Chapter 1
The Beginning:
"You are a very special variable in the next stage of the Trials, Clara." Chancellor Paige sat back, crossing her arms casually over her chest as she studied the young girl. With her bottom lip between her teeth, she didn't even look up as her small voice flitted about in the air, "Won't my appearance in the Glade alert them all of the changes soon to come?" "Well that's partly the reason your arrival is scheduled so soon," a tight smile curved her lips, trying to ease the girl's tension, "We need to see the reactions from the subjects. If they aren't able to handle a simple change like a girl arriving in the box, then they won't be ready to face the other variables we have aligned for them in the future."
Wide green eyes lifted in fear, staring openly at the Chancellor seated just across from her with a nervous tick causing her right foot to bob up and down. "B-but won't I lose my memories…? Everything, even what you're saying now?" Reaching across the table to gently touch Clara's hand, Chancellor Paige's sharp blue eyes bore into the fear that surrounded her own bright green. "It's the price one must pay to benefit the rest of mankind… Besides, hasn't there been something you've always wanted to forget?" It didn't take long for her to think about it, the scars were permanently etched into the skin of her back - forever marking her with the images of that day what seemed like ages ago. Would she forget about those too? Would she wake up one day wondering how those awful scars ever came to be? The Chancellor seemed to pick up on the girl's curiosity, using that to fully express the greatness of such an opportunity, "This is your chance to start over Clara. Don't let it go to waste."
"He's there, isn't he? He told me he was a part of the program before he disappeared...y-you never said if he was alive or not." The fear in her eyes was replaced by anxiety, a hesitant apprehension that caused the color to glint with her emotions as she watched the other woman carefully. It obviously hadn't been a question Chancellor Paige was expecting, judging by the way her posture stiffened and her pupils dilated a centimeter more. "Yes, he is," she breathed evenly, "We are interested to see if that will affect anything as well." A silence carried between them while Clara tried to process the information, contemplating the pros and cons of going through with the experiment. She would lose everything...all the memories of her family, friends, him. While registering just how much this experiment would take away, another thought popped into her head, causing a shiver to slide up her spine. "Are those monsters there too?" "Only as a precaution, they're there to ensure your protection; if the experiment were to be...interrupted, then the larger variables are inclined to intervene and spare the subjects."
"You make it sound like a game," her voice lastly snapped under the heavy weight of the decision. What was she to do? Cautiously gazing up to the woman who had been her mentor - a mother to her for so long, it was hard to see the emotionless mask that cloaked Chancellor Paige's face, to look back into her unwavering stare as she tightened her grasp around the girl's palm. "It is a game. Life and Death. That's all they've ever known, and they don't even know they're playing it. You Clara, are a very important piece in our little game which will carry it into its next stage. We can only play level one for so long, and their time is up. Level two, begins today." Ava stood tall, gesturing to something behind the girl where two other scientists materialized from the shadows, latching onto her arms while dragging her to the door. "Wait, wait! I thought it was my decision?!" "It was," the woman sneered, dropping the concern that had present on her face not only two seconds before, "But due to the latest developments...we've made the choice for you."
"What?" she released with a breath, allowing the two large men to carry her limp form through the door, blankly staring back into the room as the Chancellor stood still; instinct taking over as the reality of the situation finally struck her like a lightning bolt. "No! No! No!" The screams stung her throat, rubbing it raw with each word while kicking around using all her might. "Let me go!" the muscles in her arms ached with the force it took to swing her elbows back into the men, though neither of them budged in the slightest. The hallway they were carrying her down went right past their usual lab, where Clara could see all of the familiar faces of other teens her age preparing for the same choice. Little did they know, they wouldn't get to make that decision. As another scream used up the last of her breath, the tall man to her left pulled out a syringe from the pocket of his lab coat, struggling to keep the needle steady as the girl squirmed. "She lies! She lies! It's not your choice! She_" the sharp end of the syringe lastly made it into the sensitive skin of her neck, stopping Clara mid-sentence as the effects of the concoction took hold of her system within seconds. The world before her fell into darkness while her whole body crumbled to the floor, luckily being caught by the two men who continued on their way with her in between them. The last thought to flutter through her mind read something very clear, This was just the beginning.
Gally:
"The alarm should've went off by now," Zart grumbled at his side, irritably glancing over to the space where he knew the box would appear like it did every month. "Has it been a month already?" Gally asked more to himself than anyone else while hammering away at the side of the building. If this greenhouse wasn't finished by the end of the day, he knew he was going to burst; he never realized just how much Zart and the other Track-Hoes enjoyed gossiping while they worked amongst the gardens. There wasn't a day that went by that Gally didn't hear something he really didn't need to know when sitting atop the roof, even the continuous thud of a hammer and nail wasn't loud enough to rid his mind of their annoying voices, just like now.
"Yeah, I've been keeping track of the days since we received the last Greenie. I still think that Winston made the wrong choice taking the Greenie on with the Slicers, you saw the way that kid's face turned green during the trials. He hasn't gotten much better and it's been a month." Nodding absentmindedly, Gally beat another nail into the structure before the alarm set off; shrieking loudly to alert all the Gladers another was about to join their numbers. "Well, looks like we've got another one coming," he sighed, tiredly running a hand down his face to wipe away the sweat.
Others began to gather around the landing where the box would appear, speaking in whispers so it seemed as the alarm drowned out their voices. Gally made his way over to the gathering, staying on the outer ring of the circle to display his lack of interest. It was just going to be another boy, paled by the shaky ride up to the Glade that would ask the same questions like they all did. It wasn't something that particularly interested him, but at the same time all Keepers except for Minho who was gone every day running the Maze, were required to see to the Greenie when they first arrived.
Figures flashed by, where the familiar frames of Newt and Alby parted the crowd with ease just out the corner of his eye, instructing them all to take a step back as they peeled away the doors. As soon as the doors were pulled back and the two gazed down into the box, Gally noticed the way they both stilled like they were seeing a ghost. "No shucking way," Newt mumbled under his breath, a small smile curling the corners of his mouth while he ruffled a hand through his dirty hair. "This isn't good." Alby's stern face briefly glanced at his friend before looking back into the large box, the defined muscles of his exposed arms crossing along his chest. The other Gladers had gone quiet, looking between their leaders in curiosity and confusion - Gally included. What was so special that it had them so concerned?
Tempted to push to the front and peer over the edge, he was beaten by another boy already standing near the box; his stunned face catching everyone's attention as he released a gasp. "It's a...girl?" All heck broke loose within that second, with every guy racing to get a peek at the supposed girl as Newt and Alby tried to redirect the herd back to their jobs. Something inside of him shifted, like an unworked cog in his system was finally beginning to turn, causing his curiosity to heighten as well as his eyebrows when a lazy hand clapped him on the shoulder. It was Winston, the Keeper of the Slicers, standing there beside him with a tired smile adorning his blood speckled face, "A girl in the Glade...this is a first." Gally relaxed, only a little as the uneasy tension in his chest kept his mouth sealed. He didn't know what to say, there wasn't anything he should say, except that none of this made sense.
After almost a year and a half of living in this place, the Creators had never sent a girl to live with them; was this a sign saying that they would send more? Watching intently as Newt crouched down at the edge of the box, appearing uncertain of his actions, another feeling pained Gally's chest - like a tightened string having just been plucked for the first time. An unsteady hand went to his chest, curiously searching for whatever could make him feel this way when the slight pain nipped at him again once Newt leapt down into the box. No one could hear anything Newt or Alby said due to the ruckus made by all the other boys, but for some reason, Gally felt strangely jealous that they were the first ones to speak to the female Greenie. He didn't even know if what the boys were fussing over was true or not, and here he was feeling jealous? Winston seemed to understand the internal conflict raging within Gally, where he thought quickly for something to distract his friend; little did he know how grateful he was for it. "Come on Gally, time to put the Keeper status to good use." Before he could question what the Slicer meant, he felt himself being dragged through the crowd, cringing internally at the warm feel of blood on his arm as it dripped from Winston's hand.
The height advantage given to him benefited both the Keepers rather well, seeing how they were both able to make it to the front without much protest from the Gladers they pushed past, where Winston soon assisted Alby in keeping the others back. "I said get back to work!" Alby shouted, the anger boiling behind his eyes which had some of the crowd cautiously going back to their daily routine though most chose to ignore his warnings. "Get BACK you slintheads!" Gally's voice broke the thick barrier of their chatter, sending all of the guys into silence while they looked somewhat frightened of his annoyed expression. He looked over to Alby as they both watched the Gladers take several steps back, the older teen flashing the smallest look of gratitude when Newt's words suddenly caught his attention.
"It's okay. None of us are going to harm you." Lastly leaning over the edge, Gally felt his heart kick wildly in his chest; its unexpected pattern now making him worry, though that remained one of the last thoughts in his head when catching sight of the other person currently occupying the box. The Greenie was indeed a girl, with skin fairer than any of the boys to ever come from that box; an unruly mess of chestnut colored waves cascaded down just beyond her shoulders, with eyes as big as saucers while she stared at Newt. She pushed herself back into one of the metal corners, clawing helplessly at the fence-like material around her as if she were hoping it would give way to an escape route. Newt inched closer while crouched, his hands up in a nonthreatening manner while one outstretched toward her hoping for cooperation.
"Come on Greenie," he urged encouragingly, "Let's get cha' out of the box." Her fear didn't lessen at his words, it rather intensified as she looked around frantically, gazing upward until her eyes locked on Gally. They stared at each other for a while, her eyes seemingly taking him in, offering just the distraction Newt needed to finally reach her and take hold of her arm. She didn't fight against him, strangely enough, she simply glanced his way while being helped to her feet and led over to the side of the box they all stood peering over, soon returning her eyes back up in search of something. Gally didn't understand any of what just happened, the way their eyes found each other and held one another's gaze; the somewhat irritated feeling that coursed through him when Newt grasped her arm, and the frown he knew inched across his face once noticing just how frightened she seemed. He took a step back, testing the waters again as Alby reached down to pull her out where the now familiar feeling stirred his subconscious when the sight of her face reappeared over the edge of the box.
The girl stumbled on the firm ground, experimenting with each step she took forward until the numerous faces of all the other Gladers appeared to force her back into the shell she'd almost broken out of. The front of her green shirt was already soaked with sweat, identical to the back though her hair did a fine job of hiding it, while it also managed to conceal a majority of her delicate white skin much like the dark capris which covered her legs. She was short, but then again pretty much everyone was shorter than he was, but Gally studied the way she instinctively pulled down the sleeves of the shirt as if it weren't long enough. No one else seemed to notice, they were all too busy registering the fact that she was actually a girl.
That is, until Alby stepped closer to her side, letting his crossed arms fall loosely, "What's your name?" Her face scrunched up at the question, clearly in deep thought while she tried to sort through the mist that settled over the space in her mind once occupied by memories. Gally knew what it felt like, to find yourself somewhere strange without any idea who you were or how you got there; it was awful, and it kept most of the Greenies awake the first week they stayed in the Glade. "Clara," her small voice announced, where the name was then thrown into the all whispers flitting amongst the guys who surrounded the box. "Can you tell me anything about yourself? Where you came from? What you remember?" At Alby's persistence, Clara tried to think, scrounging every inch of her brain for something to tell them; everything that filled her head was laced with a deep fog which didn't allow her to see. No memories - nothing. "I-I can't...remember anything," her lips quivered as though she were about to cry.
A moment of panic swept through all the guys, not one of them knowing how to handle a girl, let alone a crying girl! Hurriedly trying to find a resolution to their current predicament, no one thought Gally of all people would be the one to offer reassuring words. "I-It's okay, d-don't be sad," he murmured unsurely, "None of us can remember anything either." He must've sounded like an idiot to her, stuttering uncontrollably when her eyes flickered up to his again. He didn't understand how Clara was able to make him this way; he had always been strong, Keeper of the Builders Gally, never a stuttering buffoon like how he sounded seconds earlier. Newt snickered slightly, receiving a glare from Gally in return as Alby ushered the girl past the crowd. All the Keepers fell into a formation around the Greenie, shielding her away from all the curious male attention while heading toward the building where they would normally house important meetings.
Clara stayed silent even after sitting down; it was clear she had no desire to talk which was fine considering Alby went right off once closing the door. "This is going to be more trouble than I thought," he muttered, his hands on his waist. "Oh come on Alby, she's not a danger to any of us." Newt tried to reason with him, casually leaning against a wall while several sets of eyes shifted between him and the girl. "She's not the problem. Did you all not see the way the others acted out there? This is the first time any of us have seen a girl, and there's no telling what kind of horrid stuff is running through their minds at this very moment!" Clara visibly flinched, though Gally was the only one to see it; he moved to stand behind where she sat, crossing his arms in some sort of protective manner. Despite her obvious discomfort, she sat there quietly, accepting all of Alby's criticism and complaints while all the other Keepers tried to calm him down.
"What do you think Gally?" Newt gestured over to him with a hint of intrigue gleaming in his eyes, "You've been unusually quiet throughout all of this." He could feel his heart pick up again as Clara's head tilted the slightest bit to the side, seemingly interested in what he was to say. "It's just another Greenie, no difference," he sighed, trying to hide the bit of pain that shocked him from his words.
"I'm sorry." Everyone turned to look at Clara; her head hung low with shame causing the dark waves of her hair to fall like curtains, hiding her face from them all.
Alby sighed, "Shuck, I have no idea how to do this." Pinching the bridge between his eyes, he released another sigh after thinking quietly for several seconds, "Um...we're not here to try and make you feel bad. I just don't know how we're going to keep everyone under control…" "Is she going to be working with the rest of us?" Zart questioned; a couple others admitting their curiosity with the same question. "One of our main rules is for everyone to do their part, and just because she's a girl, doesn't mean she can't pitch in and help us. So listen up, one of us will give her the tour today while the rest try to figure out complications like, oh I don't know - where are we going to have her sleep? If everything runs smoothly for the rest of the day, we'll start individual trials tomorrow with whoever wants to test her first. Any questions?" A silent tension filled the air with everyone looking at one another and Clara, who still hadn't lifted her head. "Good," Alby clapped his hands together, "Now, until Minho gets back I'll be occupied with something in the Map Room. Leaving Newt to give her the tour, and all of you shanks need to get back to work!"
Clara:
The darkness. That would be my first new memory. The darkness that enveloped me when sitting in that rickety metal box as it shook and clattered up an endless passage. Yet sitting there now, in a room surrounded by guys while listening to their leader badgering my very existence, well let's just say it had my spirits downed even more than when I thought I was stuck in the box forever. I stayed still, absorbing every single one of his words with the occasional protest from his blonde friend and some of the others until a presence behind me caused my back to stiffen. It radiated a much-needed warmth onto my spine, thawing the cold chill that had infected my bones, but I dared not to turn and see who stood there.
"What do you think Gally? You've been unusually quiet throughout all of this." That name, that name - that name! Gally, somehow I knew it, or no, I didn't know it, but I felt something when it was said. It must have been the large figure that loomed behind me because he shifted his weight from one side to the other, clearly uncomfortable with the question which made my head turn only an inch to catch a glimpse of this boy.
What I saw nearly had my mouth fall open, for it was that same boy who stood over the edge of the box as the blonde one helped me out. Nothing could ever make me forget the way our eyes locked, how the dark green of his gaze suddenly widened in confusion and thought. His tall form stood there, solidly behind like nothing could make him move though his face appeared blank as if he were trying to hide emotion. My heart would thump louder whenever his eyes glanced my way, which happened frequently for whatever reason, but everything came crashing down at his next words. "It's just another Greenie, no difference," a sigh parted his lips, but his gaze went to me as I looked down.
The shame, the feeling of absolute uselessness - all of it suddenly fell on my shoulders, breaking what little confidence and happiness I had ready to face this new life. I couldn't explain why his words hurt me, or why him as a whole affected me in any manner at all. It just happened. I didn't even know if he felt anything either, it could just be the nervous jitters of coming from the box and being bombarded with so much at one time. But for a multitude of reasons, I felt sorry for them all having to put up with me. "I'm sorry," my soft voice interrupted their thoughts, all their eyes going to me. I kept my head down, examining the color of my own hair as it hung down around my face, realizing then that I didn't even know what I looked like.
Judging by the way all the boys stilled and scrambled with their words, I must've seemed somewhat pathetic. This wasn't how I wanted to project myself - an idiotic girl, bordering on helpless, but that looked like how my first day was going to be. Their leader sighed, "Shuck, I have no idea how to do this. Um...we're not here to try and make you feel bad. I just don't know how we're going to keep everyone under control…" "Is she going to be working with the rest of us?" another one of them asked, which caught my attention. What kind of jobs did they have in a place like this? How was I supposed to be of help to them? But their leader - Alby or so I've heard, had an answer for everything. "One of our main rules is for everyone to do their part, and just because she's a girl, doesn't mean she can't pitch in and help us. So listen up, one of us will give her the tour today while the rest try to figure out complications like, oh I don't know - where are we going to have her sleep? If everything runs smoothly for the rest of the day, we'll start individual trials tomorrow with whoever wants to test her first. Any questions?" No one dared to argue with him which had me wondering why these boys all looked up to Alby, and in what appeared to be some cases, Newt? What gave them the authority to reign over this place like their own personal kingdom? With intrigue clouding my head, I neglected Alby's short sign off, directing the others back to their jobs, leaving me and the blonde alone in the small room.
"You know you can get a kink in your neck doing that," he commented, an amused smile playing across his face as he waited until my head snapped up. Once he saw I wasn't in the mood to chat, he continued on by himself, motioning towards the door. "Name's Clara, right? My name's Newt Greenie, and the stick in the mud back there was Alby. Don't take anything that he says into offense because he's really just stressed out when he rants like that." Pushing away the door to once again reveal the warm sunlight, he studied my face in amusement when I shielded my eyes from the harmful rays.
"You ready for the tour Greenie?" "My name is Clara," I replied sharply. What in the world was a Greenie?
Seeing the confusion and slight distaste etched into my features, he chuckled, leading me out into the wide open field, completely ignoring all the attention cast our way. "Greenie's just a term we use for the new arrival. You just got here, meaning you're the Greenie for the next month until we get a new one." I stopped abruptly, letting my eyes roam in every direction where the enormous walls finally nabbed my attention. They were huge, standing there blocking my view of the outside with each way I turned; vines grew lazily from the top, some reaching up from the bottom like they were trying to meet each other halfway. Yet in between each pair of corner-conjoined walls, was an opening, the nearest one to us showcasing a short passage with more of the same walls placed in random spots. "What's out there?" Instinctively, I took a step toward the opening, only for Newt to snatch my arm back in protest. "Rule number three on our list Greenie," his face now solemn, "No one enters the Maze, other than the Runners." "Maze? Runners?"
"Aye Greenie, now I realize why Alby's always dreading a new Glader..." Running a hand back through his shaggy blonde hair, Newt let out a deep breath, "Even though I'm not supposed to answer any questions until the end of the tour, I guess I'll give you a quick rundown of pretty much everything. This place is called the Glade. It's where we all eat, sleep, and work unless you're a Runner; they're a selected group that run the Maze every day. The Maze is what surrounds the Glade; it's a series of walls and pathways that keep us from escaping. Gladers are everyone you see right now, the other guys who live here too. Each Glader has a different job which you'll learn more about tomorrow, and each job has a Keeper, or a head supervisor I guess you could say. But there are three rules we have here in the Glade that every Greenie needs to understand. One, everyone does their part. There's no slackers. Two, you never hurt another Glader. Alby says it's supposed to build trust or some klunk like that. And lastly, you never go outside the Glade unless you're a Runner." I stared at him, letting all of what he just said sink in as the questions began to fill all the space in my subconscious. "So, being a Runner is one of the jobs you guys have here?" "Yes, but Minho has a very small number of Runners; it's not a job you'd want, trust me." A brief gleam came over his eyes, like he were suppressing a memory of some sort; I didn't want to bug him on the topic, so I let it slide, continuing to listen as he marched us off toward one of the corners. "This is the Northwest corner, where Zart - the Keeper of the Track-Hoes, maintains the gardens. Right across from them, you have the Homestead, where most of us sleep; there's a small jailhouse called the Slammer connected to its side where we leave any Glader that breaks the rules. Alby, me, and a couple other Keepers have private rooms upstairs while some of the Gladers choose to either stay in the bunks or sleep outside. He hasn't let me in on where he plans on letting you sleep." Newt glanced over his shoulder at me, watching as I analyzed the various rows of fruit and vegetables, all in full bloom and ready for picking; whoever this Zart fellow was, he sure kept his gardens neatly organized seeing how all the Gladers working in that section held baskets to collect specific items. Before I knew it, Newt lightly gripped my elbow, trying to get me to face the other direction though I unconsciously flinched away from his touch. The accented blonde raised an eyebrow in confusion until I batted his hand away like it was nothing.
"On the Southeast corner we've got the Blood House where the Slicers work, it's not a nice place either considering it's where all our livestock is kept and slaughtered." He chuckled at the small face I made once the thought finally entered my brain, but carried on nonetheless and pointed to the opposite corner where trees grew thickly enough to appear like a small forest. "Through there is what we call the Dead Heads, you'll find the Baggers hanging around in there most of the time though they're supposed to be guarding the Doors. It's like a cemetery for some of the Gladers that've passed, and the Baggers handle the bodies." "What's over there?" Pointing to a small hut built near one side of the Homestead, I noticed another not far away, each one's roof was a little off though the walls were solid as if to make sure that no one looked in. "The one near the Homestead is the Map Room, Minho and the others run in there whenever they get back but no one other than the Runners, me on occasion, and Alby are allowed in there. The other is where the Med-Jacks' house most the medicine and treat anyone that's been stung, though they mostly work in the Homestead."
"Stung?" I could tell he regretted letting that word slip, Newt tried his hardest to appear nonchalant when looking back at me, but I knew there was some sort of apprehension with the explanation settled on his tongue. "I think we'll save that for another time…"
The sun was still beating down on us, not as hard since it had begun to fade over the horizon, but just enough to cast a hazy orange glow over the Glade. Newt continuously tried to distract me, leaving what little I asked answered for the most part but I felt like there was some big piece of the puzzle no one was willing to let me in on. He led me over to where he said the food was distributed by a single cook named Frypan, and seeing some of the other Gladers nestled at separate tables made me long to feel like I belonged amongst them all. The only thing I received in return from the boys were wide-eyed stares, some in curiosity and others in shock. After what Alby said that morning, I didn't really care to know what any of them were thinking and tried to forget their attention all together. After retrieving my plate and feeling my stomach growl from an unmasked hunger that unexpectedly threw itself on me, I was introduced properly to Frypan by Newt who then led me over to a table which also seated Alby, Gally, and another Glader who I assumed was also Keeper.
"How did the tour go?" Alby's tired gaze fell on Newt who settled beside him, leaving me to take the only open seat next to Gally. "Greenie took it really well, had a few questions, but for the most part - she's rather quiet. Hope we don't scare you or something," all their eyes went to me, some of them with food hanging from their mouths as they did so. "No." I wasn't scared of anyone here, more than anything I was concerned how I would be able to prove that I could handle myself without assistance.
"Everyone's different," Gally spoke up, making Newt laugh. "Weren't you the one to say that she was just another Greenie?" "That's not what I meant." The tiniest glint of anger flickered behind Gally's eyes as the two Keepers stared each other down. "It's okay," I raised my hands, ready to push them apart if they got any closer, "It doesn't bother me what others think." They both calmed slightly, daring the other with their eyes to say something back, which had Alby looking between the two of them with a renewed interest. "Well, we were able to convince Winston to give up his room in the Homestead upstairs. You should be able to sleep fine in there, given that it's at the end of the hall." "He didn't need to do that," I whimpered, seeing the boy at the end of the table smile back. "It's fine, it's better if I sleep outside anyway since I smell like a pigpen." A small laugh escaped my throat, catching attention from everyone as I nodded over to the Keeper, "Thank you Winston."
"Well shuck," Newt sighed. "What?" one of Alby's eyebrows lifted in some form of concern. "Winston scored the Greenbean's first laugh. I pegged it to be either me or Minho." A twinge of color painted my cheeks, I knew because the heat swelled like the sparks of a new fire. Letting my head lower while stabbing the beans on my plate with a fork, one set of eyes burned holes in the top of my skull; whoever it was certainly had been staring for quite a while. I lifted my head just a bit, enough for my eyes to once again lock with Gally's which made my already-racing heart practically leap into my throat. He was the one to break eye contact first, uncertainly looking down at his empty plate while the others carried on a conversation about some gathering they were planning for the next night.
"You'll be in the ring again, won't you Gally?" Winston grinned over to his friend who finally straightened to sit at his full height. "Of course, got to defend my title right?" his tightened smile went unnoticed by the three guys, but for some reason I knew of his inner tension. "Well Greenie, I think it'd be best if you headed on up to bed. First night's always the hardest." Alby stood, scooping up his plate and leftovers before instructing me to do the same.
After putting them away to be cleaned, he led me up the staircase of the Homestead and past several doors until reaching the last one just like he said. "Now, it isn't much, but it's enough for the nights." What he said was true, the only thing in the room was a bed frame holding a bare mattress up off the ground; an empty desk sat off in the corner with lazy markings etched into the surface while a single window showcased a closer view of one of walls and the sun overhead. As soon as I stepped foot through the doorway, everything began to shake; a noise louder than anything I've ever heard squealing out, penetrating through even solid walls where I began to think I had set something off.
Alby smirked at me casually, watching as I fumbled over to the bed. "What is that?" I had to raise my voice just to be heard over the trembling. "The walls, they close every night and open every morning. That's why the Runners are putting themselves at risk, not only are there dangers but if they don't make it back in time, they get locked out into the Maze, and no one's ever survived a night in the Maze." I hurriedly went to the window, turning my head at an odd angle just to see what he said was true; the openings I had seen earlier had slowly started toward each other, like automatic doors. Facing him after a few seconds of silence, I panicked a bit once seeing Alby already halfway out the door. "Wait," he froze at the sound of my voice, "Who put us here?" "We don't know." "There has to be something that can tell us who sent us here?" The desperation for some stable fact must have shown in my tone because his eyes softened momentarily before returning back to the stern front he always seemed to have up. "We call them the Creators. They send us the supplies we need in the box every week, and a new Glader every month. We don't really know much more than that they created the Maze." "Oh," the word left my lips before I could register what I had said. "Look, it's been a long day for you. It may not seem like it now, but you're probably really tired. Go on and rest, and I'll come to get you in the morning for your first day with one of the Keepers." Alby shut the door quietly behind him, leaving me alone with my flustered thoughts.
Nothing became clear, even with the silence, which gave me no other choice but to sleep like he suggested. All of it, every second of the day flashed behind my eyelids as I shut them for what felt like the first time since waking up in that box; the calm air going in and out of my lungs with ease until I slipped out of consciousness. I tried not to dream, to leave my mind open and blank, but instead possibilities passed through my thoughts. The anticipation of the whole job testing and selection process had my dreams far more clustered than they would normally be as every scenario played out before my closed eyes. Nightmares hinted at my dreams, trying to turn the simplest thought into something horrifying except I would force my eyes open whenever they became too much, leaving me sleepless most of the night. What felt like only five minutes passed when a thin ray of light broke through the window, lighting up my face as I rolled over in annoyance. The rumbling picked up again, like a huge animal defending its territory; it growled and howled until the doors completely spread apart, where I could see the figures of several guys jogging into the Maze. Today was my first day.