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Hazel's P.O.V

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    That statement took everyone by surprise that silence fell across the room. I turn to face Teresa.
    "Did you know?" I mouth to her.
    She shakes her head, stunned. "I-I had my suspicions. But I couldn't be sure."
    I turn back towards the hole just as Newt spoke up.
    "What are you talking about?" he asks my brother, still completely baffled.
    "Well, first there's something I have to share," Thomas begins.

    "Something that I've kept from you guys for a long time. About Hazel, Teresa and I. There's a reason why Gally accused me of being the cause of all this stuff, and why everyone who's gone through the Changing recognizes me."
    I expected the Keepers to start asking questions, to yell at him, but the boys just remain silent.
    "The three of us are... Different," he continues. "Teresa and I were part of the Maze Trials from the very beginning, Hazel joined us afterwards -but it was against our will, I swear."

    Minho was the one to speak up this time. "What are you even talking about, Thoams?"
    "The three of us were used by the Creators. If you had your full memories back you'd probably want to kill Teresa and I. But I have to tell you guys this myself to show you that we can be trusted. So you'll believe me when I tell you the only way we can get out of this place." Thomas stops, scanning the faces of the Keepers for a reaction, but they just stare back at him, waiting for him to continue.

    Thoams took a deep breath, as if preparing to say something that he dreaded to. "The three of us helped to design the Maze. We helped create the entire thing."
    I glance at Teresa, hoping that what he was saying wasn't true, but Teresa had the same look as Thomas does on her face and my heart sinks.
    No. No, I refuse to believe that I had any part in creating this terrible place. I couldn't have. I-
    "What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?" Newt exclaims after what feels like forever. "You're a kid. You're barely eighteen. How could you have created the Maze?!"

    "We- We were very smart. And I think that was part of the Variables. But most importantly, the three of us have a... Gift. Which made us very important to the creation of the Maze," Thomas says.
    "What else is there?" Newt yells. "Tell us!"
    "We're telepathic! We can speak to each other in our shucking heads!" Thomas blurts out.
    Newt just blinks, unbelieving and someone in the room coughed.

    "But believe me," my brother continues. "They forced to help -Hazel especially. I don't know the whole story but somehow they managed to make us help them. Maybe it was part of the test, to make you guys trust us in order for us to find the way out together. Whatever the reason is, we managed to figure out what the code is with the help of your Maps, and we need to use it now."
    The Keepers in the room looked at Thomas in disbelief. But none of their reactions mattered to me as much as Newt's reaction did.

    My boyfriend had a look of hurt etched on his face. A look that I'd always be able to recognize no matter how much he tired to hide it.
    "It's true, and I'm sorry," Thomas continued after a few seconds. "But I can tell you that we're all in the same boat now. My sister, Teresa and I can die as easily as the rest of you. But the Creators have seen enough -it's time for the final test. It's time for us to escape. I guess I needed to go thorough the Changing to be able to figure all of this out."

    I bit my bottom lip, watching as Newt shook his head. I couldn't tell if he was about to yell at my brother or to defend him. Everyone's eyes were on Newt as he turned around to face the other Keepers. "The bloody Creators did this to us. Not Hazel, Tommy or Teresa. The Creators. And those bastards will be sorry."
    "Whatever," Minho responds, shaking his head unfazed. "Who even gives a shuck about all of that klunk? Just get on with the escape already."

    "There's a computer in a place we've never looked before," my brother says.
    "We just need to type in a code into the computer to get us out. A code which also shuts the Grievers down so they can't follow us -if we manage to survive that long."
    "A place we've never looked before?" Alby asks, offened. "What do you think we've been doing for the past two years?"
    "Trust me," Thomas says. "You've never looked in this place before."
    Minho stood up. "Well, where is it?"

    "It's almost suicide," Thomas says, shaking his head. "The Grievers will come after us if we even try to do it. All of them."
    "So, where is it?" Newt asks, leaning forward in his chair.
    Thomas gave them a rueful look before saying, "Over the Cliff. In the Griever Hole."
    My mind instantly went back to the night I was trapped in the Maze. The night I thought I was going to die. How their disgusting slimy bodies felt when they stung me and how all I could feel was pain. Excruciating pain.

    The sound of a chair hitting the floor was drowned out by the mini panic attack I was having. I cover my mouth with my hand, trying to get my breathing under control.
    "Now you're being a shuck idiot," Alby says, his voice echoing off the walls. "Or a traitor. How can we trust you if you say you've helped to design this shucking place? We can't handle one Griever on our own ground, so how are we supposed to fight a horde of them in their own home?"

    My eyes dart around the small room that I'm in, trying to find three things I can touch, hear and smell.
    Grounding. You need to calm down.
    Teresa glances at me worridly. "Hazel, are you okay?"
    I shake my head, not trusting myself to speak.
    "It was the Griever comment, wasn't it?" she asks.
    I nod, tears forming in my eyes.
    She hugs me as I begin to break down, my body racking with sobs.

    "Hazel, listen to me," she says, her voice no louder than a mere whisper. "You're safe here, do you hear me? We're all your friends and friends protect each other, no matter what."
    I let out a shaky breath, pulling back.
    "Better now?" Teresa asks.
    I nod, sniffing. "Much better."
    "Well, come on then, let's continue eavesdropping." she tells me, gesturing towards the hole in the wall.
    "What are you up to?" Alby demands, his tone icy.

    "What am I up to?" Thomas repeats. "Nothing! Why would I even bother making all of this up? Why would I even bother defending my sister if I was going to kill all of you?"
    "For all we know, you guys could've been sent here to get us all killed!" Alby counters.
    Thomas stared at him, not believing what he just heard. "Alby, do you have a short term memory problem? I risked my freaking life to save you out in the Maze -if it wasn't for me you'd be long dead!"

    "And let's not forget that about Hazel," he continues, his tone just as mad and annoyed as before. "She almost died while mapping the Maze. She was stuck out there for a shucking night. She's your friend, do you really think that she'd try to kill you?"
    "Maybe it was all a trick to gain our trust. If you guys were in league with the shanks who sent us here then you weren't really in any danger. Maybe it was all a shucking act."

    I felt a stabbing sensation in my heart, not believing my ears. I knew Alby's always been this cranky, but I never thought that he'd ever accuse me of lying, or trying to kill someone for that matter.
    "Alby," Minho finally interjected. "That's about the dumbest theory I've ever heard. Hazel barely survived the night in the Maze. Her heart rate was so slow that could've died right there and then. And Thomas just about got torn apart three nights ago. Do you honesty think that's all part of the act?"

    Alby noded once in response to Minho. "Maybe."
    "I did it," Thomas says out loud. "I risked my life on a freaking hunch so that I could get my memories back, that I could help us all get out of here. And Hazel was just as much a victim to this as I was. Do we need to show you the scars and bruises that the both of us have?"
    Alby glared at Thomas with so much hate that if looks could kill, my brother would've been six feet underground.

    "We can't go back!" Alby finally yelled, turning around to face the other Keepers. "I've seen how terrible our lives were like. We can't go back!"
    "Is that what this is all about?" Newt demanded. "You pin the blame of everything to Hazel, my bloody girlfriend, Thomas and Teresa just because of that? Are you kidding?"
    Alby turned around to face his most trusted friend. He held up a clenched fist, as if he was going to punch his second in command. But he stops, lowering his arm, he then walks over and sinks in his chair.

    Alby places his head in his hands and breaks down. I couldn't have been more shocked. Alby, our fearless leader, was crying.
    "Alby, talk to us," Newt presses, not letting the matter slide. "What's going on?"
    "I did it," Alby saya, sobbing. "I did it."
    "Did what?" Newt asks, looking about as confused as I felt.
    Alby looks up at him, his eyes wet with tears. "I was the one who burned the Maps. I hit my head against the table so you'd think that someone else did it - I lied. I burned it all!"

    My eyes widened in shock as I process those words. The looks etched on Keepers' faces matched my own feelings. But it did make sense, Alby must've remembered how awful his life was and didn't want to go back home.
    "Well, it was a good thing we saved those Maps," Minho says almost mockingly. "Thanks for giving up the tip to protect them after you went through the changing."

    I look towards Alby, thinking that he'd give Minho a snappy comment, but he just seemed as thorough he didn't hear Minho remark. And Newt, instead of shouting at Alby, just asked him to explain. Which made sense, seeing that the Maps and the code was safe.
    "I'm telling you," Alby began, sounding almost like he was begging. "We can't go back to where we came from. I've seen it, remembered awful, awful things. The land was burned, there was a disease called the Flare hurtin' everybody. It was so much worse than here."

    "If we stay here, we'll all die!" Minho yells. "It's worse than that?"
    Alby took a second to process his thoughts before nodding. "Yes. It's much worse. Better die here than go out there."
    Sniggering, Minho leaned back in his chair. "Man, you're one klunk load of sunshine, aren't ya? I'm with Thomas, I'd rather die fighting my way out than stayin' here and doing nothing."

    He stood up again, sighing. "Do what you want. It doesn't matter. We'll die no matter what." And with that he walked out the door.
    Taking a deep breath, Newt shakes his head. "He's never been the same since he got stung. Whatever it is he remembered, it must've been one bugger of a memory to spook him like that. What in the world is a Flare?"
    "I don't care," Minho says, shaking his head. "Anything's better than dying here. We can deal with the Creators once we're out."

    "But for now we've gotta do what they want. Escape through the Griever Hole and if some of us die in the process, so be it."
    Frypan snorts. "You shanks are crazy. This is a suicide mission. We might as well slit our own wrists."
    An argument broke out, and Newt had to yell to shut them all up.
    Thomas started speaking once everyone stopped talking. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm going through the Griever Hole or die trying to get there."

    "Looks like Minho will, too. And I'm sure Hazel and Teresa are in. If we manage to fight the Grievers off long enough for someone to punch in the code then we're home free. We can finally face the damned Creators."
    "And you think we can fight the buggers off?" Newt asks. "Even if we don't die, we'll probably all get stung. Every last Griever will be there waiting for us. The beetle blades are constantly roaming those places, the Creators will know that we're planning on leaving."

    I could tell that my brother was dreading to tell them something by the look on his face.
    "I don't think they'll sting us," he finally says. "The Changing was a Variable meant for us while we lived here, but that time is long gone. The change in Variables might be a good thing, though."
    "Why is that?" Newt asks.
    "It doesn't do the Creators any good if all of us are killed. This thing is meant to be hard, not impossible."

    "I think I finally know why the Grievers are programmed to kill only one of us a day. It's so that somebody must sacrifice himself in order to save the rest of us while we run for the Griever Hole."
    The room went silent, until someone broke it by laughing out loud.
    "Excuse me?" Winston asks, drawing everyone's attention to him. "So you're suggestion that we throw some poor shank to the Grievers?"

    "Let them finish him off so we can escape? That's your brilliant suggestion?"
    My heart sank at the thought of having to sacrifice an innocent person in order to save everyone else. And the look on my brother's face tells me that he felt the same.
    "Yes, Winston. I'm so glad you're paying attention," Thomas replies, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "And it seem very obvious who that poor kid should be."
    "Oh yeah?" Winston asks. "Who?"

    Thomas crosses his arms, not taking his gaze off the Blood House Keeper. "Me."

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Here's more drama as if there isn't enough already. I hope I'll be able to finish this book before the end of June bc I won't have time to continue updating The Boy With The Limp as I'll be too busy studying for my exams (and I'll be updating the first chapter of Checkmate; a Peter Pan FF)

So wish me luck in finishing this book before July. That's all for this A/N, bye, guys

~ Alice xx

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