The alarm finally stopped after blaring for two full minutes. A crowd had gathered around the steel doors through which Thomas was startled to realize he'd arrived just yesterday. Yesterday? Was it really just yesterday? Newt stood to Thomas's right as he felt someone tap his left elbow; he looked over to see Chuck on his other side.

"How goes it, Greenie?"

"Fine," he replied, even though, he felt everything but.

"This is astounding," Newt said with light smile. "It's always been regular. Once a month, every month, same day."

"Maybe whoever's in charge realized you were nothing but a big mistake, and sent someone to replace you," Chuck said giggling as he elbowed Thomas in the ribs, a high-pitched snicker that somehow made Thomas grow more fond of him.

Thomas shot his new friend a fake glare. "You're annoying. Seriously."

"We're buddies now," Chuck said with a smack of his lips and a wave of his arm, as if he were swatting away a bug.

"Look like you're not giving me a choice in matter." But honestly, so far, Chuck was making a decent friend.

"Well. Glad that's settled," Newt chipped in. "Everyone needs a buddy around this place." He smiled at Thomas. "And you've got two."

"And it's only your second day, Greenie."

Thomas grabbed Chuck by the collar, joking around. "Okay, buddy then call me by my name. Thomas. Or I'll throw you down the hole after the—" But Thomas cut the threat short as a thought occurred to him. "Wait, have you guys ever—"

"Tried it," Chuck and Newt interrupted before he could finish, their voices sounding odd layered on top of each other.

"Tried what?"

"Going down the Box after it makes a delivery," Newt answered. "It won't go down until it's completely empty."

Ably had just told him the same thing. "I already knew that, but what about—"

"Tried it," they said again.

"Thomas had to suppress a groan—that was aggravating. "Tried what?"

"Going through the whole after the Box goes down," Chuck said. "Can't. Doors will open, but there's just emptiness. Black. Nothing. No ropes, no chains, nothing. Can't do it."

How could that be possible? How did the Box climb such a great distance without any visible support? "Did you—"

"Tried it."

Thomas did groan this time. "Okay, what?"

"We threw some things into the whole," Newt provided. "Never heard them land. It goes on for a while."

Thomas paused before he replied, looking back and forth at the two faces, not wanting to be cut off again. "What are you? Mind readers or something?" He threw as much sarcasm as he could into the comment as he could.

"Nah. Just brilliant, that's all." Chuck winked.

"Chuck, never wink at me again." Thomas said it with a smile. Chuck was a little annoying, but just like Newt—although Thomas's feelings for Newt was something different entirely—there was something about Chuck that made things seem less terrible. Thomas took a deep breath and looked back toward the crowd around the hole. "So how long until he gets here?"

"Usually takes about half an hour after the alarm," Newt answered.

Thomas thought for a second. There had to be something they hadn't tried. "You're sure about the whole? Have you ever…" He paused, looking between the two again, waiting for an interruption, but continued when it didn't come. "Have you ever tried—"

"Tried it," they smiled.

Thomas let out a furious grunt, balling his hands into fist. "You guys are enjoying that!"

"Yes," Chuck responded through a small laugh.

"Tried what?" Thomas said through his teeth.

"Making a rope," Newt said. "With ivy. Longest one we could possibly make."

"That little experiment didn't go too well."

"What do you mean?" What now?

"I was at the front, holding the rope with Alby," Newt said. "We had only lowered the kid who volunteered to go down about teen feet when something swooshed through the air, cutting him clean in half." Newt made a swift sweeping motion with his arm, his hand like a blade.

"What?" was all Thomas could mutter through his shock.

"Yup. Creators sent him back in the Box with our next week's supplies. Cut in half like a knife through butter. We keep him in a trunk to remind future kids not to be so stupid."

Thomas waited for one of them to laugh or smile, thinking this had to be a joke. But neither of their faces broke. "You're serious?"

"I would never lie to you, Tommy," Newt said sincerely. "Come on, mate. Let's go over and see the bloke that comes up."

"I can't believe you only have to be the Greenbean for one day," Chuck groaned. "Klunkhead."

As the three of them walked over, Thomas asked the question he hadn't posed yet. "How do you know it's not just supplies or whatever?"

"The alarm doesn't sound when that happens," Newt said. "The supplies come up at the same time every week."

"Hey, look," Chuck pointed to someone in the crowd. It was Gally staring at them as they walked. "He does not like you, dude."

"Yeah," Thomas muttered. "Figured that out already."

"You should go ask his bloody problem is. We don't need any more tension around here; we've got enough of that as it is," Newt said.

"Nah. He has more ally's than I do. Not a good person to pick a fight with."

"It doesn't matter how many he has. You have me. Shall I go ask for you? He wouldn't dare say anything to me."

"Nah. Just… don't worry about it." For a moment Newt looked as if he wanted to press the issue, but he caught Thomas's eye and let it go. The boys continued on their way the edge of the crowd, and with Newt amongst them, they made their way to the front to stand right next to the doors that led to the Box.

Moments later, the crowd parted to permit Alby. He strolled up to stand next to Newt. Then everyone quieted. It became so silent Thomas could hear the birds chirping, cows mooing in the distance and also… the grinds and rattles of the rinsing lift, reminding him of his own nightmarish trip the day before. Sadness washed over him, almost as if he were reliving those few terrible minutes of awakening in darkness to memory loss. He felt sorry for whoever the new boy was, going through the same things.

Evidently after reading the expression Thomas's face, Newt's fingers—unseen by anyone for they were all staring down at the closed doors in anticipation—slipped in between Thomas's fingers, their warms palms touching. Thomas found that it made him feel better. Everyone stood silent and patient staring down at the door until he heard a muffled boom announce the bizarre elevator's arrival.

Newt's fingers left Thomas's and he and Alby took positions on opposite sides of the shaft doors—a crack split the metal square, right down the middle. Simple hook-handles were attached on both sides, and together they yanked them apart. With a metallic scrape the doors were opened, and a puff of dust from the surrounding stone rose in the air.

Complete silence, as Newt leaned over to get a better look into the Box, and even standing this close, Thomas couldn't see the bottom of it. He leaned forward as far as he possibly could without drawing attention to himself, although he was nowhere near the only one leaning. Chuck looked shocked to find himself on the front row, as if wondering how he got there, and he too like everyone else, was leaning forward, trying catch a glimpse of the newcomer.

With a sudden jerk, Newt pushed himself back into an upright position, "Holy shit," he breathed eyes wide.

"No way," Alby murmured, almost trance like.

A chorus of question filled the air as everyone began pushing forward to get a look in to the small opening. But Thomas was first.

A girl. And she looked dead.

The guys further back were still mumbling and scrambling, peeping over and under shoulders. Chuck stood next to Thomas, his jaw dropped in awe.

"Two Newbies in two days and now this?" Alby whispered. "Almost four years with nothing different." He glared at Thomas. "What's goin' on here Greenie?"

Thomas stared back, confused, his face turning red, gut clenching. "How am I supposed to know?"

"Why don't you just tell us what the shuck is down there?!" Gally called from back.

"It's a girl," Newt said.

"Dibs!" Thomas heard someone scream. There were more murmurs and another surge forward, and in someone haste to get through, Thomas was bumped and he tripped with a gasp of horror, falling with wide eyes as he reached and clawed at anything, but his hands only found air. An eight foot fall into the Box and Thomas landing on his back with a hard thud next to the girl's unmoving body. It knocked the breath out of him.

"Which one of you slintheads did that!" Thomas heard Alby scream.

Before he could inhale, before his heart got a chance to pound against his chest, the girl suddenly shot into a sitting position, sucking in a huge breath and grabbing Thomas's wrist, making him jump out of his skin. Had there been anything in his lungs, Thomas would've screamed. He tried to scrambled away but her grip was surprisingly strong.

Burning blue eyes stared into nothing, wide a quarters, as Thomas fought with his breath and her hand. Then she spoke one, clear sentence in a loud ringing voice.

"Everything is going to change."

Thomas froze and stared, his heart attempting to escape through his sternum, as her eyes rolled into her head and she fell to her back again, her grip loosening on his wrists. He snatched it out and scrambled into the nearest corner, his hand brushing against a piece of paper she must have dropped when she'd clutched his wrist, and in his rush to get away, it was brushed into the corner with him. Thomas almost didn't feel in his haste to get away. All of this—from Thomas initial fall, to him scrambling to the corner—transpired in about ten seconds.

Thomas picked up the folded piece of paper, opening it, his heart still pounding.

She's the last one.

Ever.