The Maze Runner, #1
The Maze Runner
by James Dashner
Contents
Chapter 35
Overview
Thomas and Minho prove an invisible portal off the Cliff—the Griever Hole—by throwing rocks that vanish midair. Returning to the Glade, they learn the Box has stopped sending supplies, escalating the crisis. After they report the find to Newt and Alby, Teresa awakens and telepathically tells Thomas: the Maze is a code.
Summary
At the Cliff, Minho and Thomas test their suspicion that Grievers leave the Maze there. Systematically throwing rocks in a grid, they finally hit a small area where stones vanish midfall, confirming an invisible portal. They deduce Grievers must emerge, perch on the rim, then leap to the ledge. Thomas names it the Griever Hole.
They continue running their section, finding only shifting walls and ivy. Back in the Map Room, Thomas drafts the day’s layout while Minho emphasizes looking for long-term patterns. Thomas feels a nagging sense that the straight lines and movements imply a hidden code.
Outside, Newt and Alby arrive with grim news: the Box failed to deliver supplies for the first time. After hearing Minho’s account of the Griever Hole, Newt doubts any blockade could stop climbing Grievers, and the leaders remain shaken by the halted resupply and gray, artificial sky.
A commotion erupts at the Homestead: Teresa has awakened. As Thomas reels, Teresa speaks in his mind, saying she remembers only him and that her memories are fading. Her final telepathic message to Thomas is a revelation—“The Maze is a code.”
Who Appears
- ThomasRunner-in-training; helps discover the Griever Hole; senses map patterns; receives Teresa’s telepathic message that the Maze is a code.
- MinhoKeeper of the Runners; leads the rock test that reveals the Griever Hole; reports findings to Newt and Alby.
- NewtSecond-in-command; processes the Griever Hole news; alarmed that Box supplies have stopped; doubts blocking Grievers is possible.
- AlbyLeader of the Gladers; tense and frustrated about the failing Box; hears the report on the Griever Hole.
- TeresaPreviously comatose girl; awakens and communicates telepathically to Thomas, revealing the Maze is a code.
- ChuckYounger Glader; alerts Thomas and the leaders that Teresa has awakened.