Attack on the Glade

Edward and Teresa climbed down the tower to reach the others.

"What's going on?" Teresa asked.

"The doors aren't closing," Newt said.

The brothers sent each other pale glances. This was not good. It was already dark and the gates were the only thing that they could keep them safe at night from the Grievers. Edward, in particular, feared that the advanced Griever would come.

They rushed over to the gates that remained open carrying torches. Everyone waited patiently hoping the gates would close. But nothing happened.

"That doesn't look good," Edward said.

They heard another loud 'clang'. Everyone turned right and saw doors on the right side of the Glade opening.

A third 'clang' came. Everyone turned around to see the Glade's south walls drifting apart.

"Oh no," Thomas breathed.

"We've got to do something," Edward said.

"We have to hide," Newt said. "Chuck! Go to the council hut and tell everyone to start barricading the entrances! Minho! Go and grab every weapon you can!"

Chuck and Minho dashed off with some boys.

"Edward! Teresa! You two are going to gather everyone and make sure they get to the council hut! Thomas, you and I are going to get Alby!"

Thomas, Edward and Teresa nodded. Before they could even take a step, a sudden shriek echoed across the Glade. Everyone looked back to where its source came from. They saw a Griever in the far distance.

"Everybody hide!" Thomas shouted.

Instantly everyone scurried off. All except Edward who remained stuck where he was as if he was entranced by their appearance.

Teresa managed to pull him away. The group rushed into the crop fields kneeling close to the soil. Thomas pressed his finger over his lips. Everyone remained quiet.

They heard screeching from outside. Then sudden quick screams. Everyone bit their tongues to try not to scream. Thomas and Edward peered their heads up. Out of the corner of their eyes, they saw a giant claw-like tail. It sprung down and grabbed Zart.

"Zart!" Thomas shouted. He tried to help him but Newt pulled him back.

Zart was flung into the air out of their sight. They heard his scream.

"Everyone run!" Edward shouted. "Come on!" Everyone sprinted towards the array of huts, hearing Grievers closing in behind them. Newt and Thomas barged into the medical hut where already Jeff and Clint were helping Alby get up.

"What's going on?" Alby asked.

"Grievers! They're here!" Thomas panicked.

"Come on!" Newt pulled an arm over his shoulders. Thomas did the other. They dragged Alby outside and rejoined Thomas's brother and the others who helplessly watched as more and more Grievers killed more and more Gladers. It was horrifying to watch. They saw no sign of Gally and his hooligans who had split up with them and took shelter under the ground doors inside the box.

Edward tried to lead them one way past Frypan's cook hut but it was smashed to pieces when a Griever came sliding in front of them to block their path.

Teresa suddenly grabbed a lantern and charged towards a Griever.

"Teresa!" Edward screamed, worried for her.

With great bravery, Teresa threw the lantern and the Griever was set on fire. It screeched in pain.

"Nice!" Edward complimented, pulling her back with him again.

"Thank you," Teresa said.

More Grievers came. Edward spotted some more lanterns. He turned to Teresa. Are you think what I'm thinking? he spoke in her mind.

Absolutely. She agreed. Together they grabbed some lanterns and threw as many as they could at some Grievers saving more Gladers.

"Nice!" Thomas shouted. "Come on!" he pulled them away.

With the Grievers on fire, the others started dashing as fast as they could across the plains towards the Council Hut. But more Grievers kept coming. They were hot on their trail.

Thomas and Newt managed to drag Alby but Newt suddenly fell due to his leg injury.

"Newt!" Thomas shouted.

"Get Alby out of here!" Newt shouted back. "Just go!" he pulled out a knife and dashed away to distract a Griever.

Thomas could only watch helplessly. He couldn't leave Newt. He turned to Jeff and Clint. "Take Alby!"

Newt shouted: "Over here! Come and get me!" to a Griever. He led it away. He ducked behind some nearby trees but the Griever screeched and swiped at him. He tried to fight back but he lost his balance and fell backwards.

The Griever screeched and closed in on him.

Thoams saw what was happening and became horrified. He had to figure something out. Just then, he saw a tree which was bent. Its trunk was almost completely cut through. He got an idea. He quickly but quietly rushed forward. He grabbed a machete on the ground. He swiped at the broken trunk. Then he kicked and kicked it multiple times until the tree's trunk let out a loud creak. It broke and it snapped.

Newt could barely hold his breath. He watched as the Griever held up its tail ready to strike. Suddenly a tall thin tree fell right on top of the Griever.

"Newt!"

Newt turned and saw Thomas rushing forward, pulling him onto his feet.

"I told you to go with Alby!" Newt shouted.

"You think I'd let you die like that?!"

"Thank you," Newt couldn't deny how grateful he was.

The others managed to reach the hut. Minho and Frypan had made it back too with weapons and friends.

"Get inside!" Alby ordered.

Edward noticed Thomas wasn't with them.

"Where's Thomas?" he asked.

"He went back to help Newt," Jeff said.

"By himself?!"

The screeches became louder.

Teresa gripped his shoulder. "Edward there's nothing you can do!"

"Everyone inside!" Alby ordered again.

"Come on!" Chuck emerged from the council hut. "Inside!"

Edward ushered everyone inside. Before Alby could enter, a Griever tail sprung forward and he was grabbed the foot.

"Alby!" Edward screamed. He watched helplessly as Alby was pulled away. At that moment he realised he had to do something. Teresa noticed. "Edward don't!"

As Thomas and Newt came running forward, they gasped when they saw the Grievers pulling Alby away. Edward was chasing after him.

"Edward!" Thomas screamed. He tried to run to him but Newt held him back.

"There's nothing you can do!" Newt wouldn't let him go.

"Let go of me! You would do the same for your brother or sister!"

Alby was flung across the Glade, rolling over several times. He raised his bruised head and he saw the Grievers closing in on him. He was petrified. He was afraid he was about to meet his head. The Grievers roared and charged at him.

Suddenly Edward appeared out of nowhere and jumped in front of Alby. The Grievers slid to a stop. All Edward could see was just the middle Griever's face right in front of his. The Griever snarled but it didn't attack him.

Everyone watched in shock. They came out of the hut.

Thomas in particular was so petrified. Newt realised his hold.

Edward felt so scared. He could hear the beats of his heart echoing in his eardrums but he remained calm. "Go," he breathed out. "Now,"

The Griever cooed but it remained where it was.

"Go! Now!" Edward commanded. "Leave!"

Instantly the Grievers turned and scurried off.

The boys couldn't believe what they had just seen.

Newt eyed Thomas very carefully. He looked the least surprised. He walked up to him. "Did you know he could do that?"

Thomas didn't turn to meet his eyes. In a way, he felt Newt already knew the answer.

Edward watched with a heart struck face as the Griever disappeared back into the Maze. He heard screeching and twisted his head to all sides to see all the other Grievers following it, probably their leader.

He peered all around. He saw nothing but debris and smoke and damaged huts. He remembered Alby and looked down at him. Alby looked scared. He tried to approach and offer a hand up but he scurried back away from him as if he was afraid. He stood up.

Edward looked into his eyes and saw nothing but shock. He heard footsteps and turned to see Gally and two of his goons stomping right towards him. Gally's face was burning red.

"Gally..." he tried to be cool.

Suddenly Gally sent a balled fist flying into his face.

Thomas saw what had happened and came rushing over.

"This is all, you Edward! Look around! Look at what you're done!" Before Gally could kick Edward, who had fallen onto the grass, Thoams grabbed him from behind and pushed him away.

"Back off Gally! It's not Edward's fault!" Thomas shouted.

The others came sprinting over as Gally tried to fight back only to be held back by Frypan, Minho, Winston and Newt. Teresa helped Edward up. His nose was bleeding heavily.

"You saw what he did! He controlled those Grievers! He ordered them to attack us!"

"No! I did not!" Edward defied. He tried to sound innocent but already some boys were beginning to agree with Gally. Even Alby who was being checked by Jeff was beginning to distrust him.

"If Edward did order them to attack, why did he save Alby?!" Teresa challenged. "He didn't do this! He's been with me the whole time and he hasn't done anything!"

"But you have!" Alby pointed at Teresa. Everyone glared across at Teresa.

"She hasn't done anything! Do you ever hear yourself?!" Edward snapped.

"I remember!" Alby's words brought everyone's attention. "I remember them saying that the last one ever would trigger the end. That she would be the last one before everything started changing. Her arrival has caused this. Now the Grievers will not stop until they have killed us all!" The boys sent cold eyes at Teresa making her shudder. Edward stepped in front of her for protection.

"Lock her up," Alby ordered.

"Hey! You can't lock her up!" Edward defended. "She didn't do anything! This is the Creators's doing! Not her's!"

"I say we banish them instead!" Gally suggested distastefully.

"Absolutely not!" Thomas stood in front of his brother and Teresa, arms outstretched.

"Do you want to get banished too?!" Gally challenged, stepping in on him.

"No! Thomas is not getting banished!" Newt stepped in.

"If all of you want to banish my brother and Teresa, then you can banish me up too!" Thomas declared selflessly.

"No Tom!" Edward begged, not wanting his brother to be eaten.

The whole atmosphere became an uproar of arguments. Thomas remained strong, standing between Gally and his mob who tried to get to his brother and Teresa.

"Enough!" Alby roared.

All eyes were turned to the worn-out leader whose eyes were fixed on both Edward and Teresa. Edward was scared so Teresa clutched his hand. Thomas clasped his shoulders protectively.

"Edward and Teresa will be locked up in the pit for the time being. Thomas will only be allowed to see them, once a day,"

"You can't!" Thomas protested.

"I've made my decision!" Alby declared. He cocked his head at Gally.

The furious Gally roughly grabbed Edward and shoved him forward with another of his goons. Teresa was manhandled by two more.

"Edward!" Thomas tried to rush forward but Newt held him. "Let go of me!"

"If you don't want to make things worse for him, then do nothing," the second-in-command hissed.

Thomas frowned but reluctantly stayed down. He watched in tears as his brother was taken away from him. He watched as Edward and Teresa were thrown into the pit and it was locked. He pulled himself out of Newt's grasp, glancing at him. Newt looked quite betrayed in a way. But Thomas was angrier with him. He turned to Alby giving him a deep frown. "Edward risked his life to save you. And Teresa saved a great number of Gladers today. They didn't do this," he declared boldly.

With everyone watching him, he stalked away, feeling Newt's hard but regretful eyes glued to his back.

Another chapter is done. What did you all think? I know Alby dies in this scene in the movie but I'm going to fuse the books and the movies and add in my own ideas. Please send reviews and let me know what you all thought. Hope you all are enjoying the holidays.