Chapter one got some good feedback so far! Thank you! I don't own anything that is Maze Runner, but I do own my character Elizabeth. (: Sorry about the wait, I'm watching Grey's Anatomy as I'm writing and I get distracted every once in a while!
Gms14 - Thank you! I didn't want this story to be like the others, and I'm glad it worked out! Thank you so much for the support! It's greatly appreciated!
Guest – Thank you! I'm glad you liked the first chapter!
Possibility – Not to worry! I cannot write short stories to save my life! It won't be a one shot. Wow! Four times? I'm glad you think it's so great! Thank you!
Being a slicer, yeah, definitely not my thing. The moment I walked into the bloodhouse to find Winston the bile rose in my throat. How could anyone work in this place, all the blood and the killing of the animals? So for most of the day, I spent my time holding my breath and looking away when Winston chopped the chicken's heads off.
Walking to the dinner hall, I thought back on what I'd done this morning and was glad that Winston had promised me that I'd just take care of the livestock in the afternoon, sparring me the gory images of the bloodhouse. When I was finally at the front of the line, I grabbed a bowl and lifted it up for the boy standing in front of me to ladle some of the soup into my bowl. When I looked at him more closely, I noticed it was the dark skinned boy Alby had been talking to yesterday. The boy had a bright smile, "Hi there greenie, I'm Frypan." He extended his hand out to me. A nervous smile stretched across my lips as I shyly took his larger hand in mine and shook it.
"I'm Elizabeth, or… umm… Ezzie. That's what Minho calls me anyway." My voice had started out strong but in the end I was mumbling, embarrassed. Frypan smiled, and chuckled under his breath. I blushed, and grabbed my soup before walking to an empty table. Sitting by myself wasn't as bad as you'd expect, some of the boys still watched my every move, some looked suspicious while others were giving me looks that I didn't really comprehend, but it didn't bother me anymore. I ate my soup quietly until someone sat down next to me, looking up; I smiled brightly when I realized who it was.
"Hey there Greenbean." His accent rolled off his tongue as he spoke to me in a hushed voice. A smiled graced his lips, when I looked up at him and gave him a sweet smile. We sat in comfortable silence, eating our leak and potato soup.
We'd been sitting quietly, until the blond boy I'd seen Newt talk to in the gardens sat down in the seat across from us. When I looked up, he gave me a slight nod before going back to his soup. He and Newt had exchanged a few words, before falling quiet once more, until the end of lunch.
My afternoon hadn't been quite as awful as my morning. I'd spent most of my time with the cows and pigs, and the dog Bark, had followed me around all afternoon which had made me happy. Who wouldn't love that little black fur ball? It was finally time for supper but I couldn't bring myself to leave Bark. So I sat down by one of the fence poles that kept the cows in the pen, leaning against it, letting Bark lay his paws and head on my lap.
I'd been so preoccupied with Bark that I hadn't noticed the sky had already darkened and the doors were now closed, that meant Minho and the other runners were back. I grinned at the thought of the boy who'd been nice enough to call me pretty. Being the only girl had its perks, considering the fact that they had no other girl to compare me to. My stomach grumbled, reminding me that I hadn't eaten supper and had probably already missed it. I shooed Bark off me, and stood up. I patted the dog's head once before leaving the bloodhouse.
The kitchens still had some lights so I made my way over and looked in to see if Frypan was still there. "Hello?" I called out timidly, stepping into the kitchens.
"Elizabeth!" came from my left, "We missed you at supper!" The tall boy grinned as he made his way over to me holding a brown bag. "I made you a sandwich and some veggies, don't make missing supper a habit." He threw a wink my way, handing me the bag and walking off.
"Thank you!" I called after him grateful.
With a secretive smile, I made my way over to the woods so I could sit and observe the other boys during their free time. I pulled out the cheese sandwich Frypan had made and began munching on it gratefully. Once my sandwich was finished, I fished around in the brown bag to see what else Frypan had given me. Pulling out a green apple, I grinned happily taking a large bite from it. So happy with my crunchy apple, I yelped when I heard a sound to my right. I looked over and smiled when I saw it was only Minho.
"Greenbean! Where have you been?"
I gently smiled at him, "I was with Bark by the bloodhouse."
He gasped, clutching his heart mockingly, like what I had done had truly wounded him, "You were with the flea bag instead of having supper with little old me?" Bursting out laughing, I looked over at Minho, seeing him laugh with me, causing me to fall into another fit of giggles. Once the laughter died down, we fell into easy conversation about anything and everything that came to mind.
Minho was different from the other boys; he didn't look at me any differently than he did the other boys. It's refreshing. And he didn't avoid me like some of the others did. Together, we sat for maybe an hour longer before I told Minho it was time for bed. On my way back to the homestead, Alby found me to tell me I would be working with Zart and the Track-Hoes and to hand me a box that had come up with me in the lift.
Back in my room, I set the wooden box down at the end of my bed, and opened it to see what was inside. I found two black tank tops similar to the one I was already wearing, a white long sleeve cotton button up, two pairs of grey camouflage cargo pants and a sleeveless jean vest. There were a few pairs of underwear with matching bras and five pairs of socks. Other things littered the box, like a hair brush, hair ties, feminine products and other knickknacks that I may need.
The sound of the doors opening woke me. Rushed, I grabbed a clean pair of cargo pants, a clean tank top, and my white button up. I changed clothing in a hurry to get down to the kitchen for breakfast, before I had to get to work with the Track-Hoes. Before leaving my room I quickly brushed my hair. I ran down the stairs braiding my hair as I walked briskly to the lineup for food noticing I was one of the last ones to get my eggs and bacon. Oh my gosh, let me tell you Frypan's bacon it probably the best part about his cooking. Everybody likes to complain about his cooking but really his food was pretty good, but then again that could be because none of us remembered what real food tasted like.
"Good morning Frypan." I smiled cheekily at the boy as I held up my plate waiting for him to fill it up.
"Good morning Elizabeth." That's another thing I liked about Frypan, he didn't call me greenie or Greenbean like the other boys did and I was grateful. Before leaving the line, I grabbed an apple, and left to find a seat. I looked around for a bit before I noticed Alby waving me over. Smiling, I sat down across from Alby giving him a friendly nod, soon after digging into my eggs. Breakfast was definitely the best meal Frypan could cook.
We'd been sitting quietly for a few minutes, "How was your day with the slicers?"
Trying not to cringe, I gripped my fork tighter, "Uh, interesting?"
Alby chuckled and shook his head, "You'll have a better time in the gardens with Zart the fart." A giggle escaped my lips at the nickname they'd given Zart.
Finding Zart had been quite a feat considering I'd never actually met him and had no idea what he looked like. So when I found Newt in the gardens relief flooded through me. "Newt." He didn't acknowledge me, which was surprising I'd spoken loud enough for him to hear me. Bending forward, I touched his shoulder to get his attention. Newt gripped my wrist as soon as my hand touched his shoulder. Startled, I let out a small shriek.
"Oh, it's you." He let go of my wrist before standing up to face me.
"Could you point Zart out?" I mumbled, playing with my fingers worriedly.
Newt gave me a nod and turned to point the blond haired boy we'd had lunch with the previous day. "Thank you Newt." I shot him a grateful smile before going to join Zart.
Zart didn't talk much and smelt like sour milk, but he was kind so that made up for it. We spent our morning in comfortable silence, smiling at one another every once in a while. He'd shown me how to plant carrots and lettuce and by the time lunch had rolled around I was a pro at it.
"In the afternoon you'll be picking apples with Newt, alright?" Newt was mad at me, or at least that was the impression I was getting from him. Instead of voicing my thoughts, I simply nodded and went back to eating the cheese sandwich in front of me.
After lunch, I found Newt sitting in the shade by a tree. I walked up to him, smiling, sitting beside him. My arm brushed against his by accident. He just looked over at me, his face showing nothing. I couldn't stop myself, averting my eyes, "Newt. Did I do something wrong?"
Silence. It was quiet for a few minutes so I looked up, the inner turmoil was obvious. I just didn't understand why he would be upset. Tentatively, I reached over and grabbed his hand, "I'm sorry, for whatever I did. I never meant to upset you."
"I, uh, It's nothing, don't worry about it."
I didn't press him for answers; he would tell me once he was ready to tell me. We sat there holding each other's hands for a while longer, before we finally had to get to work to pick apples.
Spending the afternoon with Newt had been wonderful. There had been a lot of laughing, and smiling. People in the gardens were annoyed with us but that didn't stop us. It had been the best time I'd had so far in the Glade.
Laughing Newt threw his arm over my shoulders and pulled me into his side, "You aren't so bad for a Greenie."
Smiling, I shrugged his arm of my shoulders and playfully shoved his side, stepping away from him at the same time. We'd been walking to the kitchen for dinner, when I broke out into a run, running away from Newt who was trying to get back at me for shoving him. I'd almost made it to the kitchen when someone, whom I assumed was Newt, wrapped their arms around my waist, pulling me to their chest, effectively trapping me. I grabbed his hands attempting to get out of his grip but it didn't work. By now people had begun watching, eyebrows hitting their hairlines, but the two teenagers couldn't be bothered.
When our laughter died down, I turned around and looked up at Newt, grinning. His hands were lightly resting on my hips as we starred at one another breathless. Well that is until Minho came around and pulled us into an awkward group hug, crushing my body to Newt's making me flush.
"Awe! I just love you guys!" Giggling, I slipped out of Minho's hold, walking away from him. I looked back at Newt and Minho to see Newt scowling like a little kid while he shoved Minho away. The dark haired boy seemed to be teasing his blond friend about something or another.
The table was devoid of any boys until Newt, Minho and Zart came and sat with me. Of course Minho had to come sit beside me just so he could tease me about what he'd witnessed earlier, which earned him more than one elbow to the ribs.
Alby sat on my other side, nodding to us before tucking into his food. I looked between all the boys, these boys were my family now, if you think about it, it was true. I didn't remember my family, and neither did they. The faster I came to terms with the fact that I was stuck here, the better. They were my new family, and that thought made me smile. They were good boys.
"You'll be with the builders tomorrow." I looked up and smiled, nodding, hiding the dread that I felt. Builders that was one job I knew I would not be cut out for. What would they make me do anyways, it's not like I'm strong enough to lift three quarters of the stuff they work with. "You'll have to find Gally tomorrow. It's that guy over there." He pointed to the dark haired boy from lunch yesterday.
Supper had come to an end and I was now aimlessly walking around the glade. That's when I heard it, the whirring and clicking sounds, followed by a monstrous shriek. The panic was unbearable; I took off into the woods. The splashing sound barely reached my ears as I ran through the small stream. My soaked feet carried me further into the forest. A few minutes had passed before I came face first with the dry forest floor. I'd barely had a chance to throw my hands out in front of me, avoiding any collateral for my face.
It felt like hours had passed, but it must have only been minutes, half an hour at most. No shrieks or whirring noises or clicking noises could be heard over the sound of my heart pounding in my ears. My fingers brushed against the dirt absentmindedly.
"Elizabeth!" Dozens of voices could be heard. At first they were faint but the longer it went on the louder they got.
"Elizabeth." A voice whispered, when they touched my back. I barely looked away from my fingers, as they drew pattern after pattern. The owner of the voice gently rolled me onto my back before picking me up, one arm tucked safely around my back and the other under my knees, cradling me to their chest. My eyes travelled up and rested upon the face of my savior. His dark brown eyes bore into mine, as we began traveling in what I presumed was the direction of the homestead. My small hand reached up and grabbed the front of his shirt. I tucked my head between his shoulder and neck.
"Newt, what makes that horrible noise?" I whimpered pathetically, clutching his shirt tighter. His chest rose and fell, letting a sigh roll off his lips.
"They're called Grievers." He paused, getting his thoughts together. "They live in the maze, and only come out at night. Only a few people have encountered them and survived." All I could do was dazedly nod my head. "I'll take you to the window so you can see them the grievers for yourself."
Newt had changed his direction of travel and made his way over to a small hut that was right against one of the maze walls. We made it inside, where he set me down before wrapping his arm around my shoulders and guiding me to the maze wall, where an off-white sheet hung hiding something. Newt pulled it away to reveal a window that showed the inside of the maze. I wasn't exactly sure what I was looking for, but I never took my eyes off the glass.
Newt and I had been standing at the window for forty five minutes when a light could be seen. Soon after came the humming and clicking noises. What came next scarred me for life. The gruesome beast came around the corner, its globular body had a light sheen making it seem slimy and repulsive. Black spikes protruded from its body, along with shears and rods. When it noticed us, a shriek ripped from its throat, as it charged toward us. The window shuddered but never broke as it repeatedly smashed its face against it. His teeth, jagged and yellow, chomped at us as it tried to reach us. Black beady eyes starred me dead in the eyes at it continued attacking. I couldn't bear it anymore; I turned into Newt's hold, and pressed my face into his shoulder.
Newt guided me back to my room. We didn't say a word to one another as we quietly walked towards the homestead. I looked up at him every once in a while only to see that he was staring straight ahead never faltering in his gaze. I wrung my hands in front of me as we walked into the homestead. He motioned for me to walk up first before following me up to my room. I pushed the door open and walked straight to my bed, laying on it, curling up into a ball.
"Goodnight Elizabeth." He pulled my blanket up over my body, and patted my shoulder, before turning around and making his way towards my door.
"Newt?"
He turned around, "yes?"
"I'm scared." I simply stated a few stray tears slipped down my cheeks. His eyes softened at the sight of me, "can you stay with me tonight?"
"Bloody hell." He mumbled under his breath, I watched him run a hand through his hair. He shook his head before walking over to my bed, sitting on the edge. I scooted closer to the wall, giving enough space to lie down next to me. He just gazed down at me as I did so.
"Are you just going to sit there all night?" Newt blinked down at me and gave me a small smile before lying down beside me, turning over to face me. None of our body parts touched the others, Newt made sure of that when he laid on top of the blanket. I assumed he was trying to be a gentleman and protect my honour, which was fine by me. A blush crept up my neck and settled on my cheeks as I thought about it. Tentatively, I reached out across the small bed, and grasped Newt's hand in my own. His eyes snapped down to our linked hands before looking back at me with big, round eyes. That was the first time I'd initiated in touching between us. A shy smile touched my lips, as I looked down at our intertwined hands.