Clara dreamed of Zart that night. The Griever's spike driving straight through him. The blood... so much blood. His blue eyes dimming like light bulbs running out of energy. The terror. She woke up with a sharp inhale and looked over her side, hoping her friend was sleeping soundly next to her and that everything was just one long nightmare. But she was disappointed to find that he was gone. Reality was harsh. Clara couldn't sleep after that.
As everyone began to stir and the Gladers went to work, Clara was startled to hear Chuck yelling.
"He's awake! Thomas is awake!" the boy shouted. Clara and Newt found each other at the entrance of the Homestead and went in together.
When the two entered the room, Chuck grabbed their arms frantically and pulled them over to the couch, where Thomas was just beginning to sit up. He realized Newt was there and gripped the sleeve of his hoodie, looking up with wide eyes.
"I need to talk to you. I saw things. Very important things." he said urgently. Newt looked down at him, unamused on the outside but his eyes held a spark of hope.
"Well, good thing we were going to call a Gathering anyway. Get yourself ready while I round up the Keepers." Thomas nodded and stood up. He looked like a sweaty mess. Clara and Newt left the building and Newt kissed Clara on the head before they went their separate ways. She didn't know what to do now that the Maze wasn't changing and there wasn't much need for gardening. It hurt too much to be around that area anyway, there were too many memories.
Clara waited patiently until the Gather was over, and jogged up to Newt so she could hear what happened.
"What did Thomas say?" she asked, fixing her shirt.
Newt looked deep in thought. "He told us that he helped the Creators build the Maze before he was sent here, claims he knows the way out."
"What? How?"
"He's sayin' that we have to go over the Cliff. And the funny thing is, I believe him." he laughed breathily, astonished by his own statement. "Don't know why but I do."
"Probably because it's a better option than staying here," Clara said, her mind wandering. She remembered what the Cliff looked like: a reflection of the sky, nothingness. What could happen if they tried going over it? Instant death or freedom? Nobody knew, but a fifty percent chance of escape sounded much better than being picked off one by one every night. "And everyone was okay with this idea?" Newt nodded. "Well, we might as well try. When is this happening?"
"Tonight."
The next few hours were frantic. The Gladers that decided to go were stuffing backpacks with supplies, filling and passing out water bottles, and gathering food. Clara helped distribute weapons with Newt and Thomas, who surprisingly looked much better than he did that morning, surprisingly. She and Thomas also created new weapons using glass, barbed wire, and nails. By the end of the day, the Gladers had turned into a small army. A very small, unprepared army, but an army nonetheless.
Newt and Clara went to their old shared room to rummage through any drawers in search of weapons and supplies. Clara found her running shoes and slipped those on, tying them tightly. Newt was slipping daggers into his leather straps, his hands shaking mercilessly to the point where he couldn't even get them in. Clara finally noticed when one of the knives fell out of his hand and clattered on the floor next to her as she finished tying her shoes. She stood up with the knife in her hand and easily slipped it into his strap.
"Sorry," he mumbled quietly. She noticed his lips tightened into a frown and tears began to fill his eyes. Clara then realized this was the first time going into the Maze since his accident. She said nothing but took his trembling, cold hands into her warm ones and leaned her forehead on his, closing her eyes. Newt did the same. Clara took deep breaths with him, and he copied her with shallow breathing. When he opened his eyes they were glazed over and filled with panic.
"What if these are our last moments together?" Newt exhaled, his voice shaking. Clara caught the lump in her throat and kissed his hand.
"Don't say that." she whispered "We'll make it through this. We're strong, right?" Newt nodded, a small sob escaping his mouth.
"I'm scared." he whimpered. Clara rested her hand on the side of his face, rubbing her thumb across his cheek.
"Me too."
Just before the normal Door-closing time, the Gladers gathered around the West Door, supplies at hand, weapons at the ready. Newt stood in front of the crowd, quieting everyone. Clara could see he was still nervous.
"There are forty-one of us," he announced, pulling his backpack onto his shoulders. He hoisted a thick, deadly-looking wooden pole with barbed wire on the end of it. "Make sure you've got your weapons. Other than that, isn't a whole lot to buggin' say-you've all been told the plan. We're gonna fight our way to the Griever hole, and Tommy here's gonna punch in his little magic code, and then we're gonna get payback on the Creators. Simple as that."
"Shouldn't someone give a pep talk or something?" Minho asked half-jokingly.
"Go ahead," Newt replied.
Minho turned to face the crowd, stone-faced. "Be careful, don't die." Clara rolled her eyes at her friend's idiocy.
"Great, we're all bloody inspired." Newt pointed over his shoulder towards the Maze "You all know the plan. After two years of being treated like mice, tonight we're making a stand. Tonight we're taking the fight back to the Creators, no matter what we have to go through to get there. Tonight, the Grievers better be scared." Someone cheered, then someone else, and soon battle calls and shouting broke out, filling the once quiet air. Clara joined in, hope swelling in her chest.
Newt thrust his weapon in the air and yelled. "Hear that Creators! We're coming!" To Clara's surprise, as soon as Newt finished he turned and ran straight into the Maze without any hesitation. The Gladers, still cheering, picked up their weapons and ran after him. Clara followed, quickly catching up with Newt at the front of the crowd. He looked at her with a fire in his eyes that she had never seen before.
"I'm proud of you." she mouthed to him. Newt smiled and grabbed her hand as they continued to run down the corridors of the Maze. To the Griever Hole. To freedom.