Chapter 10: Ivory's POV

 Ivory tossed two spears to Minho, and he hadn't even caught them before she turned to get more weapons. After she'd armed everyone with machetes, spears, and even some daggers, she gripped her machete and adjusted the three spears on her back and took a deep breath.

"Ready guys?" Minho said. The two other Gladers with her and Minho nodded, even though their eyes were petrified with terror and they shivered in fear.

"Okay," Ivory's knuckles were turning white with how hard she was holding the weapons. "Let's go!"

As soon as they opened the door, the sounds outside overwhelmed them. The screeches from the Grievers and the horrifying screams of pain from the Gladers pumping fear into their blood. Ivory ignored it though. She needed to be strong.

Their group sped through the grass, the long blades whipping their arms and legs. It was nothing compared to the painful sounds of their friends dying, and that is what drove them forward. Ivory flipped a spear around and hurled it with a shout at a Griever that neared them. The others sent a few more into the mechanical monster for good measure, and then Minho led them to the Hut. Ivory spotted Thomas, Teresa, and Newt with a few other Gladers trying to get inside as a Griever ran towards them. Minho reacted faster than she did and sent a spear flying through the Griever's skull.

"Come on, come on, inside!" Mira shouted, grabbing Ivory's wrist and yanking her inside. Once all their group was inside, many "sh!"'s ran around as the room descended into a tense silence. The creaking, grating gears of the Grievers outside kept them on their toes, ready for the impending doom.

A sudden crash on the roof made Ivory and Mira jerk back, getting into a defensive position. Then a Griever tail smashed through the roof, tearing a post away. Gladers were pinned under the debri, and the others rushed forward to help them up.

"Is everyone okay?" Thomas asked.

Ivory met Mira's eyes, even in the dark, seeing an equal amount of fear she felt.

Yeah we both know this is beyond us...

Then suddenly a tail burst through the wall again. Ivory's eyes widened. "Chuck watch out!"

Chuck shouted in fear as the tail grabbed him, and at least five people leapt forward to grab his hands and wrists.

"Chuck don't let go!" Thomas hollered over the chaos and noise.

"No s***!" Chuck shouted back.

Alby leapt into the action, wielding a machete. Howling over the noise, he hacked at the Griever's tail. A piece of it fell to the ground, and it took a few more strikes to cut off the part holding Chuck. Everyone fell backwards, sighing in relief.

"You okay Chuck?" Minho asked.

"Yeah," Chuck answered, panting heavily. "Thanks Alby."

There was a moment of relief and calm, but not for long. Ivory heard more clanking and cast a concerned eye over to the wall.

"Alby watch out!" Thomas bellowed, and yet another claw of death burst through the damaged wall, grabbing at Alby.

"No! Alby!" Several people shouted. Ivory couldn't move, or even shout. All she could do was sit and watch Thomas leap forward and grab Alby's wrist.

"Thomas," Alby said calmly, knowing his fate. "Get them out."

With another yank from the Griever, Alby disappeared, leaving everyone petrified as they listened to the screams and painful cries of dying Gladers. After several minutes, there was nothing left but an eerie silence.

Ivory, gaining her conscious back, shakily got to her feet. "So," she said quietly, her voice as shaky as her hands. She turned to face Minho, then Newt, then Mira, then Minho again. "We gonna check outside?"

As a group, Thomas, Newt, Mira, Frypan, Minho, and Ivory (who was unconsciously holding Minho's hand in a death grip) stepped outside. Chuck and the other Gladers followed behind them, their heavy, wet breath the only thing they could hear besides the crackling fires and rattling grass in the breeze.

"Where is everyone..?" someone whispered.

Suddenly, three tall figures stepped through the smoke, and Ivory could tell the leading figure was Gally. Without hesitation he tromped right up to Thomas, pulled back his elbow and threw a fist into Thomas's jaw, knocking him backwards. Ivory let go of Minho's hand, stepping back and retreating next to Mira. The girls exchanged a look, sighing.

"This is stupid," Mira whispered harshly. She sounded just as upset, if not mad, as Ivory was.

Ivory nodded. "I agree."

They watched the boys hold Gally back away from Thomas, each one trying to shout over the others.

"You heard what Alby said!" Gally was shouting. "He's one of them! He's one of them, and they sent him here to destroy everything!"

A shiver rippled down Ivory's spine. It was true. She didn't know how she knew, but she didn't question herself. Just somehow, Ivory knew it was the truth. Alby had said so. Heck even Ben had said something about Thomas.

But it didn't really matter at this point. What everyone had done or who they were before was in the past. They couldn't dwell on what was, only on the now.

Ivory turned her attention to Teresa, Thomas, and Chuck. In Chuck's hand, he held a Griever stinger. She clenched her fists, making her way towards them.

"Chuck-" she started, but something about the look Thomas was giving the thing in Chuck's hand was familiar. He was planning to do something stupid.

Ivory met Thomas's eyes. "Thomas... I don't know what you're planning, but I don't think it's a very good one."

Thomas shook his head, snatching the Griever stinger out of Chuck's hand. "Gally's right. Teresa, Ivory, I need to remember."

"Thomas-"

Before Ivory could stop him, Thomas plunged the Griever stinger into his gut, and he shouted in pain, collapsing to the ground.

"Thomas, no!" Teresa shouted, she and Chuck falling to their knees beside him. "Chuck get the syringe!"

Ivory stared at Thomas's convulsing body before bending down and taking the stinger away. He won't need this...

She stepped back as more people bent or stood over Thomas. When she turned around, she saw Gally watching with more hatred and, surprisingly, fear, than she'd ever seen him with. Ivory tilted her chin up and without hesitation, walked right up to Gally. He met her eyes as soon as he noticed her and she could almost smell the hostility.

Ivory snarled slightly, staring him directly in the eye. "Just so you know, most of us don't give a piece of crap about what you have to say anymore. The only thing you've proved is how big of a frightened puppy you are."

Ivory didn't give him the chance to speak. She knew what he would do, and she didn't want to be around for the chaos. It didn't matter if Gally was right about Thomas. The "truth" didn't change what needed to be done.

Right. I better get to work. She smirked. She knew how to help them out. Minho, Newt, and Thomas were too predictable.

It was while Ivory was walking towards the forest that she heard footsteps behind her. Someone was running up to her. Ivory didn't turn around though. She would wait for them to speak.

"Ivory, wait!" It was Winston.

Ivory stopped, turning to him. "What for?"

Winston stopped, catching his breath. He threw up his arms, just as confused as anyone else. "What are you doing?"

Ivory smirked. "Carrying out the plan that Thomas is several steps behind on."

Winston furrowed his eyebrows. "What... what do you mean?"

Ivory sighed, putting a hand on his shoulder and meeting his eyes. "Winston. You heard Thomas, right? Earlier today? There's a way out. So are you gonna come help me get prepared or what?"

Winston paused for a moment, deep in thought. "What about Gally?" He asked hesitantly.

Ivory shrugged. "His choice. But I have a feeling he's not going to abandon the thing he holds so closely to." She patted Winston's arm. "Come on. I could use some help getting the weapons."

At some point during the night, Ivory had decided to climb a tree and sleep. Winston, not wanting to leave her alone, decided to sleep on the next nook in the branches above her. She didn't mind the company. At the moment, she didn't feel like talking to anyone. Even Mira... A headache was pounding from the inside of her skull, and more memories haunted her. Memories that she couldn't decipher or understand. But there was one face in particular she was curious about. He had recently appeared in her dream/memories. But he wasn't like the other faces. Something about him calmed her inside, gave her a happy, "everything will be okay" feel. His hazel-green eyes, freckled nose and cheeks, his curly honey-brown hair...

Ivory smiled. Maybe these memories weren't so bad afterall. They brought just a little bit of light and hope when she needed it. If he was in her memories, and she felt so highly about him... she had to find him. She had to get out, and rediscover who she had been.

"Ivory. Ivory!"

Ivory sat up with a shout, grabbing at whoever was touching her. She stopped immediately though when she saw it was Winston. The memories of last night came flashing back, and she composed herself.

"Mornin sunshine," Ivory smirked, trying to shake off the fact that she'd almost thrown Winston out of the tree.

Winston grinned. "Man, the more I hang around you, the more I feel like all girls are like this." Ivory shrugged. "Maybe so. I guess we'll find out when we get out of here."

Winston nodded, smiling. "Yeah, speaking of which, Minho and Newt were looking for you. I got up earlier this morning, and since you were still asleep I went to see them. Also, Gally has Thomas and Teresa in the Slammer. He and all the older boys believe they're the cause of all the death and destruction. I don't know what he has planned, but it can't be good."

Ivory sighed, sliding out of the tree. "Well then," she stepped aside so Winston could slide down. Once he was standing beside her, she grinned and punched his shoulder. "Let's go find Newt and Minho and see if Thomas is awake to give us the spectacular plan I just know he will have when he wakes up."