Hey everyone! This is my first ever Maze Runner Fanfic, wanted to write it to lighten up everyone's hearts after all the horrible deaths in the series. Please leave some feedback, it'll help me for my future stories! This story includes a mix of elements from the movies and the books, also a Harry Potter reference exists somewhere if you can spot it :P Hope you all enjoy! :)
He couldn't fall asleep. It had been three months since he woke up in the safe haven, surrounded by loved ones, but he couldn't fall asleep. His eyes wouldn't shut. Every night, he saw their faces. Newt...Teresa…Chuck...Alby...Winston.
The tide outside the hut was high and the moon was almost full. The fishing trawler was still out on the water a good distance from the beach, occupied by Vince and a few other boys who went to gather some seafood. The firepit outside, contained by a thick bed of grass to prevent the hut from being burned down, glowed a bright orange color. It was enough to make Thomas feel warm, but not enough to allow him to drift off.
His face was sweating, he tossed and turned in his bed. His breathing was slightly ragged. He didn't think the pain of losing his friends would linger this long. He wish he could see them again, he wish he had a day in heaven just to see their faces.
A hand pulled back the curtain to his room, patched by fortified structures made of wood to protect his hut from the storm last month. Brenda stepped between the flowers that hung in the doorway. "Hey," she said softly.
"Hey, sorry…" Thomas replied, his eyes feeling dry from the heat. "Did I wake you?"
"No, but it isn't that hard to tell that you can't fall asleep," Brenda said, matter-of-factly. "You've hardly slept at all this last week. What's wrong?"
Thomas felt like a fool, he knew it shouldn't have been hard to accept the fact that they were dead and to just move on. But he kept clinging to images of them, their faces in death agonizing him night after night.
"I just can't stop thinking about them. About all of them. All the friends I started out with, and that only a few of us actually made it this far. I wish they were here Brenda, I wish I could see them."
"I know," Brenda said calmly, sitting down on the bed next to Thomas. "I do too, and so do Minho and Frypan."
Thomas looked sideways at her, wondering if all this time he hadn't been the only one feeling this way.
"Minho says Newt's name every night. He also cries from time to time. Even Frypan weeps for Winston and Alby, he's told me a lot about those two during his cooking hours."
Thomas chuckled a bit through the tears that formed in his eyes. He remembered the days in the Glade when he and Chuck would steal food from Frypan's kitchen. The taste of that food was the only thing that seemed to remain constant for him throughout the long journey of survival.
"And you know there's not a day that goes by when I don't miss George."
More tears welled in Thomas's eyes as he pondered his complicity in allowing George to enter the Maze, only to be killed. Thomas's memories of many events before the Maze had come flooding back to him in recent weeks; everything from believing his name was Stephen, to befriending Newt and Minho and Alby, to watching the Gladers in the Maze with Chuck and Teresa at his side. He never felt more guilty in his life for having believed that a cure existed. An intense swelling built up in his chest.
"Brenda," he croaked. "I'm so, so sorry...I-"
"Don't Thomas," she responded, putting her hand on his shaking thigh. She leaned in close. "You know it wasn't your fault, it was all WCKD. They were the ones to did this to us. They took us from our homes. But the people who ran that operation are gone now."
"And they took our loved ones with them," Thomas said, clenching his teeth like he was biting on an iron chunk.
"It took me a while to accept the fact that George was gone, and that he wasn't coming back. It wasn't easy by any means, it took a lot of patience and internal healing." A few tears leaked from Brenda's eyes as well as she spoke slowly. "Even my parents...I scream every time I think about my dad getting shot in the head."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. That was me with Chuck."
"But one day, I laid my body down in the desert and I looked up at the sky, and I just dreamed...and I dreamed for hours and looked for a sign of them...and then Thomas, oh it was the most beautiful thing ever." Thomas gave Brenda a curious look as a smile formed on her face. "I saw them."
Thomas sat up a bit, wiping away a few tears. "You saw them? Like in your dreams?"
"Yes, and it was magical. It was like they'd never left. I saw them together in the garden outside our home, and little George was sitting in between them, and they each were holding roses in their hands. I sat down right next to them...and I cried on my mother's shoulder. It was like a day in heaven, Thomas." She wiped away another tear from her eyes.
"You saw George?" Thomas asked, his heart feeling heavier. "What was that like?"
"It brought me back to the beginning, when we were kids," Brenda explained. "He was young, and handsome, and everything you could ask for in a little brother. He told me these silly jokes about his life in WCKD's camp, how he felt like he was facing Dracula when the needles took his blood for the tests." She chuckled a bit more behind the tears. "And he told me how much he missed me up there, and that in due time we would be reunited."
Hearing that made the weight in Thomas's stomach a little lighter. "That sounds wonderful. Yeah I guess I imagine being back in the Glade every now and then. It's just so hard to let them go."
"You will Thomas, don't worry," said Brenda. "If you love someone, you'll learn to let them go. But letting go means nothing more than accepting the fact that they're gone and that they're in a better place. And if you think about it, they're not really gone." She stood up and walked to Thomas's nightstand, where Newt's letter and Chuck's little statue stood. She sat back down and pressed the items against his heart.
Thomas looked down at his now-relaxed chest and held his hand up to it as well, clutching the items and closing his eyes.
"They're in here Thomas. They're with you. They're with all of us, and they'll never leave." Brenda brought her face closer to Thomas's and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "And I'm always here for you, you know that."
"But how do I see them?" Thomas asked. The question sounded so childish coming from his mouth, almost like he reverted back to believing in fairy tales. "How can I see them like you did Brenda?"
"Just lay down and close your eyes...and just imagine them, running around, having fun, being happy together…"
The soothing sound of Brenda's voice was enough for him to do just that. Thomas leaned back onto his bed. Brenda sat on a chair beside him, and he rested his head against the pillow and looked up at the ceiling, catching sight of a few stars between the cracks of the bamboo wood which held the roof together. He swore for a second that he saw one or two stars moving.
"Go to sleep Thomas, just think of them right there in front of you...they're there Thomas, I know it."
Thomas closed his eyes slowly as Brenda patted his chest, he felt his tired legs sink into the bed. The firepit let out a small crack, but it wasn't enough to wake him. He felt his misery slowly fade away and a rush of tranquility fill his body. For a few minutes, he felt a few pats on his chest from Brenda before going numb, before closing his mouth and letting the cool night sea-air rush in and out of his nose as he waited for a sign...for a flash of light…
He imagined them...all together...all smiling, dancing, laughing, hugging…
In a few moments of darkness, trying to snatch the memories, he woke up. He felt small prickles of grass poke at his sides as his eyes opened. He no longer smelled sea-air, but fresh air. He heard the chirping of birds and the beautiful sounds of crickets. He saw a blue sky with very faint but existent clouds. Where is this? he thought. Am I home? Is this the Maze? Where am I?
He felt weak, like a peaceful baby, but used whatever strength he could muster to sit up. Bits of sand and dirt rushed past his ears. In was beyond surreal. It was the Glade. Only more extensive and even prettier to a degree. No walls. No maze. He could see some swathes of forest, which was where the birds' noise came from. He could see open fields to his left, and when he turned to look behind him, he saw a vast ocean stretching on forever.
Wherever he looked around, he saw people. Some conversing in groups, others picking at flowers. Some of them he didn't know, but most of them he recognized. One man was Ramirez, from inside the Maze, no longer a crank but a happy smiling man enjoying a big glass of what looked like crisp white wine. There were others off in the distance who looked a bit familiar out of the corner of his eye.
Many groups of people were on the beach, relaxing in the sand and enjoying the feeling of the sea-blue water on their backs. There were plenty of ships on the water, some a bit more old-fashioned. One ship arrived at the shoreline, and a couple of young children disembarked, accompanied by four women. They looked happy and excited, and a few people on the beach ran up to greet them.
A smile came from the corner of Thomas's eye, he never knew such a beautiful place existed. This surely was heaven, it had to be.
He knew he had to find the people he loved. There were so many people, finding his friends would be almost impossible if he didn't start now. He attempted to push himself upwards when he heard the most peculiar sound on his right: a snore.
Thomas looked to his right and what he saw hit his whole body like a giant wave of excitement came crashing down on him. It was Chuck.
The pudgy boy, dressed in considerably nicer Glader clothes, appeared to be sleeping right next to him. He had a blanket on him and a small padding of dirt underneath made the boy seem comfortable. Small but audible and familiar snores came from his nose. He was rolled over to one side with his back facing Thomas.
"Chuck!" Thomas said, relieved. He sat back down right next to Chuck and gently shook his arm. "Chuck! Wake up buddy! It's me, Thomas!"
"Huh, what? Oh, five more minutes…." Chuck responded groggily.
"No, no five minutes klunk-face," Thomas said adamantly, shaking Chuck's shoulder as he leaned over the boy to see his face. "Haven't you missed me?"
"No...I've been with you...the whole time Thomas...I'd never leave you...now let...me...sleep…."
"Well I sure as hell haven't seen you with me, but now we're together Chuck...so come on, get up!"
Thomas peeled off Chuck's blanket and did the same thing to Chuck's leg that Teresa had done in the observation deck; wrenched it hard. "OW!" Chuck yelled, scrambling to his feet. It was the reaction Thomas had expected. "What was that for? Not cool Thomas, not cool!"
The boy stood before him, and after a few seconds of redness from the pain, his face started beaming. "You look like crap man," Chuck said. On his knees, Thomas burst into tears and hugged his friend tightly, leaving Chuck a bit surprised.
"Chuck...I'm so sorry man...I'm s-s-sorry…" Thomas sobbed through each gasp that escaped his constricted throat. He gripped the back of Chuck's shirt.
Chuck's face turned red, even as he tried to hug Thomas back.
"You were the la-ast person I wanted to die…out of any of us...I'm never wanted you to d-die for me…"
"Thomas, hey, hey, it's okay," Chuck said softly. The boy wasn't sure if his face was getting redder from embarrassment or from Thomas squeezing his body so hard. After a minute's embrace, Thomas slumped back on his knees, his face still a blotched mess of tears.
"B-but it's my fault you died...I promised you Chuck...I promised to t-take you home…"
"And I am home Thomas," said Chuck, smiling. "My parents are down by the beach!"
"What?" Thomas was perplexed. "Your parents, they're here?"
"You betcha they are!" said Chuck proudly. "Apparently they died long before I had been taken by WCKD, my dad in a hunting accident and my mom from ovarian cancer. But they're here Thomas, I get to be with them again!"
Chuck was smiling brightly, and the sight encouraged a fresh new round of tears from Thomas, this time more from happiness. Chuck leaned forward and gave Thomas a hug himself this time. Thomas buried his face into Chuck's shoulders and wrapped his arms around him again. They might've stayed that way forever.
"But the Maze," Thomas said. "I should've never let you go into the Maze, I should've run away with you and Teresa when I had the chance."
"As fun as that would sound, shuck-face, you couldn't leave Newt or anyone else behind," pointed out Chuck. "They would've been imprisoned in the Maze forever if you didn't insert yourself. Think about it Thomas. We all died fighting for freedom. What better cause is there?"
Newt. That name stung Thomas's heart a bit hard, he almost needed a breather. "Is Newt here?"
"We're all here," said a girl's voice. It was Teresa.
Thomas's heart stopped in its tracks. "Teresa…"
She looked prettier than ever, her long black hair draped behind her back. Her eyes locked Thomas's and she smiled as she put her arm over Chuck's shoulder, who wouldn't stop smiling himself. "We're all with you Thomas. This place, it's a gift for us."
Thomas looked around again before pulling the two of them into a group hug. He didn't know how many more hugs he could give to people before his arms got tired.
"Teresa, I…"
"Don't Thomas," she said. "Don't feel guilty, you've felt enough of that already. I'm the one who should say sorry after all."
Thomas took a few more looks into her eyes, they flickered under the golden sunlight. "What's done is done. Like you said, don't feel guilty." There seemed to be a mutual understanding between them, given everything that they've been through. The lies. The deceit. It no longer bothered Thomas.
"Um...speaking of guilty Teresa, I may or may not have stolen a couple of your deviled eggs…" said Chuck.
"Oh...my….god….you know how much I love those!" Teresa said. "Come here you little munchkin, you'll pay for that!"
Thomas let out a few laughs as Teresa chased Chuck in circles around him, attempting to smother him with the usual hugs. "Don't worry Chuck, I'll protect you! For real this time."
For at least an hour, Teresa, Thomas, and Chuck had fun, played silly games, and caught up. It had Thomas aching to stay up here, to join them. To marry Teresa and adopt Chuck as a child or something like that. Chuck's parents watched from afar, smiling and eating the last of the deviled eggs.
"Well doesn't this look like a lot of fun!"
A very masculine but cheery voice came from the direction of the beach. Alby was shirtless, water droplets resting on his body and a surfboard in his hand. "Hey Greenie, welcome back!"
"Oh Alby," Thomas said, giving the man a big man-hug.
Alby laughed. "Bet you missed us up here, huh Greenie?"
"Yeah for sure," Thomas said, Teresa and Chuck by his side. "It's nice up here, wish I could just stay."
"Ah, in due time Greenie, in due time. How's Gally? He's not giving you any trouble, is he? Cause if he is-"
"No, he's good...totally okay," Thomas said. "He's actually not half as bad as you'd think now. He helped us rescue Minho."
Chuck looked a bit downtrodden as Alby gave him a stern look. "What message would you like to convey, young one?"
As if it was planned, Chuck said in a monotone voice, "Tell Gally I forgive him for killing me."
Thomas laughed at the forced statement. Chuck said it like he was apologizing for a prank he pulled.
A couple of girls walked by and giggled, giving Alby dreamy looks.
"Looks like you've become a real ladies man up here," said Thomas.
Alby chuckled again. "Eh, well, I try. Back in the Glade it was a bit hard to go shirtless and show off to a bunch of guys. But up here, it ain't so bad. Plus it's great to see a lot of the fallen boys up here."
Alby looked over at a group of boys socializing by the beach huts with those very same girls, and Thomas recognized most of them instantly. Zart, Jeff, Ben, and Winston, who turned his head to spot Thomas and said "No way!" He rushed across a patch of gardens separating them to get to Thomas, a few of the boys following behind.
Thomas could not have been more overjoyed. Here he was, seeing all the Gladers again, and it was just like old times. Winston looked brand new, no Crank markings or whatnot. He gave Thomas a hug and soon a large circle of Gladers formed and gave Thomas hugs one by one.
"We've been waiting for you man!" said Winston. "How's everyone doing? How are Minho and Frypan?"
"Yeah Thomas! How're the boys?
"Thomas! Good to see you man!"
Thomas might've been more overwhelmed by all the love from the boys than when he first entered the Glade after having his memory wiped. "Everyone's good guys!" Thomas said, elated. "We all miss you guys so much! Winston, Frypan misses you like you wouldn't believe."
Winston smiled. "Dude was my best friend down there. I miss his beef stew so much, it's making me hungry."
"You just had a giant tuna sandwich for lunch!" protested Jeff. "Now you're hungry again?"
"That's true, we get the best kind of food up here," said Zart.
"Oh I miss my deviled eggs," said Teresa, giving Chuck another warm glare. "Thank god there will be a new supply soon."
"So you see Greenie?" Alby said. "We're all here. And we're living our best lives. What's there to be stressing out about down there?"
Thomas paused, trying to fight back another entourage of tears. "Well...the fact that you guys are up here, and we're down there."
"You'll be back here soon enough, don't worry man," said Winston. "We'll all be here waiting for you."
"He's right," chimed in Chuck. "We may have to wait decades for you, but we're all here, and we'll wait."
"By the way," interrupted Ben. "Sorry for attacking you like that back in the Glade."
"What? No, don't worry Ben," said Thomas. "It wasn't your fault. It was-" Thomas was cut off as his eyes peeped at three figures on the nearby cliffs overlooking the ocean. His breath nearly stopped. Two of the figures were Jansen and Dr. Paige.
Thomas felt his body tense. He felt an immediate sense of rage overcome him. Something dark and monstrous. Those two were single-handedly responsible for taking away everything Thomas loved. He pushed past some of the boys and advanced towards the two figures, still unsure of who the third one was.
"AVA PAIGE!" Thomas shouted at the top of his lungs.
"No, Thomas-" Chuck said but Thomas had already taken off, almost charging at them.
Thomas ran towards them, and they caught his eye but did nothing. They looked at him and Thomas stopped himself in his tracks. His rage tried to force him to lunge at them but something stopped him. It was the third person, who turned around and looked at him.
It was Mary Cooper.
The doctor who saved Brenda. Thomas stood frozen, in disbelief. She was standing a few feet away from the man who killed her.
"Thomas stop, just relax man," Alby said, catching up to them.
"Them….they, how? How can you live with them? How?" Thomas was addressing Mary.
"It's good to see you too, Thomas," said Mary, smiling. "It's okay, they can't hurt any of us here. We all peacefully coexist. There's no need to take your anger out on anyone."
"But he...he...he killed you," Thomas said, glaring at Jansen who simply stared back.
"He can't hurt me here Thomas," Mary replied, placing her hand in his. "He can't hurt any of us."
Thomas's numbness and rage subsided after a few seconds. He hadn't intended to be imagining this, but clearly they were there. He kept a protective arm in front of Chuck, who stood at his side along with the other Gladers.
"How have you been Thomas? It's been so long, how's dear Vince?"
"Vince? Oh, he's okay, he's kind of in charge where we are but we're all happy," said Thomas, still calming himself. "Doctor, I never can thank you enough for taking care of Brenda. She's all right, safe and sound."
Mary simply nodded. "That's good to hear. Have you had the chance to meet everyone here?"
"Almost," Thomas said. Then it dawned upon him. "Newt," he said. "Where's Newt?"
"I think he's somewhere down by the beach," chimed in Winston. "He'll be happy to see you! Follow me."
The group of Gladers, followed by Mary, walked along the shores of the beach where a beautiful never-ending sunset was taking place. All along the beaches, for miles and miles, there were people swimming, sunbathing, and doing other fun activities. Thomas really didn't know why he couldn't just stay here forever, and bring everyone from down below with him.
Chuck scurried a little further ahead of Thomas, and started yelling "Newt! Newt!" Thomas's heart skipped a few beats, but Teresa held his hand and he calmed down again. The group approached a young skinny, slightly muscular boy who had been sunbathing. As the group approached, some of the Gladers made a dash for the water in their clothes to go swimming. Thomas and Teresa approached the boy closer, as Chuck continuously pestered him to wake up.
"C'mon Newt, get up!" Chuck said, tugging on the boy's sleeve. "There's someone here to see you!"
"Not now ya ugly shank, can't ya see I'm-" the boy stopped talking when he looked up. He scrambled to his feet. Thomas's eyes welled with tears as he observed Newt, cleaner and more handsome than ever, and like Winston, eradicated from Crank features.
"Tommy?" Newt said, almost bewildered. There was a long pause between them, but not one that felt awkward. "Are you dead too?"
"No...no, just visiting," Thomas said casually as his voice choked. "You know…"
"He's come to see us," said Mary. "For a day."
Newt stepped forward, the light from the setting sun glowed the left side of his face. He was barefoot, his feet splashed at the water as he walked closer to Thomas. Before Thomas could say a word, Newt wrapped his arms around him and tears leaked from the boy's eyes onto Thomas's shoulder.
Chuck smiled brightly and Mary and Teresa each put a hand on his shoulders.
"It's good to see you Tommy," Newt croaked, his face buried into Thomas's shoulder.
Thomas hugged back after a few seconds, also leaking a few more tears, although he didn't know how many tears he had left. "It's good to see you too Newt." He was glad to see that Newt looked nothing like the horrifying Crank he almost turned into.
As they unlocked arms, Newt asked "How's Minho?"
"He's alright," Thomas replied. "He misses you though, probably more sorely than I do."
"Yeah well, as expected. I miss him too. And Brenda and Jorge and the others, they're alright?"
"Yeah, we're all living peacefully in the safe haven."
"Oooooh, what's it like?" Chuck asked, excitedly. Thomas never failed to beam in amusement at the boy's curiosity, a touch which he never lost.
"It's pretty, more like a patch of cornfields between mountains and the sea, but nowhere near as gorgeous as this place," Thomas said, looking around him. "You guys have everything up here."
"Yeah well, it came at the cost of our lives," Newt said. "But we're pretty happy shanks up here. I never got to thank you for pulling the trigger Tommy."
Racks of guilt swarmed Thomas's stomach again. He never thought in years that he'd ever have to take human life, but he knew it had been for Newt's good. Besides, he had taken part in a Purge during his time at WCKD. He felt like a disgusting human being, but the feelings of happiness and overwhelming love drowned that out in this very moment.
"Don't mention it," Thomas said. "I just wish…I just wish there's something we could've done to save you….to save Winston….to save all of you."
"Don't worry Tommy, not all of us were ever meant to make it. But you gave us a damn good reason for trying, and we were all in your debt for that," Newt pointed out. "I just wish I had known sooner that Sonya down there was my sister all along, then perhaps I could've spent more time with her and gotten to know her better. Is she doing alright?"
"Yeah, she's doing great," said Thomas. "Aris and Harriet are giving her good company."
"That's good," Newt said. "Look after her for me. She's the only blood relative I have left who's still alive."
Then for the first time since seeing Thomas in heaven, Newt smiled. Is was a bright, happy smile that brought waves of joy and affection to Thomas. "Come Tommy," Newt said, putting his arm around Thomas. "Let's walk."
For the next few hours, Thomas walked down the beachline with all of his friends, catching up on as much as he could. They shared laughs, hugs, and tears together. Thomas was briefly able to find his parents, who had settled into a hut on the western side of the cliffs. They kept calling him Stephen and telling him embarrassing stories of when he was younger, which had Chuck and a few other Gladers snickering.
For a while, Thomas felt happy. He felt content, he felt like he had a life worth living. But he soon came to realize that it wasn't here. Not yet.
After a few hours, he felt the ground begin to shake, and his feet sunk into the grass a little bit. Everyone on the cliff gave him a perplexed look, but Teresa for one knew what it meant. "It's time," she told Thomas, just as the sun started to rise again from the night sky.
"Time for what?"
"Time for you to return," Teresa said. "You're waking up, you're feeling the sunlight on your face. You cannot stay here."
"Wait, what?" Thomas protested. "Why can't I? I want to stay here! I want to be with you guys."
The Gladers formed a circle around him, and a few tried to make him understand. "Look Greenie," Alby said. "We'd all love for you to stay. We want you to be with us as badly as you do. But you need to go back, you need to be with them."
"Yeah Thomas," Winston chimed in. "They need you down there."
"Look Tom," Teresa said. "All of us as here for a reason. We all died so that you could live. So that all of you could. And we're happy. Don't you see how at peace we all are?"
"Yeah, I do," Thomas said frustratedly. "But why can't you come with me?"
"Our place is here," Newt said. "This is our sanctuary. This is where we are free. We can't come back mate. We just can't."
"He's right Thomas," said Mary. "We've been through enough. But our time came when it came. And yours will too, don't worry."
"But...but….what if that's decades from now?" Thomas asked.
"You better hope it is, ya shank!" Ben said, and a couple other gladers laughed.
Newt placed a hand on Thomas's shoulder. "You've got a long life to live mate. Don't take it for granted. And when your time comes, we'll be here to welcome you back."
Thomas's mother stepped forward. "You've been so brave sweetheart. I've never been more proud of you in my entire life." His dad nodded in agreement.
Tears welled in Thomas's eyes, but he knew they were right. He couldn't stay here, as much as his heart yearned him to. He had a live to life, kids to have, an earth to repopulate. His work on earth was far from done.
"I….I guess so….but how do I know you'll be with me?"
This is when little Chuck stepped forward. He held Thomas's hand in his little own. "Thomas….we never left you. I've never left you, even after Gally killed me. I've always been with you. We all have, and we'll be with you forever. Maybe not physically, but we're in here."
Chuck's little hand placed itself over Thomas's heart in his chest. Thomas clutched it and closed his eyes. They were in his heart. And they will always be. They'll never go away. As Thomas's eyes became dry from a lack of tears, he smiled at the boy and gave him another hug, squeezing him tightly. Everyone around him joined in on a big group hug, Thomas never felt more love in his life.
"Okay...okay now how do I get back?" Thomas asked.
Teresa and Newt pointed to the cliff. "You'll have to jump. Then you'll return to the real world."
Thomas's heart skipped a beat. "Are you serious?" he chuckled. "I've had enough action-packed scares for a lifetime."
"Well, hopefully this'll be your last one for a while," Alby said, putting his hand on Thomas's back.
Thomas stepped nearer to the edge of the cliff. It was a long way down to the water. But he knew he had to do it. He had to jump.
"C'mon Thomas, my runner buddy, you got this," said Chuck encouragingly.
Before jumping, Thomas looked back to face the crowd, shedding one last tear. He looked at Chuck, then at Teresa, at Newt, at Winston, Alby, Mary, Rachel (Aris's friend), Ben, Zart, Jeff. He even looked through the corner of his eye at Dr. Paige and Jansen, who stood far off in the distance.
Then he looked at his mother and father.
"Stay close to me," Thomas said.
His dad put an arm around his mother. At the same time, they both said, "Always."
Then he turned around. With a deep breath, he faced the sun, and leapt.
The wind beat his face as he went down. The cheers from the top of the cliff were getting less audible. The sun's rays were getting brighter. He sucked all his emotions into his chest as he went down further...and further….till finally….he hit the water.
"Thomas!"
Thomas woke up gently to a few streaks of seawater being poured onto his face by Brenda. The sun was bright in the midday sky above his hut.
"Welcome back ya ugly shank," said Minho, who stood at the door. "Looks like someone had overdue beauty sleep."
Thomas slightly gasped, feeling much better and more alive. "Had some sweet dreams?" Brenda asked.
"Oh, you bet, they were out of this world," said Thomas, getting himself up. "Did I miss anything?"
"Yeah, you missed 2 pounds worth of fish for breakfast," Minho said. "C'mon, there should be some leftovers."
Thomas groggily got himself out of bed. He looked at the vial containing Newt's letter and Chuck's little sculpture. The sunlight seemed to give them an extra glow today.
As they ate fish in a group with Jorge and Vince, they looked out at the ocean. "Honestly, I wish Newt were here," Minho said. "I remember how much he used to love fish."
"Yeah, well I'm sure he's getting some great fish somewhere above," Thomas pointed out, chomping on his fish pieces.
"You think so?"
"I know so. I know they're all up there chilling on some beach with a Glade field in the background, and they're having the time of their lives, and they're looking down on us."
"Really? I hope they are," said Minho.
"I know they are," said Thomas.
"How can you be so sure?" Minho asked.
As Brenda sat by his side, Thomas said nothing. He simply smiled and looked out at the ocean, with his hand over his heart.