Lynn really didn't leave Thomas' bedside for two days, on the third day Newt had finally convinced her to take a nap and clean up. She, reluctantly, agreed to her brother's idea and left the Homestead. Lynn entered the still intact bathroom and shut the door, making sure it was locked. She peeled off her clothes and stepped into the soothing hot water, washing off all the dirt.
The last couple of days have been a nightmare and the memories of them were all locked into Lynn's mind. She wished she could just wash them all away like the dirt on her body. Thomas had her worried, why would he intentionally sting himself? The past two days were a struggle for the blonde, watching Thomas go through The Changing was worse than watching Sonya. His skin would go a siclky pale green, purple veins popping out of his neck, arms, and legs, eyes turning black. It was awful.
Lynn turned handle to stop the water flow, quickly drying off and putting her clothes back on. After rebraiding her hair she left the bathroom, heading back towards the Homestead. When she was a few feet away, she saw Chuck wobbling across the Courtyard. He was shouting her and Newt's name at the top of his lungs.
"Lynn!" Chuck cried, heading in her direction. "Lynn," he wheezed upon showing up infront of the lawn.
"You alright, Chuck?" She questioned, resting a hand on the panting boys shoulder.
"It's Thomas, he's awake."
A smile spread across Lynn's freckled face, she took off running towards The Homestead. Quickly opening the door, she bolted up the sprialing staircase. Lynn could hardly contain her cheerfulness when she saw Thomas sitting up and bed, looking like he hadn't just been stung by a Greiver a few days before.
Lynn practically launched herself at Thomas, throwing her arms around his neck. She could feel him hesitate for a second, before wrapping his arms, tightly, around her small frame.
"That was really stupid what you did there, Tommy." Lynn said, her voice muffled from Thomas' shoulder.
"I know," He sighed, releasing her from his embrace. "How long have I been out for?" Lynn stood up and straightened her shirt, sitting next to Thomas on the cot.
"Three days." She answered, "Do ya remember anything?"
"Yeah, a lot actually. We need to-"
But before he could finish, Newt had walked into the room, leaning up against the door frame. "You barely look sick." He stated.
The brown haired boy nodded, "I feel a little queasy, but other than that, I'm fine."
Newt shook his head, a look of both anger and awe on his face. He walked over and took the other empty spot next to Thomas.
"What you did was half brave and half bloody stupid. Seems like you're pretty good at that." Newt said, "I know why you did it. What memories came back? Anything that'll help?"
"We need to have a Gathering." Thomas demanded quickly, "Before I start to forget all this stuff."
"Yeah, Chuck told me. We'll do it. But why? What did you figure out?"
"It's a test, the whole thing is a test." Thomas said, looking forwards and folding his hands.
"Sorta like an experiment." Lynn chimed in.
"No," Thomas shook his head. "No, you don't get it. THey're weeding us out, seeing if we'll give up, finding the best of us. Throwing variables at us, trying to make us quit. Testing our ablity to hope and fight. Sending me here and shutting everything down was only the last part, one more...final analysis. Now it's time for the last test. To escape."
Newt and Lynn's brows knit together in confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked.
"You know a way out?" Newt asked.
"Yeah, call a Gathering. Now."
xxxLinexxBreakxxx
About an hour later, every Keeper, with the exception of Lynn, was gathered in the Council Room.
"All right, Greenie." Alby said, looking bettter than he did a few days ago, even though he still had a bandage wrapped around his head. "Forget about all the beat-around-the-bush klunk, start talking."
"It's a long story." Thomas began, rubbing his hands together. "We don't have time to go through it all, but I'll tell you the gist of it. When I went through the Changing, I saw flashes of images-hundreds of them- like a slide show in fast forward. A lot came back to me, but only some of it's clear enough to talk about. Other stuff has faded or is fading. But I remember enough. The Creators are testing, the Maze was never meant to be solved. It's all been a trial. They want the winners-or suvivors-to do something important."
That made absolutely no sense.
"What?" Lynn asked from her spot inbetween Newt and Minho.
"Let me start over," Thomas suggested. "Every single one of us was taken when we were really young. I don't remember how or why-just glimpses and feelings that things have changed in the world, that something really bad happened. I have no idea what. The Creators stole us, and I think they just felt justified in doing it. Somehow they figured out that we have above-average intelligence, and that's why they chose us. I don't know, most of this is sketchy and doesn't matter that much anyway.
"I can't remember anything about my family or what happened to them. But after we were taken, we spent the next few years learning in special schools, living somewhat normal lives until they were finally able to finance and build the Maze. All our names are stupid nicknames they made up-like Alby for Albert Einstein, Newt for Issac Newton, and me-Thomas. As in Edison."
A suprised look found its way onto Alby's face, "Our names these ain't our real names?"
Thomas was shaking his head. "As far as I can tell, we'll probably never know what our names used to be."
"What are you saying?" Frypan asked, crossing his arms. "That we're freakin' orphans raised by scientists?"
"Yes," Thomas sighed. "Supposedly we're really smart and they're studying our every move. Seeing who would give up and who wouldn't, seeing who would survive it all. No wonder we have so many beetle blades running around this place. Plus, some of us have had things...altered in our brains."
"I believe this klunk as much as I believe Frypan's food is good for ya." Winston mumbled, looking irritated. Thomas sent a pointed glare in his general direction.
"Why would I make this up?" Thomas asked, his voice raising as he spoke each word. "Better yet, what do you think is the explanation? That we live on some alien planet in outerspace?"
"Just keep talking," Alby interjected. "But I don't get why none of us remember this stuff. I've been through the Changing, but everything I saw was..." His eyes darted across the room before continuing, "I didn't learn nothin'."
"I'll tell you in a minute why I think I learned more than others." Thomas said, "Should I keep going or not?"
"Talk." Newt said.
Thomas drew in a deep breath, "Okay, somehow they wiped our memories-not just our childhood, but all the stuff leading up to entering the Maze. They put us in the Box and sent us up here-a big group to start and then one a month over the last two years."
"But why?" Lynn asked, crossing her arms. "What's the bloody point?"
Thomas held a hand up, "I'm getting there. Like I said, they wanted to test us, see how we'd react to what they call the Variables, and to a problem that has no solution. See if we could work together-build a community, even. Everything was provided for us, and the problem was laid out as one of the most common puzzles known to civilization-a maze. All this added up to making us think there had to be a solution, just encouraging us to work all the harder while at the same time magnifying our dicouragement at not finding one."
He paused.
"What I'm saying is, there is no solution."
Hushed whispers broke out in the room. People talking over each other with their voices getting slightly louder with each word.
Thomas had held up both his hands again,
"See?" said he, "Your reactions prove my point. Most people would've given up by now. But I think we're different. We couldn't accept that a problem can't be solve, especially when it's something as simple as a maze. And we're kept fighting to matter how no matter how hopeless it's gotten.
"Whatever the reason, it makes me sick! All of this-the Greivers, the walls moving, the Cliff- they're just elements of a stupid test. We're being used and manipulated. The Creator wanted to keep our minds working toward a solution that was never there. Same thing goes for the reason I was sent here, I was being used to Trigger this sorta Ending thing-whatever that means-the place being shut down, gray skies, on and on and on. They're throwing crazy things at us to see out response, test our will. See if we'll turn on each other. In the end, they want survivors for something important."
Frypan stood up from his chair, "And killing people? That's a little nice part to their plan?"
"Yes, Frypan." Thomas sighed. Killing people. The only reason the Greivers are doing it one by one is so we don't all die before it ends the way it is supposed to. Survival of the fittest. Only best of us will escape."
Frypan kicked his chair, "Well, you better start talking about this magical escape, then!"
"He will," Newt muttered, "Shut up and listen."
Minho, who was unusually quiet, cleared his throat. "Something tells me I'm not going to like this."
"Probably not," Thomas said. "The Creators want the best of us for whatever they have planned. But we have to earn it."
He took another pause.
"The code."
"The code?" Frypan had repeated, "What about it?"
Thomas looked at the cook, "It was hidden in the wall movements of the Maze for a reason. I should know-I was there when the Creators did it."
xxxLinexxBreakxxx
Well, that wasn't expected.
Did Thomas just really say that? He was there when the Creators made the Maze. Like, actually there. Lynn felt as if all the Keepers were going to go wild any second, but they ,surprisingly, kept quiet.
Newt was the one to break the silence, completely bewildered by what Thomas just said. "What are you talking about?"
"Well, first there's something I have to share. About me. There's a reason Gally accused me of so much stuff, and why everyone who's gone through the Changing recognizes me.
"I'm different, really different. We were part of the Maze Trials from the very beginning-but against my will I swear it."
"Thomas, what are you saying?" Minho questioned.
"I was used by the Creators. If you had your full memories back, you'd probably want to kill me. But I had to tell you this myself to show you I can be trusted now. So you'll believe me when I tell you the only way we can get out of here." Thomas met everyone's eyes before continuing on. "I helped design the Maze. I helped create the whole thing."
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Lynn exclaimed, "You're a bloody sixteen-year-old. How could you have created the Maze?"
"I was...smart. And I think it might be part of the Variables. But listen to me, They forced me to help. I don't know why or how, but they did. Maybe it was to see if I could gain your trust despite having been a part of them. Maybe I was meant all along to be the one to reveal how to escape. Whatever the reason, with your Maps we figured out the code and we need to use it now.
"It's true, and I'm sorry. But I can tell you this-I'm in the same boat with you now. I was sent here just like anyone else, and we can die just as easily. But the Creators have seen enough-it's time for the final test. I guess I needed the Changing to add the final pieces of the puzzle. Anyway, I wanted you to know the truth, to know there's a chance we can do this."
Newt was shaking his head, staring at his feet. "The Creators-those shanks did this to us, not Tommy. The Creators." he looked up, "And they'll be sorry they did."
"Whatever," Minho said through an exasperated sigh, "who gives a klunk about all that. Just get on with the escape already."
"There's a computer station in a place we never looked before. The code will open a door for us to get out of the Maze. It also shuts down the Greivers so they can't follow us-if we can just survive long enough to get to that point." Thomas said, his voice strained from all the talking he's been doing.
"A place we never looked before?" Alby asked. "What d'ya think we've been doin' for the last two years?"
"Trust me, you've never been to this spot."
Minho stood up from his chair, "Well, where is it?"
"It's almost suicide." Thomas said, his voice slightly shaking. "The Greivers will come after us whenever we try to do it. All of them. The final test."
"So, where is it?" Lynn inquired, leaning forward in her chair.
"Over the Cliff," Thomas answered. "We have to go through the Greiver Hole."
I am sorry about this chapter, it's kind of a filler chapter. I just really want to get to the Scorch Trails, but don't worry! I won't rush anything, and I will try to keep the chapters at a good quality. If you guys have any suggestions for the story, feel free to write what's on your mind in the review section. Remember to favorite, follow, and comment on the story. Also, before I leave you. I would like to thank queenofbunnies for favoriting the story! Let's get Icelyn Newton Group A: The Transfer to 40 followers!
Goodbye Humans!
-Broadwaykid1832