We were almost there. Less than a minute before the doors closed. My lungs burned, my legs threatened to give out, but we kept dragging Alby.

"Come on!"
"Run!" Voice screamed from the glade as people waited by the doors.

Albys full weight suddenly dropped onto me- Minho had lost his grip. My knees buckled, but I forced myself to hold on. Minho scrambled back up, and together we hauled Alby forward again.

Then the doors started to close. Too fast. Too soon.

"Come on"
"Leave him!"
"Just leave him!"
"Run!"

The words cut into me, but I couldn't. I wouldn't leave Alby. My chest tightened. I'd already lost too many people to the maze. I wasn't adding him to the list.

And then, seconds before the storm slammed shut, I saw him. Thomas. Sprinting straight into the maze.

What the hell was he doing?

The doors locked behind him, sealing us in. Minho and I dropped Alby to the ground, our arms trembling with exhaustion. I collapsed to my knees, breath ragged.

"Good job. You just killed yourself" Minho told Thomas, his voice flat, edged with bitterness.

"What happened?" Thomas asked, staggering closer to Alby.

"What does it look like? He got stung." I snap, though the words tasted like ash.

Thomas glanced at the blood on Abby's head.
"What happened to his head?" He asks

"I did what I had to do" Minho muttered

The sound that followed froze me to the bone. The metallic screech of a griever echoing through the stone.

Minho tensed, ready to run.

"Okay, okay- help me get him up" I said quickly, forcing myself to my feet

"We gotta go. The maze is already changing" Minho took a step back.

"Miho! We can't just leave him here. Help us get him up" Thomas shot back. His desperation mirrored my own.

"I'm not leaving him here" I snapped, meeting minhos eyes. Something in him faltered, and with a sharp exhale, he came back to help us.

Half an hour later, Alby still sagged between us, dead weight. Sweat drenched my back, every muscle screaming.

"Okay set him down. Put him down." Minho said, dropping his side. We eased Alby to the ground. Another griever roared, closer this time.

"This isn't going to work. This isn't going to work. We gotta go" Minhos voice was panicked, already turning.

"Wait, what do you mean? We gotta hide him" Thomas argued

"Where?" Minho snapped.

"I don't know. Are you telling me there's not a single place we could take him?" Thomas asked.

Then minho pinned him against the wall.
"Listen to me, shuckface. Take a look around, there's nowhere to go!" Minho snapped.

But Thomas's eyes darted past him- toward the it covering the wall.

"Come on. Help me get him up" Thomas demanded.

We tied vines around Abby's chest, pulling him upward, straining with every inch. My arms burned like fire.

"Come on, almost here" Thomas said.

Another griever shrieked, only a couple corners away.

"This isn't going to work- we gotta go" Minhos voice cracked, his hands slowly letting go of the Ivy.

"Minho?" Thomas begged

"Minho! Minho, no! Don't you dare!" I hissed, but Minhos eyes met mine.

"I'm sorry, Reyna" he said.

Then he ran.

"Coward!" I wanted to scream, but there was no time. Thomas and I clung to the vines. Holding Alby up. My mind raced.

Look around, find a place to hide.

That voice rang. Then I saw it. A small hole at the base of the wall.

"Thomas- there!" I whispered fiercely. We slid inside, still clutching the ivy to keep Alby suspended. The space was tight, forcing me practically into Thomas. Ny heart pounded so hard it felt like the griever could hear it.

I pressed a finger to my lips. Silence.

The grievers massive leg thudded past the opening, the vibrations rattling through my chest. I barely breathed until it moved on.

Cautiously, I peeked out. Clear- for now.

"Come on, we need to tie it off" I whispered. Together, we secured the ivy to a stone. Then another roar. Louder. Closer.

I grabbed Thomas's hand without thinking, dragging him around the corner and shoving him against the wall. I peered around the corner, the griever slowly walked out of sight.

"Move" I breathed.

Then we started moving.

We slipped away, but Thomas stopped, lifting his foot. Slime dripped from his shoe.

Griever slime.

I tilted my head up - and my stomach dropped. The monster clung above us, eyes glinting.

"Run!" I shouted.

We tore down the corridors, twisting blindly, until we hit a dead end. My heart sank.

"Shit" I muttered

"Climb!" Thomas yelled.

We scrambled up the ivy, Thomas reaching the top as the griever closed in. My grip faltered, my body slipping. The stinger jabbed inches from my face.

"Reyna!" Thomas grabbed my hand, hailing me up with everything he had.

Then we ran. Again. Always running.

Then I almost crashed into Thomas - who abruptly stopped.

There was a gap between us and the next wall.

"We're gonna have to jump" Thomas said

"Not shit, Sherlock" I grumble, then we both back up a couple of steps.

We sprinted, leapt, caught the ivy. My palms burned, skin tearing as we slid down. The griever jumped after us, landing right on top. It's leg sliced my arm, hot pain flaring.

Then the ivy tore. We plummeted.

The impact rattled my bones, but Thomas yanked me up.
"Come on" he said, as the grievers fell to the ground, wrapped in ivy.

We bolted straight into Minho. 

"Crazy son of a bitches. Come on- this way. It's changing!" Minho muttered, relief plain on his face.

We followed, racing toward a narrowing passage.

"This section is closing. Come on- we can lose it down here!" Minho yelled sprinting through.

But I stopped. Then Thomas stopped too. Our eyes met, then flicked to the griever barreling toward us.

"You're just as crazy as me" I told him

"Thomas, Reyna, what are you doing? Come on!" Minho yelled

I grabbed a rock, adrenaline rushing.
"You better be ready to run like hell" I mutter to thomas.

I hurled the rock.
"Over here, you ugly shitface!" I scream

The griever shrieked and charged.

"Great, you pissed it off" Thomas grumbled

"Oh, shut up you, big baby" I grumbled back.

"Not yet.....Not yet..." I whispered, every nerve on fire.

"Now!" I yell

We sprinted through the narrowing gap, the griever sliding behind us. 

"Come on! Run! Don't look back!" Minho shouted

The ground shook, walls closing, and then- impact.

I hit the ground hard, Thomas landing on top of me. I groan in pain.

"You did it, lovebirds" Minho smirked

"Get off me" I groaned, shoving Thomas away.

The griever lay crushed behind us. My chest heaved. My arm throbbed.

"Motherfucker" I muttered under my breath

"You've got a potty mouth" Minho teased.

Something in me snapped. Rage flared hot and fast. I shoved him.

"You left, you bitch! I trusted you and you ran!" I yell

"I'm sorry!" Minhos voice cracked
"I admit it- I was a coward. But I'm sorry" he says

I glared at him, my breath ragged, and my body still shaking.
"Don't. Do it. Again" I warn

He nodded quickly.
"Noted. Remind me not to get on your bad side" he says

"Smartest thing you've said all day." I muttered

Thomas, still catching his breath, managed a faint.
"She's terrifying." He said

"Damn right" I shot back, though part of me- deep down- was grateful Thomas stayed.