The Reason

Living Hell

Gally took control of the glade after that. The first thing he did was lock Nikola in her room again, this time nailing the window shut. Then he gave everyone else the choice to either join him or get banished with Thomas at sundown. The friend she had made in Gally was gone; she saw that now. He had some desire to protect her it seemed, but she didn't know to what end. So, when Newt showed up to spring her out, intending for her to escape with the rest of them, it didn't take much convincing. Lord knows she couldn't stay with the stranger living behind the face of the only boy she cared about.

They put her in baggy clothes and stuffed her long hair up in a cap before she followed Newt to the door. Frypan noticed them coming and used his body to hide her as well, hoping to slip Gally's notice. Her heart clenched at the sight of him tying up Thomas and Teresa.

"Gally," Winston spoke up, earning a questioning stare from the builder. "It doesn't feel right, man."

"Yeah, what if Thomas is right?" Jeff seconded. "What if he can lead us home?"

"We are home," Gally stated, calmly but firmly. "Ok?" He walked around trying to appeal to them.

Frypan took a subtle step in front of Nikola to keep her out of sight still.

"I don't want to have to cross any more names of that wall," Gally said almost pleadingly.

"You really think banishing us is going to solve anything?" Teresa asked him.

Gally looked at her with a slight shake of his head. "No," he admitted.

Nikola almost went to him then, almost took his side, because she felt like he was just trying to keep everyone safe like he always had. He wasn't being cruel, he got no joy out of this, he was simply trying to keep people alive the only way he knew how. By sticking to what they had done when everything was running smoothly.

"This isn't a banishing," Gally went on and Nikola stayed where she was with Newt and Frypan. "It's an offering."

Nikola's blood ran cold. Where was the boy she knew? Where was the grumpy builder who taught her things and complained about her, where was the boy that sat with her at bonfire and taught her how to fight? Where was the boy who had given her a flower and kissed her like she was air and he was drowning?

"What?" Teresa cried as she was tied to a post. "What are you doing?"

"You really think I'm going to let Thomas back into the maze after what he's done?" Gally raised his voice before starting to plead with them again. "Look around you. Look at our glade," he gestured around as smoke still rose from ash heaps. "This is the only way."

Newt placed his hand on the small of Nikola's back to steady her, she was unaware that she was trembling until he did so. He had also used the opportunity to signal Minho.

"And when the grievers get what they came here for, everything goes back to the way it was."

"Are you listening to this?" Teresa scoffed. "Why are you all just standing there? He's crazy."

Nikola felt her cheeks flush with anger. Part of her still sympathized with Gally, saw the logic of his reasoning, even if she didn't think what he was saying was possible.

"Shut up," Gally told her.

"If you stay here, the grievers are going to come back," She went on. "And they're going to keep coming back until you're all dead."

"Shut up!" Gally yelled at her then instructed for her and Thomas to be tied up.

As much as Nikola hated to say it, she felt like Teresa was right. Normal, however tantalizing, was long gone to them.