Sitting, perplexed at the sky, at the top of the treehouse, my safe spot, my hideaway. The clouds passed over swiftly and I could only think back to when I was watching them from the elevator during my introduction to The Glade. Though watching them now was different, I was no longer fearing constantly and was no longer surrounded by darkness. This time I was away from the questions and the hurting, I was alone in the sky - yet still not high enough to peer over the walls, over the burden. Although to a certain extent, wanting to know what was on the other side of the walls had passed - I was probably better off not knowing. That thought was until a sudden SCREECH came from one of the walls of the Glade. Loud enough to force me to cover my ears and long enough to make me wonder if the world was falling in on me, the sound continued on and rattled through the Glade. And if it wasn't for Thomas calling me name in panic that I would have stayed put in the treehouse.
"Ben!" A brief pause, then "Ashleigh!". From high above I could see Thomas running through the field of grass that centered the Glade, running toward the wall making the noise. In seconds I found myself climbing down toward the ground and soon enough on the surface. It was at that moment Ashleigh found herself by my side.
"What's going on!?" Yelling over the anonymous screeching.
"No idea!" Ditto with the yelling.
We both quickly turned to see if Thomas was visible and at first glance he was not. But after a second swift turn, Ashleigh pointed out that he was on the other side of the Glade, closer to the area of the noise that continued. Ashleigh and I began our descent toward Thomas and the side of the Glade, praying for our ear-buds that felt like they were bleeding from the god awful noise. Soon enough we got to the source of the noise and it was then my perception of the Glade changed once more. A distinct part of the wall was opening to its side, slotting into a mysterious section between the walls. By the end of the next minute the wall had fully opened and the noise came to a brief halt.
"It's happening again" Whispered Thomas, hiding his voice from who, I don't know?
"What's happening again?" I questioned.
"The maze, it's opening again! It's all starting again!" This time Thomas was yelling, at who, us.
"What does that mean!? For us? For this place?" Ashleigh asked while glaring into the maze that from our position, was only visible by one long corridor-esque pathway.
"It means…" Thomas paused, obviously questioning whether or not he should continue. "It means, we have to go in again. It means W.C.K.D are up and running again and it means… there's possibly a way out".
It was then a mighty breeze forced itself out of the maze and into the Glade, brushing our clothes and hair with it. It must have been at least five minutes before we all stopped glaring into the maze without talking. And, as a surprise to us, in those five minutes, Thomas was deciding what came next for him.
"I'm going in." Thomas.
"Are you mad?" Ashleigh.
"You don't understand, I've been waiting for this for two years now, I can't just wait here!" Thomas.
"What if the door closes again?" Myself.
"No, there's normally some time before they close again. Hopefully enough time for me to get in and search for the others. Search for a way out…" Thomas.
Nobody followed that statement.
"If you're going in, I'm coming with you." Ashleigh demanded.
"No, it's too risky - I go in alone, you wait here with Ben." Thomas.
"I'll be fine on my own if she wants to come with you." Myself.
"No! I've been in the maze several times, I've even killed a Griever and come close to getting out. I know that maze much more than either of you. I'm. Going. In. Alone" Thomas.
And suddenly, even before Thomas had finished his sentence, he was found running back to the shack. Ashleigh and I wondered what he was doing but before long he was running back, back toward us, back toward the maze. However this time he was dressed differently; with a brown satchel over his back, tighter clothes, shoes on and with a water bottle in his hand - this guy was determined.
With no sign of him slowing down, Ashleigh did all she could to stop him with words.
"You can't go in alone - you'll be killed!"
"Let me come in with you, please!"
"What if it locks you in!".
Thomas only ignored everything Ashleigh was saying and in minutes, Thomas had passed us and ran into the maze. By the time he got to the other side of the wall, he stopped and turned back.
"I'll be back before sundo-"
Thomas was interrupted by another loud SCREECH! - louder than before. Recovering from the sudden shock, Ashleigh and I looked up only to find the walls closing again, quicker than the opening.
"Oh my god Thomas get back in here!" Screamed Ashleigh!
"Thomas come on - you'll be trapped in there with the Grievers! Get out of there!" I yelled.
But it was no use, Thomas wasn't fazed by any of our words and remained still staring at us, the shadow from the walls distancing him from us.
"I'll come back for you I promise - I promise I'll get us out of here!" Thomas yelled over the screeching, over the horror.
By now the walls only had metres to go before they would be shut. And in those final moments, everything blurred into one.
The walls were closing. Thomas was on the other side, in the maze. Ashleigh and I continued to yell for Thomas to come back through. The walls continued to close with the space between them narrowing greater each second. And despite thinking I could cope without Thomas, knowing he would be okay, it was the next action that shook to me to my core.
WIth only metres to go before the walls would be shut once more, Ashleigh turned to me.
"I'm sorry. You'll be okay. We'll will come back for you!" Then abruptly she turned away and ran between the walls, toward Thomas, toward the maze. I was screaming for her to come back, not to leave me alone. Thomas was yelling for her to return to the Glade and not to follow him. But she continued on, bare foot. Into the shadows of the maze and away from the safety of the Glade. For a moment it looked like she wouldn't make it, but I managed to get a glimpse of her reaching the other side, reaching Thomas and then the walls had closed once more. Leaving me alone. Leaving me surrounded by the grass. For the first time in a year, I had no one, once again.