From Neverland to the Glade

chapter fifteen

For several seconds, Thomas felt like the world had frozen in place. A thick silence followed the thunderous rumble of the Door closing, and a veil of darkness seemed to cover the sky, as if even the sun had been frightened away by what lurker in the Maze. Twilight had fallen, and the mammoth walls  looked like enormous tombstones in a weed-infested cemetery for giants. Thomas leaned back against the rough rock, overcome by disbelief at what he had just done.

Filled with terror at what the consequences might be. Then a sharp cry from Alby up ahead snapped Thomas to attention; Aquata was moaning. Thomas pushed himself away from the wall and ran to the two Gladers.

Shiloh sobbed in Minho's more as she heard Alby's cry. Newt dropped beside them, eyes brimmed with tears, he hugged the girl and Minho.

Aquata had pulled herself up and was standing once again, but she looked terrible, even in the pale light still available—sweaty, dirty, scratched-up. Alby, on the ground, looked worse, his clothes ripped, his arms covered with cutsvsjd bruises. Thomas shuttered. Had Alby been attacked by a Griever?

"Greenie." Aquata said. "If you think that was brave comin' out here, listen up. You're the shuckies shuck-faced shuck there ever was. You're as good as dead, just like us." She said. She normally wasn't like this but carrying Alby tired her out. She wasn't the same as she usually was. Thomas felt his face heat up. "I couldn't just sit there and leave you guys out here."

"And what good are you with us?" Aquata rolled her eyes. "Whatever, dude. Break the Number One Rule, kill yourself, whatever."

"You're welcome. I was just trying to help." Thomas felt like kicking her in the face. Aquata forced a bitter laugh, then knelt back on the ground beside Alby. Thomas took a closer look at the collapsed boy and realized just how bad things were. Alby looked on the edge of death. His usually dark skin was losing color fast and his breaths were quick and shallow. "What happened?" Thomas asked. "Don't wanna talk about it." Aquata said as she checked Alby's pulse and bent over to listen to his chest. "Let's just say the Grievers can play dead really well." Thomas was surprised. "So he was....bitten? Strung, whatever? Is he going through the Changing?"

"You've got a lot to learn." She told him. Thomas wanted to scream. He knew he had a lot to learn, that's why he was asking questions. "Is he going to die?" He firchdc himself to say, cringing at how shallow and empty it sounded. "Since we didn't make it back before sunset, probably. Could be dead in a hour— I don't know how long it takes of you don't get the Serum. Course, we'll be dead, too, so don't get all weepy for him. Yep, we'll all be nice and dead soon." She said matter-of-factly, Thomas could hardly process the meaning of the words.

"We're really going to die?" He asked, unable to accept it. "You're telling me we have no chance?"
"None."
Thomas was annoyed at Aquata's constant negativity. "Oh, come on—there has to be something we can do. How many Grievers'll come at us?" He peered down the corridor as if expecting the creatures to arrive. "I don't know." Aquata huffed. "But...what about Ben? And Gally, and others who've been stung and survived?" Aquata shot him a looking saying he was dumb. "Didn't you hear me? They made it back before sunset, you dong. Made it back and got the Serum. All of them." She said, thankful Gally got it in time. "But I thought the Grievers only came out at night." He said. "Then you were wrong, shank. They always come out at night. That doesn't mean they never show up during the day." Thomas didn't give up though. "Has anyone ever been caught outside the walls at night and lived through it?"
"Only me."
"How many died, then?" Thomas asked. Aquata stared at the ground. "At least twelve. Haven't you been to the graveyard?"
"Yeah." He replied.
"Well, those are just the ones we found. There are more whose bodies never showed up." Aquata pointed absently back towards the Glade. "That freaking graveyard's back in the woods for a reason. Nothing kills happy times more then bring reminded of your slaughtered friends every day." Aquata grabbed Alby's arms, then nodded towards his feet. "Grab them smelly suckers. We gotta carry him over to the Door. Give em one body that's easy to find in the morning." Thomas stared at her. "How can this be happing!" He screamed at the walls. "Quit your crying. You should've followed the rules and stayed inside. Now come on, grab his legs."

They half carried, half dragged the almost lifeless body a hundred feet or so to the vertical crack of the Door, where Aquata propped Alby up against the wall in a semi-sitting position. "Where was he bitten?" Thomas asked. "Can you see it?"
"They don't freaking bite you. They prick you. And no, you can't see it. There could be dozens all over his body." The girl folded her arms, leaning against the wall. "Prick you? What do you mean?"
"Dude, you just have to see them to know what I'm talking about." Thomas pointed at Aquata's arms and legs. "Well, why didn't the thing prick you?"
She held her hands out. "Maybe it did—maybe I'll collapse in a second."
"They..." Thomas began, but didn't know how to finish. "There was no they, just the one we thought was dead. It went nuts and stung Alby, but then ran away." Aquata looked back into the Maze  which was now almost completely dark with nighttime. "But I'm sure it and a whole bunch of them suckers'll be here soon to finish us off with their needles."

"Needles?" Thomas aked. "Yeah, needles." She said flatly. Thomas looked up at the enormous walls, covered in think vines. "Can't we climb this thing?" He asked Aquata. "The vines— can't we climb them?" Aquata let out a frustrated sigh. "I swear, Greenie, you must think we're a bunch of idiots. You really think we've never had the ingenious thought of climbing the freaking walls?" Thomas felt anger creeping into compete with his fear and painc. "I'm just trying to help, lady. Why don't you quit moping at every word I say and talk to me?" Aquata jumped at him, grabbing him by the shirt. "You don't understand, shuck-face! You don't know anything, and you're just making it worse by trying to have hope! We're dead, you hear me? Dead!"

Aquata looked down at her hands clasped to Thomas's shirt and Shane washed across his face. Slowly, she let go and backed away. "Ah, man, oh man." Aquata whispered, then crumpled to the ground, burying her face in her clenched fists. "I've never been this scared before, dude. Not like this. Shiloh must be worried sick about us." Thomas looked at her. "That's a sweet girl." He said softly.

A haunting metallic sound filled the air. "We gotta split up....it's our only chance. Go!" Aquata said, running off down the Maze corridor.

Shiloh sat by Newt and Minho waiting for morning. The girl was tired but refused to sleep. She curled up into Newt's side, eyes dropping. Minho was brushing his hands through the girl's brown hair to calm her. "They'll be okay." Minho soothed. "They'll be okay." Newt looked at him with sad eyes. They knew the truth, they are most likely not going to make it, Shiloh knew too but they couldn't bare to accept that fact, not until they see the lifeless bodies in the Maze walls.