She got up as she did every morning, the sun peeking out from atop the large concrete walls. She slipped from her hammock her small feet landing with a thump. As she did each morning in her faded purple dress quietly creeping out of the Homestead and towards the thick glass that tickled her ankles towards the large doors that separated them and the maze.
She dragged her faithful toy – Mr. Poppers who was as dirty as it could be. His tanned fur was a musty brown now with the odd darker stains. His floppy ears still had the pink on the inside, only now a color she didn't even know. He was missing an eye which was now just a diagonal thick black stitch. When she had lost it she had sobbed into Newt's filthy t-shirt as he brushed back her tangled brown hair eventually calming her down.
He had told her to retrace her steps which had sounded easier than it was. Walking through the dark forest that inhabited the corner of the Glade. She entrusted the help of Gally who begrudgingly helped her, but they never found it.
Sometimes – when she had nothing else to do she'd still retrace the steps of that day and maybe one day she would find it. She sat down on the wooden log and was handed a wooden bowl full of fruit and last night's dinner by Frypan – or his real name as she called him, Russ.
The Runners were all up chatting quietly on either side of her. They were dressed in their fancy boots and backpacks filled with the necessities they needed for the day. As she picked up the orange fruit with her grimy fingers the familiar rumble shook the ground. She allowed a small glance up to the huge doors that seemed to rumble and mumble as they slid open.
The runners all slowly stood up stretching before their grueling hours of running around the maze. She followed quietly behind Minho with the bowl in one hand and dragging Mr. Poppers by his worn arm in the other.
They came to a stop at the doors and she watched as Alby's hulking form marched towards them. He rested his large hand on Minho's shoulder and muttered something into his ear. The runner nodded before following the other runners off into the maze, disappearing from their sight as he turned the corners that forever changed. Alby placed his large hand on her tiny shoulder and together, like every morning they watched them off.