Thomas turned to see his original pursuer still coming, though it slowed a bit, clasping and unclasping a metal claw as if mocking him.

It knows I'm done, he thought. After all his effort, there he was, surrounded by Grievers. It was over. Not even a week of salvageable memory and his life was over. At least he had had gotten to experience an orgasm. Could've done it again if he hadn't been so stupid earlier. He stood there, trembling in silent tears.

The one Griever zoomed toward him rolling along, and Thomas stood there waiting. He had run himself out, and there was nowhere else to run. Seconds to collision. I should've said yes, Thomas thought.

At the last second, Thomas realized that this was fight was not over. He planted his left foot and dove right. Unable to stop its momentum, the Griever shot straight past him, and now, no longer surrounded, Thomas had a straight shot, back down the path.

He scrambled to his feet and dashed forward. Sounds of pursuit, this time from all four Grievers, followed close behind. Sure that he was pushing his body beyond its physical limits, he ran on, trying to rid himself of the hopeless feeling that it was only a matter of time before they got him. Well I'll fight until they—

Two hands suddenly reached out and yanked him into the adjoining hallway. Thomas's heart leapt into his throat as he let out another girlish scream and tried to escape. He stopped, his heart still pounding, when he realized it was Minho.

"What—"

"Shut up and follow me!" Minho said forcefully, dragging Thomas away until he was able to get his feet under himself.

Without a moment to think, Thomas collected himself. Together they ran through corridors, taking turn after turn. Minho seemed to know exactly where he was going and what he was doing; he never paused to think which way to run.

As they rounded the next corner, Minho spoke as if they hadn't been running for the past three minutes. And Thomas realized that of course a steady pace like this wouldn't get him tired. He runs every day. "I just saw that move you pulled back there. Gave me an idea."

Thomas didn't bother wasting his breath asking questions. Unlike Minho, he was surprised he hadn't passed out yet, but he kept running, following Minho. Every inch of his body hurt, inside and out, his limbs cried for him to quit running. But he ran on, hoping his heart wouldn't stop.

A few turns later, Thomas saw something ahead of them that didn't register with his brain. It seemed… wrong. The corridor didn't end in another stone wall.

It ended in blackness.

Thomas narrowed his eyes as they ran toward the wall of darkness, trying to comprehend what they were approaching. The two ivy—covered walls on either side seemed to intersect with nothing but sky up ahead. He could see stars. As they got closer, he finally that it was an opening—the Maze ended.

How? He wandered. After almost four years of searching, how did Minho find the exit this easily?

"Don't get excited," Minho said, still speaking easily through their steady pace.

A few feet before the end of the corridor, Minho pulled up, holding him arm out across Thomas's chest to ensure he stopped too. Thomas slowed, then walked up to where the Maze opened out into sky. The sounds of the onrushing Grievers grew closer, but he had to see.

They had indeed reached an exit to the Maze, but like Minho had said, it was nothing to get excited about. All Thomas could see in every direction, up, down, and around, was empty air and stars. It was like standing at the edge of the universe, and for a brief moment he was overcome by vertigo until Minho's hand reached out and steadied him.

"Making you dizzy?" he asked. Thomas nodded as he righted himself. "Same thing happened to me first time I saw it. This is the Cliff. And you be careful. You wouldn't be the first shank to fall off."

Thomas remembered hearing the word Cliff before, but couldn't place it at the moment. Seeing the vast, open shy in front of and below him into some kind of hypnotized stupor. He shook himself back to reality and turned to face the oncoming Grievers. They were now only dozens of yards away, single file, charging in with a vengeance, moving surprisingly fast.

Everything clicked, the, even before Minho explained what they were going to do.

"These things may be vicious," Minho said, "but they're dumb as dirt. Stand here—"

Thomas cut him off. "I know. I'm ready."

They shuffled their feet until they stood scrunched up together in front of the drop-off at the very middle of the corridor, facing the Grievers. Their heels were only inches from the edge of the Cliff behind them. Nothing but air waiting for them after that.

The only thing left was courage.

"We need to move together!" Minho sad forcefully. "When I say!"

Why the Grievers had lined up in a single file was a mystery. Maybe the Maze proved just narrow enough to make it awkward for them to travel side by side. But one after the other, they rolled down the stone hallway, clicking and moaning and ready to kill. Dozens of yards had become dozens of feet, and the monsters were only seconds away from crashing into the waiting boys.

"Not yet… not yet…"

Thomas hated every millisecond of waiting. He just wanted to close his eyes and never see another Griever again.

"Now!"

Just as the first Griever's arm extended out to nip at them, Minho and Thomas dove in opposite directions, each toward one of the outer walls of the corridor. The tactic had worked for Thomas earlier, and judging by the horrible screeching sound that escaped the Griever, it had worked again. The monster flew off the edge of the Cliff. Oddly, it's battle cry cut off sharply instead of fading as it plummeted to the depths beyond.

Thomas landed against the wall and turned just in time to see the second creature tumble over the edge, not able to stop itself. The third one planted a heavily spiked arm into the stone, but still it tumbled over. Again, neither of them made a sound as they fell—as if they'd disappeared instead of falling.

The fourth and final approaching creature was able to stop in time, teetering on the very edge of the cliff, a spike and claw holding it in place..

Instinctively Thomas knew what he had to do. Looking to Minho, he nodded, then turned. Both boys ran in at the Griever and jumped feet-first at the creature, kicking out at the last second with every waning bit of strength. They both connected, sending the last monster plummeting to its death.