Hey guys! So, my last chappie didn't seem to be super satisfactory, but I definitely think this is better! Enjoy!
Reviews:
The Maze Writer: Yeah, I guess it wasn't my best work. Sorry you didn't enjoy it as much, hopefully this'll be better! Thanks for telling me, I always appreciate feedback!
fadingshadowss: Thanks! Yeah, I absolutely love Minho! Enjoy the chapter!
The Glade buzzed with activity. It was early in the morning, and the sun had barely stepped out of bed. Most of the boys should have been sleeping, or at least just beginning to stir. But not on that day.
It was the second attempt to escape, meaning that hope had not yet been snuffed out. Everyone present believed there was still a chance. Maybe even several chances, they just needed to hang on.
They would try to jump down the box hole. The boys had assembled a search party, meant to find the way out, but not to actually leave.
Newt, Minho, Alby, and Jace.
Jace was the one who'd suggested the idea, thus dubbed the leader of the mission. Newt fidgeted as he was strapped to a wonky cranking device, meant to lower them into the hole.
"Scared shank?" Minho grinned, giddy. He practically dived into his harness.
"Shut up."
"No, it's good to be scared. I know I am," Alby smiled weakly.
"It's fine. We've all seen the box come up and leave. It probably runs on tracks and pulleys embedded into the shaft walls, meaning that as long as we steer clear of those, we'll be okay," Jace said confidently.
"What happens if we touch the walls?" Newt asked.
"I don't know. We could get tangled up in the hooks and such, or set off an alarm to the creators. Either way, watch yourself as you go."
Minho bit his lip, bouncing on his heels.
"Do you guys think this'll really be it?" He whispered so that the accumulating crowd wouldn't hear his uncertainty.
"Only one way to find out," Jace smiled, walking up to the edge of the box hole. The metal doors opened and the box labored up the shaft, baring supplies. It was quickly picked clean and the goods discarded without interest. For once, everyone was waiting for the departure of the box, and not the arrival.
The Gladers watched it slowly lumber down, and a few builders worked to keep the hole open.
"Good luck slint-heads," Gally flashed a thumbs up. Alby nodded in acknowledgement.
"Let's go!" Jace and Minho said in unison.
Several goodbyes and good lucks exchanged lips as the group dangled off the lip of the hole. Minho let go first, then Jace and Alby, and finally Newt.
Darkness governed the hole, thick and suffocating. The boys clutched onto their ropes, trying to stay in the center.
"Lower!" Jace screamed up. The ropes began descending a few feet.
"I don't like this," Alby muttered.
"Bloody terrified," Newt murmured under his breath.
"Can you see anything?" Minho called down to Jace. A match danced in his fingers, refusing to light. "Wish we had flashlights..."
"I think so...I can't really tell from here," Jace started, "LOWER!"
The ropes again dropped about a foot.
Jace exhaled loudly.
"Lower than that shanks!"
Gally's face appeared at the top of the hole.
"The ropes aren't long enough!" He cried.
"Great!" Minho fumed, "What now?"
"I guess we try again next week," Alby sighed, sounding slightly relieved.
"Seriously?" Newt huffed.
"Wait, I think I can still get down," Jace said. He grabbed high on his rope and pulled himself up until he was level with the others.
He began tossing his body back and forth, swinging.
"What are you doing?" Newt called.
"Grab me," Jace yelled. He rammed into Minho and Newt, who both clutched at his arms and clothes.
He offered a crazed smile.
"Alby! Alby! Cut the rope shuck-face!"
"He's bloody lost it," Newt muttered.
"What are you going to do?" Minho asked incredulously.
"Alby just do it! Trust me!"
Alby shook his head, but swung over anyway. He grabbed a small blade out of his pocket and began cutting Jace's rope.
"If you have a plan, now would be the time to share!" Alby snarled.
"You guys hold my rope so I can get closer. No big deal. Just don't let go," Jace breathed heavily, holding on tightly to Minho and Newt.
Newt panted, catching Jace's rope as it fell. Minho and Alby did the same and Jace released his grip. The rope slipped slightly, and he yelped.
"I said don't let go!" He shouted.
"Just go," Minho called out. His arms trembled with the effort.
They lowered the rope carefully. Jace leaned down as far as he could, squinting in the darkness. He heard a clinking sound, almost like a griever.
"I think there might be something here! Just a few feet more..." He said.
"Hurry up! Don't know how much longer we can hold you!" Alby grunted.
Jace rolled his eyes, leaning even further down. Something glinted in the shaft near the wall. The sounds became louder, almost like blades being sharpened. He reached out a hand to touch the wall.
He blinked and his entire hand was torn from his wrist in a matter of seconds. Blood spurted out onto his face and ran down his arm. He hadn't even seen it happen, but the pain smashed into him then.
"PULL ME UP!" He screamed.
Newt almost dropped the rope. It flew up through their hands as they pulled frantically.
Jace's screams rang out in Minho's ears. He watched as the boy's entire lower half vanished. Bleeding innards fell out and down the shaft. The stench of blood filled the air.
"HELP ME!" Jace's face contorted in twisted anger.
The Gladers above were screaming now, confused and afraid as the shaft was filled with terrified shrieking. Alby pulled harder and harder, faster and faster. Jace's eyes bulged from his skull. Scraping, grinding noises swelled in a concerto of death. Hearts were heard thumping, beating wildly, but only three. Only three.
"Please..." A low croak, nearly inaudible. Black hair was made darker still by the crimson that was spurting, shooting out in every direction.
Everyone felt his pain, ricocheting off the walls like an echo. His stomach was gone. Nothing left but his chest and shoulders and head. Somehow he was still alive, on the brink of death but not quite there. And that was the worst part. It seemed as if whatever devil, whatever machine, whatever sick human was controlling this had meant for him to go as slowly and painfully as possible.
Someone threw up, the stench mingled with the blood.
Newt's eyes watered. Someone was physically doing this. Someone was enjoying the mess of crimson splattered teens trying to save their friend, trying to save their little world.
The screaming ended. Just hoarse breathing. Then that ended too. Still they pulled, hoping against hope, screaming his name.
"JACE! Hang on! Please just hang on!"
The trio became aware of their own ascent. They were being hauled back up into the taunting brightness of early morning. And, at the end of the rope that they all had in a death-grip, came Jace.
Half of him.
They laid him out on the grass, already wilting and choked with his insides. Blue veins snaked up and down his neck, cold.
People murmured, moved back, came closer, offered condolences. The world was suffocating. Minho sank to his knees, frozen in horror. Alby and Newt did the same.
It was surreal. Anyone of them might've laughed, it looked like a bad Halloween costume. Like someone had taken a red paint bucket and spilled it on the boy in front of them. But the corpse, the frozen face of Jace, on the ground represented something more.
They were not safe. The creators were gods. They could do anything they wanted with a single command. Summon life. Initiate death.
And sit back with their popcorn and chuckle at the idiots who allowed themselves to have hope.
One by one, everyone kneeled down.
Everyone felt the darkness, breathed it in, permeating into the very quick of their beings. Thick black oil slipping over their necks, heads, drowning them.
The sun shone defiantly bright, the day was blue and warm and beautiful. Animals chattered near the bloodhouse, chomping on plants or simply tanning in the grass. Colorful flowers grew in cheery arrays all around, dancing in the pleasant breeze.
The second Glader had just died.
And hope had been pummeled and crushed.
So, tell me what you think! This one's definitely one of the longer ones. Jace is my OC, so I guess maybe in the future your requests could contain OCs and whatever original stuff you want, but I'd need to figure that all out first.
Wolf Out...