127 pages 4 hours read

James Dashner

The Maze Runner

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2009

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Chapters 21-24 Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 21 Summary

Thomas turns around and sees that the first Griever is still pursuing him. Thinking he stands a better chance against one Griever as opposed to three, he decides to give his all and charges at the Griever. Just before impact, however, Thomas plants his foot and dives right. Having built up momentum, the Griever is unable to stop and slides right past Thomas, who now has a clear shot of the path. As he runs, someone grabs him and pulls him into the adjoining corridor. Shocked, Thomas sees that it is Minho, who tells Thomas that his sideways dive has given him an idea for beating the other Grievers. Minho takes off, and Thomas follows him to a corridor that appears to end in blackness. Initially thinking that they have inadvertently found the end of the Maze, Thomas learns that this is the Cliff, an expanse of seemingly endless sky. 

The boys can hear the Grievers approaching, and before Minho can tell Thomas his plan, Thomas knows what they have to do. The path leading to the Cliff is narrow, so the Grievers approach in single file.