Chapter 46-54: Memories

The rest of the day I did not want to talk to anyone. The night went like the other night before. When the Grievers came, I knew it was my time to get stung. Grievers took someone named Dave, so I ran after them, jumped on a Griever, and it stung me. Before I blacked out, I tried to say, "I did it on purpose...." Time was lost in the Changing. My mind was showing a slide show of pictures of my life. Chuck woke me up and exclaimed I was out for three days. What I needed now is a Gathering to tell what I just saw to the others. First thing I said is the Creators are testing us, there is no exit to the Maze, and this has all been a trial for winners or survivors. All of our names are nicknames to famous scientists, so we do not know our real names. The Creator were testing us in their Variables. An example is how we needed to find a solution to no solution. I also found out that I helped create the Maze, so when I told them, they freaked out. On top of that, I told them that Teresa and I are telepathic, so the Creator forced us to help with the Maze. One thing I did not tell them to the end is our escape plan. The plan is we are going to fight our way past the Grievers, jump in the Griever Hole, punch in the codes, and shut down the Maze. Alby freaked out and said that we can not go back to our old lives, and that is why he burned the maps. We all knew now that only one of us can die a day, so I volunteered myself. Newt said that was a bad idea because I have already redeemed myself, and we all need to take our own chances with the escape. After the meeting was over, we gathered our gear, supplies, Gladers, and weapons for the battle that is coming ahead. Teresa asked me what WICKED meant. We thought about it, and I remembered the sign on the Maze wall. World In Catastrophe: Killzone Experiment Department is the meaning of WICKED. Minho gave the pep talk before we went into the battle. "Be careful,' he said dryly. ‘Don't die." Cheering echoed off the Maze walls. I was thinking only one thing. "Just make it to that Hole."

Chapter 55-62: Final Varibles

The Gladers were running for hours, and then, we reached the Cliff. The Grievers were just sitting there waiting for us, until more closed us in, so they were on all of our sides. I fought my fear as I took the situation in. When all the Grievers were around us, they just sat there and waited. Alby was freaking out that someone needs to die now, so he committed suicide by running strait into a Griever because only one of us can die right... wrong! Newt yelled to the group that the number one priority is to get me, Teresa, and Chuck to the Hole. Before he finished, the Grievers stopped attacking Alby and came for us. We just ran as fast as we could without stopping for one second to the Hole. The Gladers made a slight opening, so we took it like our lives depended on it, even though they actually did. Teresa went first into the marked Hole. It had vines that the Runners put out earlier in the day when there was no Grievers outside the Hole, but all of the Grievers were inside the Hole. Chuck went second, so I went last. At the end of the Hole was a small room with a computer. Teresa put in the codes, but the last code did not work. One Griever came back through the Hole, so I defended her with my spear. I eventually killed it. Teresa kept saying the last word would not work, and at the same time more Grievers came through the Hole. Chuck yelled that you do not type in the last word: PUSH. He said you have to push the button that said: KILL THE MAZE. Teresa "pushed the button and everything went perfectly silent." Half of us died during that battle. When everyone was inside the Hole, we followed that path that led us to a oily tunnel. We each slide down it, and at the bottom we all saw the Creators. A door opened, and two people walked through it. One was a female, and the other was Gally. She said that there is one final Variable, so Gally, being mind controlled, picked up a knife and threw it at me. Chuck dived in front of it and killed himself for me. His last words were,"Find...my mom." Rage went through me, so I lashed out at Gally, beating him to death. Then, several people with guns came bursting into the room, killing the Women, and taking us with them. We ran to a bus that was outside the compound because they rescuers motion us on. All of us got on safely, and the driver kept going like he did not care about his life. One women on board told us about what was going on. Thousands of orphans, just like the Gladers, were tested, and that we were part of the biggest one. Two hours later the bus stopped at a building. There was food, beds, bright colors, pizza, and clothes. I shared a room with Minho, but before we went to bed Teresa talked to me telepathically. We both wondered what tomorrow would be like.

Chapter 9-16: Banishment Too

For an odd moment, the whole Glade was quite. Alby broke the silence by yelling "Med-Jacks." Med-Jacks are the doctors in the Glade. One of them is Clint, and he examined her and said she was in a coma. Alby made it clear that if anyone would touch her, they would be banished. When I saw her face, she seemed familiar, but it seemed so impossible. Jeff, other Med-Jack, and Clint stretched her up and took her to the room next to Benny. Newt asked me if I knew her in anyway, so I lied because I wanted to get my thoughts together first. Alby said he is going to hold a Gathering. Chuck told me that this meeting is held with all the Keepers of the jobs to discuss when something weird or strange happens. After that, Chuck and I went to get some food. I asked a bunch of more questions. Why were we put in here? Were we criminals? Where the electricity comes from? When can I be a Runner? Chuck said, "Just accept it and don't think about it." Chuck told me some interesting things about the Runners though. He explained that when they come out of the Maze they put their maps in a concrete building. The thought of running for two years and not finding anything, made the Maze seem impossible. I was told that the walls change, so that changed my mind. After eating some food, I walked around the Glade until I saw a Beetle Blade. It's like a metal lizard with a camera to watch what we do in here. My mind told me to follow it. Just before it started moving I saw the word "Wicked" in blood letters on its back. Racing after it for awhile, I lost it in the forest leading to the Deadheads. In the clearing I could see about a dozen of graves from all the dead bodies found... Then I heard a noise in the forest, but I thought it was nothing. Looking at the graves I found one with the top half of a body on top. The grave said, "Let this half-shank be a warning to all: You can't escape through the Box Hole." After I looked up, I heard a snap! A Glader jumped out of the forest and started to attack me. It was Benny trying to kill me. He crouched on the ground with a knife in his hand, but before he could do anything, Alby showed up with his bow. He shot Benny, just missing his heart. At least I had Work to help get the image out of my mind. Tomorrow evening, I saw a Runner limping out of the maze, so I called for help. Alby came quick and let me hear their conversation. Minho, Runner, exclaimed that he saw a dead Griever, so they were going to look at it the next day. That night came with a surprise. Benny was being banished for trying to kill me. Banishing means they put your neck on a collar attached to a long metal pole. The pole is pushed out into the Maze at the time when it shuts. Benny was screaming, but the scream was cut off by the booming sound of the Maze doors closing. Newt woke me up the next day late because he said I need the extra sleep from the last few days I had. Also, he told me that I would work in the garden today, so I told him I wanted to be a Runner. Newt said I have to be elected first. After a hard long day of gardening, after eating, and finally meeting Frypan I saw Newt again. This time he looked worried, and he told me Alby and Minho is dead. I asked him if we could send a search party, but he said we would be throwing lives away. The night was creeping on us as we waited for them to come back alive, so Newt went back to the homestead. When he was inside and me stilling waiting at the entrance of the Maze, I saw Minho dragging Alby, and I shouted as loud as I could for Newt to comeback. I was persistent, so I walked in the Maze. The last split second after I went in the doors, they shut with "the echo of its boom bouncing off the ivy-covered stone like mad laughter."

Chapter 17-26: Aftermath

I felt like the whole world has frozen in place. Alby's sharp cry got me thinking why I risked my life not more than five minuets ago. Minho said I am as good as dead just like him and Alby, but I told him I just could not leave him here alone to die without trying. "Break the Number One Rule, kill yourself, whatever," he yelled. After that, I ask what happened to him, and he said that the Griever was not dead at all, so it stung Alby and ran away from him. I had hope that we would survive the night, but Minho said all three of us would die. He also told me about if you do not get the Serum in time, you would die for sure, so he told me to drag Alby's body to the door so the Gladers could find it easy. I grabbed his legs and "half carried, half dragged" the body to a sitting position on the wall. I asked him if they bite him too, but he yelled at me that they do not bite, they prick you with their needles. Then we heard the noise. It sounds like "the roar of engines interspersed with rolling, cranking sounds like chains hoisting machinery in an old, grimy factory." Minho was scared out of his wits, so he said to split up, try to survive, and do not stop moving. My first thought was Alby, so I checked if he was alive, dragged him closer to the door, and tied him up with vines I checked would hold his weight. Then I pulled him up the maze wall, so my steps were "climb, wrap, push up, tie off." The work took a lot of my energy, but worst of all I could hear the Griever coming closer and closer. I stopped about thirty feet off the ground, and tried to hide. As I looked down, I saw a Griever, and it looked like an experiment gone wrong. Some characteristics were its spikes that went in and out of its moist skin, had no head of tail, looked like a slug, six feet long and 4 feet wide, had mechanical arms sticking out of its body in random places, and the menacing needles that prick you. I was hoping it would not see us, but it stopped in front of the wall and shut down mysteriously. Minutes later, it came back on and started to climb the wall. Thinking quick, I grabbed a vine and swung away to lure it away from Alby and this worked! Making my way to the ground burned my hands, made me kick a Griever leaving a gash in my back, and almost ripping my arms out. When I landed, I was trapped between three Grievers on one side, and the one that has been chasing me the whole time on the other. I ran at the one Griever because one is better than three, so I dove to the right of it and it zoomed right past me. After that, I ran down the now clear hallway and found Minho. He said what I just did gave him an idea of how to beat them. Following his lead, we found the end of the Maze, the Cliff. Just then I knew his idea. We were going to dive while the Grievers fell off the Cliff. It killed them all, so we cried until sunrise. When we walk by the entrance of the Maze, Newt was there with a search party regrouping to look for our bodies. Then he saw us and told us to get check by the Med-Jack, but when we were done we need to tell him the whole story. Chuck told me Alby was alive, so that made me super happy that I saved his life. Newt told me that we would have a Gathering about me to see what they need to do with me because I had caused a lot of commotion around here in the past weeks. During the meeting, the Keepers gave ideas of what they should do, and some of the ideas people gave me were good or bad. Frypan said we should make me part of the council to train how I did the dive, Winston, Bloodhouse Keeper, said we should throw me in the slammer for a week with only bread and water, Gally said I should lock me up in the slammer for one whole month, Minho said I should be the Keeper of the Runners, and Newt said I should be locked in the slammer for one day and for me to be a Runner. Between the recommendations, Gally left the Gathering storming, and at the end of the Gathering, Newt's idea was voted. When I went outside, Chuck ran up to me and said Alby is screaming my name.

Chapter 35-45: Trigger

We figured that if the Grievers can leave this way so can we! Next, we picked up some rocks to see where they jump into off the Cliff. Taking turns help us get the exact locations of the hidden entrance. I called it the Griever Hole. Back in the Map Room, I drew a pretty good map for my first one, but I was very excited to tell Newt and Alby about the Griever Hole. Alby said no supplies came today, so there's no sun for the plants, no supplies, and everyone is going crazy. When we are talking to them, Chuck said the girl woke up. In my mind she told me, before she forgot it, that the Maze was a code. I did not want to see her, so I ran to the Deadheads. She found me! She said she can just talk in my mind like riding a bike, even though we both remember riding one but not remembering if we learned how to ride one. There was a message on her arm: WICKED is good. "Don't let me forget--it has to mean something," she said. Newt came running out of the woods with Alby, Jeff, Clint, and two people named Billy and Jackson. Alby ask what did the girl do. Teresa said she just triggered the ending, so they took her to the Slammer. Also, he said the Doors and walls did not close today. I told Newt that the Creators, people who created this Maze, wanted us to finish this once and for all. He knew it was true, but he just shrugged me off. Then, I sprinted to the Slammer to see Teresa. See asked for me to get her out, but I said you will be the safest one here because the Grievers can not in the bars. During that night, we made the Homestead our fort, so we crammed everyone in there with food, weapons, barricades, and sleeping supplies. Alby left for the Map Room to study them, but we heard the Grievers outside. Everyone heard the noise get closer and closer. Then, Gally came in the Homestead. We all thought he was dead. He yelled and screamed, "The Grievers will kill you all--one every night till it's over!" Then he said it was my fault and slapped he that nearly knocks me cold. Newt pulled him off me, and the Grievers broke in. Gally ran at them and they took Gally and left. One a night I thought. Minho ran after them to check if they go through the Griever Hole. When he came back, he said they did go through it, but Newt interrupted and said the Map Room was burned down. Teresa was lonely, so I went to see her. She was thinking that we compare only the maps in the same section other then the other maps in the day. We found out that each day could be a letter or a word each day! Then, I thought about the burning maps, and I told her that "if there was a code, it's gone." I left her there because I had to see if any of the maps had survived. Minho and Newt followed me to the Slammer to talk about what Teresa and I found out. Plus, I needed to get her out of the cell. After that, Newt told me that those maps that got burned were fake, and they switched them because of Alby's warning to protect the maps. We all got to the secret storage area, so I began to explain that the Runner have always compared them to their own section not the other. Bam! The idea came to my mind; all we needed was wax paper, black colors, and scissors. We put the wax paper on top and traced the maps, sections by sections, days by days. When we put some together, we saw something "sitting in the exact center of the page was the letter F." Next was L, O, A, T, C, A, T, C, and H. FLOAT and CATCH. Minho said we need all the Runners to find today's maps. While we were gone running, they other were finding other words. After we found nothing new in the Maze, Minho got discouraged. The others found the code! FLOAT, CATCH, BLEED, DEATH, STIFF, and PUSH is the code. We had no idea what the six words meant, but I had the craziest idea to help us. We need memories to find out more. I had to go through the Changing on purpose.

Chapter 27-34: Before the Trigger

Newt and I ran to the Homestead to Alby's room. When we got there, Newt woke him up. First thing Alby said was everything is going to change, just as Gally, Benny, and the girl had said earlier. That's all Newt really heard because Alby shouted that only I could hear what he has to say. Alby said, "Seen it. Seen everything. Where we came from, who you are. Who the girl is. I remember the "Flare." I had no idea what the Flare is, but after he said that, he started to choke himself like someone was controlling him not wanting him to tell more. "Newt!" I screamed. "Newt get in here." It is not surprising he was listening through the door. After we got him to stop, he said it was not him, but he said something else interesting. "Protect the maps." I was with Newt the rest of the day trying to figure out where Gally is, what just happened, and any other information we could get our hands on. During that day, we went to see the girl. When we got in there, I was to look at her to remember anything. She told me her name in my mind, and she also said my name. Teresa is her name. I jumped from my chair wondering who said that, so when she said my name, I went as far away from her as possible in the room because I knew it was her. Newt asked what was wrong, so I said, "She's...she's freakin' talking to me. In my head. She just said my name!" She also said that she is a trigger, we did this to the Gladers, and it has to end. After that shocking moment, I ran as fast as I can to the furthest place I could find. I ended up sleeping in the Deadheads, and Chuck woke me up. This is my day to go to the Slammer. After the day was about to end, Alby let me out. I ate a great meal of beef and cookies and went to bed. The next day was my first day of training to be a Runner. Minho gave me new, size eleven running shoes, tight shorts and tight shirt, backpack with supplies, and most importantly, a watch. Next, he showed me their weapons room filled with knifes, bows, arrows, daggers, sticks, and spikes. After I picked two knifes, we went to the map room to show me how to write a map, using the map from the day before. When I finally got how to write one, we ran into the Maze fast, so I tried to keep up with Minho. I saw that Minho cut vines down to find our way back just like Hansel and Gretel. During our lunch break, he told me what happened with the "dead" Griever. He said Alby poked it with his foot, so it came to life and trampled over Alby to get away from them. Two more hours past while running, when I saw a sign that said, "WORLD IN CATASTROPHE: KILLZONE EXPERIMENT DEPARTMENT." Minho said there all over the walls in the Maze. One hour after lunch, Minho said it's time to go back. The rest of my day I was exhausted, but when I was sitting in my favorite spot in the Deadheads, Teresa talked in my mind that she just triggered the ending. When I woke up, the sky was gray with no sun. Minho found me and rushed me into the Maze for my second day, even though what just happened that morning. In the Maze we saw a Griever in between sections of the Maze. We followed it for ten minuets, and we saw it jump off the Cliff and disappeared in mid flight. "A shadow swallowed by more shadow."

Chapter 1-8: The Begining

First of all, I have no idea of my life until this point. All I know is that my name is Tomas. I woke up in a metal elevator, and for, what it seemed like hours, I travel up in the shaft. When it finally opened, fifty to sixty male teenagers, young and old, welcomed me into the Glade. The Glade is a compound underground with a farm, stone courtyard, cliff, grove of trees, garden, buildings, and most importantly the Maze. My first day started with meeting the leader, Alby. He told me that I came in the Box, and that everyone here including me is a Glader. When I went to bed that night, I had so many questions. Next morning was my tour of the Glade. Chuck, my soon to be best friend, told me that I am 5' 9", roughly sixteen, brown hair, and male, because everyone so far has been male. As we are walking, we walk into a guy named Gally. Gally has been through the Changing. This is when Grievers, metal bugs with spikes, sting us. They infect us with a poison, so the poison makes our bodies go threw a mental and physical changing that kills our whole body without the Serum. With the Serum, an antidote, our body gets images of our past life and future life with the price of eminence pain for weeks. Gally saw me in his Changing and says that I am bad news, so he sends me up the central building to see Benny. Benny is going threw the Changing at the time. His body was twisted, pale, green veins popping out his body, bruises, red hives, and blood shot eyes that darted back and forth. After that we saw the Runners, and I instantly knew I had to be one of them. Chuck said they run threw the maze trying to figure it out the patterns, but he said it was a bad idea for me to be one of them. The next day, Newt, second in command, showed me the Maze. He said that our whole purpose of being here is to figure out the Maze to go home. Also, Grievers only come out at night and in the Maze. Later that same day, Alby took me on the real tour. I learned that the Box brings a newbie, or Greenie, once a month to the Glade, and it also brings supplies once a week. "Glade's cut into four sections…Gardens. Blood House, Homestead, Deadheads", he said to me. "Gardens-- is where we grow crops." "Blood House-- where we raise and salute animals." The Homestead is where we sleep, and the Deadheads are the graveyard. When we checked out the farm, I felt like I have been here before, and I had this same feeling when I came out of the Box. Alby took me to see the Maze again, and I still had the feeling, in my gut, that I had to be a Runner. Throughout the whole tour I had so many questions. Plus, for the next two weeks after I was supposed to work each job around the Glade, but another Greenie showed up on that very interesting, third day. This had never happened before, but two Greenies showed up in the same month. What is more interesting is that this one was a girl and with her was a note saying, "She's the last one. Ever."