Day seven, I wake up in the Med hut, but it feels weird because I'm not in the same bed. I glance over to the bed I had once slept in, Nick died there. His blood was gone, but I still knew. I knew what had happened there. I see Clint fiddling with a jar before he turns and notices me.
"Awake, huh? I never know if we should wake you up or let you sleep...," he admits, putting the jar back on his work bench. I merely shrug and stand up, my body still not quite right after sleeping on the tower. I groan and place my hand on my back, hoping the pressure will help but the only thing it does is let me smell the stench of my skin. Ew.. gross. I should have showered last night. "Might want to speed things up, Greenie. Builders are impatient people."
I sigh loudly, Fuck... the Builders. I have to train with them all day. I'm so not in the mood... I grab my water jug, say goodbye to Clint and find my way towards the Homestead. I see Gully, standing on a ledge a few yard above the ground, tying two sticks together in place. He sees me approach and smiles happily, he jumps down to greet me.
"Hey Greenie, was starting to believe you weren't going to show."
"Here I am...," I stifle a yawn.
"Well today, were extending the Homestead, the beds are filling up fast, and when we get the new greenies, we need to have a place for them," he turns back to the misshapen bundle of sticks and twine. "It's coming along really well. It might even by done by tomorrow. What I need from you is to grab some of the branches we've got," he pointed to a pile," and start tying them together, two at a time. One should fact up and the other should like flat with the ground. Let me show you how to tie 'em."
Gully shows me how to tie the flat long twine around the branches. Gully almost never stops talking, he rambles on about how helped build the Homestead originally, but the Gathering hut was a lot harder, especially since the Bricknicks always complain about having to repair it. Eventually he notices my lack of interest, so he stops talking and thinks of something exiting to say.
"Do you know I was stung by a Griever?," he speaks again.
"Greivers sting?," I ask trying to knot off the twine.
"Yeah, and it's deadly."
He had my attention now, I look up at him on the building. "Wait... so, how are you alive?"
"Luckily we had some serum... but it was terrible," Gally sat on his ledge. I dropped my sticks on the ground, waiting for him to continue. Gally rubbed his head before going on," I was an idiot. My third day here, I was by the maze door, made the mistake of stepping inside. Griever came out of nowhere, luckily I jumped back in the Glade, but it still stuck me, right in the arm," he reached for the spot on the left arm. "It... It was hot, my body was on fire. The pain itself felt like enough to kill me, then I starting seeing white. Faces came out of nowhere, a guy I've never seen and a girl..." he met my gaze.
A girl? "Was... was it me?"
Gally chuckled," No, it wasn't you. She had shorter hair, it was dark and curly. She and this kid were watching us...," Gally shook his head, trying to shake the memory," It was a long time ago. I've tried to forget it and just be glad to be here," he smiled.
"But, what were they? Who were the people you saw?," I pressured him.
"I'm not sure... I don't know them," Gally bowed his head.
"So we can treat the Griever stings?"
"Yeah, but they do't send it to us very often. We can a dosage maybe once every five months."
"You really are lucky," I agreed with Gally and picked up my sticks again.
After what felt like hours of binding sticks together, my fingers started cramping and there were blisters covering my hands. Gally lent me his gloves and gave me other chores to to, like collect more branches in the Deadhead or go to the supply and bring more binding. I kept thinking about the Greivers... they sting? And it kills, but there is a cure. Why would these people want us to die, when they could save us instead. Why create this monsters at all? Do they want us to live or die? Is it just a game? If it is, I'm a part of it. Did they not give me my name on purpose? Is that all a part of the game? Why me?
The sun was setting and I was excited to finally shower, but on my way Alby stopped me.
"Hey, Greenie," he stepped in front of the path a few yards ahead of me.
I clenched my fist," Oh, Hey Alby."
"I've been meaning to ask, have you remembered anything about your past?"
"Uh... no. I don't remember anything."
"Still no name?" he arched an eyebrow.
I looked at the dirt," Nothing yet."
He paused before speaking again, "I wouldn't worry about it, it always comes."
"Yeah...," I let my voice drift.
"Anyway, I wanted to let you know, we need you for a Gathering tonight," his words drew my attention to his face. He had his signature stern look, not angry but just serious.
"Why? I'm not a Keeper."
"It's about your first day. We have to address what happened..."
My first day. I tried to run in to the maze. Tried to escape... then I ran into Ben. "Oh...," I couldn't find any words to describe my feelings, the regret of hurting Ben mixed with the fear the consequences.
"Go ahead and shower first, but then head over, okay?," Alby said making his way towards that corner of the Glade.
"Yeah, no problem," I stood on the path for a moment after he left before marching towards the showers again.
My shower was short and efficient, scrubbing the sweat and dirt from me skin that had accumulated over the past few days. My hair was tangles in knots behind my neck, they took the most time to undo. I put on new clothes, and tried to calm my nerves on the long walk to the Gathering. Night had settled over the Glade, the torches alerted me that people where already there, inside, waiting for me. I was in front of the building, but didn't have the courage to go inside. I would take and step, then pull back; this went on a few more times before Zart saw me and beckoned me inside. Reluctantly, I obeyed and walked through the threshold. Inside, there were 10 seats which formed a semicircle around three separate chairs in the center.
"You sit there," Zart pointed towards the chair in the middle of the room.
Shit...
I walked through the room and saw that all the Keepers were here- Gally, Siggy, Winston and all the others. I sat down in the chair and a hush fell over the room, they all were staring, some of them I didn't recognize. Alby and Newt came from the back where they had been whispered and sat in the chairs on either side of me. I saw Ben standing in the back of the room, next to a Slicer I met when training. Jackson was here too, standing next to the Slicer while another boy stood beside Ben. What are they doing here? They aren't Keepers. Ben was looking at me, he looked guilty like he as blaming himself again. I hope he still isn't thinking about Nick. Jackson stood perfectly still, he eyes were focused straight ahead of him, he didn't look my direction at all.
Alby spoke," We are here to discuss the events that occurred on the first day of our newest Greenie. She broke the rules and tried to run out of the Glade. Newt and I believe the punishment that fits her actions, is a one night in the Slammer."
Some head nodded, agreeing that this was the best punishment, thats not so bad? The Slammer didn't seem to barbaric when I saw it.
"Maybe that is slightly harsh," a voice spoke out. All eyes turned and it was coming from, it was Clint. Clint?! "I mean, it was only her first day and since then she hasn't tried it again. Some greenies need more time than others to adjust."
"Yeah," Siggy agreed. "Maybe something like no dinner tonight," he shrugged. "Something a little less drastic."
"Drastic?," Newt snorted. "The slammer is one of the least drastic punishments we have. We also need to remember that she ran into Ben, almost knocked him out cold while still in the bloody maze."
"That was an accident," I interjected.
"Ben does't feel that the Greenie should be punished for running into him," Mihno stated, leaning back in his seat. My eyes shifted back to Ben, but his eyes were glued to the floor.
"Accident or not, it could have been serious," Alby stated. "All those who agree one night in the Slammer?" Everyone's hands were raised except for Clint, Siggy even agreed with them. "It's settled, punishment is one night in the Slammer." The boy next to Ben came down the aisle and escorted me to the back of the room. "We have two more situations that need the council's attention. Ben," Alby gestured for him to come forward.
Ben walked down the aisle and sat in the chair. He didn't looked scared or worried about what the council would do, he looked restless, his foot wouldn't stop bouncing up and down. I tried to look to Jackson, but he was still staring into space.
"We are here to discuss what happened two days ago, Ben broke the rules and entered the maze when we he was not supposed to. Even though he is a Runner, he was no permitted to enter the maze that day he was to stay back and train the Greenie. Entering the maze violates one of our core rules, do any Keepers have a suggestion for punishment?," Alby opened the floor to the council.
"I don't believe Ben should be punished. He is a Runner, he's allowed in the maze" Mihno said.
"We can't just have every Runner get trapped in maze," a council member I didn't know argued. "What if the doors had closed?"
"It was broad daylight, Tucker," Mihno scoffed. "The doors wouldn't have closed."
"You can't know for certain! We have no control over those doors, they could shut at anytime."
"But they haven't."
"But they could!"
"Tucker makes a fair point," Alby agreed. "We can't just have any Runner run into the maze, we have rules for a reason."
"I think he should be in slammer for two full days with water, no food," Tucker crossed his arms.
All council members started to talk at once, no one accepting that idea. "Talk about drastic," I heard Winston over the others.
"Okay... calm down," Alby voice was bold and loud.
"Ben ran into help us! He helped us carry Nick back to the Glade," Mihno was visibly angry.
"If the sun was so high, you still had plenty of time to make it," Tucker retorted. "We have to remember these rules are here for a reason."
"We had time, but Nick didn't!"
"Maybe it should just be two days in the Slammer, with food and water," Newt suggested.
"All those who agree?," Alby asked. Collectively, seven hands raised; Mihno, Clint, Alby, Zart, and another boy I didn't know are the ones who opposed. "It's settled, punishment is two full days in the slammer with food and water."
When Alby was done, Ben stood and came back towards me, he looked everywhere but at me. The Slicer was now walked to the front, he had apparently been hiding in the Deadhead for a few days, avoiding his work. His punishment was having to groom the all the animals alone, everyday, for a full month.
Newt and Alby then stood," Remember Gladers, this is about order, not anger. We are not here out of a grudge or pettiness, we are here to keep the Glade safe. No judgement leaves this room."
All the council members repeat Alby's last sentence, before standing and filing out. One of the council members approached us, "Okay, I'll take the Greenie to the Slammer. Ben, I suggest you got get some food and a go for a jog, tomorrow morning we'll put you in the Slammer. " Ben nods and ducks from the room without saying a single word, Jackson pushes past me towards the exit, taking the Slicer with him.
The council member takes my arm in his had, his grip is like a vice," Let's go." He pulls me the whole way, no matter how fast I tried to walk he was always faster. He opened the top of the Slammer," Get in," he let go of my arm and I happily climbed down to get away from his grasp. He shut the door and locked it, walking away without another word.
The small room, looked a lot bigger when I wasn't inside, it was so dark I ran into the wall. The guy forgot to light a torch before he left, but he was too far away now. I sat down and leaned against the rocky wall of the room, it's only for tonight.