Variables → Group B [AU]

19 → "GRIEVER HOLE"

19 → "GRIEVER HOLE"

AS ADELINE, ARIS and Rachel neared the West Door, Adeline found that at least forty girls had decided to leave with them. Throughout the day, everyone leaving spent the day preparing. Esther and the Chef's spent the day preparing food to go into backpacks, rationing them evenly, and Harriet had decided to make each girl — including Aris — pack a syringe of Grief Serum in each bag, just in case. As they came closer to the group, they were each handed a weapon to fight past Grievers with. Earlier, Sonya and a few other Mappers went to test the Cliff, throwing rocks down it. She told them once they'd arrived back that it seemed like a invisible hole where the Grievers went down, and that it was a good idea they weren't going in the day, in hopes that the Grievers won't be in the hole but in the Maze. But, that still meant that they'd have to face them, and Adeline hated that idea after being stung herself.

"Alright." Harriet spoke up once she noticed them, the crowd of girls quieting down to listen to their Head of Charge. "After two years being trapped here, we finally have found a more than possible way out."

"Yeah." this came from Sonya. "And we're ready to get out of this place. Prepare yourselves, and follow my instructions."

Adeline tightened her grip on her weapon — a long knife with a wooden handle — before sharing long glances with Rachel and Aris. She found Beth standing at the front, looking somewhat hesitant. She kept fidgeting with her hands, peering back at other girls, as if she didn't know if she was the only one hesitant on leaving. Beth's eyes found her, and she gave a long glance before drawing them away, craning her head back to listen to Sonya giving them instructions on entering the Maze.

"Stay behind and follow my pace." Sonya said. "The goal is to get to the Cliff. Down there we believe will be a way to enter the code we discovered, because if the Grievers can leave through the Maze, then we can too. If we have to, we will fight through any Grievers that may charge to attack us, and allow for Rachel and Aris to go down and enter the code. Any questions before we head into the Maze?"

A silence swept across the girls, either they were too frightened to ask anything, or they simply didn't have any questions.

"Okay." Sonya nodded. "Anyone having second thoughts?"

Girls went dead silent, someone coughed awkwardly, some shared glances. Sonya raises her eyebrow, but didn't say anything else.

"Let's go!" Harriet called out, and Sonya readied herself, as if she was about to run a marathon, before she took off. Girls hesitated, some didn't think twice and followed. Adeline urged the hesitant ones to go, and finally they did. And then Adeline followed, someone behind her close to her heels. She sensed it was maybe Rachel or Aris, but continued. She followed behind girls, each and everyone of them formed a line. Forty girls poured into the corridors of the Maze. If she was a Mapper like Sonya, she'd be in her element, but unfortunately the Maze was unfamiliar to Adeline.

—

They ran down the Maze corridors, following after Sonya as they headed to the Cliff. Harriet stayed at the back of them. Sonya and the Mappers leading kept their pace, but many of the girls who weren't Mappers — Adeline included — were slowing, unable to keep up. Her feet started to ache when they approached the end of a corridor, which branched out like the shape of the letter T. Sonya stopped for a moment, catching everyone's attention.

"Listen up!" Sonya tried her best to not shout, "This is the last turn before the Cliff and —"

There was the sound of whirring and clicking that made Adeline's skin crawl. They'd encountered their first Griever since the journey into the Maze an hour ago. Sonya moved away from the group and peered slightly around the corner, before she turned back towards them. Harriet pushed her way through the girls and took a moment to look too; the looks on their faces made Adeline's heart jump.

"Sonya, there's a group of them. About fifteen. Just sitting there." Harriet rushed out.

"I am aware." Sonya replied. She looked unsure on what to do.

"They're waiting for us." this came from Beth, who'd peeped around the corner to get a look. "Great, just great."

"What do we do?" Someone called out.

"What we knew we'd probably have to do." Harriet said. "Fight."

Nobody look pleased at Harriet's words, but it was true, even if Adeline hated to admit it. They knew they'd more than likely have to fight a few Grievers to get to the Cliff, especially since it was the place they appeared to go.

"Look." Harriet said over the girls murmurs. "You all know that they come out mostly at night, so the thought of fighting through them should've crossed your minds. We can't turn back now. If we want to get to that Cliff we're gonna have to fight through them."

"Do you think whoever controls them, or created them for that matter, will make them stay dormant?" Esther suggested.

"We can hope." Rachel spoke up. "But whoever sent us here most likely won't."

"Agreed." Aris nodded. "There's no way that we're not going to have to fight them."

"Okay then." Sonya breathed. "You all know the plan in this case. Fight our way through and make a path for Aris and —"

Before Sonya could finish her sentence, the sound of the Grievers revving to life, noticing the group of them now, cut her off. Girls went dead silent, and Sonya went pale in the face at the sound. Harriet grabbed her wits before anyone could, acting calmly in the situation unfolding. She called out for every each one of them to prepare themselves. Girls seemed to try get out of the state of terror, preparing themselves as the Grievers readied themselves; their instruments that protruded from their bodies ready, ready to kill any one of them. Adeline's eyes landed on a Griever, who's spikes were protruding from its blubbery skin, as if the Griever had decided that she was the one it was charging for.

And then, they charged at them, each one of them seemed to be spread out in a way to trap them, charging towards them as they circled them. And then, Adeline recollected her courage and attempted to slow down her increased heart rate, her heart hammering in her chest. She, both mentally and physically, prepared herself.