Born Again

Chapter eighty

More sections of the wall fell, making kids scream in fear.

Some fell to the ground, others cowered in a fetal position on the floor, and others started crying.

But all of them were terrified.

Thomas' mind went on autopilot. He knew exactly what he had to do to get everyone to safety.

But first, he had to tell his friends his plan.

Another bomb went off somewhere else in the building, making everybody instinctively cover their heads.

Thomas stumbled, regained his balance, and ran over to Minho.

"I know what we have to do," He said. "You bring up the rear. Teresa, Brenda, and I need to get to the head of the pack. Just follow me."

Minho nodded and gave him a little push to get him going.

Thomas glanced back to see a section of the wall crack down the middle like an acorn.

Mr. Agnes and Jorge tried to hide the kids under a table but Thomas knew that wouldn't save them.

They had to follow the dreams. It's the only way.

Thomas rushed over. "Everybody out!" He yelled. "We can't stay here. This whole place is coming down."

Jorge started to protest but Gally spoke up.

"Just go. We're wasting time," he interrupted. He turned to Thomas. "I'll get the children, you lead them out back."

"Alright, I'm coming with you," Newt said. "You can't do this on your own."

Thomas nodded, grateful to have his friends on his side.

Quickly giving the others instructions on where to help, Thomas waved for the nearest kids to follow him.

Another splintering crack sounded from nearby. Thomas looked over to see a section of the wall falling towards the ground a few yards away from where he was running.

With a sudden jerk of horror, he realized that the roof itself would eventually collapse.

"Go!" Brenda yelled, snapping him out of his daze. "I'm right behind you."

Teresa grabbed Thomas' arm, yanked him forward, and the three of them led the kids down another hall.

Turn after turn, Thomas led everybody to the nearest exit. It wasn't because he knew the layout of the building, but because he knew it would be the same path as the Maze.

That's how he knew they were close. Only a few more turns and—

Thomas rounded a corner and nearly ran into a pile of the fallen wall.

"Listen to me!" Teresa screamed. She gripped him by the shoulders and turned him around to look him in the face. "We have to move the debris aside so everyone can walk through. There's not enough time to climb over."

Thomas nodded then looked back at Brenda and Newt. "You keep everybody back until we're ready."

"We will," Brenda said, standing in front of the children protectively.

Turning around, Thomas followed Teresa's example and leaned against the wall, pushing at the wreckage with his feet.

The bricks he kicked pushed the others aside, almost leaving enough room to walk through.

He was just about to kick another piece when he heard somebody yelling his name from behind.

"Thomas!" Minho yelled, sprinting towards him and waving his arms frantically. "Get back here! You-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence. The roof collapsed between them, cutting Thomas and Teresa off from the others.

"No!" Thomas yelled, staring at the fallen debris. There was no way they could get back that way.

"Brenda?" He called. "Brenda, are you there?"

"Thomas!" He heard her yell. "I'm here."

"We're not going to make it," he told her.

"What are you talking about?" She asked, Thomas barely able to hear her.

"Just take the others," Thomas said. "Get everybody out while you still can."

"No," Brenda replied, plain and simple. "I'm not leaving you, okay? So forget it."

"Even though you should?"

"Tom," Teresa said, gripping his arm. "We have more urgent problems right now."

He followed her gaze to see the ceiling shaking, cracks flowing through it again.

Thomas grabbed Teresa's hand and pulled her the other way a second before the roof above them fell.

He started running and didn't look back.

"What about the others?" Teresa asked as they ran.

"They'll be fine," Thomas assured her, hoping it was true. "Minho will get them out. He's too smart to get lost."

Suddenly, she slipped her hand from his grasp and came to a stop.

He turned around to look at her. "Teresa, what are you doing? We have to get to the exit."

"I don't think we can anymore," she answered, pointing. "Look."

Thomas saw where she was pointing and his chest filled with dread.

The doorway they were running to was gone, collapsed in the explosion.

Their only exit out of the falling building was gone.