresa, Thomas, Brenda and Jorge gaping up at the sky. Adeline's eyes followed the same direction, and that's when she noticed it; a Berg was hovering just thirty feet from the ground. The final seconds until the time was up ticked away, and then the Berg landed on the ground, signaling the time to make it to the Safe Haven was officially up.
