A5 // The Maze Runner

Chapter 25

I took off before any one else even registered what she told us, running to the hut. My hope was diminishing as to whether or not he would wake up. I knew every other Glader who had taken the serum—besides George— woke up eventually but after everything that's happened, I couldn't assume.

Uneven footsteps beside me made me realize Newt was just as needing to check on his best friend. He was just as nervous as I was about the stung leader but he held it better. His Second-in-Command side came on so I would keep calm along with every other Glader but I could see right through him— he was terrified.

Newt rushed into the room a second ahead of me and hesitantly sat beside Alby. I kneeled in front of him but still kept my distance knowing he could quite possibly become hostile like Gally was when he woke up.

"Alby. Are you alright?" Newt asked quietly as to not to startle him. He wouldn't look at Newt but he looked up at me and set his hand on my cheek. He brushed my cheek with his thumb as a tear slid out of his eye.

"How can you do it?" He croaked, still unsure of his voice.

"Do what?" I asked in the same hushed tone. I could feel everyone's(Newt, Thomas, Gally, Teresa, Minho and Frypan) eyes on me but I was too scared to move mine off Alby's.

"Live. Knowing what they did. What it's like out there. You've seen it too." Images I've buried so deep in my mind flooded back thanks to Alby. The fires. The scorched earth. The death. The sickness. The tests. The torture. The water. All of it came back like a tidal wave.

"But Alby," Thomas said kneeling beside me. I knew Thomas coming too close was a bad idea but I was too shaken up to stop him. "We may have just found a way out of the maze."

Alby's eyes filled with pure terror as he stood up and grabbed my arm as well as Gally's. "No, no, no, no, no, we can't leave. We aren't leaving."

"Alby!" The others started screaming for him to stop as he dragged Gally and myself outside. If everything wasn't bad enough, other boys started running around beside the doors frantically yelling things.

Winston ran over to us holding a torch to explain what was happening but Alby didn't stay. He took off running towards the woods where the map room was.

"Alby!" I screamed going after him. Newt grabbed my arm and stopped me as waited a second for Winston to tell us what was going on.

"It's the doors. They aren't closing," he said before running off with the others.

Newt looked down at me and tried pulling me with him. I kissed him quickly and pushed him off.

"I'll get Alby. Don't worry. They'll close. Just give it a second," I lied straight through the skin of my teeth. Those doors weren't going to close now. Three years with a specific schedule of when the doors would close, why would they change now?

I ran towards the dark woods where Alby went. I had been in these woods hundreds of times at night so I wasn't too scared. I was shaking however out of nerves. The doors were practically the only thing keeping us safe from the grievers because when they close, it means nothing could get inside. Now that they're open, anything can get in. Anything can get us.

I ran into the room with the faint smell of smoke filling my nose. I stopped in the doorway coughing and searching for Alby. All I saw was the large chest of maps engulfed in flames. He burned the maps.

"Alby! Alby, come back!" I screamed, hoping to get his attention. The entire hut was made out of wood so in minutes the whole hut would be taken by the flames and I needed to make sure he wasn't in here.