Meraya woke up to a soft knocking at her door. She groaned, pushing her face into her pillow, willing the knocking to go away. When it didn't stop Meraya pulled herself out of bed and padded softly to the door. Upon opening it, Meraya was met with a smiling Newt.
"Yes?" Meraya asked, voice rough from sleep.
"It's time for the tour." Newt said, a British twang in his words.
"...Okay." Meraya yawned, closing her door. She pulled on her clothes from the previous day and met Newt in the hall. They walked in silence, Meraya still waking up as they moved silently through the halls.
Once they stepped outside, Meraya took a deep breath of the fresh air. It smelled like fresh grass and the slight whiff of manure. Finally getting a good look at her surroundings, Meraya was surrounded by beautiful green grass, trees, and haphazardly built buildings that held a homey feeling. There was a large gap in one of the walls, opening to a never ending expanse of what, Meraya didn't know but she felt drawn.
"Welcome to the Glade." Newt's voice interrupted her thoughts, not that she minded.
"It's beautiful." Meraya muttered softly, eyes still searching the landscape. Newt smiled at her response proudly.
"Well that's a first greenie. C'mon, I'll show you around." Meraya tore her eyes away from the Glade and followed Newt towards a new building with a pen protruding from the side. The grass folded easily beneath their feet, springing back up once they shifted to the next foot.
"This is the Bloodhouse, where the Slicers work, you see, everyone here has a job and the Glade doesn't work if we don't follow the rules." Newt said, seriousness pervading his voice. Meraya nodded in response, a cue for Newt to continue. "Here, we raise the animals and, when it's time, slice them." Almost as if on cue, a pig squealed loudly from inside the building only to be cut short with a dimmed thunk. Meraya's face twisted in disgust as bile rose to the back of her throat. The Bloodhouse smelled like manure and blood. A few piglets snorted and rummaged around in the mud. Cows mooed every so often, getting restless in their pens.
Newt smirked at her reaction and led her away from the slaughterhouse. "Next up is the gardens, Trackhoes work here, they plant, water, pick weeds, anything to do with gardening. We get all of our fruit and vegetables here." Newt explained as they stepped closer. This placed smelled like manure as well, but not as strongly as the Bloodhouse had. The whole area was a beautiful leafy green, intermittently broken up by vivid reds and yellows and oranges of fruits and vegetables.
For the next hour and a half, Meraya was led over every inch of the Glade. She visited the Deadheads next, but they stopped at the line of trees. Newt seemed somber as he explained. Meraya got an eerie feeling from the seemingly endless expanse of trees, thankfully they left that area quickly. Newt took her back to the original building they had started from earlier that morning. By now, boys were milling about the Glade, doing their daily tasks they've been assigned.
"This is the Homestead. A lot happens here, meetings, med-jacks work here, and all of the Keepers, they're the leaders of each job, sleep here. You'll be staying here since you're a girl and all." Meraya had to roll her eyes at the last statement. Boys, always assuming women are weaker without any proof. Meraya could handle herself, but she stayed quiet for now. "Behind the Homestead is the Slammer. Break our rules and you'll be thrown in there, no food." Newt's voice held no friendly nor joking matter.
"So, what are these rules?" Meraya asked.
"There's just three. The first is do your part. Like I said before, this only works if we work together. No slacking. The second is don't harm another glader. That'll get you banished or thrown in the slammer depending. And lastly," Newt stared Meraya down, turning to fully face her, "don't EVER go into the maze. We have people for that and they're chosen special got it? Regular gladers can't go past these walls." Meraya frowned confused.
"Well why not?" She asked.
"The runners go out and map the maze every day looking for a way out-"
"Okay so shouldn't more be better, faster?"
"NO!" Newt took a deep breath calming himself. "Follow me."
Meraya sighed, tired of walking but followed nonetheless. They walked to the far wall, near the gap she had seen when they first walked out here. The wall they walked to was covered in vines and moss. Newt pulled the vines away to reveal a small, dirty window. He motioned for Meraya to come closer. Meraya stepped forward, glancing at Newt before she leaned in. On the other side of the window was darkness. She pulled back, eyeing Newt suspiciously like he was pulling some prank on her, but he only motioned her to look again. Meraya stood like that, nose pressed to old glass, for what felt like forever. She was about to call it when flashing light caught her eye. They were blue and red flashing lights, creeping closer and closer. She could hear the faint whir of mechanics followed by what sounded like someone dragging their foot across rubble. Within seconds Meraya saw what was making these sounds. She gasped as she peered at the…creature, if you could even call it that. It was a slimy, bulbous thing, sort of like a slug, parts of it was metal, strange mechanic arms protruding from its fatty skin. The lights would flash, engine would whir, and then it would drag its fat body across the ground. It shook Meraya to look at the thing, not sure of what it was or what it could do. She pulled back, letting the vines fall back into place, mouth agape and eyes wide.
Newt stepped in front of Meraya, face stony. "That is why we don't send just anyone out into the maze. Those things, they're out there and at night the maze doors close so that they can't get in. Usually they're only out at night but…we've had some instances when they weren't. That's what created the Deadheads. You understand now?" Newt searched Meraya's eyes for understand and when she nodded in response, he smiled. "Great now let's get you some food I bet you're starving!
A few months later…
Thomas watched, chewing his thumbnail as Meraya sank into the daily routine of the glade. She was fitting in nicely and Thomas could only wonder if he would acclimate this well. He knew they would find out soon, it was only a matter of time. A month after Meraya was sent in, Thomas decided to finish what she started. When she was found out, Meraya had only gave them the first installment of three packets of WICKED information. Thomas had found the rest, reconnected with the Right Arm, and started sending them the rest of the information.
A knot formed in his stomach as he thought of what would happen once WICKED found out. He knew he would suffer a similar fate as Meraya but he wasn't scared of that. He was scared they might change their minds and NOT send him into the maze. What then? Thomas sighed shaking his head. He switched off his monitor and headed out of the monitor room. Not even one step out the door and the alarms began screaming. Panic erupted as the lingering scientists scurried around, not knowing what was happening, but Thomas knew. He knew exactly what he was doing.
Thomas sprinted out the door, taking the twists and turns of the halls easily. He was searching for someone. Within minutes, he found them.
"Teresa!" Thomas called out to her out of breath.
"Thomas, what's going on?!" She asked panicked. The last time this happened, Meraya was sent into the maze. "What did you do?!"
"I had to do it, Teresa. This isn't right, we can't let them torture anymore kids." Thomas said, completely sure of himself. Teresa looked appalled and then angry.
"What did she do to you? WICKED is good Thomas! Remember?!" Teresa yelled out over the alarms. Armed men, dressed in all black, stormed the hall they were in, grabbing Thomas by the arms and dragging him backwards.
"WICKED is wrong, Teresa! WICKED killed the Earth!" Thomas's voice drowned out by the sirens as he was pulled away from Teresa.